bethlewton Report post Posted February 13, 2013 Hello everyone, I hope some of you can help me with my problem...? I recently did an impulse purchase of a whole cow hide for my university project. (Unfortunately, I am a leather novise so can not describe the exact type of leather.) I love the colour but the problem is the leather has a heavy sheen on the surface. I would like to dull the leather and make it more of a matt surface without damaging the leather! I tried using a medium coarse sandpaper but it left unattarctive marks. Is there a certain technique, process or product that can help solve my predicament? I am open to all suggestions, any help or guidance will help me massively as I really don't want to have to buy another cow hide as my student budget most likely won't stretch that far! Please help me!! Thanx, Beth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EmbossingDieCompany Report post Posted February 13, 2013 I found using a leather conditioner without buffing: http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/2807-02.aspx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bethlewton Report post Posted February 14, 2013 Thanx for the reply, it was so quick! Sorry to keep asking questions but... how exactly will the leather conditioner remove the shine? Will the chemicals eat away at the surface to dull the shine and make it matt? as i never thought a conditioner would work for this!??? but if it will... great! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChuckBurrows Report post Posted February 14, 2013 deglaze it with a mix lemon juice and 90% rubbing alcohol is one way - mix it about a 1/8 cup of lemon juice to a quart of alcohol is what I generally use. If still a bit too shiny use Acetone. Do either outside or with plenty of air flow and in both cases a good painters chemical mask with the proper cartridges is HIGHLY recommended....you can get the latter at any hardware or paint store for around 40-50 bucks.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bethlewton Report post Posted February 14, 2013 Brilliant! The lemon and rubbing alcohol sounds good, thanx for the advice. Just to check, using this method, will it 'damage' or weaken the leather as a whole or will it literally on affect the very top surface? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted February 14, 2013 I would try a very small section first. When you said you had a "whole cow hide" that sent up a flag for me. Upholstery leather is more commonly sold in whole hides. Upholstery leather can also have top treatments to color and finish it. Many of these are a pigmented sprayed on finish. Think of them almost like a paint. That is how they get uniform color and texture. As we know with most leather, different parts of the hide can take dyes differently and have different textures. Putting a pigmented topcoat on and texturing it or smoothing it makes the whole hide look the same. Every section of the couch or car seat will match that way. Some chemicals can dissolve that coating and it will peel off or look ratty. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BondoBobCustomSaddles Report post Posted February 15, 2013 I would try a very small section first. When you said you had a "whole cow hide" that sent up a flag for me. Upholstery leather is more commonly sold in whole hides. Upholstery leather can also have top treatments to color and finish it. Many of these are a pigmented sprayed on finish. Think of them almost like a paint. That is how they get uniform color and texture. As we know with most leather, different parts of the hide can take dyes differently and have different textures. Putting a pigmented topcoat on and texturing it or smoothing it makes the whole hide look the same. Every section of the couch or car seat will match that way. Some chemicals can dissolve that coating and it will peel off or look ratty. To add to Bruce's comments, car seat leather in almost all cases have a coat of urethane on them to aid in abrasion durability. Only the hides used in specialty seating, like the King Ranch or Harley edition (Ford), not sure of the Chrysler or GM editions names, but; they also have some special "top grain" versions. All the others are 2nd and third splits, that have the grain rolled on and then urethane coated. Like Bruce said, it pays to experiment with a small peice first. Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bethlewton Report post Posted February 15, 2013 Thanx for the info, its really helped me! I'm definitely going to try it on a small section first, I would be gutted if I ruined the whole hide. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ledbetter Report post Posted February 21, 2013 I would approach your dilemma by using a combination of lemon juice and a quality leather conditioner, like Tantex. (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XG6MYM). This will remove the glossy appearance you hate, but keep the product looking clean and new. The lemon juice will help serve as a mild bleaching agent, hopefully removing the sheen surface. If this doesn't work, you might need a stronger bleach like oxalic acid which is used in woodworking. After it has completely dried out, you can apply the conditioner to keep the leather soft, yet protected from the elements. Personally, I prefer the finish of a good conditioner. I think high gloss on leather takes away from its natural beauty, but to each their own. If the conditioner is applied on a regular basis it can keep your leather looking great for many years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bethlewton Report post Posted February 22, 2013 Brillant! cheers for the reply, it always helps to get another persons advice! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
