# Leather Repair



## Ben Staerck (Oct 28, 2006)

Hi, this guide will explain step by step how to repair wear/tear and a hole on the bolster of car seats.










Tears occur where leather comes under stress. You will get two types. The first is where the leather is torn with a sharp object; these are the easier types to repair as all you have is a tear on its own. Tears that occur slowly due to wear/tear and stress are a little more awkward as the surrounding leather is normally scuffed, abraded and faded, as shown in the photos below.

To the left is a seat from an MR2, very badly damaged on the left hand side where the driver has got in and out of the car. The friction caused by rubbing against the leather has, over the years, resulted in a tear and a lot of abrasion to the surface.










Materials Needed

Leather Ultra Clean 
Leather Prep & Alcohol Cleaner 
Canvas Sub-patch & leather glue 
Light Filler 
Black Leather Colourant 
Leather Finish 
The first stage is to clean the leather down using the leather ultra clean, to remove any dirt from the surface.

The leather is then prepped by wiping it down with prep on a cloth. We do not use an abrasive pad this time because the surface is already very well worn and abraded.










After prepping wipe the leather down with the alcohol cleaner on a cloth as well. This removes any grease/oils or silicones that the prep wasn't able to remove.

If you look at the hole you can see that the leather is sticking outwards, like a lip. You will never get a good repair if that isn't removed as the repair would stick outwards. Cut out the lip either with the scissors or scalpel - both provided with the kit.










Using the tweezers start to place the canvas sub patch behind the leather. 
Hold the canvas in one corner with the tweezers and the push it into the top left of the hole. Then take the top right corner of the canvas and insert it into the top right of the hole.

Do the same for the bottom. Once the canvas is in place, push it around a bit until it is in perfectly.

Squeeze some leather glue onto the end of a palette knife and insert it around every edge of the leather (between the leather and the canvas). Gently hold the leather down against the canvas for a minute whilst the glue dries.










The step above has in effect re-created the backing in the leather. This acts a firm base to fill the hole.

To fill the hole, use the repair compound. Take a small amount on the end of the palette knife and apply it to the hole. Make sure all the canvas is slightly covered and allow a few minutes to dry, this can be speeded up by using a hair dryer.

Keep applying the repair compound in thin layers until it is near the surface. It is crucial to use thin layers as the compound shrinks as it dries. Stop when the hole is ¾ full with repair compound.










The photo above shows the hole nearly full with the leather repair compound.

At this stage you can either continue to fill it to the top and dry the compound, or, fill it to the top and imprint your grain pattern.

This leather doesn't have a very heavy grain pattern and so imprinting the grain pattern isn't crucial. Use your own initiative to see if it is necessary.










Put a small amount of repair compound onto the hole. Take your palette knife and angle it at about 45 degrees from the leather. Run it over the hole to smooth in any gaps.

Add more repair compound if necessary.

If you rub over the hole and repair compound gets onto the leather, remove it with the palette knife and/or your finger.

Your aim is to create the hole so that it is level with the leather and not over filled. It is at this stage to decide weather or not you want to grain it.










This photo shows the leather with the hole filled level (I didn't use a grain pad) and one coat of colour sponged on.

The first coat is applied by sponge and is aimed at just covering the colour, we're not aiming for a perfect finish.










This photo shows the finished job with the colour and finish sprayed on with an airbrush.

You can see that by applying the colour with an airbrush makes for a much more natural and smooth finish.

Remember, when spraying, spray in thin layers and dry each layer as you go with a hair drier. This will help prevent runs and make for a quicker and better end result.

http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk


----------



## talisman (Nov 20, 2006)

What a great write up......looks easy peasy!!!...lol....shall have a look your site in a minute....often wondered how you would repair a split or hole,how do make the grain pattern then?with a imprint tool or other means.....


----------



## talisman (Nov 20, 2006)

Only downer being not to sure if this has been cleared with the mods first though before adding your company link.........................


----------



## Ben Staerck (Oct 28, 2006)

Hi,

To get the grain pattern you use a 2 part silicone mix. Mix the two parts together and pour it onto the leather, when it sets (5-10 minutes) it will hold the imprint of the leather, it is then called a 'grain pad'.

You would then press the grain pad into the repair compound and either leave it for 2 hours to set naturally, or use a sealing iron to set it in 3 minutes.

When you tak the grain pad off, it will have embossed the leathers grain into the filler.

Most car interiors have a very gentle and subtle grain pattern and so it is not always necessary to use this method. Instead, just manipulate the leather by flexing it with your hands, this will put creases through the colour and filler and so take the flat edge of it away, making it blend in better.


----------



## GlynRS2 (Jan 21, 2006)

That is a very impressive guide :thumb:


----------



## dominic84 (Jan 27, 2007)

Excellent guide - would make a good sticky  I love all these 'smart' repair type things.


----------

