How to repair tears and holes in leather with Fluid Leather Filler

Minor damages can easily be repaired with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather, a coloured filling material which can be used for repairing small holes, tears, deeper scratches and cracks. COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather has filling and adhesive properties and remains soft and flexible after drying.

PREPARATION

• COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather is only recommended for damage where filling is required. Scratches and general wear and tear on the colour surface do not need to be treated with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. In such cases, we recommend to smooth the surface using COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad and to refresh the colour with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh.
• The surface of COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather is smooth and shiny after drying. To hide the repair, a colouration with COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh in the respective colour is necessary. This covers the gloss of the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather. Dab the COLOURLOCK Leather Fresh several times with a sponge on the repair and dry with a hair dryer in between the layers until the desired covering is achieved.
• Ensure you degrease the repair area with COLOURLOCK Leather Cleaning Spirit in order to remove remaining care products containing grease, waxes, silicones etc. before applying  COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather.
• Smooth rough areas and scratches with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad before starting any repairs with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather.
• In case of hardened leather, always carry out repairs with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather before any treatment with COLOURLOCK Old Leather Softener. This oily treatment reduces the adhesion of the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather.

PROCEDURE

COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather has a removable cap. Remove the cap and fill the damaged areas. Evenly spread the COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather with a Spatula. Let the repair dry according to the amount used – about 1-2 hours. Repeat the procedure until the repaired area is as full and smooth as possible.

Degrease with COLOURLOCK Leather Cleaning Spirit

Smooth the surface with the COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad.

Fill cracks with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather.

Spread evenly with a spatula.

In case of larger damage it’s not always possible to smooth the surface evenly just by using the Spatula. Such areas have to be reworked. COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather cannot be sanded dry. This would damage the repair.

We recommend using the COLOURLOCK GLD 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 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, sand with COLOURLOCK Leather Sanding Pad  to smooth the repair area. Always work with little 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 COLOURLOCK GLD 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 on the area several times and dried in between the layers with a hair dryer. For purposes of care, the leather should be treated with Leather Protector a day later.

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. Then fill visible gaps with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather.

A TEAR IN THE LEATHER

Leathers with big tears must first be examined in order to decide whether it would be better to replace the weak leather. 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 glued with COLOURLOCK Leather Glue from edge to edge. Then close the tear with COLOURLOCK Fluid Leather as explained.

Tears under high tension area should be backed by thin cloth. In case of very large tears and/or very rough leathers, it is recommended 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 applies for weak or hardened leathers.

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