I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery using a kit from The
Scratch Doctor.

Basically, you repair the split by gluing a patch to the back, then fill
the crack with the supplied compound, sand level, then dye to match.

Looks good from a distance - and much better than the split even close up
- but would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as the
leather. The instructions mention a graining tool, but they don't sell
such a device, or give instructions on how it would work.

Any ideas?

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Dave Plowman London SW
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Dave Plowman (News) scribbled


I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery using a kit from The
Scratch Doctor.

Basically, you repair the split by gluing a patch to the back, then fill
the crack with the supplied compound, sand level, then dye to match.

Looks good from a distance - and much better than the split even close up
- but would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as the
leather. The instructions mention a graining tool, but they don't sell
such a device, or give instructions on how it would work.

Any ideas?


A pointy stick

In article sting.com,
Jonno wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) scribbled


I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery using a kit from
The Scratch Doctor.

Basically, you repair the split by gluing a patch to the back, then
fill the crack with the supplied compound, sand level, then dye to
match.

Looks good from a distance - and much better than the split even close
up - but would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as
the leather. The instructions mention a graining tool, but they don't
sell such a device, or give instructions on how it would work.

Any ideas?


A pointy stick

Perhaps better than nothing.

--
*Hang in there, retirement is only thirty years away! *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 02/03/15 15:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article sting.com,
Jonno wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) scribbled


I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery using a kit from
The Scratch Doctor.

Basically, you repair the split by gluing a patch to the back, then
fill the crack with the supplied compound, sand level, then dye to
match.

Looks good from a distance - and much better than the split even close
up - but would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as
the leather. The instructions mention a graining tool, but they don't
sell such a device, or give instructions on how it would work.

Any ideas?


A pointy stick

Perhaps better than nothing.



This sounds like that "varnish" from the 40-50s that came with a grey
thick undercoat that you combed into woodgrain, then applied varnish
over the top.

Bitch to burn off as it goes gooey then sets hard again. I think I met
some yesterday cleaning up some door frames with the hot air gun...

In article ,
Tim Watts wrote:
On 02/03/15 15:46, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article sting.com,
Jonno wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) scribbled


I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery using a kit
from The Scratch Doctor.

Basically, you repair the split by gluing a patch to the back, then
fill the crack with the supplied compound, sand level, then dye to
match.

Looks good from a distance - and much better than the split even
close up - but would be improved if the filler has the same sort of
grain as the leather. The instructions mention a graining tool, but
they don't sell such a device, or give instructions on how it would
work.

Any ideas?


A pointy stick

Perhaps better than nothing.



This sounds like that "varnish" from the 40-50s that came with a grey
thick undercoat that you combed into woodgrain, then applied varnish
over the top.

Bitch to burn off as it goes gooey then sets hard again. I think I met
some yesterday cleaning up some door frames with the hot air gun...

Not the same thing. The leather being repaired has a grain. The filler
used to repair the crack hasn't. Need a way of reproducing that grain on
the filler. All the info I've seen seems to be from the US - are as the
'tools' etc needed to do it. Can find several UK places that supply tools
for working leather - but none with the stuff needed to do the graining,
or any clues. So hoped someone on here knew of a UK source.

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Dave Plowman London SW
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On 02/03/15 16:18, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Not the same thing.

No I'm sure it's not - I was just noticing a parallel of forming a
synthetic grain :-o

The leather being repaired has a grain. The filler
used to repair the crack hasn't. Need a way of reproducing that grain on
the filler. All the info I've seen seems to be from the US - are as the
'tools' etc needed to do it. Can find several UK places that supply tools
for working leather - but none with the stuff needed to do the graining,
or any clues. So hoped someone on here knew of a UK source.


What do you think you are after? A small roller with an inverse leather
texture that you can roll over the filler?

On Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:50:38 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery using a kit from The
Scratch Doctor.

Basically, you repair the split by gluing a patch to the back, then fill
the crack with the supplied compound, sand level, then dye to match.

