Removing Spray-on Dye?

[Sunflower49]

This is my last-gasp attempt to find a way to un-do what a poor craftsman did to my chair.  I have one of those Danish Modern chairs that once was my dad's, who gave it to my brother, who finally gave it to me. The leather was in poor shape and I decided this sentimental piece deserved a professional cleaning, re-conditioning and possibly boosting the colors. This piece has multiple light tan colors, some with a bit more rust-orange and some nearly light tan, others golden. The proclaimed 35-year veteran of leather work said he could only restore the color to one color, so I said forget it, just clean and re-condition. (I didn't mind the faded color, it reminded me of all the use it had endured by people I love)  I went inside as he began working. After 15 minutes, I thought I would check to see how things were going - I was pretty excited.  What I encountered was this man using a device that looked like a spray paint gun, spraying a medium brown all over the upper cushions!  He announced that he had told me he couldn't do the separate colors, and so was just doing the same color as the back of the chair, a med-brown.

Long, horrible story short -- my beautiful, unique chair is now a dull, ugly med-brown. Plus, there a places he missed entirely, like the inside of the arms. And other places where the darker dye dripped down the front of the seat and the foot stool.  I did try to stop him, but while he defended his actions, he continued to spray brown stuff that looked just like paint on my chair.  In the end, I have a chair that won't take a conditioner (I've spent a lot buying different ones in hopes something would work.) and the leather feels exactly like it has paint on it. Where 75% of the chair was still soft and supple, now 100% of the chair is rough and feels weird.

I won't bore anyone with the bull-headed garbage I put up with from this guy, who repeated proclaimed he did the best he could and that was great, after his 35 years of experience!  

So, he didn't clean or re-condition. The chair won't take any conditioner, as it's like the dye/paint he used simply clogged the leather.

I am trying (and have been for months) to find a way to remove some of this 'paint' or to at least find a way to help the leather absorb a conditioner.

Can anyone help me?  Or...am I just [picture of screw]ed?   Many many thanks to anyone who replies... 

[fredk]

The only thing I can say is try lacquer thinners, and lots of clean rags. Try removing some of this new finish in an area where it won't show too much. I use lacquer thinners [aka cellulose thinners] to remove the the glaze and dye on upholstery leather. Using the lacquer thinner will possibly remove some of the original finish, and you'll need to use plenty of leather feed/conditioner after as it also removes the oils from the leather.

[fredk]

another thot; have you tried removing it with alcohol? Methylated spirits, IPA, or even vodka?

[koreric75]

Do you have a before and after pic, sounds to me if this was indeed paint and not dye the leather may be very hard to get back...he sprayed with a spray gun, like an autobody spray gun or an air brush?  You need to know what he was spraying, before trying to remove/recondition, once you have that then you may be able to use the proper solvent. 

[BDAZ]

See if he will let you know what dye he used, whether acrylic or alcohol. Don't go slopping solvents on the chair till you have that information. If acrylic, acetone will soften it but it's a real mess to remove. If it's alcohol (or oil dye) then use denatured alcohol, and again, have a ton of paper towels and rubber gloves.

BTW, methylated spirits is the same term as denatured alcohol, used in the former colonies.

Bob

[Sunflower49]

Thanks to everyone!!  I will try to reach this person to find out what kind of dye he used.  The chair literally feels like it has paint on it -- rough, stiff surface -- and if you put leather conditioner on it, it just lays there-won't absorb.

I'm willing to do the work to get at least some of the 'paint' off...    I really appreciate all the tips and information.  You all have given me a little hope.

[Stosh]

I feel for you. I don't think you will be able to remove the new finish without also removing the old finish under it. I should probably stop typing here...

The upholstery industry finishes/refinishes leather very differently than we do. I did a good bit of research a while back into refinishing a beloved (though not irreplaceable) recliner I have. Here is link to a company on Youtube that does what your "craftsman" did, if you want to see the steps a professional goes through in restoring leather upholstery: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjZoytEDMZCDZfNfyz1WfTg

Doing it right is a lot of work. It does involve a spray gun, but you don't give that gun to a monkey...

I have not done anything with my chair...however, I did refinish a pair of shoes using traditional leathercrafting products.

If you want to remove the finish entirely and start over, I would not use lacquer thinner, acetone, alcohol, or any other hardware-store product. Instead, I would use Fiebing's deglazer. Angelus makes a similar product, and both are made to strip finishes from leather shoes so they can be refinished. I used the Fiebing's on a pair of old shoes that I wanted to try a "patina" finish on. The deglazer worked well for the task, completely removing the old finish and even lightening the chocolate brown dye a bit (a plus for me, probably not for you). 

 

 

[Sunflower49]

Stosh -- thanks for not stopping typing...and for the Fiebing's deglazer tip.  I wouldn't mind if that process lightened the color.  In my case, the color is part of the issue. And the idea that this spray paint wizard missed areas and left drips.  And the idea that he did exactly the opposite of what I requested. And that I didn't stand guard over him while he worked...

Appreciate your response - thanks again

[BDAZ]

Feibings Deglaze is another Leather Company rip off. It is mostly ethyl alcohol (like you find in all alcoholic beverages) and ethyl acetate, ethenol reacted with acetic acid to produce enhanced effects. It is also contained in Kleen Strip Denatured Alcohol, at $7 a quart, or you can buy Feibings Deglaze, for $41.60 a quart (in 4oz bottles).

What a country!

Bob

[koreric75]

7 hours ago, BDAZ said:

Feibings Deglaze is another Leather Company rip off. It is mostly ethyl alcohol (like you find in all alcoholic beverages) and ethyl acetate, ethenol reacted with acetic acid to produce enhanced effects. It is also contained in Kleen Strip Denatured Alcohol, at $7 a quart, or you can buy Feibings Deglaze, for $41.60 a quart (in 4oz bottles).

What a country!

Bob

Yep, figured that one out after one tiny bottle of deglazer, now I use the denatured alcohol, kleen strip as well, it also works for solution of dyes, no longer buy med and light brown, just dark brown and reduce it... No sense paying for a bottle with some dye and allot of reducer...