Dyeing and painting cloth are two very different things.

Dyeing cloth consists of immersing the entire fabric in a dye solution, soaking it through and through for a period of time, then rinsing the excess dye away. Rinsing removes any excess dye left so not to transfer onto something that you don’t want dyed like your clothes. Dyeing cloth is a more permanent way to change a color. The dyes actually penetrate the fibers of the fabric.

Painting cloth consists of spraying a solution of colored pigments and a binder of some sort onto the cloth. This process is usually used to rejuvenate an existing color or slightly change a color. When trying to change a color you usually will have to go darker not lighter. If you have a dark gray and want to go light gray, won’t work. Painting cloth can be tricky, but can yield some really nice jobs. Painting cloth can be a semi-permanent way to change the color of fabric. Usually the paint will eventually wear off on high traffic areas. The paint lays on top of the fibers. Designs can also be done by the paint method, usually with an airbrush.

So with that said painting cloth seats can be done. Dyeing a cloth seats, well…. if your willing to tear your seats apart and hope the fabric doesn’t shrink while washing it in the dye solution, which most fabric dyes require hot water, then dyeing a cloth seat can be done too, but with a lot of work. I guess it could save a little on reupholstering, but with all that effort you might as well go ahead and go all the way and just add new fabric the color you want. But to each his own, I guess if you have a new car and want it different color then maybe, that’s new fabric.

I got into a job today that you almost had to laugh at. This was a lot of time and effort put into a vehicle that if finished probably could have been a show car if…and I mean if….it were a different car. It was a 2006 Suzuki Forenza, that someone had put custom crushed velvet silver with emerald green inserts. Tucked, quilted, molded and sewn just right. The job was done really well, just didn’t really match anything. The car was white with a two tone gray interior. They had done all four seats, headliner, door panels and trunk area only.Kinda looked like someone just wasn’t quite done. I don’t know it didn’t match and needed to get sold.

So my job was to turn the green to black.

Doing this took some prep time, I thought of just going in with a blocking card and paint and going to town but then I thought again, too many curves and just too much area. Masking was my only way. Now masking cloth can be a pain, usually tape just really doesn’t stick that well and I was a little worried, but this material held tape very well, thank God. Not really sure what it was, surely some sort of synthetic. If ever you run into a problem with your tape not sticking to cloth, I’ve found if you heat the tape a little with a hair dryer while applying it, it will stick better. The tape from 3M and from Scotch Tape, work the best I think. Anyways I taped off the entire areas using a 1.5″ tape. This took about an hour, paying close attention not to tape over the green or exposing any of the silver. I used my blocking card for the rest. Papering it off too is just a waste to me, I can use a blocking card most of the time and tape and get the same effect. Less material cost….

Now mixing up your paint solution. I used my water based vinyl paints to do this. Vinyl paints are dye pigments mixed with resins, or your binder. Water based works best for cloth, solvents seem to leave the cloth stiff and hard looking where water based paints are more flexible leaving the cloth feeling and looking more natural. And I see your questions flying, “Water Based?” “Will it wash off on my clothes?” Water based means the pigments and resins are water soluble, basically meaning when the water evaporates the paint is permanent. It won’t come off on your clothing once done, if done correctly.

I mixed my paint with about 2 oz. paint to 1 oz. water, with a dab of slip additive for a softer feel, and rubbing alcohol to help evaporate the water faster boosting dry time. I watered it down to help it absorb into the fabric better. Doing it this way helps to give you that softer feel in the end, more time, but worth the effort.

I laid around two coats on each panel before moving onto the next, then went back after wards and laid another coat to deepen the black. The darker designs on the fabric showed through giving it a pretty cool effect. It worked out really well.

I did this job today and will probably have to go back tomorrow to touch it up and brush the fabric, this will remove any excess left over and give the cloth a softer feel. Touching it up will consist of either having to dye the seats again or just laying a light coat over them. Sometimes the dye will soak into the fabric and lighten as it dries basically the other color will bleed back through. You really can’t tell if your really done until they are completely dry. So there’s where the time thing come in.

Painting your cloth seats can give you a revive to your ride or give you a new look all together. Just remember when doing so to use a water based paint to give you the feel and look your looking for.

Talk to ya soon,

Mike ” TIG”

Painting in temperatures less then 40 degrees makes it almost impossible to yield a perfect repair without a little preparation first.

The first and foremost thing is to heat up the area where the repair is being made. Now the best way to do this is with a hairdryer, not your heat gun. This will heat the area just enough to make it easier to work with and not damage the area any further (like a hole in vinyl getting larger due to to much heat being put to it). Heating the area will also help your compounds work like their supposed to along with giving you a warmer surface for the dye to stick to helping in curing time.

