Furniture clinic recolour - Good or not good
Discussion
For a while now I've been contemplating recolouring my leather and vinyl. It looks a bit grubby and although it might polish up quite well, it's a bit faded and discoloured in the odd place so could realistically do with a touch up. Whilst touching up, I intended to go a couple of shades lighter, and opt for Portland grey instead of my biscuit colour.
This year has been a big year for the car, with it pretty much having a brand spanking new engine from TVR Power and also a full body off chassis rebuild, which I'm nearing the end of now.
Understandably, I don't have many pennies spare - certainly not enough for a re-trim, which is why the Funiture Clinic kit appeals. Some people seem to have obtained good results with the kit, especially on Chimaeras.
Having read a recent post about it not adhering well to vinyl despite the Chim successes, I'd like to know if any of you have experience of using the kit. Did it peel, flake or crack? How good was the finish?
If the kit can buy me two or three years until I can look at a retrim without making the inside of my car look s
t by the end of it, I might go for it.
Thanks all.
This year has been a big year for the car, with it pretty much having a brand spanking new engine from TVR Power and also a full body off chassis rebuild, which I'm nearing the end of now.
Understandably, I don't have many pennies spare - certainly not enough for a re-trim, which is why the Funiture Clinic kit appeals. Some people seem to have obtained good results with the kit, especially on Chimaeras.
Having read a recent post about it not adhering well to vinyl despite the Chim successes, I'd like to know if any of you have experience of using the kit. Did it peel, flake or crack? How good was the finish?
If the kit can buy me two or three years until I can look at a retrim without making the inside of my car look s
t by the end of it, I might go for it. Thanks all.
I did mine so I could see what it would look like in a different colour.
Original colour was butterscotch and I went with black and portland grey. After a year of that colour combo, got really bored of the interior so I'm redoing the grey into Ivory white.
It's pretty hard wearing if you do it properly, ideal for testing colours out but it's no substitute for real leather.
Original colour was butterscotch and I went with black and portland grey. After a year of that colour combo, got really bored of the interior so I'm redoing the grey into Ivory white.
It's pretty hard wearing if you do it properly, ideal for testing colours out but it's no substitute for real leather.
Byker28i said:
That looks great, and is encouraging from those pictures in terms of finish. I really want to pare down the colour and material choices in my Cerb and after all of my hard work, it would be great to actually sit down in a different car instead of sitting down, looking around and not being able to tell what I've spent the last year doing.
Although I like the classic biscuit and green combination, the more I look at my car, the more I wish TVR had paid a bit more attention to details.
Green car, creme interior, teal-ish carpet, walnut brown, purple induction hoses (when new), aluminium/silver trim/wheels, carbon, white chassis, orange indicators, gold badges, black speaker covers and hand brake, grey tweed headlining... That's twelve different colours off the top of my head.
No more. Green, grey, with red detailing in the engine bay and underneath. Much more considered, more supercar.
Using a retrim as the yardstick, my current interior is clearly not up to that standard either, so as long as it is better than what I have now, which it seems like it would be, great.
That's a large part of my thinking. Small outlay, make it look less tired (Also fulfils my colour reduction goal without committing a few grand to it).
What I don't want is for in 12 or 24 months, for my interior to look like the back of a paint lid that's been left out in the sun for a couple of day / Sweaty legs peeling themselves off the seats and jeans dragging over the surface creating huge marks, etc.
What I don't want is for in 12 or 24 months, for my interior to look like the back of a paint lid that's been left out in the sun for a couple of day / Sweaty legs peeling themselves off the seats and jeans dragging over the surface creating huge marks, etc.
Mine was done last winter. Still looks the same. Take your time, do the prep right - it looks terrible after prep but don't panic.
Use lots of light layers. The paint itself is rubberised, I found watering it down slightly helped it go through the spray gun.
