It’s definitely hard taking pictures with one hand and wet sanding leather with the other but I think I got some decent pictures to give you an example. The best way to see the process would be to video it but it’s only me and that would be impossible to by myself. My boy’s been wanting us to do some video for his class at school, so maybe soon I get some video’s up too, but for now pictures will just have to do.

Cracked Chevy Suburban Leather Seat

This seat had the cracked leather bolster and also a vinyl repair along the seat side just above the switch panel, that’s the reason the panel is pulled back. I’ve found it’s easier to remove the panel rather then melt it while doing the repair, it’s only 5 screws.

I usually start with leather then move to the vinyl to give the leather repair compounds time to cure a little more before the water based leather dye is applied.

wet sanding leather seat

To do this right you need my prepping solution I’ve talked about in previous posts and sent it out in one of my newsletters, I call it “Mike’s Hard Stuff”. It works a lot like Sems Sand Free so if you’ve got some Sems it will work similar but you really need to mix up some of my prepping solution it works even better for this trick. If you need the recipe just let me know and I’ll get it to you or you can just look back at some of my other posts.

Anyways, you start by taking a pretty rough grit sandpaper like 120, spray the area and start sanding. The dye will start to soften and mix with prepping solution. It’s like it’s melting the dye as you sand. Sand until it starts to dry a bit the dye starts to ball up and roll off. You’ll notice the leather will start to smooth out and the cracks will as well. Most of the time the cracking occurs in the dye not the leather like most think. It will eventually crack into the leather if the dye is not replaced and the leather is sealed back up.

notice the dye balling up and rolling off

Switch to a finer grit paper like a 240 grit and repeat the process. At some time you will see the leather will be smooth enough to dry sand a little to smooth it all out enough to apply your compounds.

One thing to keep in mind is the top stitch, try not to sand it or it will fray the stitch and not look so great when your done. You can lay a piece of tape over it to protect it or just be careful. Because once you fray them it’s almost impossible to get them to look right again.

Nice and smooth now, ready for leather repair compounds

As you can see it really does make a difference not only in looks but it cuts your time in have and now there’s no need to cake on the leather repair compounds trying to fill the cracks. Dry the leather thoroughly too with a hair dryer to insure better adhesion with your compounds.

Apply your leather repair compounds in thin coats

Now it’s time to seal the raw leather and fill the imperfections still left in the leather seat. I do this by first sealing with a combo of Viper’s Grip Base and Flex Additive (crosslinked). I take a wet paper towel with the sealer and wipe it over the entire area. Next dry the sealer and apply your leather repair compounds. I chose to use an air dry due to the fact I had gotten this one pretty smooth and I had the Sun to my advantage to help cure things out a little quicker. Depending on the severity of the cracking will determine whether I use an air dry or a low heat leather repair compound. More severe cracking I’ll use a low heat, just seems to fill better and takes less compound. Less is always better when it comes to leather fillers. One filler I will recommend you use is Viper’s Leather Gel. It’s a clear gel that I use in just about all my leather repairs now. It’s great for laying down frayed leather like on leather steering wheels or as a top coat over your other compounds to finish the repair off. You can even imprint a grain in it using the Reverse Grain Method. I love this stuff and I think you will too.

Nice and neat

As you can see it turned out pretty good if I say so myself. The only thing I wasn’t really happy with was that I got into the stitching a bit with the sandpaper, like I told you not to. But all in all it looked pretty good and a leather repair that will last.

This trick of wet sanding cracked leather works for just about any type of leather repair. It will save you time and money if done correctly and give your customer a longer lasting better looking cracked leather repair in the end.

Talk to ya soon,
Mike “TIG”

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.

Now when I say small this can apply for a tear up to 1 1/2″ to 2″, probably might go a little bigger, but lets not push it, if it needs to go to the upholstery shop for an insert then that would be better then a crappy looking leather repair on something that probably wouldn’t hold anyways. When in doubt, insert it.