Looks good from a distance - and much better than the split even close up
- but would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as the
leather. The instructions mention a graining tool, but they don't sell
such a device, or give instructions on how it would work.

Any ideas?

I think it's too late now you've repaired it

The 'pros' doing so called smart repairs would use graining compound to make
replica of a good surface elsewhere on the leather and then apply it over the
repair before it starts to cure.

http://www.smartexpress.co.uk/produc...%284oz%29.html
http://www.smartexpress.co.uk/produc...80.5oz%29.html

You can get premade graining paper too, I think one of the UK classic car places
has supplied it in the past (maybe 20 - 30 years ago!) It's not woolies because
I just looked.
--

On 02/03/2015 22:16, The Other Mike wrote:

You can get premade graining paper too, I think one of the UK classic car places
has supplied it in the past (maybe 20 - 30 years ago!) It's not woolies because
I just looked.

Frost do a kit that has "grain texture release paper" in it.

http://www.frost.co.uk/vinyl-leather-repair-kit.html

Can't see the paper on its own though...

Cheers,

Colin.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery
would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as the
leather.

Some 'car SOS' programme on tonight, a leather seat repairer was using
linen patch glued behind similar to your kit, with 'leather weld' as the
visible filler, over which he ironed what looked like a silicone patch
with a negative of the leather grain ... presumably something like these?

https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Le...Vinyl_Weld.php
https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Grain_Copier.php

In article ,
Andy Burns wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery
would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as the
leather.

Some 'car SOS' programme on tonight, a leather seat repairer was using
linen patch glued behind similar to your kit, with 'leather weld' as the
visible filler, over which he ironed what looked like a silicone patch
with a negative of the leather grain ... presumably something like these?

https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Le...Vinyl_Weld.php
https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Grain_Copier.php

Thanks - I'll check them out.

--
*The more I learn about women, the more I love my car

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Andy Burns wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery
would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as the
leather.

Some 'car SOS' programme on tonight, a leather seat repairer was using
linen patch glued behind similar to your kit, with 'leather weld' as the
visible filler, over which he ironed what looked like a silicone patch
with a negative of the leather grain ... presumably something like these?

https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Le...Vinyl_Weld.php
https://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Grain_Copier.php

Do you remember which channel? Might be able to use the 'watch again'
service.

But I've ordered up the kit anyway - thanks.

--
*A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory *

Dave Plowman London SW
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Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Do you remember which channel? Might be able to use the 'watch again'
service.

Looks like it was more4, 9pm sundays

In article ,
Andy Burns wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Do you remember which channel? Might be able to use the 'watch again'
service.

Looks like it was more4, 9pm sundays

Yes, and I'd guess a repeat as it's not on the CH4 watch again site.
Can you remember the make of car involved?

--
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Dave Plowman London SW
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Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Andy Burns wrote:

Looks like it was more4, 9pm sundays

Yes, and I'd guess a repeat as it's not on the CH4 watch again site.
Can you remember the make of car involved?

It was a 911, the leather repair was a fairly quick item within the
programme, there are plenty of vids on youtube showing more, though they
seem to use hot air for curing, rather than ironing on the graining
patch, e.g.

https://youtu.be/Mb9jvw0qSiw

In article ,
Chris Hogg wrote:
On Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:50:38 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

I've been repairing some splits in leather upholstery using a kit from
The Scratch Doctor.

Basically, you repair the split by gluing a patch to the back, then
fill the crack with the supplied compound, sand level, then dye to
match.

Looks good from a distance - and much better than the split even close up
- but would be improved if the filler has the same sort of grain as the
leather. The instructions mention a graining tool, but they don't sell
such a device, or give instructions on how it would work.

Any ideas?

http://tinyurl.com/p37foln

Sadly everything I've found seems to be in the US.

--
*Gargling is a good way to see if your throat leaks.

Dave Plowman London SW
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