How To Repair Tears And Holes In Leather With Fluid Leather Filler

The Leather Sanding Pad is ideal for:  Smoothing rough areas before applying COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh or COLOURLOCK Liquid Leather. Cleaning greasy areas on nubuck and suede. Careful sanding during professional colouring in the workshop. Amount: Pack of 5 Application Rub the leather gently with the pad in a circular motion. Avoid gouging and deep scratches. Both faces of the pad can be used. It can be washed out with water.  Before colouring nappa leather, the surfaces should be sanded carefully. Our Leather Sanding Pad is ideal for this step.

Leather hardens through age and also lack of care. If the leather has not been used for a long time the fibres will dry out through lack of movement. Heat also causes leather to shrink. Originally most vehicle leather was the processed vegetable tanned variety which hardens and shrinks at a temperature of about 70 °C (= 158°F). Today processed chrome-tanned hides are used which can withstand temperatures of around 90 °C (= 194°F). The less a leather is re-oiled through care, the lower the temperature at which it will start to shrink.  THE TREATMENT OF HARDENED LEATHERFirst clean the leather with COLOURLOCK Mild Leather Cleaner. Important: Too much moisture can damage antique leather so it is advisable to use a foam, rather than liquid, cleaner and remove the residue with a slightly damp cloth. . Allow to dry naturally and away from heat and sunlight.Next repair cracks and rips with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather before treating with Leather Softener. This is important as Leather Softener is oil-based, making it difficult for repair products to be absorbed. Apply Leather Softener with a sponge or a soft cloth. For best results, the softener must be applied on the reverse side (the layer facing the cushions on the inside). Because the surface is rougher, it is more receptive to treatment than the smooth side. Unless you are planning on carrying out further upholstery repairs, you are advised not to remove the covers for this treatment as old leather can tear or break easily.Let the leather rest for 24 hours to allow time for it to fully absorb the Leather Softener, then repeat. One litre is sufficient for an entire vehicle area. For individual upholstery parts use 250 ml.Next try and loosen the fibres by kneading the leather with your hands. Continue until the leather feels softer. But be careful as very old and shrunken leather can break easily. While the leather will never be as soft as it once was, you should still see a noticeable improvement. Professionals use a leather-softening tool to soften the leather (see video).After the final application of Leather Softener remove the residue with a soft cloth and let the leather rest for a week before carrying out further treatment and repairs. Before using repair products thoroughly degrease the area with COLOURLOCK Degreaser.To nourish and protect the leather, use COLOURLOCK Leather Protector and, if the leather is glossy or exposed to the weather, COLOURLOCK Elephant Leather Preserver offers added protection. Depending on the level of use a care treatment should be applied once or twice a year. Further treatments with Leather Softenerare not necessary. Amount: 250 ml. This is usually sufficient for one or two seats and several handbags/smaller suitcases ; 1 litre

The GLD GLD Solvent ND Pen 40 ml can be used to smooth down Fluid Leather or Filler repairs.ApplicationIf the damaged area is large, it may not be possible to achieve a smooth and even surface with a spatula. Post-processing is required but Liquid Leather should not be sanded dry, as it would damage the repair.Instead smooth the repaired area with the GLD Solvent ND Pen 40 ml. GLD Solvent dissolves the upper layer of the repair substance, so that the surface can be easily reshaped.Open the cap of the COLOURLOCK GLD Solvent ND Pen 40 ml and press down the felt tip several times, so that it soaks up the GLD Solvent. Dab off any excess with a piece of cloth. Carefully dissolve the dried Liquid Leather repair, smooth it down and let it dry again. Alternatively, the repair can be sanded with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad after dissolution. Both methods serve for smoothing down a repair. Always work gently and with a small amount of GLD Solvent. Too much liquid causes the repair to "blur".This process can be repeated as many times as required, until you are satisfied with the result.The felt tip of the COLOURLOCK GLD Solvent ND Pen 40 ml can be taken out in case of soiling or wear and be replaced the other way round. This exchange should always be performed after a colour change.

The Leather Glue is suitable to permanently glue all forms of leather and remains flexible. It's perfect for repairing small rips and tears in general repair work like sticking backlining cloths. Easy to glue hems on suede and leather clothing.Application Remove the pointed cap from the tube and apply a thin layer of glue. If required, spread with a spatula. Wait for a short while, then let the rips dry edge to edge, or glue the back lining - if possible - using pressure. Those larger rips and holes in leather which are still repairable must be stabilized by back lining them with cloth. Cut the cloth into the required shape and mark the centre with a felt tip pen or a small sticker. The marking helps you to recognize the centre in order to ensure consistent overlapping. Fix the centre with a needle and spread the edges evenly under the leather with a spatula. Then stick with glue. Garment leather is often very delicate. Apply the product especially thinly in order to avoid the glue coming through and showing as a dark spot on the leather's surface.

Leather Fresh is a colour refresher (dye) for scratches, worn, or faded leather. Leather Fresh is ideal to refresh colour damages on car leather, furniture leather, leather garments and handbags. Do not use on porous leathers unless colouring the entire surface - it can make the surface appear patchy. It can be sponged on or sprayed using an airbrush.  Application Always test any products first on a hidden area to test for colour match!Firstly, clean the leather thoroughly and prepare the surface. Use Mild Leather Cleaner for normal degrees of soiling or Strong Leather Cleaner to remove heavier dirt (where the leather has been neglected for many years). Cleaning prior to treatment ensures the paint bonds to the surface well and ensures durability. Use Leather Cleaning Brush to effectively remove all ingrained dirt. Cleaning removes dirt but for long lasting results you should also de-grease using Degreaser.Use a sponge to apply the colour evenly, working from seam to seam. Dry afterwards with a hair dryer. On small spots, a one application is sufficient. Apply multiple thin layers and dry each layer using a hair dryer.A day later, after it dries, apply Leather Protector. It gives the leather a good sheen and helps blend the repair. It contains antioxidants, which stops the leather's decay, and its UV filters protect the surfaces of old and valuable leathers from bleaching and fading. Also keeps the leather supple.  46 standard colours and prepared special colours according to sample or manufacturer name.Find car leather colours for Leather Fresh Dye in our Car Leather Repair category.

