Hints & Tips
- The first thing to keep in mind is that you will be trying to repair a surface that has been damaged. A repair will always be just that…a repair…but that shouldn’t stop you from trying your best to make the damaged area look like it was never there. You’ll know it’s a repair… but your friends won’t!
- Some damage simply can’t be repaired for several reasons, the area is too large, a big piece of material is completely missing. You’ll need to judge for yourself…”Should I try to repair this damage or should it really be replaced by an upholsterer?” See our before and after photos to help in determining some of the extent of damage that can be repaired. Feel free to ask for our opinion if you are unsure.
- Our repair compound is meant for damage to “soft” surfaces like the seats and padded areas of the trim but not for “hard” areas like the dash or steering wheel.
- Seams – Our repair compound will not repair seams. Meaning it will not work on the stitched part of the seam. It will work on cracking that goes right up to the seam.
Tech tip: You can repair the actual seam with Super Glue. It’s tricky though. Because Super Glue dries incredibly fast, you’ll need to first practice pressing the two sides together so you know exactly where you want the sides to grasp on to each other. Once you’ve determined that, you apply a thin line of Super Glue on only one side of the seam then quickly press and hold the two sides together. It should be completely dry in about 10-15 seconds. If you can find “thick” Super Glue, we recommend using it because it takes longer to dry and will give you a little bit of extra positioning time.
- Seams – Our repair compound will not repair seams. Meaning it will not work on the stitched part of the seam. It will work on cracking that goes right up to the seam.
- Depending on the extent of the damage you have whether its a tear, cigarette burn, cat scratch or wear spot, each repair may turn out differently. Most of your repairs will turn out so nicely that you’ll never know that there has been a repair. Others you may be able to see when you look closely.
- Color Flex will dry darker or lighter than the color you see in the bottle. Be sure to shake the bottle for at least 1 minute to completely mix the color. Also, we recommend that you test the color by applying a small amount on an inconspicuous area (a swab is included for this purpose) before you decide that you ordered the wrong color and send it back for an exchange. This will save you time, money and aggravation in having to return the color.
- Since the color you ordered may not be exactly the same as what you are trying to match, but if it’s close, we recommend that you lightly blend the surrounding area. This painter’s trick allows your eye to be fooled into seeing one consistent color. Keep in mind, color tends to look a bit more intense when applied to a small surface. We recommend blending an area at least 12″ around the repaired area. The more you blend the area, the less your eye will be drawn to the actual repair.
- Ideal working temperature is between 75 – 85 degrees. If working outdoors in cooler temperatures, warm the item that you are going to repair with a blow dryer. If your repair is in a vehicle, turn on the heater and warm up the inside so that the surface you’re going to repair will be warm.
Be sure to do this outside and not in a closed garage.
- Ideal working temperature is between 75 – 85 degrees. If working outdoors in cooler temperatures, warm the item that you are going to repair with a blow dryer. If your repair is in a vehicle, turn on the heater and warm up the inside so that the surface you’re going to repair will be warm.
- On an 80 degree day, Magic Mender repair compound & Color Flex dry to the touch in about 10-15 minutes, and cure completely in 24 hours. You can accelerate this time by using a blow dryer, but do not let the heat get closer than 18 inches to the surface. Allowing the heat closer than this will result in the surface cracking.
- If you have a repair that has a fiber or foam filling but it is missing, you can use a small piece of cotton as a filler, before you add your sub-patch.
- Spray application: If you are repairing a fairly large area and would like to use a sprayer, we recommend using a” Preval Sprayer“. Preval sprayers can be found in most hardware stores. They will screw right on to our Color Flex bottle
- DO NOT mix Color-Flex with any other coatings or paint! Color-Flex is a specialty product and adding anything other than water or rubbing alcohol will turn it into something resembling mush.
- If your leather is dry, before you attempt any repairs, we suggest that you first give it a good cleaning and conditioning. Using a wash cloth, clean with liquid soap and water. Allow the conditioner to penetrate for at least 24 hours. Repeat this process again if more absorption is required. It may be helpful to first sand the dry areas with 320 grit sandpaper to open up the pores and to smooth any previous coating that has dried out and cracked.
- How to remove ink: Tech Tip
There’s no shortage of “wonder” products out there that will remove ink but you don’t need any expensive products. All you really need is some isopropyl alcohol commonly known as “rubbing alcohol” or our very own Presto Prep. Saturate a cotton ball with either product then simply dab the spot until the ink starts to soften and lift. Let the product do the work, don’t rub. You can use this trick on most leather however if it’s been previously coated with a coating like our Color Flex, be careful that you don’t apply too much because it will remove the color. *Test in an inconspicuous area first. If the ink has been on the surface for a long time it may be too deep in the pores and will require a coat of Color Flex instead.
- How to remove ink: Tech Tip