Well today I wanted to give you guys a little tip on getting a grain pattern into you next leather or vinyl repair using the “Wet Grain Method“. This little trick can be used with just about any air dry or heat cured compound on leather or vinyl and really could probably be used on plastic but never really tried it yet.

This process has saved me a couple of times and has enhanced some of my repairs and made them basically disappear. It’s kinda a last resort to getting it right.

After your repair is mended, smooth, and level take your compound and lay a thin to medium coat over the area needing to be grained. Next step requires a product from Viper Products called Wet Grain Slicker. What this does is puts a slick coating over your grain pad so that when you press the grain pad into the wet compound it won’t stick. Now what you’ll do is take a drop or two of the Slicker and place it on the grain side of your pad, rub it around so that the whole pad is covered, you don’t want it really wet just slick you may have to wipe a little off with a paper towel. Next lay your pad carefully over the compound and press it firmly with your palm. Be careful not to move the pad when you press or you will lose the effect. This part is kinda tricky, remove the pad slowly and carefully so not to mess up the grain. Once you’ve removed the pad take your heat gun and cure the compound, if it’s leather make sure to cure slowly with low heat. Sand lightly but to much you remove your grain, just enough to remove some of the high spots left from removing the pad. There you go, a grain pattern.

I use this on leather quite a bit with Viper’s Leather Extreme fill. I’ll use my finger to smooth the compound around the area I want a grain into and at times it may take a couple of attempts to achieve the look I want, but it’s been a life saver for sure.

Sometimes you’ll have to lay a coat of dye over the area to see if it blends or if another attempt is needed. Just remember to clean thoroughly between sanding and seal the area before your dye with a swipe of Grip Base on a wet paper towel.

This trick of the Wet Grain Method does take a little practice to get it right, but when you master it it can save you from a not so perfect job. Always keep your repairs level and as small as possible to achieve optimum results.

Well I hope this helps in your next Automotive Interior Repair job on leather and vinyl and fell free to leave a comment for me on this and let me know how it works out for you.

Talk to ya soon,

Mike Warren – The Interior Guy

Getting a vinyl or leather repair level and smooth can be tricky with the different foams and backing materials. By using an iron can better your chance of getting that repair level and smooth without bulging or pushing in the vinyl which can happen with doing your repairs with a heat gun and pressing your grain pad with your hand to achieve your grain.

Now one thing to remember when doing repairs on leather and on vinyl is the difference in the Heat applied.

Low Heat for Leather ONLY!

Never use a high heat on a piece of leather or you will pucker and harden it, basically ruining the piece. I try to never go over 300 degrees on any leather repair. Most all your leather repair compounds that are heat cured will cure out at 250 degrees. So no high heat on leather!

Vinyl on the other hand can handle in some cases, and I say this sparingly because it depends on the type, a lot more heat. Some seat vinyl you can usually get by with heat as high as 500+ degrees where as some door panel vinyl low heat only 300 and below.  This vinyl is thinner and is sometimes backed with a foam instead of a fabric and high heat will make a small hole really big really quick giving you an even bigger hole to repair. You almost treat the thinner vinyls as you would leather.

Determination is vital though, you can usually tell by feel and sight. The fabric backed vinyl is usually thicker and used on seats and some door panels where as  the foam backed vinyl is thinner feeling almost a plastic feel to it used mostly on door panels, console lids, and some dashes.

Most high heat vinyl repair compounds cure out at 350-400 degrees. One compound that is pretty much the standard is Vinyl Hyde. It’s been around for years, although through the years some have improved on it’s formula and have come up with some really great compounds.

Now the iron I use is a small hobby iron, it’s actually an iron designed for shrink wrapping small hobby aircraft, but it works great for vinyl and leather repairs. It has a temperature range from 100 to 400 degrees, which is perfect for curing all vinyl and leather compounds.  It’s small enough to get into where I need it but not to small I’m there all day trying to cure out my compounds on a large repair. I’ve seen those little bitty round irons and really to me there just a waist of time for a professional, I guess in some small repairs they could work but if your serious about doing real vinyl and leather repairs then you really need a good iron to do your repairs correctly.

When doing an iron repair your going to need some supplies to make a good permanent repair.

What I mean is, compound and your iron won’t always work for every repair.

If it’s a really small area with no chance for stress then maybe but with most repairs there will be stress and by adding a couple of components to your larger stress prone areas can mean the difference between a permanent repair and a repair that is just well substandard.

The two components that I’m talking about here are your under patch material and a product called mini mesh. The under patch may not always be used due to the fact that not all cracks in vinyl go all the way through. But your mini mesh will really help in making your repair last. What this stuff is, is an extremely thin fiberglass mesh that gives your repairs a stronger hold and eliminates the weak spots in the vinyl or leather your repairing. When doing an all the way through cut or crack in leather and vinyl the under patch and over patch will sandwich the area giving you a repair that will close to disappear and will be almost impenetrable.

