Liquid Leather Repair Instructions
Leather & Vinyl repair
The procedure for leather, vinyl, plastic, naugahyde, etc. is the same.
On genuine leather, slightly overlap the repair compound onto the non-damaged
leather.
Preparing the damaged spot
If there is a depression under the damage, fill it in using common cotton.
(Pros often use "padding" cotton.) The area under the damage
must be even. Often damages require no padding. A backing fabric can be
inserted under the damaged spot if required. If there are any loose threads
or frays, trim them off with a common razor knife so the damage spot is
now even.
Minor damages require no backing however larger damages do. The purpose
of the backing is two-fold. First, to have support under the damaged spot
for the repair compound and second, to help bond the damaged spot together.
Any type of thin cloth will work as a backing fabric; often the pros will
use an iron-on denim patch because it has an adhesive on it that will
bond under the damaged spot when the repair is made. The backing fabric
should be cut about 1/4 inch larger than the damage and inserted into
and under the damaged spot using the spatula. Note: The kit has a plastic
spatula to keep the cost low; the best spatulas are those that an artist
uses, available in art supply stores.
Mixing, applying and heating the repair compound
The heat is the agent that cures the repair compound and turns it from
a paste type viscosity into a piece of material that resembles a vinyl-leather
type of material. You are actually making a piece of material in the damage
spot during this repair process. Insufficient heat will make a weak repair,
one that looks good but will break open easily. Excessive heat can ruin
the grain of the material near the spot being repaired, often forming
a heat ring around the repaired spot. The trick is getting just the right
amount of heat application during the repair process. This is achieved
by making many practice repairs on the enclosed piece of "extra"
vinyl in your kit. You can get extra scrap vinyl or leather from any upholstery
shop to make additional practice repairs. Do not do your actual repair
job until you are satisfied with your practice repairs.
Mixing the color
The repair compound colors can be mixed to an endless number of shades.
The application of heat causes them to cure to a slightly darker color.
To check your color, apply a very small quantity of the repair compound
onto a piece of the scrap vinyl...cover with a grain paper (marked 'this
side up') and heat for 20 seconds. Allow to cool (1 minute) and remove
the grain paper. Examine the color; if it is not right, continue mixing
the color and keep checking it to get the right shade. If you find it
hard to get the right color, art supply stores sell an oil based universal
tint color in many colors and shades. You can add a very small amount
of this (oil based) universal color to the repair compound to assist you
in color matching. Often the pros do this to obtain difficult color matches.
Apply the repair compound in thin layers if the damage is large and all
at once for small damages. Apply the repair compound as evenly as possible
- this is very important. Use the spatula to spread the compound into
and across the damaged spot. Select one of the grain papers and keep the
right side up. Put it onto the wet repair compound; do not move it. Place
the tip of the hot heat tool on the grain paper(which is over the repair
compound) and keep the tip in one spot, but move it in a circular motion
for between 10-30 seconds, depending on the size of the damage. It is
the heat that cures the repair compound.
Allow the grain paper to cool for 1-2 minutes and remove it; you may have
to apply additional repair compound and heat again. Applying less repair
compound is always better, as this compound cures into a leather like
film from heat. Applying too much in the damaged spot will cause a "bump"
or raised area in that spot. Note: Before putting the grain paper down,
make an X in the center of the grain paper. Apply that X right over the
wet repair compound, this indicates exactly where to apply the heat rather
than just applying the heat randomly over the grain paper. Heating is
the key to a strong repair. You may have a heat transfer tool in your
kit. This is a low cost device, which is held against a home iron for
3-4 minutes and immediately applied to the grain paper. For small damages,
this application of heat will work. The key is to immediately move the
round tip from home iron (in less than 2-3 seconds) onto the grain paper
without losing much heat. You may also use the tip of the home iron on
the grain paper, but this requires considerable care not to allow the
tip to touch any other part of the material. This also makes it difficult
to move the tip in a circular motion.
Often pros will apply the repair compound in thin layers, heat curing
each thin layer with hot air. Then the final layer is ironed on with an
iron to provide the best graining effect. The hot air from heat guns often
spreads the hot air far beyond the damaged spot. The butane tool however
provides better application of the heat to a specific area, not over heating
the undamaged surrounding area like a heat gun would.
For the average consumer the heat iron and round tip in the Internet kit
is more than ample to properly heat the repair compound. But the butane
tool is available upon request if multiple repairs are made, or if one
wants to get into the repair business.
Finishing the repair job
If the repair now looks satisfactory, you can apply a vinyl type finish
over the repair to protect it. Common floor wax is suitable for consumer
application but this will raise the gloss of the repaired spot. If you
wish to lower the gloss, simply allow the area to dry for 30 minutes,
and lightly buff the spot with a very fine steel wool. This will help
lower the gloss or sheen.
SUMMARY..
1) Clean the damaged spot and insert a backing.
2) Mix the repair compound colors, apply, cover with a grain paper and
beat
3) Use a clear or recolor finish over the repair to finish the job.
Sale Price $19.95
Availability: In Stock
