Post subject: Adhesion issues from siliconized products, furniture polish, etc.
The "nice easy job" can easily spiral away into a nightmare with the discovery of the presence of Armour-all, pledge, etc. on the surface of the leather. These products create an adhesion inhibitor for leather finishes and repair compounds; which can result in the failure of repairs and re-color work. Typically any finish applied directly over a contaminated surface will peel off with ease. To resolve this problem normally necessitates stripping off the coating with a solvent such as acetone. This stripping will often soften and pull up portions of the original finish creating an uneven surface, or at least alter the sheen or cloud the color.
This morning I came into the workshop and started to evaluate a new project that required a quick turnaround. A cursory visual inspection led me to believe that it shouldn't be too horrendous a job; though 12 chairs to be refinished is never an inconsiderable amount of work. The moment my fingers touched the leather however, the situation became much more bleak. The tell-tale slippery feeling of Armour-all contaminated leather; a quick test with a piece of masking tape confirmed it as the tape slipped and slid over the surface, not sticking in the slightest. Oh boy, this is going to be a nightmare; 12 high-back conference room chairs now needing complete stripping, dealing with the resulting damage to the factory finish, and then all surfaces re-colored...on a tight deadline. Before my head exploded I decided to make a coffee and think about how to deal with this situation. As I returned with my coffee I walked past the huge mountain of cleaning and Conditioning kits that had been assembled in my absence, and fortuitously, that took my train of thought to our new product line. Specifically to a new product I have been testing in multiple applications; our SG-50 conditioning sealer resin.I have found this "super Leather conditioner" to have a myriad of uses, so I thought I might as well see if it can combat a major nemesis of the Leather refinisher; Leather treated with armour-all, or like product.
I figured that there could be no down side to applying the SG-50; at worst it would simply be instilling moisture into the leather. I took one of the cleaning mitts from our cleaning and conditioning kit and used it to apply a small quantity of the SG-50 to a very slick area of the leather and allowed it to dry. I then took some leather finish that would be used to cover the scratches and wear on the pieces and first rubbed on a small amount, and then airbrushed a couple of coats onto the surface. I left the finish to cure for 5 minutes and then performed another tape test. Not only did the tape now stick,but when I performed a very brisk removal of the tape not a single speck of the new finish lifted up. Yet again this new "super Leather Conditioner" with its blended resin has shown its beneficial properties above and beyond its original intent. I think I have a new best friend in my tool box.....thank you SG-50!