The under patch material I use is actually a heat activated glue back canvas type cloth that I cut to fit a 1/4″ larger then the repair area. I then insert it upside down in the underside of the repair so that the adhesive is facing up to glue the area together, giving you the bond from underneath.

Other supplies that you will need to help in the process is a pair of small scissors, needle nose tweezers, a pallet knife, a chilling block, Teflon mat, a matching grain pad, and your matching water based dye mixed to perfection in your favorite spray gun.

The first thing to do is to clean and prep the area thoroughly with your prepping solution and a scotch brite pad, this will remove any contaminants and scuff the area for dye. If sanding of the area is needed then do that now. Remembering to clean again after wards, the cleaner the better when doing any type of repair.

I next do one thing that gives you a great bond for your dye during the process of the repair and that is I wipe a layer of Grip Base primer over the area. This is a water based adhesion promoter that gives the dyes and compounds something a bit more to stick to. On leather it will seal the leather helping with oil migration. I will also use this throughout my repair process if I sand the area or with leather repair when I add air dry compounds. Grip Base primer is a must when doing any repair with water based dyes.

If your working with a tear all the way through insert a piece of your under patch material with your needle nose tweezers making sure it’s in contact with all the area under the split at least a 1/4″ all the way around. Once in place using your pallet knife or even your finger spread a liberal amount of vinyl or leather repair compound over the area and even under between the under patch and the leather or vinyl.

Next you’ll take your Teflon mat and lay it over the area. This is used to heat the area making it nice and smooth while not letting the compound stick to your iron while heating.

Just lightly lay the iron over the area, you can slide it around during the curing process to make sure all the compound gets totally cured out. In some of the larger areas moving the iron around with a little more pressure will also help to smooth the area out.

Once your cured don’t just rip the mat off, let it cool a bit or even use your chill block or even a wet towel. If your not cool you’ll peel the compound up too, not so much with the mat as with your grain pad but getting in the habit of using your chill bar will save you some big headaches.

Your next step is adding your mini mesh. With this you will cut a rounded shape of mesh at least a 1/4″ to a 1/2″ larger then the repair area. Spread a thin layer of compound over the repair then lay the mini mesh directly over the uncured compound.  Take your pallet knife and slide it over the mesh smoothing it right in with the compound. The smoother the better, clean the edges up with you finger if needed.

Take your Teflon mat and lay it over the area and repeat the curing process, this will create your impenetrable repair.

At this time I will spray a dry coat of dye over the area to see where I’m at in my repair and also to sandwich my dye into my repair. Remember your working in thin layers.

Now it’s time to put the grain back into the repair to finish it off.

With your pallet knife spread a thin layer of compound over the area, then take your matching grain pad and carefully lay it over the area. With your iron, pressing a little harder, cure the area out.  Now sliding your iron around doesn’t really work with the grain pads as easily as the Teflon mat so watch out cause the pad could move so pick up the iron to move it around if needed.

Chill the pad with your chill bar. This part is very important, if not cool the pad WILL stick and peel your compound right up, so chill before you peel.

Once chilled, peel off the pad slowly and see where your at. Sometimes I’ll sand the area slightly to remove some of the rough areas. I’ll then clean and spray some more dye over the area to again see where my repair is. This process may need to be repeated to achieve the results you want.

At times I will also combine my iron repair with my heat gun to finish the repair off.  The iron at times will give you a little more pronounced grain and just doesn’t get things as smooth and well just doesn’t always finish it like I like it so I’ll lay another thin layer of compound over the area and cure and grain the last coat with my heat gun. This all depends on the type of vinyl I’m working with too.

Lastly I’ll lay a couple of more layers of dye then topcoat with an appropriate sheen of topcoat.

One other thing to keep in mind when doing the iron repair on Leather. Use a combination of low heat compounds to start the repair but finish it off with your air dry compounds. This minimizes the heat being used on the leather which can dry it out more then needed.

When done your repair should look great and hold for years to come.

Always keep in mind your temperature when working with leather and take your time like with all repairs, patience is money.

Well I hope this helps you out on your next vinyl or leather repair with an iron and please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment or drop me and email anytime.

Talk to ya soon,

Mike – The Interior Guy

Most of the colors are close to the original colors of the interiors of most of the vehicles on the market but always test an area first before you start any project to insure color match.

I will say this on Black, mostly the Landau Black will be the choice for most of your repairs. It just matches better with sheen and all.

Red’s and Blue’s be prepared to use maybe twice as much dye in most projects due to the transparency of the dyes.

Always clean and prep prior to applying any Sem aerosol paints. Soap and warm water always works great! Scotch Brite pads are usually all that’s needed for scuffing the surface, any harsher and sanding marks could be left and will show through and leave you with undesireable results.

Apply a coat of adhesion promoter to the surface before you paint, this will also help to give you maximum adhesion and a lasting repair.

