Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffm
Yes, let's hear some more about the process. I know professionals will actually spray the color/dye, but what process did you use? I don't have compressed air nor a spray gun and was wondering if the brush/sponge process does well.
Looks great so far!
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Jeffm, I didn't use spray either, just sponge. Here are the basic steps I followed:
1. removed seats from car, and wiped down with rubbing alcohol to remove oil/dirt
2. lightly sanded all areas with cracks and creases with 400 grit sand paper
3. wiped down again with alcohol to remove dust and any residual oils
4. applied leather filler to cracks/creases, allow to dry. Did this in multiple layers as recommended by the product manufacturer. HINT: the filler is white and will be hard to cover up with the dye later, so you can mix some of the dye with the filler to color it. It's actually fine to do this and they suggest doing it to make it easier to cover and blend in.
5. Once dry, resanded with 400 grit sand paper until smooth and no surface defects could be seen or felt.
6. wiped down again with alcohol and lint free cloth, let dry
7. applied the color dye Prep product as directed
8. applied several coats of the dye with the sponge provided in their kit, and let dry the recommended 4 to 6 hours between each coat. It took many coats to cover over the white filler. I did add some dye to the filler in the last layers, which helped a lot with blending. Another HINT: when applying the dye from sponge, I started dabbing heavily over the areas that need it most, and let it sit for about 1 minute - as it started to dry, I then smoothed it out evenly with several light strokes using the sponge edge. This is what worked best for me.
REMEMBER to let the dye dry at least 4 to 6 hours between coats. This is what makes it take several days to complete. Be patient, you will start to see results as you go.
Once the seats looked the way I wanted them to, I applied a final protectant coat and resinstalled them.
Also got some Lexol leather conditioner I'm going to use to keep the leather soft and flexible.
Good luck, if you have any questions I'd be glad to try and help.