Then theres a sealent to stop the surface being sticky (think post it note), then a finishing coat to protect it all. I went for satin
Use lots of light layers. The paint itself is rubberised, I found watering it down slightly helped it go through the spray gun.
Then theres a sealent to stop the surface being sticky (think post it note), then a finishing coat to protect it all. I went for satin
Hi Guys,
thanks very much for raising this thread and for the comments included in it.
I have now found The home company's automotive page and will attack my project with some good help.
Ta !
PJ
thanks very much for raising this thread and for the comments included in it.
I have now found The home company's automotive page and will attack my project with some good help.
Ta !
PJ
I refinish leather for a living (I'm in Notts, £100 per seat if you wanted a trip 
)
I work fairly closely with FC, and there's nothing wrong with their pigments. Prep and application are everything, get this wrong and it shall fail. I'm happy to talk you through what you need to do, PM/email, as obviously I don't want to tell the entire world wide web how to do my job....
)I work fairly closely with FC, and there's nothing wrong with their pigments. Prep and application are everything, get this wrong and it shall fail. I'm happy to talk you through what you need to do, PM/email, as obviously I don't want to tell the entire world wide web how to do my job....
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
I refinish leather for a living (I'm in Notts, £100 per seat if you wanted a trip )
I work fairly closely with FC, and there's nothing wrong with their pigments. Prep and application are everything, get this wrong and it shall fail. I'm happy to talk you through what you need to do, PM/email, as obviously I don't want to tell the entire world wide web how to do my job....
Have PM'ed you )I work fairly closely with FC, and there's nothing wrong with their pigments. Prep and application are everything, get this wrong and it shall fail. I'm happy to talk you through what you need to do, PM/email, as obviously I don't want to tell the entire world wide web how to do my job....
Sadly with regards to your services I don't just want to do the seats. In changing colour, I need to do the console, all of the seats, door cards, windscreen trim, plus A and B post trims. Not to mention the fiddly bits like gaiters and shrouds/coverings.
I see that taking maybe 5 days or so after a conversation with the furniture clinic people, so it might be too much time before next winter.
Their biggest kit should cover it, and apparently to pay them to do it, it would cost £1000+ to do the lot.
For the same time as that 5 days in strip down/rebuild providing I can find a nice way to pay someone to remove the screens safely, I wouldn't be that far from retrim cost at mates rates, so it doesn't make sense for me to pay anyone given the volume of work.
Unfortunately for a couple of years at least, having bought a new engine and new chassis now, I can't shell out £1500 or so on trimming. A £150 kit and £80 compressor - yes, I can do that.
I see that taking maybe 5 days or so after a conversation with the furniture clinic people, so it might be too much time before next winter.
Their biggest kit should cover it, and apparently to pay them to do it, it would cost £1000+ to do the lot.
For the same time as that 5 days in strip down/rebuild providing I can find a nice way to pay someone to remove the screens safely, I wouldn't be that far from retrim cost at mates rates, so it doesn't make sense for me to pay anyone given the volume of work.
Unfortunately for a couple of years at least, having bought a new engine and new chassis now, I can't shell out £1500 or so on trimming. A £150 kit and £80 compressor - yes, I can do that.
Did my seats around 3 years ago. Just as good today as the day I did them. No complaints.
As said though, it really is all about the preparation and the application. Take your time and do not rush any part of the process. Lots of thin coats or it will run. I used the compressed air cans sold by FC, as I don't have a compressor. Worked just fine. Cleanliness is next to godliness and clean your equipment well after use. (!) You get back what you put in.
As said though, it really is all about the preparation and the application. Take your time and do not rush any part of the process. Lots of thin coats or it will run. I used the compressed air cans sold by FC, as I don't have a compressor. Worked just fine. Cleanliness is next to godliness and clean your equipment well after use. (!) You get back what you put in.
I wouldn't use the cans, especially as you want to do a lot. It's difficult to keep the same pressure and the plastic hose if fiddlely
I bought this compressor and model spray gun package.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004XP7K9W/ref...