For all your Sem Aerosol colors check out TCP Global’s Auto Color Library. They have a great site for everything automotive whether it be the outside or the inside. Just scroll down on the left you’ll see Vinyl and Leather Paint under the heading Aerosol Paint Center. They will also mix custom colors for you!

Talk to ya soon,
Mike “TIG”

I’ve been running into some repairs lately that just don’t make a lot of since to me. Super glue cracks when flexed, right, so why would you use it in a situation where it can be flexed.  What I’m talking about are vehicles that have been previously done by someone else and have been traded back into the dealer and the repairs have gone bad. I see this a lot and it drives me crazy.Vinyl repairs on seats done with super glue! This is one place that super glue really doesn’t have it’s place. I know it works well, and looks good when done, but it does not last and it almost ruins the chance for another repair to be done again, correctly.

Here’s a Chevy Truck that I did the other day that had been repaired in the seat belt pocket. This is a problem area in the Chevy seats. The vinyl splits easily in this area due to the seat belt rubbing on the vinyl constantly. This is a frequent fix for me, but not an area where I would use super glue. I’ve seen a few of these lately where someone has used super glue to repair the vinyl and all it has done has made a mess. It leaves the vinyl rock hard and splits out every time. My Tahoe was repaired about 4 years ago by myself using vinyl repair compound and is still holding, looks a little worn from use but still holding.

I know it’s quick and easy to use super glue but come on, I thought we were in this business to help people out and make a living at it. Not pinch the vinyl together with a little glue and call it good…and charge for it. I’m here to say you won’t be doing anybody a favor by using the quick fix. Yeah you my make a buck the first time but believe me they won’t be back, unless it’s to complain.

The easiest way to repair these is to pull the vinyl out with your fingers and hold the vinyl out while doing the repair. It may take a little quick maneuvering and some coordination, but by doing it this way,  you will have a lasting repair and one that you can be proud of. It’s really not that hard to do it this way, it gets a little hot sometimes, but very doable. Just pull the vinyl out, lay your vinyl repair compound on, heat and grain. Dye and repeat, building the area up until it’s level and smooth. Putting the grain into the vinyl in this situation is where your coordination comes in, being able to hold the vinyl with one hand, heat and grain all at the same time with the other hand. It is difficult but I do it on a daily basis, so you just kinda have to get your own system down. But once you do you will find it takes no time to do a conventional vinyl repair and a repair that will last for years to come. In fact I think a vinyl repair holds up better then the vinyl itself.

Now of course this one had been done before with super glue so there was a rock hard area I had to work around. On this one my first layer of vinyl repair compound was applied with my finger and thick, then I worked it up and rounded it out to make it look natural. It took me a little longer to do but my goal was to give a little cushion to the super glue that lay underneath, hoping to give my customer a lasting repair. Unfortunately I couldn’t really warranty such a repair, because of  the rock hard chunk of super glue underneath, but I have confidence in my repairs and I think this one will last.

As you can see by the picture it is very much a doable vinyl repair with vinyl repair compound and the use of super glue isn’t needed what so ever.

Now I know there are situations where super glue can be your friend when it comes to vinyl repairs. I use it in many other places rather then vinyl and leather seats.

Door panels are a perfect example of a vinyl repair being done with super glue. Now only on edges and where there isn’t going to be any flex. Using it on an armrest probably wouldn’t be advisable. But on the edge of the armrest, go for it,as long as there’s not going to be a lot of flex. Doing a regular vinyl repair with heat on an edge is difficult on some vinyls and can create more of a problem so using super glue in these situations can save time and yield a better repair.

Knowing where and when to use super glue in vinyl repairs I think comes with experience, but hopefully I gave you a little enlightenment on your use of super glue on vinyl. Feel free to share your comments or questions on your vinyl repairs and the use of super glue to achieve a repair.

We finished our holiday this last weekend at my Father in-laws.  He lives on a 160 acre farm around Kisse Mills, Missouri. Great view of the Missouri Hills. It was really warm so we got to spend a little time outside enjoying it. As my wife and I were out in one of the garages nose’n around with her dad, she came across a little swivel stool that she remembered from childhood. She made a comment on how she remembered it and before she could finish dad said "take it",  he said " all it’s doin out here is collect dust". She thought it would be a great hair cutting stool for the kids, and the pack rat that I am who was I to say no.  The wife’s an ex-beautician but still cuts hair on occasion and it sits just at the right height for her. I wish I had taken a picture of it so you could see how it looked before I got a hold of it…pretty ugly.

One thing I like to do in my spare time is fixing up little things like this. Call it tinkering, but it’s actually rewarding to take an old piece of furniture, like a stool, an old chair or table and make it look like a completely different piece or just make it look new again. Now I don’t go all out, and sew new pieces in and all that but if it’s repairable by a vinyl mend or sanding it down and painting or staining then I’ll do it. I have several little stools in my shop that I’ve done.

This little stool was just asking for some t.l.c. . I’d say it’s at least 40 years old.  The vinyl is in really good shape, minus a few little spots along the edge that had been nicked. The color was the old light tan with some sort of funky print. The metal legs were a kinda blush beige stuff…all I know was it was ugly and needed an update.

