I've done a fair job of repairing the hole, I think if I was to do it again I'd make a better job of it
. The good thing is you don't notice the repair unless you are looking out for it, compared to before the repair you could easily notice the damage.
I bought a Leather Repair kit (about £17) from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leather-Rep...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B004FM7FL6
Here was the hole before I repaired it:
Here is the repaired result:
The kit includes a leather repair compound (filler), patches (for holes), colour dyes and tints, glue, leather prep (for a clean surface) and a load of other bits and pieces to apply the fix. There are instructions on how to fix rips, burns, holes and casual damage.
Anyway, after thoroughly cleaning the seats with Autoglym leather cleaner, I got to work. The repair took about 5 hours, most of which is drying time.
[1] First step is to cut a patch from the fabric supplied. You put the patch between the leather and the material underneath the leather. I worked it in between the layers using tooth picks (supplied in the kit).
[2] Once I was happy with the position of the patch I applied some glue to the sides of the patch, sticking the patch to the leather and the layer beneath. I let this dry for about an hour.
[3] After ensuring that any excess glue was removed from the area and it was clean and dry, I applied my first layer of leather compound (using a lolly ice stick from the kit). The kit instructs you to add thin layers one at a time, leaving time for it to dry between layers. To speed up the drying time I would use a hairdryer.
[4] I applied 7 or 8 layers of leather compound before I was happy that level was flush with the leather around the hole area.
[5] After ensuring the last leather compound layer was dry, I began sanding using wet and dry sandpaper (supplied in the kit), to ensure the compound was flat and smooth with the surrounding leather.
[6] I then cleaned the area with the leather prep solution (from the kit).
[7] After ensuring the area was dry, I started to mix up the finish colour solution. You get a black base colour and different colour tints in the kit to get a colour match for the leather you have. I tested the mixture I created on a hidden area of leather to fine tune the colour I needed to apply.
[8] Once I was happy with the colour I had created I sponged on thin coats of the colour solution onto the repair area and the surrounding area. I probably did about 10 coats in total (each coat is dry in minutes, so doesn't take long).
[9] The last 2 coats I decided to sponge onto the whole panel of leather so that there was colour consistency. I decided to do this as the colour I applied was slightly different and it was more obvious where the colour had been applied. Coating the whole panel was a good opportunity to disguise some of the cracks that had formed on the panel over the years.
[10] The final step is to apply a finish. In the kit you get a Matt and a Gloss finish. You are supposed to mix them until you find a ratio that is consistent with the leather of your car. After testing several mixtures on hidden areas of leather, I apply 3 coats of finish using another sponge (from the kit).
In summary, the repair results are not professional quality but for a DIY kit and a first time effort, you can't go wrong for £17. The results are good enough for people not to notice the damage unless you point out the area that was repaired