This spatula, with its long and flexible tip, is ideal for spreading COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather repairs evenly. The spatula can also be used for positioning the Backlining Cloth when repairing rips and holes, or for economical application of the COLOURLOCK Leather Glue.Amount: 1 piece.Application areas: Artificial leather, Aniline leather, Pigmented leather, PU leather, Semi-aniline leatherUse the spatula to evenly spread the repair products. Wash after use, ensuring that any product traces are removed from the tip.The spatula is used to smooth repairs with liquid leather.The spatula is a practical aid for positioning the fabric when back-gluing cracks and holes in leathers or artificial leathers.The spatula can be used to evenly distribute a flat application of adhesive.The spatula can be used as a barrier to other colored leathers or seams when dyeing with Leather Fresh, where masking would be too time-consuming.

Fluid Leather is only recommended for damage where a filling is necessary. For scratches and general wear-and-tear on the colour surface we recommend smoothing the surface with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad and refreshing the colour with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh. The surface of COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather is smooth and shiny after drying. To hide the repair, apply COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh in the respective colour to the area. This covers the gloss of the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. Lightly dab the COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh several times with a sponge on the repair and dry with a hair dryer between layers until the desired covering is achieved. Degrease the repair area with COLOURLOCK Degreaser in order to remove care product residue. Before starting any repairs with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather, smooth rough areas and scratches with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad  For hardened leathers, use COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather before any treatment with COLOURLOCK Old Leather Softener. This oily treatment would reduce the adhesion of the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. PROCEDURE Fill the damaged areas with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather and spread evenly with a spatula. Leave to dry for 1-2 hours, depending on the amount used. Repeat the procedure until the repaired area is as full and smooth as possible. COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather cannot be sanded dry. This would damage the repair.We recommend using the COLOURLOCK GLD Solvent ND Pen to smooth the repair. The GLD Solvent slightly dissolves the surface of the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather and provides a smoother finish.Open the lid of the COLOURLOCK GLD Solvent ND Pen and press down the felt tip several times until it is moistened. If the felt tip gets too moist, remove the excess quantity by cleaning it with a cloth. Smooth the repair area carefully with the moistened felt tip. When the repair area is wet with GLD, an additional treatment with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad can be done to smooth the repair area. Always work with a small amount of GLD to prevent the repair area from becoming too dissolved. Using GLD, a repair can be adjusted to achieve the best possible result.Professionals can repair the graining on a work area using a Repair Grain. Usually, old leathers are smooth and do not need a new graining.The tip of the GLD Solvent ND Pen can be removed and reversed when worn. Especially when working on a new colour, it is necessary to change or turn the felt tip upside down.Finally, repairs with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather must be recoloured with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh to balance differences in colour and gloss. In order to cover the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather sufficiently, the COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh should be dabbed onto the area several times and dried between the layers with a hair dryer. After 24 hours treat the leather with Leather Protector.  A HOLE WITH MISSING LEATHER Holes should be reinforced before repairing by gluing a thin piece of cloth underneath the hole with COLOURLOCK Leather Glue. Cut out a small piece of the original leather from a hidden area and adjust its shape according to the hole. Use the COLOURLOCK Leather Glue to glue it onto the piece of cloth and the edges of the hole. Close the visible rims with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. Leathers with big tears must first be examined in order to decide whether it would be better to replace the weak leather. Especially long tears in old and rough leathers, or in areas of high use, are often irreparable or not durable enough after a repair. We recommend the repair of tears only on stable leathers and only if the tear is no larger than a few centimetres.Procedure: Minor tears which are not under tension should be provisionally glued with COLOURLOCK Leather Glue from edge to edge. Then close the tear with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather, as explained.Tears under high tension should be backed by thin cloth. In the case of very large tears and/or very rough leathers, it is advisable to sew the leather with a thin but strong thread. Place a seam every 3-4 centimetres with the starting knot on the leather's reverse. Cover the thread with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather.If the leather is not too rough, drill a small hole to the right and the left of the tear (approximately 2-3 millimetres) and sew with a round needle. Lay the knot underneath and pull the tear together. Tears in areas of frequent use should always be replaced by new leather when they are too large; the same is true for weak or hardened leathers. In cases like these, it is more advisable to replace the leather.

Those larger rips and holes in leather which are still repairable must be stabilised by backlining them with cloth. Material: cloth, approx. 15 x 25 cm / 6 x 10 inchesApplication areas: Car Leather, Furniture Leather, Leather ClothingFor: Artificial leather, Aniline leather, Pigmented leather, PU leather, Pull Up leather, Semi-aniline leather, Suede and nubuck leatherCut the cloth into the required shape, slightly bigger than the hole on the leather and mark the centre with a felt tip pen or a small sticker. The marking helps you to recognize the centre and ensure consistent overlapping. Fix the centre with a needle and spread the edges evenly under the leather with a spatula. Then stick with glue.PLEASE NOTE: Damages which have a hole or leather missing will need to be filled with COLOURLOCK Liquid Leather and coloured using COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh dye available in 30ml and 150ml.Amount: 1 piece, approx. 15 x 25 cm / 6 x 10 inches