Looking around the shop I came up with a silver for the legs and I used Sems black vinyl dye for the vinyl seat and back. Now remember I was going for cheap, using what I had at the time. There are times I will go all out on a piece but this one just needed a little update and really I had the stuff just needing to be used.

Older vinyl is nice to work with as long as it’s not to far gone. If the vinyl is cracked through out or if  it’s brittle enough to break then it’s usually to far gone.  The older vinyls are thicker and mend really nice but one can only do so much magic. If it’s to far gone, recovering is your only option, but with stools it’s pretty easy to wrap a new piece right over the old or replace the stuff altoghther. Done that alot, just heat the vinyl with a heat gun as you go, makes it a little easier to work with.

One little tip when doing older vinyls like this, go darker,  like a dark brown or black, it just seems to just hide better. Another thing to keep in mind is to use colors with white in it or even black, but mostly white. True colors like red, yellow, and blue are usually to transparent and you have to use so much dye and it just looks terrible when your done. If you do want a true color you need to paint it white first, this will give you a good base for the true colors, it  makes them pop instead of having the under color showing through.

I took the seat and the lean back off. If you can disassemble something do, this will keep you from getting over-spray where you don’t want it.  But if you can’t then mask off the vinyl parts first, paint or stain the rest and then do the vinyl, this will insure no dye is removed from masking. If you run into a situation where you need to mask off a freshly painted area, take the tape and lay it sticky side down onto your bluejeans, this will take some of the sticky out of the tape and make it less likely to remove any fresh paint.

I then cleaned the metal parts, scrubbing with my red scotch brite pad and prepping solution, then wiping clean with a terry towel. There was a little rust in a few places so I took a little 400 grit sandpaper and smoothed them out. Now if you have a lot of rust, then a primer is usually needed but in this instance there wasn’t that much and again cheap. Once cleaned, off to spraying I went… light coats first, especially with metallics, your metallics will sparkle better and not look foggy by laying them on light coats at a time plus less chance for runs. I might be doing it cheaply but I don’t want it to look cheap.

There was also a chrome ring around the bottom for a a foot rest, shined up nicely with a little steel wool. Takes the rust and ugly right off.

While I let the metal parts dry I prepped the vinyl for dyeing and repairs. Cleaning the vinyl really good ensures the paint will stick hence lasting longer. All I did was cleaned it really good with my prepping solution and a red scotch brite pad, wiping it clean with a terry towel. I then took the back clamped it in the vise with a towel to cushion it so not to tear up the vinyl, and to steady it for any repairs needed. I noticed along the top edge of the there were a couple of chunks out of the vinyl. Luckly I had a grain pad close to the grain of the vinyl, if not I could have made one but I had one so we were cool. Now all I did was take a little vinly repair compound and laid it right over the exposed foam and metal with my pallet knife, heated it slowly, pushing up the pieces of vinyl laying out, kinda shaping it as I went, layering it up until it was level. Once I was close to being done I shot a layer of dye on it to see where I was at. Close but needed a little more, I’m pretty picky, so I laid a couple of more layers on, paying attention to the edge only, I didn’t want to go over the edge and get into the face of the chair, repairs on the face are a lot harder to hide then on an edge. Once I was happy with my vinyl repair I pulled it out of the vise, sprayed it with Plastic Magic Adhesion Promoter then sprayed it with the Sems black, again light coats at a time, this keeps the runs down and just makes for better adhesion and just a better look when your done.

There is another way to repair these types of vinyl repairs. With thick super glue and a 240 grit sand paper. I know not all of  you have access to the stuff I have so I thought I’d throw in this little trick.  This trick will only really work on the edges, not recommended for the face or seat areas, it will crack. All you do is squeeze a little glue in the hole and start sanding over it, the glue will dry as you sand and the sandings will act as a filler. Micro bubbles work pretty good too. Micro bubbles is a super glue additive used as a filler, use this stuff for the larger areas. Just keep adding glue and sanding until its smooth and level. Now you can leave it smooth or add a little texture with Sem Texture Coat, then dye. I use this trick only when I don’t think I can do a conventional vinyl mend, usually when I think the heat will make the vinyl swell. Some vinyls will swell when heated, making a small hole bigger! I hate this stuff you start out with a tiny little hole and think you have an easy fix then you put the heat to it and the hole is now about a 1/2" around, urrrggg. Identifying this kind of vinyl is kinda hard, I’ve found the vinyls with a foam backing do this mostly. I think there thinner or something. So on these types I use superglue first to hold the vinyl then do a low heat vinyl repair over the area.

After all was dry I put it back together. This is always fun, things always seem to go back together a lot harder then they were taking apart. Had a time putting the swivel seat back on. They used ball bearings laid into am open track to make the chair swivel smoothly. Kinda funny trying to do this one by myself, holding it upside down with one hand and trying not ot loose the ball bearing while putting the seat back on with the other hand, quite humerous, but with a few choice words I got it.

