Sealing Motorcycle Seats

[johnnytrek]

Hello everyone, my name is Johnny Trek and I am new to Leatherworker.net. I have been lurking around in the background for a while and thought it was time to introduce myself and post my first question.

I am interested in making motorcycle seats. Mainly for me and my riding buddies. I have been successful in making a few already. I have been working with leather for a while and I have to say the thinig that gives me the most trouble is dyeing and sealing. I have used fiebings oil and that eco flo stuff tandy sells, mainly because its a whole lot easier to get. To be honest I have had good results with both, but I am not sure of whats gonna happen in th long run.

I deffinately want some advice with sealing. After reading so many posts and looking around online I am more confused now than when I started. I have tried tan kote, neatsfoot oil, super sheen and satin sheen. After using these I am not completely satisfied. I hate the rubbery plastic look that these leave. I feel like it ruins the look of my work. I want it to look just like it does right after it gets dyed. No shine or very little shine. I'd love it if I could just get the name of a product that will work and the directions on how to use it. Fast and easy.

Please help me figure this out and point me in the right direction.

Thanks

[busted]

Hello everyone, my name is Johnny Trek and I am new to Leatherworker.net. I have been lurking around in the background for a while and thought it was time to introduce myself and post my first question.

I am interested in making motorcycle seats. Mainly for me and my riding buddies. I have been successful in making a few already. I have been working with leather for a while and I have to say the thinig that gives me the most trouble is dyeing and sealing. I have used fiebings oil and that eco flo stuff tandy sells, mainly because its a whole lot easier to get. To be honest I have had good results with both, but I am not sure of whats gonna happen in th long run.

I deffinately want some advice with sealing. After reading so many posts and looking around online I am more confused now than when I started. I have tried tan kote, neatsfoot oil, super sheen and satin sheen. After using these I am not completely satisfied. I hate the rubbery plastic look that these leave. I feel like it ruins the look of my work. I want it to look just like it does right after it gets dyed. No shine or very little shine. I'd love it if I could just get the name of a product that will work and the directions on how to use it. Fast and easy.

Please help me figure this out and point me in the right direction.

Thanks

You might want to try Resolene. It looks like milk smells like ammonia and works great. I use it to water proof my belts and lock the dye in the leather.

All you need to apply it is a rag or paper towel. Get the rag wet with Resolene and wipe it on your project and allow it to dry. Do not lay a wet piece

on another piece of leather it will stick and ruin the finish. I hang my belts on a nail and allow them to dry. A flat piece just leave it where it lies and

allow it to dry.

[Spinner]

Hello everyone, my name is Johnny Trek and I am new to Leatherworker.net. I have been lurking around in the background for a while and thought it was time to introduce myself and post my first question.

I am interested in making motorcycle seats. Mainly for me and my riding buddies. I have been successful in making a few already. I have been working with leather for a while and I have to say the thinig that gives me the most trouble is dyeing and sealing. I have used fiebings oil and that eco flo stuff tandy sells, mainly because its a whole lot easier to get. To be honest I have had good results with both, but I am not sure of whats gonna happen in th long run.

I deffinately want some advice with sealing. After reading so many posts and looking around online I am more confused now than when I started. I have tried tan kote, neatsfoot oil, super sheen and satin sheen. After using these I am not completely satisfied. I hate the rubbery plastic look that these leave. I feel like it ruins the look of my work. I want it to look just like it does right after it gets dyed. No shine or very little shine. I'd love it if I could just get the name of a product that will work and the directions on how to use it. Fast and easy.

