# How to shrink leather?



## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Hi folks,

looking for advice on how to safely shrink leather.

My friends drivers seat has a slight sag in the buttocks region, and was looking to sort it.

The seats were retrimmed around a year ago.

I have searched, and it seems that you can wet it, and let it dry to shrink it?

I would like some advice before helping with the issue, as it will cost a considerable amount for the seat to be retrimmed should something go wrong.

Thanks in advance,
Mark.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Generally speaking this is not possible without taking the whole seat apart and refitting the leather - taking out any excess or refilling the interiors.

Leather stretches naturally - some more than others depending on where abouts it was cut from the hide. If the seat panel was cut from the outer edges (belly hide) it will have looser fibres and therefore it will stretch more. 

Soaking leather as you sugested would only damage the fibres and stiffen them which would then be another problem to resolve.

Keep it clean and protected so that the creased areas do not suffer from over abrasion.

We have a product called Leather Shrink but found it to be ineffective so it never got to market.


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## steveo3002 (Jan 30, 2006)

why not get the trimmer to sew up the seam a bit tighter , or pad the seat out some more

shouldnt cost crazy amounts


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## The Doctor (Sep 11, 2007)

Dont shoot me down on this but a valetor that i deliver to told me that the JML magic sponges work superb on leather. He said it seemed to tighten the leather up on the seats.

As i said,no idea,never tried it just passing on what i was told.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Magic sponges remove the top finish on the leather. They would have no effect on the leather itself and should always be avoided for cleaning leather because of the damage that they do. This has been tested.


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## The Doctor (Sep 11, 2007)

judyb said:


> Magic sponges remove the top finish on the leather. They would have no effect on the leather itself and should always be avoided for cleaning leather because of the damage that they do. This has been tested.


As i said,only passing on what a valetor told me. I must say,he did show me the magic sponge and it just felt like a piece of firm sponge so i would never have thought about it removing the finish.I couldnt even understand how it worked as it wasnt rough or anything. If we are on about the same sort of sponge (JML magic sponge) then i take your word for it as you obviously know leather inside out and i will pass your information onto the valetor in question, thanks.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

Magic sponges are actually made from very fine melamine resin so they act like very fine sandpaper and so have a cutting effect which is how they renove the finish. 

Glad we can help on matters like this - saves a lot of damage being done.


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## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Thank you for your advice Judy, most appreciated


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

judyb said:


> .....so they act like very fine sandpaper and so have a cutting effect which is how they renove the finish.


Yep I would agree with that Ghosty and I did the inside of a Transit van that had a small fire in it and we used the magic sponges to remove the burns from the inside of the roof in the back (AG SRP over the top)...cleaned it up a treat but removed the paint for sure!


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## A20 LEE (Feb 20, 2007)

Most car retrimmers shrink leather to get it tight onto the foam. Think theres a good trimmer in in scotland too but can't remember their name off the top of my head.


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## Colin Hall (Dec 17, 2008)

We have a sofa in the workshop at the minute that needed some shrinking and recolouring. We use a heat gun (sort of like a hairdryer but reaching temperatures of about 300 degrees) to shrink the leather, which worked very effectively.

We have a before picture and I can get an after picture when the job is completed to show you how this works.


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## judyb (Sep 7, 2007)

This is dangerous advice and very unlikely to work as it may well soften the leather even more as it is polyurethane coated so could well end up in a worse position, it also might burn it :speechles


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## mark-gts (Jul 27, 2006)

A20 LEE said:


> Most car retrimmers shrink leather to get it tight onto the foam. Think theres a good trimmer in in scotland too but can't remember their name off the top of my head.


that would most likely be transcal


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## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Interesting views here.

The seats were done by Baileys in Scotland.


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## juddzey455 (Jan 30, 2009)

As said heat is used to take out SMALL wrinkles/sags etc...not to be tryed buy anyone tho... alot of damage can be done!

Leather shrinks in heat..Thats why a leather top dashes shrinks back, because of the heat the window makes with the sun on it..a heat gun has the same offect!

A few trimmers will dust a little heat on the leather to tighten it up a bit


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