My little stool project turned out really nice. My wife was amazed and happy, which is always nice. I’m also kinda anxious to show it off to my father in-law.

Making the old new again can be rewarding in many ways and can be done with just extras laying around your shop taking up space. It’s not that hard to restore those old pieces of furniture with a little time and some patients  you can have something for another 40 years of memory giving.

The official name is an Enhanced Air Flow Flameless Heat Tool, and is exclusively available first through Viper Products. Check out these specs.

Viper X-7 Heat Tool

Self-igniting, butane-powered flameless heat tool
with fan assisted air flow

	Eliminates scorching and burning damage to vinyl and other substrates
	Ideal for pinpoint repairs on vinyl, leather, and plastic and much more…
	Variable temperature 302°F to 572°F (150°C to 300°C) with fan
	Enhanced air flow volume is 4 times greater with fan
	Variable temperature 482°F to 932°F (250°C to 500°C) without fan
	Butane-powered and completely portable/cordless, for use where no electrical outlets are available
	Built-in battery-powered motor uses 4 standard AA batteries (not included)
	Built-in LED light provides lighting in dark locations

	Built-in stand is convenient for safety and hands-free use
	Use with or without enhanced air flow and with or without shrink attachment
	Ergonomic handle makes tool easy to use over an extended period of time

What I thought was cool was the control of your heat. With the fan on you get a nice low temperature for doing low heat compounds like on a leather seat. In fact today I was able to repair a hole in a drivers leather seat bolster on a GMC Envoy, a low heat repair. I just turned the flow down and fan on. I also fixed a small hole in an armrest of a Chevy Suburban, a high heat repair, this was a small crack, close to the seam. With this little heat gun I was able to pinpoint my heat and make the repair without damaging the seam, which as you know I hate messing up the seam on a vinyl repair. This time I turned the flow up and used the fan on some of it, and when I needed a little more heat I turned the fan off, and there it was. I just couldn’t go wrong with heat control.

There’s also a little led light for those unlit areas we sometimes get ourselves into. My idea for this tool is on some of the repairs I have to do on Limousines, with very low light situations.

You’ve got to have this little tool, it is a must if you do vinyl repairs. I’ve used regular ultra torches before, but didn’t have the control like this one. Normally there’s a flame you have to deal with and damage to the vinyl happens really fast with not a lot of control. Basically you burn your repair instead of melting it. With the Viper X-7 you have heat control with no flame.

Now it’s not going to replace my big heat gun for doing larger vinyl repairs, but what a great compliment.

So anyways here it is, and here’s where you can get it – Viper X-7 – Now don’t forget your promo code IG1100 for a discount.

Vinyl repairs require so many different temperatures to achieve the desired results. Heating your repair with a the right tool will get you your desired results with your automotive interior repairs.

Due to the exposer to old mother nature, these materials become dried out and crack over time leaving you with a crack in your dash. Left unattended this small crack can and will get larger.

There are measures that can be taken to prevent the dash from getting cracked in the first place. Now I know your dash is already cracked and your wanting to know how to fix it, but this will prevent further cracks and keep your car cooler and looking nicer, and well…. for further reference.

One way to prevent this is to use a sunshade. This will not only protect your automotive dash from the sun but also keep your vehicle cooler keeping the plastic pieces cooler and less likely to warp and then crack.

Another way to prevent the materials from drying on your dash is to condition them with a good vinyl conditioner-protectant. Now I know I’ve always said to not put the slimy stuff on your interior pieces and parts … But if your vehicle is exposed to the sun on a constant basis, then I would recommend you use a vinyl conditioner. Now I’m not going to say that any old vinyl conditioner will work, because it won’t. Tire shine is not vinyl conditioner! This is probably one of the biggest mistakes made, and I do a lot of repair because of it. Tire shine contains solvents, which as you know from previous articles, it doesn’t mix well with the water based dyes being used on todays cars. What it does is lifts the dye from the surface, causing it to peel. So no tire shine…What I recommend to my customers is a product made from a leather conditioning producer that I feel from some of the research I’ve done is safe and should work very well, it’s made by Lexol and it’s called Vinylex. Designed by the guys that really know their stuff when it comes to interior conditioning and protecting.

The last and final tip to keeping your automotive interior, including your dash, looking it’s best and lasting longer is window tint. Now in some states you need to be careful with the tinting laws to make sure you don’t get it too dark, plus you need to think of your safety too. I have tint on our family Tahoe and I kinda wish I would have gone a little lighter, at night it’s really hard to see, my Tahoe stays nice and cool, but it’s a pain in the butt at night. I have to roll the window down sometimes just to see. So keep it light and you will be impressed with the results, plus it looks cool.

Now on with the fix for that crack in your dash.

