Black Leather Dye Kit

[ChrisJ]

Hi lads,
Looking for some info on a good and easy to use black leather dye for my old grey leather E36 rear headrests. I want to match them to the black interior I now have and now is the time as I'm going to respray the parcel shelf soon.
I've had a look around, ebay and the usual places. Is this kit any good?

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/BMW-Car-leather-Seat-dye-e36-e46-e81-e90-e60-M3-etc-/320607364582

I figured someone on here might be able to shed some light on a good and relatively inexpensive kit and also what steps are involved.
Once again, thanks in advance.

Chris

[Bb1981]

That's the same one ive bought too.havent had time to get to use it yet.but seemed to have a good rep.i know Ketron bought a more expensive one recently.dont know if he's used his yet either.maybe on him

[The Scout]

Looks like a nice recolouring kit. They state that 65ml is enough to recolour one seat base so you should have enough for the two headrests. So not too expensive either at €25 delivered.

I have no experience of the scuff master kits but I have used a similar product from The Furniture Clinic.

www.furnitureclinic.co.uk

However the kit I used did not have a built in sealer in the dye and it was a separate process to seal the dye in. The kit you're thinking of has a built in sealant so it would appear to be a better option.

You will have to consider how you're going to apply the dye. I bought an airbrush kit along with the dye and also used a very fine paintbrush for the first few coats. The airbrush technique provides a very nice finish.

Cans of compressed air are used to power it. As you're just doing the headrests, one can would do but no harm to have a second one handy.

Your headrests will also have an existing layer of sealant on the leather which will have to be removed prior to you applying your new dye. Again, I got the sealant remover as part of the deal when I bought my kit.

I suppose if I was to summarise in a few steps..

* Clean the surface of the leather ( Zymol or Autoglym leather cleaner for example )
* Remove the existing sealant from the leather.
* Give the entire surface a very light sanding. ( I can't recall what number paper I used ).
* Clean again to remove any dust.
* Mask off any areas not to be recoloured ( the metal bars of the headrests in this case ).
* Apply the dye using your chosen method.

I waited until each coat was dry before applying the next but the dye I used didn't have a built in sealant. I would think that in the case of the scuff master kit with the built in sealant you could work away until you have enough dye on. Something to check up on before you start.

I then used the sealant provided.

It was recommended to me to treat the leather with a conditioner a few days after the recolouring process.

It states on the listing that once this particular dye is dry, it is dry. So maybe you could condition away but I'd leave it for a day.

Hope that helps. It's very satisfying work and very worthwhile. The results can be very impressive.

Best of luck.

Regards,

Mark

[Ketron]

I used this kit from Dynamix:



The airbrush was pants so I used a sponge, havent had any time to take pics but it was a slow and tedious job, lots and lots of coats. Also went for a matt clear coat because I dont like the plasticy look of the gloss ones. Well worth it but I'm glad its finished

On the dynamix kit it says wait 7 days before using produtcs on it, will give it a bit longer due to the cold weather we're having at the moment.

Used a scuff master kit on the E46 before and was happy with the results, just very little in the kit is all.

[ChrisJ]

Thanks Mark and Ketron. Really great advice from both of you and I couldn't have asked for more. I'm gonna look into the furniture clinic and dynamix and pick one and apply with the sponge. My vaders could do with a touch up but I think I'll hold off on them, one mountain to climb at a time. Looking forward to getting this started.
Thanks again for all the help.
Chris

[kdevitt]

Don't go for the dynamix kit if you're only going to be using a sponge - the sealant needs to go on by airbrush. The furniture clinic /. scuffmaster kit has a built in sealant, so you'll get away with just the sponge.

[ChrisJ]

OK cool, Thanks for that. I just want something simple and the airbrush seems like to much hassle. Its only a set of headrests realisticly so something easy and decent looking.
Have to say, great to have all this help so easily and quickly, thanks lads.

Chris

[Ketron]

Don't go for the dynamix kit if you're only going to be using a sponge - the sealant needs to go on by airbrush. The furniture clinic /. scuffmaster kit has a built in sealant, so you'll get away with just the sponge.

I used the dynamix kit with a sponge, mainly because their airbrush that was supplied was rubbish. instructions says either sponge or airbrush for both dye and clearcoat?

[kdevitt]

I used the dynamix kit with a sponge, mainly because their airbrush that was supplied was rubbish. instructions says either sponge or airbrush for both dye and clearcoat?

I have a few of the clearcoats / sealans and they all it needs to be sprayed on. The FAQ says the same.

An airbrush must be used if you wish to apply final protective lacquer of leather finish. This is not mandatory, however it will increase scuff resistance and the overall lifespan of the repair.

I've found that the finish doesn't hold up well without a sealant though.

[Ketron]

I applied the clearcoat with a sponge :huh:

Looks perfect, but i would have used the supplied airbrush if the thing actually worked

Put on three coats, sure we'll see how it holds up :smiling: