Repair Worn or Cracked Leather Seats

by MIKE WARREN

This is definitely not a quick fix or a temporary fix that I'm going to talk about today. This is the way that I repair leather on a daily basis that has been worn or cracked.

There are so many different ways that a leather seat gets worn, the usual spots are the bolster on the lean-back and the outer panel or center panel of the seat bottom. Some of which have had sizable holes that depending on where they are positioned can be fixed with a low heat leather repair compound and an under-patch.

Now before I start any leather repair project I mix my water based leather dye. I look around the seat side for a clean spot to get a good match, if there isn't a clean spot then I make one. Two reasons I mix my leather dye prior to starting and that is for one to make sure that I have the leather dye on board with me, which I always stock every night so I know I will, but you never know, and for second I want to make sure I get the color right before I start. Color match is a big thing to me, nothing looks worse then a bad color match. In fact you can ruin a seat if the color isn't right, by not getting your color exact you won't achieve the natural look of the leather seat and the interior of the vehicle. When mixing I always look around the vehicle to see the color scheme and make sure that I have a good match. Test your leather dye on the seat side, put a dab, dry it, if it disappears then your good, if not tint.

Once we have our leather dye mixed the right color with the appropriate amount of cross-linker, flex additive, and flattener if needed, it's time to clean and prep the leather seat. This is a very crucial part in the process and should not be taken lightly. If the area is not clean, prepped, cracks filled and leather primer applied then the leather dye will not adhere properly and you have a mess. So clean like mad.

First you take a spray bottle with a mild degreaser mixed with water, a scotch brite pad, and a towel and get to scrubbing. Spray the top portion of the seat first, scrub with the brush, then the scotch brite pad, and wipe it down. Pay close attention to the creases and the upper and outer edges of the seat, it has to be clean. Now move to the seat bottom, clean the front and the sides too, scrub it good, you don't want to be putting leather dye over dirt.

After you have scrubbed the seat with the degreaser, grab your spray bottle of prep solution which is a mixer of alcohol, ammonia, 240 grit sandpaper and your prep solution, this will remove any ruff edges and you will notice the dye will lift and start to mix with the solution and fill and seal some of the cracks and worn areas on the leather seat, this is a good thing use it. This gives you a smoother area to work with which means less filler to be applied, always remember less is better. So get the leather as smooth as possible. In the cracked areas if you fold your sandpaper and use the edge to sand the cracks and make them look more like a natural crease it helps. Now sanding with the solution, spray and sand until dry, the dye will start to kinda ball up a little, just keep sanding lightly until smooth, you want to use this dye as a filler too.

Once sanded apply a thin coat of grip base, or sticky primer to the seat with a wet paper towel and wiping it over the entire leather seat. Basicly where your going to dye is where you need to prime. This will seal off the