Depending on where the crack is and how big it is will depend on how to fix it and how expensive the repair will be. If the crack is bigger then 2″-3″ and curled up on the edges, the repair will probably not look that great. There is a limit to the size of crack that can be repaired, too big and it probably won’t hold and will look like crap. If the crack is too big, replace the dash pad, don’t try to fix it. Another thing is location, if the crack is up close to the windshield then it’s almost impossible to do a repair without removing the windshield, which can be costly. So with that said you be the judge.

The first thing I do before I start any repair is to mix my color, this insures that at least the color will be right.

Next I inspect the crack in the dash, if the edges are curled up then you will need to trim that off with a razor blade or Xacto knife. The goal here is to get the area as level as you can. Now when doing so cut at a 45 degree angle and don’t bring the ends to a point, what I mean by this is trim all the way around the crack rounding off the ends of the crack, this will insure that the crack will stop and not crack further after your repair.

Of course your next step is prepping the repair area, use your prep solution with a scotch brite pad and clean the area thoroughly. You might need to clean the entire dash depending on where and how large the crack is.

Now it’s time to determine what fix you going to use.

If the crack is smaller then an 1/2″ I usually grab the super glue and do a super glue repair. I do this by spreading the glue in the crack then sanding it smooth with a 240 grit sandpaper, texture with your water based spray grain, then dye.

But there are times when your vinyl repair compound will need to be used, after all this is vinyl. The low cure usually works best because high heat tends to warp the repair area. This is where your patience comes in when doing your repairs. Thin layers of compound work best, curing and dying between coats until the area is level and smooth. You can texture while layering your compound with your grain pads. One little trick I use to help level the repair when using a grain pad is a little rubber squeegee about 3″x5″, it’s what body shops use to squeegee the water off the painted surface when they wet sand. This little thing works great, when you use your hand to imprint your grain into your repair, your hand kinda molds around the area and doesn’t leave a level area but with the rubber squeegee it gives you a little more backing when you go to imprint. Now graining your repair can be tricky, the low cure compound doesn’t grain that well, but if all else fails make sure the repair is level, this is your best hide. If that is achieved then texture with your spray grain.

One last trick up my sleeve is the use of a great product from Urethane Supply Co. This is a two part epoxy like substance that is specifically designed for padded dashes and the name says it all, Padded Dash Filler.
This stuff is the bomb, when it comes to dash repair. Mixes like Bondo and is even applied like bondo, but its flexible. It’s just what the doctor ordered when it comes to dash repair. If the crack is larger then 1″ this is the stuff to use.

Now this product will require you to trim the area and then sand around the area about 1″ to 2″ out with a heavier grit sandpaper like a 180 grit, this gives it something to bite too. Trim down into the foam a little to, so that you make like a little groove for the compound to lay in.

Mix your compound on a small piece of tile, I like using small tile pieces, they clean up easily and are easier to hold when mixing and applying. Now when you get the product they send you the red catalyst, try the blue, it seems to set up a little quicker. The blue you can get at any automotive parts shop. But the red works just as good just takes it a little longer, time is money in my business.

Apply your compound liberally over the repair area, don’t worry about getting your first coat really smooth, all you need is to get it covered, you’ll be sanding it smooth later. Let it set up for a while, depending on the weather will depend on how long this stuff takes. You can speed it up a little with a heat gun but don’t melt it just give it a little boost.

Once hardened start sanding, I usually start with a 180 grit to knock off the big chunks then progressively move my way up to a finer grit like 240 and then to 400.

One coat won’t be sufficient, I promise, this is another layer thing. Sanding between coats. Each coat you apply you will need to make smoother. Again what your trying to achieve is a smooth level repair.

After all is smooth and level, grain with a spray grain then dye.

As far as texture goes, I use two types of spray grain. One is a water based spray grain and the other is Sems Texture Coat. In fact the Sems Texture Coat almost matches the some of the Pontiac dashes to a tee. Now the Sems Texture coat is a solvent based, but I haven’t had a problem with it peeling up against the water based dyes on the dash, so kudos to Sems.

One other trick I have found with the the Sems Texture Coat is after sprayed if you let it flash out a little but not dry completely, you can take your grain pad and imprint your grain into the texture coat, pretty cool huh.

Dash repair is an art and a craft, just like all automotive interior repairs. If the steps are followed right and patience is used in your repairs you success will be good.

Hope this helps in your dash repair adventure. One thing to always keep in mind is to keep your repair as level as possible, this is your best hide.

One little trick that we keep in our bag of pixie dust, is the art of texturizing a repair.

If you look in your automotive interior you see many different textures on the surfaces of the plastic trim pieces, vinyl covered door panels, and your leather and vinyl seats. All of these textures you see we have to imitate in someway to repair whatever has been damaged.

Texturizing a repair takes knowledge of products to use, skill in using them, and a lot of patience. Yes patience, when doing any automotive interior repair, patience is a virtue, if you get in a hurry you will fail, I promise.