I went small so I could do fine, detailed application. I used the glass bottle spray gun, which easily held enough for a coat on the two front seats. The paint coat is rubbery, I found watering it down about 10% helped it go through the spray gun much easier and avoid clogging.
Have some cotton buds handy to clean the nozzle tip. Have lots of cardboard handy to put on the floor and spray onto this to ensure the flow is going well from the gun.
I did my two front seats in the conservatory. Be very aware it puts a lot of particles in the air which covers everything with a fine dust which becomes noticeable by the Missus after a couple of days work.
I masked up the centre console and rear seats and did them in the car. Needed a good hoover after
I bought this compressor and model spray gun package.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004XP7K9W/ref...
I went small so I could do fine, detailed application. I used the glass bottle spray gun, which easily held enough for a coat on the two front seats. The paint coat is rubbery, I found watering it down about 10% helped it go through the spray gun much easier and avoid clogging.
Have some cotton buds handy to clean the nozzle tip. Have lots of cardboard handy to put on the floor and spray onto this to ensure the flow is going well from the gun.
I did my two front seats in the conservatory. Be very aware it puts a lot of particles in the air which covers everything with a fine dust which becomes noticeable by the Missus after a couple of days work.
I masked up the centre console and rear seats and did them in the car. Needed a good hoover after
Edited by Byker28i on Tuesday 6th February 15:27
Byker28i said:
I wouldn't use the cans, especially as you want to do a lot. It's difficult to keep the same pressure and the plastic hose if fiddlely
I bought this compressor and model spray gun package.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004XP7K9W/ref...
I went small so I could do fine, detailed application. I used the glass bottle spray gun, which easily held enough for a coat on the two front seats. The paint coat is rubbery, I found watering it down about 10% helped it go through the spray gun much easier and avoid clogging.
[/footnote]
It appears that the nozzle on it's gun is only 0.3mm. For leather pigment you ideally wan't 0.6 or above, probably why you were experiencing clogging. I bought this compressor and model spray gun package.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004XP7K9W/ref...
I went small so I could do fine, detailed application. I used the glass bottle spray gun, which easily held enough for a coat on the two front seats. The paint coat is rubbery, I found watering it down about 10% helped it go through the spray gun much easier and avoid clogging.
[/footnote]
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
Byker28i said:
I wouldn't use the cans, especially as you want to do a lot. It's difficult to keep the same pressure and the plastic hose if fiddlely
I bought this compressor and model spray gun package.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004XP7K9W/ref...
I went small so I could do fine, detailed application. I used the glass bottle spray gun, which easily held enough for a coat on the two front seats. The paint coat is rubbery, I found watering it down about 10% helped it go through the spray gun much easier and avoid clogging.
[/footnote]
It appears that the nozzle on it's gun is only 0.3mm. For leather pigment you ideally wan't 0.6 or above, probably why you were experiencing clogging. I bought this compressor and model spray gun package.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004XP7K9W/ref...
I went small so I could do fine, detailed application. I used the glass bottle spray gun, which easily held enough for a coat on the two front seats. The paint coat is rubbery, I found watering it down about 10% helped it go through the spray gun much easier and avoid clogging.
[/footnote]
You've given me confidence to go ahead and be satisfied that so long as I take care, I should be able to achieve a finish that will look better than the current state of my interior and also last until I can afford to think seriously about re-trimming or not.
If it looks the same after 3 years and I want to retrim it to be the same, it might well be the case that sagging/stretch is the determining factor rather than the surface finish itself.
Not sure if you have access to the Cerbera seat bases in the same way as a Chimaera. Whilst I had my seats out, as well as supporting the wire base, I managed to get some of the bagginess out of the seat base by removing the hog clips, and following a tip on here, resecure using tie wraps. I got over 1cm more stretch in each direction, and the base is much more taut now. Don't pull too tight though, the material may tear (mine have vinyl sides)
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