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My current plan is to test in a very small area first before I attempt the bolster. My main concern, not being a leather expert, is how the uncoated bare leather will absorb the dye compared to spraying the dye over a larger area consisting of bare leather and good factory colored leather. My worry is that the bare leather will absorb it and look a lot darker than the surrounding area making the entire repair look splotchy. The only way to know is to test. Maybe I am confusing the terms dye and paint. To me, dye soaks in and paint covers. We'll see.
My current plan is to test in a very small area first before I attempt the bolster. My main concern, not being a leather expert, is how the uncoated bare leather will absorb the dye compared to spraying the dye over a larger area consisting of bare leather and good factory colored leather. My worry is that the bare leather will absorb it and look a lot darker than the surrounding area making the entire repair look splotchy. The only way to know is to test. Maybe I am confusing the terms dye and paint. To me, dye soaks in and paint covers. We'll see.
Good point. a light application on a small area then leaving it to set/dry may be the best approach before doing the entire area. I'll wait for you to try it first then show me a pic
Well, it turned out just ok but I also didn't expect a miracle. I will write up an article with closeups. I only did the bolster up to the dividing stitch. I wasn't going to do the whole side bolster but you have to as I figured out while blending.
Before with obvious wear.
This is after cleaning the leather, blow drying it and sanding it lightly with 500 grit paper. I did NOT use any leather filler cream but in retrospect it may have been a good idea. I just really don't know what I am doing just yet. Three coats of dye, dried with a hair dryer in between each and dabbed into cracks with a sponge brush. The dye is watery and clear-ish like I expected .... not paint. It looks a little funny in the pic but the lights in my garage were making weird shadows. I will buff it out tomorrow and see what that brings. I can always start over with the filler cream but I would have to order it. I just didn't want to use it because I wasn't sure about it sticking being under so much constant rubbing.
I think this will be acceptable to me until I get both seats totally redone. I just wasn't looking to spend over a grand just yet so this $30 is fine. I want to see how this wears and if the dye rubs off onto my clothing at all. I buffed a very small part of it with leather treatment and it didn't turn the cloth pink so that is a good sign. The worst I could have done is make it look worse than it was and it doesn't. lol
I can say that the dye doesn't come off. I buffed it out with leather treatment and a white microfiber and it didn't turn pink.
Just looked at your pics now. I'd say that's pretty good! Definitely worth the $30 and some time. It looks much better than before. I really want to try this and since you say the dye doesn't rub off its a bonus. I'll use Meguiars leather conditioner after the dye dries to treat/buff it. My aim would be to repair the worn area to the point that it's hardly noticeable and looks like there was no wear there in the first place. That would be mission accomplished
How well does the colour of the dye match the rest of the seat? Did you provide your interior colour code as well when ordering?
It's kind of like that ten foot paint job on a car. It is MUCH less noticeable but you can see the areas that were previously bare leather with inspection. I could have gotten it to look better and I might still redo it at some point since I have plenty of dye left. I just wasn't that comfortable sanding leather and I didn't use any filler cream. This kind of stuff requires a few tries to get a feel for what you can do. It's scary prepping the surface with acetone and sandpaper. You realize there is NO turning back now.
The main thing I was concerned about was different textures of leather absorbing the dye differently and it did turn out to be the case. The bare areas were more "suede-ish" than the smoother red areas that were starting to wear. At this point I don't know what I'd do different aside from trying the filler cream and sanding it to an ultra smooth texture. Even then I would wonder if the hardened cream would absorb differently and look a tad darker.
I ordered code 89 which is correct for Honda red on the S2000. There is a definite difference between paint and this dye. It is a bit translucent as you can see on my test spray.
It's kind of like that ten foot paint job on a car. It is MUCH less noticeable but you can see the areas that were previously bare leather with inspection. I could have gotten it to look better and I might still redo it at some point since I have plenty of dye left. I just wasn't that comfortable sanding leather and I didn't use any filler cream. This kind of stuff requires a few tries to get a feel for what you can do. It's scary prepping the surface with acetone and sandpaper. You realize there is NO turning back now.
The main thing I was concerned about was different textures of leather absorbing the dye differently and it did turn out to be the case. The bare areas were more "suede-ish" than the smoother red areas that were starting to wear. At this point I don't know what I'd do different aside from trying the filler cream and sanding it to an ultra smooth texture. Even then I would wonder if the hardened cream would absorb differently and look a tad darker.
I ordered code 89 which is correct for Honda red on the S2000. There is a definite difference between paint and this dye. It is a bit translucent as you can see on my test spray.
The thought of sanding and acetone on anything car related is definitely scary! I'll follow your lead with this job once I get my dye. I assume filler cream is sold separately?
07-10-2018, 10:00 PM
