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Post by 71coupe on Oct 17, 2012 20:24:11 GMT
Hi all, To sort my Saddle Tan seats I'm considering obtaining a hide advertised on a certain auction site. Its a full hide, not split, and I wondered if it will be a similar thickness to the remaining seat leather? I intend to only replace the leather in the 'panels' that are holed and to strip and re-colour both the new and existing sections to a consistant finish. Any ideas on which product(s) is best to strip the dye on the old leather and also the modern hide? For the price I think its worth a punt and if I find it unsuitable for the car I do have a sofa that needs urgent attention! Thanking you in advance, Andy
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on Oct 17, 2012 20:40:54 GMT
Make sure the textures are comparable 1.2-1.4mm thickness, you will need to use a solvent like Cellulose thinners or Gun Wash with a Scotch Pad to take off the surface, this will dry the leather so you will need to soften the leather a bit if you are taking the skins off soften them from the backs.
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Post by 71coupe on Oct 17, 2012 20:45:45 GMT
Wow that was quick. :)Thanks John.
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Post by djm16 on Oct 17, 2012 22:54:02 GMT
I hope I have this right, but a 50-50 mixture of isopropyl alcohol and naptha has been advised somewhere on the internet. Less harsh that lacquer thinner. You might do well to soak the leather from behind with a softener first though, and try a small test patch first!
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Post by stan on Oct 18, 2012 6:59:45 GMT
Fleabay!! Before you spend lot of cash just send off for a sample from these guys. Automotive and furniture and housewares leathers are all treated differently and have different thicknesses. Be cheeky! Good luck ;o) www.martrim.co.uk/catalogue/leather-hides.html
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Post by 71coupe on Oct 18, 2012 18:01:52 GMT
Thanks everyone, Its worth a punt as its cheap enough to go on my old sofa if it doesn't go in the car!! Thanks for the link Stan, I'll have a look at that site in a minute.
I just want to crack on and learn a new skill really, and its not too expensive a hide if it goes pear shaped!!
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Post by stan on Oct 18, 2012 19:38:59 GMT
What kind of machine will you use? You can get away with a domestic machine (I have a 1920's Singer Treddle for my stuff) but ensure you spray some lubricant on the leather to help it slide along and use a decent thick Leather/Jeans/denim kneedle and you should be fine - take your time practice on a small bit. Good luck
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Post by 71coupe on Oct 18, 2012 19:51:04 GMT
Hi Stan, I'm hoping to be able to get the sewing done by the lady who made my dads car carpet. My mum used to do a lot of sewing but I think she's no longer got a machine!! Shes not to keen on doing it anyway!!! I had a look at Martrim and they do Saddle Tan Not sure the pricing info is correct tho!! Ave 4.5msq hide @£2.60 per sqm sounds too good to be true!! I will phone for a sample tmrw and ask them to confirm the price at the same time.
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on Oct 18, 2012 20:46:16 GMT
Hi Stan, I'm hoping to be able to get the sewing done by the lady who made my dads car carpet. My mum used to do a lot of sewing but I think she's no longer got a machine!! Shes not to keen on doing it anyway!!! I had a look at Martrim and they do Saddle Tan Not sure the pricing info is correct tho!! Ave 4.5msq hide @£2.60 per sqm sounds too good to be true!! I will phone for a sample tmrw and ask them to confirm the price at the same time. £2.50 per sq mtr would be a bargain To do leather stitching you really need a walking foot foot or a swinging needle machine and for the amateur they are far too quick, I have 2 machines both with a control panel and DC motor so you can choose your speed as stan says you can get away with a domestic more on vinyl than leather but if you are doing 4 layers you will get creep and missed stitching even on 2 layers as the work is dragged through rather than being passed through on each stroke by the needle foot sequence. This was my first Juki Swinging needle machine my second one is a newer model but basically the same
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Post by stan on Oct 19, 2012 8:18:40 GMT
Hey impressed you can sew and take photos! ;o)
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on Oct 19, 2012 10:21:11 GMT
Yep do a lot of stuff with one hand stan
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Post by stan on Oct 19, 2012 12:39:23 GMT
Stop that right now !!! ;o)
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Post by mcgill on Oct 19, 2012 13:23:01 GMT
I,ve been there. and if you want it to look "right" your in for journey. The texture finish on modern leathers is so different.. The images on the auction site are so misleading when you get the samples,they,re way off but one has to try. I tried Martrim,the premium smooth leather was the closest in texture. I had a chat with www.kershawleather.com.,They told me they bought lots of hides from a old coachbuilding company,unfortuately they never had anything close to the colour i required but from the description he gave me over the phone,he may have the closest to the finish,of the door cards,baring in mind the texture and colour of the seats was different to the finish of door cards.but that was vinyl. Here are some pics below,of the various finishes i recieved. Apparently theres a difference between auto leather and house leather,uv resistance? Theyres some bargains to be had on auction sites,just email them for samples,they,ve all helpfull. Heres some links to the use of Leatherique rejuvinator,to really soften leather,Great stuff to use,but sodding expensive in uk,i went through 3 large bottles on two seats,and as mentioned before,feed from the back. roverp5.proboards31.com/index.cgi....read=1116715585roverp5.proboards31.com/index.cgi....read=1117859304more info here roverp5.proboards31.com/index.cgi....read=1130242801roverp5.proboards31.com/index.cgi....read=1111656935roverp5.proboards31.com/index.cgi....72438770&page=1Read more: roverp5.proboards.com/index.cgi#ixzz29kewS5qW
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Post by stan on Oct 19, 2012 13:36:11 GMT
Automotive materials, vinyls , leathers etc are built to last longer and combat a range of harse treatments that household stuff never gets exposed to. If you are serious about matching textures especially door cards, get the best match you can and recover all the cards so they match each other- who is ever going to know? Yes there will always be the person who 'MUST' win that show trophy and cleans the tyre treads with a toothbrush prior to judging, well fine.
There are still companies here in the north west that supply leather and some are not advertised as car specific you need to research as best you can.
Phone Segals Motor Trim in Manchester if they dont have it they should know where to get it for you. Its a shame but the people who used to know all this stuff have sadly now gone. The good thing about the Rovers is traditional natural materials used are easy to replace/repair not like a modern car where you have to repair expanded plastic mouldings?
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Post by mcgill on Oct 19, 2012 14:26:33 GMT
Automotive materials, vinyls , leathers etc are built to last longer and combat a range of harse treatments that household stuff never gets exposed to. If you are serious about matching textures especially door cards, get the best match you can and recover all the cards so they match each other- who is ever going to know? Yes there will always be the person who 'MUST' win that show trophy and cleans the tyre treads with a toothbrush prior to judging, well fine. There are still companies here in the north west that supply leather and some are not advertised as car specific you need to research as best you can. Phone Segals Motor Trim in Manchester if they dont have it they should know where to get it for you. Its a shame but the people who used to know all this stuff have sadly now gone. The good thing about the Rovers is traditional natural materials used are easy to replace/repair not like a modern car where you have to repair expanded plastic mouldings? Stan i dont think its about winning trophys,its about how good your eyesight is ,they just look all wrong,..i was always brought up to,"if a jobs worth doing,do it well." The correct stuff is out there,so if your going to all the trouble, do it proper. Its like a certain rover parts place,they sell bits to do the job,but they dont do the job well.I saw one at a show and they,d spent thousands from this supplier,it sat like a sit up and beg,the interior was fresh and new but looked tacky .The quality look just goes out the window............... Doesnt everyone clean there tyre tread with toothbrushes
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Post by stan on Oct 19, 2012 17:39:33 GMT
I know what you mean but there is a difference between someone doing a sympathetic resto because they care and enjoy the car and people who are very competative and want to win at all costs( ahem a few like that in a certain other car club) they trailer the car to the show and put mirrors under the engine bay to show everyone how lovely their car is! Not what classic cars are about really. I bet you mean the people who reshell an MGB and call it original but it will have the best paint finish ever in a super shiny glossy 2K finish that looks like plastic and spoils the car! Ooops going off on tangerines again! Oh eck better keep me-gob-shut-gettin into trouble on here.... and no P5 yet on my drive.
Spend the time the right materials are there you just have to find them. ;-)
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Post by 71coupe on Oct 19, 2012 19:08:58 GMT
Hi guys, well I spoke to Martrim and they're sending a sample. Its £65 for half a hide plus vat and postage. They said a full hide is 50 sq ft. That must have been some cow!!! As it's saddle Tan hopefully it will fairly close to my original leather. The grain seems to look similar to my (worn) leather but I'll know how close it is when the sample gets here. I overlooked the UV factor so thats good to know. It will be a project for the winter when my wrist is better so I'll be trying not to rush things (for a change)!!! Thanks once again for all the useful info and links. Andy
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Post by stan on Oct 19, 2012 19:33:37 GMT
Good luck with it Andy
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Post by mcgill on Oct 20, 2012 14:13:49 GMT
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Post by 71coupe on Oct 20, 2012 18:00:34 GMT
Cheers Mcgill, I'll have a look at their site,
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Post by mcgill on Oct 22, 2012 10:13:35 GMT
Cheers Mcgill, I'll have a look at their site, Sent you a pm....
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Post by 71coupe on Oct 25, 2012 16:21:09 GMT
Another option has come about which means I won't be needing the exsiting front seat covers for now, (Although I will be re-trimming them later to maybe keep as spare or sell). I have discovered that Saddle Tan is not the dark brown shade that I thought it was, but the lighter stuff under whatever gunge (could even be Humbrol!!) that has been slapped on my seats!!! I've had a go with cellullose thinners, and wet and dry with initial success but if the leather gets too damp the stuff coming off seems to seep back in. I'm not sure the thinners are quiet strong enough for the stubborn parts, is there a proprietry paint remover that can do a better job without wrecking the leather. I don't mind if it strips some of the original finish off as I will be spraying all four seats with dye to ensure an even finish. Something a bit less smelly or that I can walk away from for a while would be good!!! I will appreciate your thoughts on this. Thanks-Andy
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Post by johnwp5bcoupe on Oct 25, 2012 17:11:55 GMT
All the sets of seat I have done came clean using thinners and a Course Scotchbrite it's a dirty smelly job for sure and as I said previously if you are doing the job with thinners soften from the backs!
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Post by 71coupe on Oct 25, 2012 17:24:38 GMT
Thanks John, 400 grit wet and dry in the dry state seems to be most effective at the moment but its taking some of the original colour out too. Going to reserve the thinners for the most stubborn areas as it will get too soggy!! Its probably best to dye all the leather with the same shade but it would have been nice to have been able to strip back to the original finish where I could.
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Post by 71coupe on Oct 25, 2012 17:53:45 GMT
After doing a bit of research on the net, I tried a bit of olive oil!! After looking at the cloth it does appear to be taking a tiny layer off of the paint but its seems to make a good lubricant to the wet and dry (in small amounts). Another thing John, what grade of grit is the scotchbrite to use? Never used it before although I keep reading of it.
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