The Grain Pad- This is one tool that makes our magic work so well. A grain pad is a rubberized material made from a two part epoxy like substance. The grain is achieved by mixing the two parts together and spreading the mixer over a piece that your wanting to get the texture from. When the mixture cures you peel off the grain pad and poof theres your texture right there in the grain pad. You then use this pad to replicate the texture in your repair. For you techs, when mixing up a batch of graining compound follow the directions as far as drops go for the catalyst, to many drops and you have a mess, and not enough well it won’t cure. Tape off an area that your wanting to replicate the texture of, about 3″ x 5″, spread the compound over the area then peel off your tape immediately, this will give you a nice rectangular pad to work with. Let cure for about 15-20 minutes, you’ll know when its cured by the feel on top, nice and smooth. If you did it right you should have a nice grain pad that will last for years to come. Making a good impression in your graining pad is the key to a good automotive interior repair. A good grain pad should have a good even texture on one side and smooth on the other, if there are any lumps, uneven places, or a bad impression in the pad these places will transfer into the repair.

Texturizing plastic- Plastic is one automotive interior part that I have the most trouble with, theres only so much you can do to some of the plastic pieces. Scratches in plastic are about the extent of a repair that I will do on an automotive interior plastic, and the scratches can’t be too deep either, or I’ll usually recommend they replace the piece. Scratches in plastic can sometimes be melted and textured with your grain pad. This technique takes finesse though. Heat the scratched plastic with your heat gun with a tip that concentrates the heat to a small area. Melt the scratch until the plastic shines (but do this slowly) then press your grain pad to the plastic very lightly by using your palm, never use your thumb or finger, this will keep a level repair without your thumb impression in the repair area. Repeat the process if needed until the scratch blends back in. Then dye the plastic to bring back the original look. If you can still see where the repair was made you may have to heat the whole panel until it shines….sometimes melting spots leaves shinny spots, so by heating the whole panel and blending the shine with the heat gun helps. If the scratches are too bad you can use Sems Texture Coat or your water based spray grain to help hide. But when sprays are used, you will lose the original look, I’m not big on spray grain, but it does work as a last result. Sometimes on say, Pontiac dashes, the spray grain almost matches exactly. In fact I have even taken my grain pad and pressed it into the Sems Texture coat after it flashes and been able to get pretty close. Really this one is up to you, like I said before it’s all in the magic to trick the eye. Experiment around a little if you can, and see which technique works the best. I look at it this way, you can’t screw it up anymore then it already is. Plastic repair is a tricky one, this is one area that I myself could probably learn a little more about.

Texturizing a leather repair- Leather repair is one that doesn’t take much texturing at all. Most leather repairs I do the only texture I will use is my leather dye. Leathers in today’s automotive interiors are for the most part smooth. The key is to get the repair area level with the surface. This is your best hiding technique. But if a texture is needed, use your water-based spray grain. Don’t go hog wild with it either, just a light coat will usually work. I like to apply mine the old fashion way with the spray grain in a small jar and sprayed with a mouth atomizer. I have more control where it goes that way. I have used a low heat compound also when mending holes or with large scratches, using my grain pad to achieve the texture. Be careful though when using heat on a leather repair, don’t pucker the leather by putting to much heat to it. Here’s an article on repairing torn leather, this gives you a good idea on using a low heat compound in a leather repair.

Texturizing vinyl- Or graining vinyl as we call it. This is where your little magic tool comes in, your graining pad. This is achieved by melting the vinyl then pressing the grain pad onto the repair area to achieve an imitation of the grain that was there. This technique can either make or break you in the vinyl repair business. To get maximum results, first you need a good grain pad that has the exact match to the grain your trying to achieve. Before you apply any compound keep in mind the smaller the repair area the easier it will be to hide. If your cut is say a 1/2″ then your repair should not be any larger then 1″, keep your repair areas as small as possible. Not all vinyls will require a vinyl repair compound though so identifying, what kind of vinyl to use it on, comes with experience. This technique takes a lot of practice and patience, in one of my previous articles I give you a step by step on vinyl repair.

Texturizing your repairs is a very tricky thing to achieve. With some practice and knowledge of products, the texture can be imitated. There are so many products out there that can be used to get where you want, I have mentioned a few here that have worked for me, but I’m sure there are more. If any of you techs have a suggestion feel free to put a comment up.

Just remember to take your time with your repairs, get your color right, keep your repair area as small as possible, and use the right grain pad for your automotive interior repairs and you should have success in texturing a repair.

Steinel – Steinel 34859 – Limited Edition Silver Anniversary Heat Gun Kit

One thing you definitely need to keep in mind is if the hole or crack is to large then is needs to be replaced not mended. I’ve seen some pretty blown out seats in my day and have turned down a lot of work because I know my limitations to my pixie dust, as some of my customers call it ( that is one reason I love my job so much is because the products I use are definitely like magic). If the seat has a hole in it let’s say 3 or more inches maybe 4 but depends on the under structure, it needs to go to an upholstery shop. The thing is a repair is just that a repair, the products are made for small imperfections, not blow outs, that if left can get worse. But by mending them you can make a piece of vinyl look new again and the repair will last longer when done so.

