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Re: Softening old leather.
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Posted by RayF (more from RayF) on Tue, 15 Nov 2005 09:41:59 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Let's talk about leather, MS, Mon, 14 Nov 2005 23:55:02
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MS: I stitched back up a driver's seat bottom that had split seams. It was very stiff, and also shrunken. On reinstalling it, I first washed it in water and a little mild dish detergent, also some rubbing alcohol on badly soiled areas. The wetness gave it back suppleness to stretch it back into place. Then while it was still wet, before I put it back on the seat, I used a little squeeze-bottle with steel needle tip, meant as an oil applicator for precise work, and filled it with Lexol conditioner, then poked the needle through the cheesecloth and foam backing and squirted Lexol around, then worked it into the wet leather. THEN I reattached the skin to the seat.
Results were, it went on easily, dried fitting perfectly, and has pretty good suppleness, much better than before. But I evidently didn't use enough Lexol. It's spotty - - one patch that's very supple, as I imagine it might have been when new. (Owners since new, any comments?) The rest of it is okay.
I didn't do anything about re-coloring it, and it could use it though it's not bad. That's why I applied the Lexol from behind, and why I was sparing with it. I figure too much of it and if I ever do get some good leather paint it might not stick.
I searched a little on the web and found a Calif. outfit that sells to the trade only, that includes postings of the miracles some shops have done with their materials, including restorations of tears and holes and weather cracks. They sell glue, paint to be air sprayed, cream filler that's sort of paint and crack and pore filler in one, deep crack filler, texture products to give a pebble grain to surface, additives to give leather "hand" to surface, etc.; water-based polyurethane, I think it was. But the pros don't buy exact color, they custom tint each job. And the company wouldn't sell to me though there might be a way around that.
My suggestion: Fix any weak stitching, rotten "listing" sleeves for the wires that hold the covers down, etc. Then wet-shrink the covers onto your seats. If you really want to lavish attention on them, when dry, remove and lexol or leatherique them till supple, then reattach.

posted by 64.223.23...


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