Prepping a seat is the key to success in any leather repair, and a lasting leather dye job. So, prep the whole lean back, and while your at it just clean the whole seat, why not, but you don’t have to, with your prepping solution removing all grease, dirt, and grime. You need a clean surface and a well prepped area to work with. When I prep, I use a solution of rubbing alcohol, acetone, ammonia, and a small amount of TSP substitute, with water in a spray bottle. Spray the seat with the solution and scrub with a scotch brite pad to scuff the leather seat for leather dye adhesion and remove any grime that’s on the seat, then wipe clean with a clean lint free towel. Once your clean, apply a grip base primer to the seat, I usually in most cases will dye the entire lean back when I do a repair or the entire seat, but sometimes it’s not necessary, so you may not need to prime the whole seat, but do clean the seat good this cuts down on the amount of leather dye used and the ending result will be a premium leather repair.

Now to the hole. Lets say it’s in a V shape, just for example. Like where you’ve gott’n out of the seat with something in your back pocket, ouch! I know the feeling, back in college I had a 1986 Mustang SVO, very rare and nice car (man I miss that car) and I got out to go to class with a pen in my back pocket and ripped about a 2″ V shape in the seat, I about puked right there, and of course at the time I didn’t know anything about leather repair. But now I do and here it is.

Sand the area around the tear with a 240 grit sandpaper, this gives a little more for the low heat compound to grip to. Take a piece of underpatch material and slide the under patch under the tear with a pair of tweezers, allowing about a 1/2″ on the inside all the way around. I usually cut my patches in a circular shape, it makes it a little easier to slide under. You can use different types of under patches, I like the kind that is coated on one side with a heat activated glue.

Now take a drop of leather glue and spread a thin coat on the patch on the underside of the leather repair area. If the leather will lay down smoothly and match up then great, but sometimes it just won’t. In this case we will use combo of the glue and your low cure leather repair compound and smooth a small amount over the patch then lay the leather down. Spread a small amount of low heat compound over the area and smooth it out with your pallet knife, remembering to keeping your area as small as possible, the smaller the better. Now heat the area with your heat gun, hold the heat gun out away from the leather repair and slowly move it into the repair area, this will give you just a little more control of the heat, you don’t want to burn and shrink the leather. The idea is to cure the compound and get it to adhere before you cook the leather, it’s a skill thing, practice makes perfect. Once the compound is cured immediately press the grain pad in your palm onto the repair, don’t press to hard, but firm.

At this time using a wet paper towel apply a small amount of grip base to the repair area and dye with your color matched water based leather dye. With your paint gun spray dry thin coats of dye, not wet. Then reapply and smooth out another thin coat of compound. Heat again and grain then dye, get the idea, what you are doing is building the repair up. Thin coats of compound applied and cured then reapplied, are much better then one thick coat. Once you have it built up and looking nice, blend the repair into the rest of the seat if needed, by applying thin wet coats of leather dye to finish it off. Drying between coats of dye with a hairdryer, and one great tip is rubbing the leather dye with your hands to force the dye into the creases of the leather helps a ton, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. I say that but I’m allergic to rubber gloves, it bites, so I come home every day with leather dye all over my hands, it’s a pain, but I love the work and the job looks better with a little bit of love rubbed on those leather seat repairs. After the dye is cured, apply a top coat of satin or dull leather clear top coat mixed with a bit of slip additive added for the soft feel. Dry the seat thoroughly, then apply your leather conditioner to finish and give the seat the juice it needs and a great feel and look for you.

Now there are so many other variations to this fix, sometimes I will have to use an air dry leather repair compound over the top of the low heat compound to smooth out the leather repair. Sanding it with a 400 grit sandpaper until it looks right. You can also turn your air down on your paint gun until little droplets are coming out to give it a textured look, drying between coats. Texture coatings, can be used, but if you do it right the gun effect works great. When I do a leather repair I won’t give up until it looks perfect. Patience is a virtue, right. Don’t get in a hurry, this will only frustrate you more and then you really got issues.

Leather repair is a craft and profession. The dyes and compounds I use are top quality and are made to last. Giving you a lasting leather seat repair, and comfort knowing you have a leather repair that will last and look great for years to come.

I hope this was some help to you, in the coming months there will be more articles like this one but on different situations on leather repair, liked I talked about in the first. There are so many different ways that a leather seat can be damaged, we spend a lot of time in our cars and well “sh$$ happens”, right. So check back to see my next article on automotive leather seat repairs. If you have anything you would like to ask feel free to shoot me some comments on Leather Repair – How To Repair Torn Leather Seat.