I have found that a good relationship with a good upholstery shop is a must in this business. If you think it’s to bad, and a vinyl repair just won’t cut it then always refer your customer to a good upholstery shop. Not only will they be happier with the end result, but you will be to. By building a relationship with the upholstery shop, you also gain another avenue in automotive interior restoration. A good upholstery shop will have you doing work with them, for them, for their customers, the relationships just keep going.

In this business it’s who you know, what you know, and how well you can perform.

Always prep the area thoroughly with your prepping solution, using your scotch brite pad to scuff as you clean. Sand the area if you can with a 240 grit sandpaper, I usually sand just about an inch all the way around the area, this gives the area around the hole just a little bit more for the compound to grab to. Wipe it clean again.

Apply a thin layer of grip base or primer over the vinyl repair area by wiping it on with a wet paper towel. This gives you prep for the dye going to be applied, and gives you a little more bonding power.

Now, kinda warm the up the if the vinyl is cold or just kinda stiff with your heat gun being careful not to burn through the backing if there is any left, this helps so an under patch doesn’t have to be put in.

If an under patch is required add it now. I like to cut the under patch to fit about a 1/4 of inch inside all the way around, cut the edges of the patch so that the corners are rounded. Slide the patch under the repair with a pair of sharp tweezers. Get the coated under patch that when heated bonds itself to back of the vinyl it helps give added strength to your under patch. If you use glue beware, it bubbles, I don’t like glue in a vinyl repair on a seat…on a door panel now that’s another story. Glue, even super glue can help in a vinyl repair on a door panel or dash, but on a seat, you need flex, and I have yet to use a super glue that doesn’t leave a hard spot.

Once the patch is in place if needed, it’s time to put you vinyl repair compound on. There are so many different brands to choose from, thick, thin, the list is pretty long. I use the Gator Grip high heat and low heat compounds. Works good, grains well, and lasts. But we all have our favorites, I’m still in research mode, always trying the newest and best to improve and get the perfect vinyl repair. So if you have any suggestions feel free to put them in the comments.

Smooth the compound along the crack, using a pallet knife, and under the area, coating the under patch if used, then smooth the top out . Now the first coat needs to be a little thicker but smooth, you don’t want a glob, but a substantial amount to cover the area filling in the gap, and only take the compound out from the area about a 1/4″. Smooth out with finger if needed.

Using your grain pad, held in your palm, not your finger you don’t want to leave a dent in the vinyl when heated, heat the vinyl with your heat gun until the repair compound turns color and you see smoke, this is a good thing you want the two to bond together, once it smokes (not fire by the way, you don’t want to burn it just melt it) remove the heat and immediately press the grain pad to the vinyl repair area. It will be pretty hot, sometimes I’ll put a towel in my hand with the grain pad, a sore burned hand is not fun to work with all day. If you can while making your grain molds make them just a little thicker and helps to cut down on the burnt palm. Hold it there for a few seconds then remove. Press firmly, but not hard enough your stretching the heated vinyl. Practice makes perfect….

Dye the area with a light dry coat using your water based vinyl dye, I do this by turning the air up on my gun, helps to give you the dry coat. Now apply another coat of repair compound, remember smooth thin layers, keep your work area as small as possible, your trying to make the vinyl repair disappear, so small as possible. Heat the area again then press the grain pad to the seat, Dye the area and see what you got….does it need more compound, or is it good, you be the judge. If more compound is needed then keep it goin. Layer the compound in thin layers until the crack looks as smooth as possible. The point is, is to blend the repair back into the seat. Maybe a little more dye, or even wipe a coat of grip base on the repair to fill in the edge of the vinyl repair. If needed a texture coating can be applied but I really don’t like them. After you apply the texture coating, its hard to to really make it look natural. If you know how to you can achieve texture with your vinyl dyes. But graining with your graining pads is the best way to achieve perfection in a vinyl repair. Working the vinyl repair and not letting it work you.

There is a stopping point. If your area just keeps getting bigger, or the repair just looks like well…. I better not say, then stop and step back, take a break, and see what you need to do. If there is something that can to make it look better, then do it. But don’t settle for an not so perfect repair and expect to get paid for it, if you can’t mend it, then don’t charge, it’s that simple. We all want perfection, and not all seats are repairable. We are craftsman not magicians.

Vinyl repair is a craft and takes a lot of practice to get it right. So know your limitations and if it needs to be replaced then call your local upholstery shop. If it needs a vinyl repair then by all means be the vinyl repair craftsman you are and give a lasting perfect vinyl repair.

Vinyl Repair – How to Mend a Vinyl Seat is just a start to the many articles to come on vinyl repair. There are so many other applications that can’t all be put into one place, so stick around and see what else is to come and be sure to shoot me some comments on this one I’d love to hear some feedback.