Boeing 717

Ok i have started the process on redying my seats. i will update this thread as i go along, it will probably take me a couple of weeks at least. My seats looked pretty good in the car but once i had them out they really look pretty crappy. Today i started stipping the Redye off that the original owner had done. It is like a hard candy shell, personally i think it was some sort of paint. And it took me 8 HOURS FOR ONE SEAT, thats when i started thinking... oh lord what have i gotten myself into. I bought the leatherique system. I used white terry cloths, Laquer thinner and Acetone. The Acetone actually works a little better i think and dries quicker. This is going to be a long job but so far i am really pleased, the seats are so soft and pliable now. I intend to do the seats, center console and door panels, if the color is not too different im gonna leave the back seats alone for now. If i can get the color on without screwing anything up i think they will look brand new.


Seat before color removal, leather is hard and shiney almost like vinyl.




Cracks....


More Cracks...


After starting color removal, Seats looked tan but really had a fleshy tone to them.




Leather is smooth and soft as a babies butt after removing the dye.

DarrylH

Just a safety note, which you likely already know: acetone exposure is not a good thing for your skin. Wear acetone resistant gloves!

The seat looks better for your efforts. I bet they'll turn out great.

Boeing 717

Thanks for the tip, i was wearing gloves.

Metal Guru

Jerry, make sure that you don't make a suede finish when you remove the old tanning.
Also, it looks like you will be needing some latex crack filler from Leatherique. Mix some of the dye into it before application; otherwise it will show.
Buy an airbrush and spray your seats. I did not get good results brushing the dye on so I had to start over and spray.

Boeing 717

Ah....now see this is the kinda stuff i need. Ok i have the crack filler, great tip on the color addition.

Tell me about the airbrush deal. What i was thinking was rubbing the color in to begin with just to get it to sink in then second coat with an airbrush. Is that ok??? Or will the color sink in with the airbrush first time???

Any special kind of airbrush that i need?? I saw one at the hobby store the other day for like 50 dollars, single action.

Do you think this would work???
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-DUAL-ACTION-...d=p3286.c0.m14

Metal Guru

Jerry, all you need is a hobby air brush. I used a small compressor for an air nailer, with the pressure regulated down to 20 psi, if I remember correctly. If you don't have a air brush and compressor the Ebay one would do fine.
You want to spray it "dry", in other words so you get a matte finish with no runs.
Depending on how much you use your car, plan on doing a re-dye every 2-3 years.

jimq

they sell a couple at Harbor Freight pretty cheap.

altarchsa

I have not done this myself but I studied the instructions from Leatherique recently when I was considering dyeing my seats. (I have since decided to recover with new pre-stitched leather.)

I think Metal Guru is right about the airbrush. It seems I remember Leatherique recommended spraying too. The spray can be adjusted to give a little bit of a stiple effect to simulate leather graining and the subtle variation in coloring of natural leather when its dyed .

axl911

I used this from Harbor Freight and it worked really well with my pancake compressor. Just don't put too much pressure on the line, and dilute the dye with some water.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92126

The airgun made a huge difference in the finish. No matter how much I tried, I still get brush mark with a regular or sponge brush.

Boeing 717

Thanks AXL, i bought that airbrush kit off of ebay today.

Question: If you guys have done this how long do i need to wait to put the dye on after i have conditioned the seats with the leather oil softener????

Metal Guru

I bagged my seats after applying the conditioning oil, let them sit overnight, removed the bags, wiped the excess oil off and got to the dye application.

Gandara

I am going to be doing this Boeing so I will definately need your input sir !

firstflat6

I've been in the upholstery bus for many years and here are some tips. The finish on the leather is not dye, it is paint. That said you need to think painting. If the leather is stiff you should treat it before you paint, let dry and them remove excess. Before treating test to see what cuts the treatment product like alcahol of what will work. As with painting more tin coats works better to achive the finish you want.
This is not easy so take you time.
Good luck

Gary

NCSUtrey

Heads up on the acetone. It's not so much that it's bad for your skin, it causes serious damage to the kidneys. Acetone can permeate human skin and can enter the bloodstream, leaving the kidneys to filter it out. I've done fiberglass work for years and have always used gloves when I could.