Leather Repair Instructions

Superior Restoration Products unique water base air dry leather repair products have revolutionized our industry. We also have a superior Leather Heat Compound for certain repair methods. Now you can earn big profits by looking for that leather work you previously avoided.

1. Prepping the leather:
   Spray the entire seat area with Superior Vinyl and Leather Cleaner or Z7 Cleaner. Scrub briskly with a stiff nylon bristle brush. Wipe clean with paper towels. Repeat on deeply soiled seat as the first application removes only surface dirt and the second cleans the dirt from the leather grain and pores. Follow with a generous application of Silicone Wash to remove any remaining contaminants.
   For Cracked areas: On leather what often appears to be cracked leather is simply a stressed finish. Wet sand cracked finishes with Sand Away and 220 grit sand paper while taking the finish down to bare leather. On extremely heavy damage 100 grit may be necessary. Wipe clean with Sand Away using a paper towel. Let exposed area dry. On very dry and damaged areas, after using Sand Away, rub in with a clean lint free rag Lexol Leather Conditioner. Let the Lexol absorb into the leather and wipe away and excess. This process with leave the leather with a softer finish.
2. Repairing light to moderate surface damage:
   Leather Adhesive should be wiped into any exposed leather fibers such as in frayed areas, slices part way through or where there may be a series of digs in the leather that can be brushed back and laid back down. Do not leave Leather Adhesive on the surface to the original finish. Allow to air dry.
   Deep Leather Fill, Deep Leather Fill II and Leather Fill can then be used in thin layers to level out the damaged area allowing drying between layers. These are air dry products but a hair dryer can be used to speed up the drying time.
   Use Leather Soft Fill to fill in any pinholes or minor imperfections. Just a quick swipe with the pallette knife will do, much like using spot putty. Let air dry.
   For a smooth skin finish over the repair area, wipe Leather Cream Fill with a paper towel quickly and let dry. This product will provide a final base from which to texture and color.
3. Repairing punctures, holes and cuts through the leather:
   Subpatch if necessary using vinyl mesh adhered to a piece of two inch masking tape for thin , tightly stretched leather. Use Leather Adhesive to secure. Using a pallette knife spread Leather Repair Compound ( heat cure) into the damaged area. Using the UT-100SI with Mini-Iron adapter and Graining Paper to cure the compound by moving the iron back and forth evenly over the graining paper. Be careful not to get the graining paper to hot and cool the down the graining paper with your Chill Bar before removing the graining paper.
4. Graining Methods:
   For imprinting lines of grain: Spray a light adhesion coat of Leather Clone over the repair and allow to dry slightly. Then apply a heavy coat and allow to tack. Spray Clone Activator over the repair area and on the appropriate graining pad. Place the pad firmly onto the repair area, holding for about 30 seconds. Remove pad and blot dry the area with a paper towel and examine your grain. The grain will get deeper with heavier coats of Leather Clone. Repeat until satisfied.
   Leather Fill and Leather Cream Fill can be wiped on and dabbed to create some useful grains. Let dry before applying color.
   For light graining or to blend over a previous grain, spray a mist coat of Water Base Spray Grain or Water Base Spray Texure (VM-12) from about 12" away using a Preval Sprayer. Spraying at a close distance will allow a heavier texture. Sand lightly with 400 grit sandpaper when dry.
5. Recolor using Superior's Water Base Dye System and instructions.

MATCH COLOR: Mix your color and add Water Base Flatner (5 to 10%) if needed to control the sheen. For high stress areas add Water BaseFlex Additive (5-10%). Add (3-5%) Water BaseSlip Agent to your final coat of color for that original feel. Strain before spraying. Use Leather Primer or Hi-Tac Primer  (oily surfaces) to help adhesion on high wear or stress areas.

SPRAYING COLOR: Rub in color on first coat, especially on cracked areas. Then spray light coats to finish the coloring. If your color tends to dry too fast, add water to color to slow down drying process. Allow to dry between coats. When coverage is satisfactory, check smoothness of leather. Sand lightly with Steel Wool to smoothen leather if needed. Spray final coat with Slip Agent in your color. Always clear coat reds and metallics, thin dye with clear coat or spray straight clear coat over the leather. This will help protect your color.