Here’s probably the biggest tip I can give you in helping your water based dyes to dry faster. Add a little rubbing alcohol, otherwise known as isopropyl alcohol, to your dye mixer. Now not too much, just a little squirt or two from your squeeze bottle will do. It makes a huge difference. The alcohol evaporates the water from the dye faster which in turn dries your dye faster. When buying it though make sure you get the 90% or better mixer, it’s more of a pure mixer. Here’s a link to a 99% isopropyl alcohol.

I usually start adding alcohol to my mixer at about 50 degrees or so especially if there’s a lot of moisture in the air. We have some pretty high humidity here in the mid west so when I have a blustery moist day I add a little rubbing alcohol to my dye and it cuts my drying time to almost nil. One thing too by using a hairdryer rather then a heat gun they blow harder which with the alcohol mixer, airflow is the trick. It seems like with more air blowing on the dye with the alcohol the faster it drys too.

With the prices of gas going down we can also get a little leeway on being able to run a vehicle with the heat on. If you can, run your vehicles when doing your repairs with the heat blasted. This will not only help warm the inside up but will also save the battery and blow a few of the lot rot cobweb’s that occur when some of the lot cars sit. It’s still a waste of gas but when you have a cold day and a repair is needed to be made then a warm car can improve the result immensely.

Well I hope all is well out there in your automotive world. Stay warm and make sure to keep your water based dyes warm too. Frozen dyes are ruined dyes.

Talk to you soon,

Mike “TIG”

Like I said before I have used a lot of different automotive interior products from a lot of different suppliers, and over the years I have been looking for a product that I can truly say is a top of the line product. I can finally say that now.

A few months ago I received an email from a supplier that wanted to know if I wanted an automotive interior product that I could guarantee, signed it with a contact name and a phone number. This was kinda a no brainer, of course I’m looking for such a product. I’d be stupid not to. Now the products I was using at the time I thought were pretty darn good. The one problem I did have was wear. I was having problems with some of my jobs lasting like I wanted them too. Now remember I am a perfectionist, so my jobs have to satisfy me before I feel my customer will be happy. So I contacted this automotive interior product supplier immediately. If I could have a product that would last and give me the results I wanted then I wanted some…right now!

The man that answered the phone was Tom at Viper Products, he was also the guy that contacted me in the email, and I’m here to tell you he changed my life. He put an automotive interior product in my hand that I have to say is truly a professional product.

When we talked he told me he had a water based interior dye that I could guarantee and when done with the job the leather seats would look new, not painted, but new. His compounds he said, would hold, grain just as well or better, last and make my life a lot easier doing repairs. Of course I was a little sceptical, but definitely curious, excited to try it, and interested in bringing the best for my customers.

Tom told me what was in the interior products I was using and what was causing my problems of a lasting repair and told me what was in his interior products that would help me and get me where I wanted to be in the automotive interior repair business.

Tom is not just a supplier either, he doesn’t just turn products, he actually makes the stuff. Now I don’t mean a backyard chemist either. He designs each compound and each dye from the ground up, which means they start out as raw materials such as fillers, resins, tacking compounds, feel enhancers ect. and are mixed to the specifics needed to get the job done right the first time. He is extremely knowledgeable with all his products and will tell you strait up what to use and where and at what temperature and so on. If you have a question, he’ll probably have an answer to it. Customer service is A number one.

Well, Tom sent me a sample package of the water based dyes and leather repair compounds to try out. I am here to tell you, before I started my second job I was on the phone calling to thank Tom for putting such a premier product in my hand and ordering more.

The first vehicle I did I couldn’t believe how good the dye covered and when done, he was right, the seat looked new, not painted but new. I couldn’t believe it, this stuff was it. The feel was another big thing, you could feel a huge difference in the surface that was just dyed, the leather seat was soft as a babies butt.

I have been using Vipers Products for a while now and have checked and re-checked the vehicles that I have repaired and up to now not a single problem. The dyes and repairs are lasting just like Tom said it would and mostly, like I wanted them too.

Now Tom and I have been talking about how I could bring his products to you in a way that it would benift all of us. Tom has given me permission to give you all a code to enter in the promo coupon box on his site. So when you go to place an order, (and believe me you will) you will get a discount. Isn’t that cool, not only are you gonna get one of the best automotive interior products on the planet but also get a discount too. Now what could be better then that. This offer is only good through me and my promo code. So if you happen to call your order in by phone, like I do, then be sure to give him the code that I’m about to give you.

So heres the code, now this is case sensitive so copy and paste this to a safe place for keeping or write it down.

Okay here it is…

IG1100

Keep this code in a safe place you can use it over and over again with each time you need supplies.

Now when you click here on Viper Products it will open another tab and take you to the official Viper products website, don’t forget to use the code to get your discount, and enjoy theres all kinds of stuff in there and more to come. In fact I’m looking forward to a new heating tool he told me about the other day. When I get it and test it out for myself I’ll show you what we got.

Go there now and check it out, you will be sorry if you don’t. Here’s your code again….IG1100, and the link Viper Products Don’t miss out on one of the best automotive interior products on the planet.