Please help me figure this out and point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Hey Johnny,

Something you can do is to buff back the shine you're getting from the sealers with a good conditioner & wax/waterproofer. I'm the same, I don't like the high shine the acrylics (tank-kote, Resolene, etc) leave but they are part of the process. Check out the motorcycle kick from Pecard. it includes a conditioner, weatherproof dressing and a high-shine spray all for $20. Simply dye the piece, apply neatsfoot to restore the natural oils and then seal with an acrylic. Let the sealer dry completely and then give the piece a good rub with the conditioner and a soft cloth (old t-shirts work great). This will buff back the shine and mute it quite a bit. Once that's done, the leather should have a great feel to it. Then apply the weatherproof dressing in thin layers and buff in by hand. The friction from the buffing will work it into the fibers. Let it set for about 15-20 minutes and then buff off any residue with a clean rag. Here's a pic of a tank bib I recently did this way. If you go this route, I suggest also spending the extra $6 and getting the Black dressing. It works great for all black leathers and makes the color just that much deeper. Here are the links:

Motorcycle kit: http://www.pecard.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Pecard&Product_Code=MLK-L&Category_Code=kits-large

Black Weatherproof Dressing: http://www.pecard.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Pecard&Product_Code=PMWD4&Category_Code=mwproof

Chris

[busted]

Hello everyone, my name is Johnny Trek and I am new to Leatherworker.net. I have been lurking around in the background for a while and thought it was time to introduce myself and post my first question.

I am interested in making motorcycle seats. Mainly for me and my riding buddies. I have been successful in making a few already. I have been working with leather for a while and I have to say the thinig that gives me the most trouble is dyeing and sealing. I have used fiebings oil and that eco flo stuff tandy sells, mainly because its a whole lot easier to get. To be honest I have had good results with both, but I am not sure of whats gonna happen in th long run.

I deffinately want some advice with sealing. After reading so many posts and looking around online I am more confused now than when I started. I have tried tan kote, neatsfoot oil, super sheen and satin sheen. After using these I am not completely satisfied. I hate the rubbery plastic look that these leave. I feel like it ruins the look of my work. I want it to look just like it does right after it gets dyed. No shine or very little shine. I'd love it if I could just get the name of a product that will work and the directions on how to use it. Fast and easy.

Please help me figure this out and point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Resolene is not high gloss.

[Spinner]

Resolene is not high gloss.

Must be something with my technique then, everytime I use it the leather ends up with a pretty decent shine to it.

Edited November 12, 2010 by Spinner

[David]

Hello everyone, my name is Johnny Trek and I am new to Leatherworker.net. I have been lurking around in the background for a while and thought it was time to introduce myself and post my first question.

I am interested in making motorcycle seats. Mainly for me and my riding buddies. I have been successful in making a few already. I have been working with leather for a while and I have to say the thinig that gives me the most trouble is dyeing and sealing. I have used fiebings oil and that eco flo stuff tandy sells, mainly because its a whole lot easier to get. To be honest I have had good results with both, but I am not sure of whats gonna happen in th long run.

I deffinately want some advice with sealing. After reading so many posts and looking around online I am more confused now than when I started. I have tried tan kote, neatsfoot oil, super sheen and satin sheen. After using these I am not completely satisfied. I hate the rubbery plastic look that these leave. I feel like it ruins the look of my work. I want it to look just like it does right after it gets dyed. No shine or very little shine. I'd love it if I could just get the name of a product that will work and the directions on how to use it. Fast and easy.

Please help me figure this out and point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Johnny, welcome to the site and to the biggest problem that seat builders encounter. First black dye stinks, no matter what kind you use. It rubs off. So will most of the colors like the cordovan, red, blue, etc...... Still, Fiebings dye is the best. Oil or Alcohol based are about the same as far as I can tell..... Eco Flo belongs in the trash...best place for it. It is too fragile for bike seats. It will end up on the back of someone's jeans. Save the eco flo for coloring pictures that you hang on a wall, it doesn't belong on objects that you really use.

The best thing to hold dye in place (it still isn't perfect) is Neat Lac. You want to apply it with a cloth, don't spray or brush it on....it can get super glossy that way. One coat, maybe two at the most is what to use. However, it can be pretty shiney, so I've been recommending that you try what the old timers used back before Neat Lac was on the market. It is a wood finish called Deft. It is available in gloss, satin and flat. Again apply with a cloth don't spray or brush; one maybe two coats at most. Rub it in until it looks almost dry after you are done. You want to get this stuff IN the leather not laying on top of the leather. If you get Deft or Neat Lac on too thick it can crack and actually peal off.

I guess I should offer my appologies to Tandy here for hating their Eco Flo products..........nah they stink what can I say. This is of course just my personal opinion and should be taken for what you feel it is worth. There that was ALMOST an appology,.... right?

