[staleg]

Do you recommend leather seat re-coloring with rattle can spray?

There are several reputable stores like Tandy Leather etc that sells rattle can leather spray color and they all brag about how good it sticks, that it don't crack or peel etc. Is it really that good?
Any of you tested it and how does it look after some use?

I have a pair of light brown leather seats that I'm planning to use in my hotrod, but i would like to paint them dark brown. I know there ar professionals that can do this, but that's out of my budget.

But if it is a rather large risk for destroying the seats with cracking, peeling paint, I'd rather make the whole interior in light brown instead.
I haven't bought any leather for the rest of the interior yet.

[DanTwoLakes]

Just like painting, the secret is in the preparation. If you clean the leather correctly, whatever you use will adhere and stay there. Your best bets are SEM Sure Coat and SEM Classic Coat. Classic Coat is aerosols, but there is no dark brown, the colors are matched to interior colors from car manufacturers. Sure Coat is water based and has to be mixed and sprayed with spraying equipment, but any color is possible. Check out this thread for re-coloring leather: CLICK HERE Here is the SEM web site regarding Sure Coat: CLICK HERE

[flynbrian48]

Originally Posted by staleg

Do you recommend leather seat re-coloring with rattle can spray?

There are several reputable stores like Tandy Leather etc that sells rattle can leather spray color and they all brag about how good it sticks, that it don't crack or peel etc. Is it really that good?
Any of you tested it and how does it look after some use?

I have a pair of light brown leather seats that I'm planning to use in my hotrod, but i would like to paint them dark brown. I know there ar professionals that can do this, but that's out of my budget.

But if it is a rather large risk for destroying the seats with cracking, peeling paint, I'd rather make the whole interior in light brown instead.
I haven't bought any leather for the rest of the interior yet.

I know of guys that have horror stories about trying to color leather seats. If they're good, and you can live with the color, it'd be much better to match the other panels to them, as opposed to painting the seats and THEN trying yo match that with other fabric. Just my opinion...

[Chris Kemp]

Originally Posted by DanTwoLakes

Just like painting, the secret is in the preparation. If you clean the leather correctly, whatever you use will adhere and stay there. Your best bets are SEM Sure Coat and SEM Classic Coat. Classic Coat is aerosols, but there is no dark brown, the colors are matched to interior colors from car manufacturers. Sure Coat is water based and has to be mixed and sprayed with spraying equipment, but any color is possible. Check out this thread for re-coloring leather: CLICK HERE Here is the SEM web site regarding Sure Coat: CLICK HERE

Sem makes a good product I have used it with good results. It is flexible and I haven't seen it crack. But like DanTwoLakes says you have to clean it real good! Sem makes several cleaning agents for this. Remember this, if the leather has ever had any product applied to it that contained silicone you will have to clean it real, real good. Even though I have never seen it peel off I have seen it wear through. Because you can not duplicate the process of dying leather where the die penetrates deep down. But this is not that big of a problem you simply do it again and you can just do the worn area. Now with all of this said and done you may want to just leave the color alone like flynbrian48 has suggested. You can always stick them in the car live with the color until you can have them professionally died. And that is another thing, make sure that they are professionally died because I have seen upholstery shops claim to die them and use the the rattle can process and charge the customer the higher price for dying. Now something else to think about, if you go the rattle can route and then want them professionally dyed later, then I'm not sure if they can be died after something like this has been done to them. Maybe some of these other guys can answer that. But if it were me and the seats didn't cost me that much and the color really bugged me then I would put the sem product on them and ride boley ride!

I hope this helps!
Chris

[DanTwoLakes]

Personally, I would never try to completely color leather seats, especially if the seats were not brand new. Leather needs to breathe to maintain its character, and that won't happen if you cover the top layer with something. I would do the same thing......match the rest of the interior to the seats. JMHO, do what you want.

[bigsarg1]

I was watching Trucks and they said to clean w/ acetone before spraying. It opens the grains up and you get a better adhesion. I never tried it.

[DanTwoLakes]

If you use SEM products, clean it with what they recommend, which is SEM Soap followed by SEM Plastic/Leather prep. Follow the instructions to the letter.

[creativeinteriors]

SEM refinishing system works great. Have used it for panel matching for 20 years. I have disclosed it to customers when matching original leather panels were either impossible to get or too expensive to make the job cost effective to the owner. I have never had a complaint or an issue.

90% OEM Leather is top coated with a kind Clear Vinyl to add durabilty and to match surrounding Vinyls.

Like it was said before use must use the total package as directed by the instructions.

Use the prescribed prep solvent, it is a mixture of MEK and other prepping chemicals that etch the top coating and allow for color adhesion.

If done wrong you will have a short term solution and another problem.