Dave

[TJFlora]

Nah don't appologize. I'm having so much trouble with eco-flo products. The biggest problem I am experienceing at the moment is creating a resist that is strong enough to have antique gel rubbed over it and remain sealed and clean. No matter what I do some of the dye always ends up coloring a spot that I sealed like 3 times. I can't figure out whether its the supersheen that doesn't work, the antique that doesn't work, or the process i'm using them in. I foud that fiebings dye rubbed over supersheen takes it right off. Basically just trying to get bright colors and an even background.

In this pic I tooled, colored (with eco-flo), brushed two coats of supersheen on the colored areas (waiting 24 hours in between), then painted in a fiebings tan. You can see the brush marks and I think that's no good. So I figured that you seat makers must seal your colors in with something else then use maybe one of the fiebings paste antiques that I cant get in Cali and rub it down with that. That's the only way I can figure that being done. Am I wrong?

[stanly]

Nah don't appologize. I'm having so much trouble with eco-flo products. The biggest problem I am experienceing at the moment is creating a resist that is strong enough to have antique gel rubbed over it and remain sealed and clean. No matter what I do some of the dye always ends up coloring a spot that I sealed like 3 times. I can't figure out whether its the supersheen that doesn't work, the antique that doesn't work, or the process i'm using them in. I foud that fiebings dye rubbed over supersheen takes it right off. Basically just trying to get bright colors and an even background.

In this pic I tooled, colored (with eco-flo), brushed two coats of supersheen on the colored areas (waiting 24 hours in between), then painted in a fiebings tan. You can see the brush marks and I think that's no good. So I figured that you seat makers must seal your colors in with something else then use maybe one of the fiebings paste antiques that I cant get in Cali and rub it down with that. That's the only way I can figure that being done. Am I wrong?

IMHO the problem is - supersheen is the wrong product to use. (it doesn't give total resist in that it allows top color to stick to ANY indentations in the piece).

I experimented and had to use 6 coats of ss to equal 1 of blockout.

.

I have no Idea what to use for a really durable topcoat/finish as on a seat. (but Im not up to that yet, and would go w/ test pieces before trusting something I had lots of hours in to ANY topcoat).

[Bobby hdflame]

Nah don't appologize. I'm having so much trouble with eco-flo products. The biggest problem I am experienceing at the moment is creating a resist that is strong enough to have antique gel rubbed over it and remain sealed and clean. No matter what I do some of the dye always ends up coloring a spot that I sealed like 3 times. I can't figure out whether its the supersheen that doesn't work, the antique that doesn't work, or the process i'm using them in. I foud that fiebings dye rubbed over supersheen takes it right off. Basically just trying to get bright colors and an even background.

In this pic I tooled, colored (with eco-flo), brushed two coats of supersheen on the colored areas (waiting 24 hours in between), then painted in a fiebings tan. You can see the brush marks and I think that's no good. So I figured that you seat makers must seal your colors in with something else then use maybe one of the fiebings paste antiques that I cant get in Cali and rub it down with that. That's the only way I can figure that being done. Am I wrong?

I was just looking at your colors and I think they look great! I want to get colors like that on the firefighter shields I'm working on. You said you were using eco-flo products. Can you tell me what brushes you're using or any other tricks you could recommend for me to get bright opaque colors? The dyes I've used don't give me the coverage you have. Could I also use acrylic paints like I could get at a craft store?

Your detail to the painting is very good.

[JohnD]

I use Montana pitch blend on most of my seats,It is waterproof and seals the leather with no shine at all. It is applied by rubbing it into the leather by hand or with a cloth and then dried with a blow dryer. Then buff it out, just to even the finish, but it will not shine. If I want some sheen to it I hit it with some neutral shoe polish.

I think it needs to be redone fairly often if exposed the weather a lot, so I always recommend people pick up some kind of dressing to use regularly if they're worried about it.

http://www.mtpitchblend.com/

I hope this helps.

John

Edited January 1, 2011 by JohnD

[johnnytrek]

Thanks for all the replies. I will take this information and use it from now on.