capt512 said:
It is past the point of conditioning and cleaning, however I am now trying to find the next best option.
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Visual Picture Inspection:
Notice the damage facing; it’s unlikely caused by direct heat from the sun but rather from the palms of the driver’s sweaty hand.
Sweat contains traces of urea and when fermented by the natural bacteria from the atmosphere shift alkaline.
Leather is acidic between pH 3 – 5.
Alkalinity contamination causes the protein fibers to shift ionic negative which then breaks bond with the negative fatliquor (like poles repels just like magnets).
With diminishing fatliquor, the leather fibers lose its lubrication and shrink simultaneously is the likely simple explanation of what’s happened as picture of the steering wheel shows.
Decontamination:
Decontamination recommended is a 2 in-1 process using a pH 2.2 degreaser both to remove penetrated body oils and charging the leather protein fibers below its iso-electric point positive. This acidification process will return the leather to its neutral pH chemistry integrity, follows with a pH 3.0 rinse.
Leather Rejuvenation with Hydrating and Fatliquoring:
The process of leather rejuvenation comes first with a pH 3.3 hydrator thereafter follows with a pH 5.0 fatliquor. The preconditioning of the leather structure serves few purposes: a) to further wicks up suspended foreign soiling particulates, b) to relax stiff and crushed leather fibrils, c) to swells and plumps the leather structure separating the stick together fibers – thus closing up the gaps of the cracks, d) reduces interfacial tension, e) to further charges the protein fibrils positive to hydrogen-bond with the negative pH 5.0 fatliquor. This pH 5.0 fatliquor is a water-based emulsion, where the charged fats and oils are water encased to penetrate where ever the hydrator has preconditioned it. When hydrogen-bonding takes place, the water is break-free leaving behind breathing pores for transpiration unlike stuffing oils that suffocates it. This lubricating of the leather fibrils allows the fibers to slide over one another smoothly to gives the characteristic suppleness of leather with increase strength.
The above are important steps prior to the next phases of repairs.
Structural Repairs:
Impregnating weak and crack fibrils below surface main purpose is to seal, strengthen and leveling out uneven absorption to improve abrasion resistance, for a strong foundation for further filling repairs.
Filling Repairs:
The basic step of filing repairs is to use leather stucco and they are mainly acrylic compound of a whitish paste. An advance technique is to mix it up with leather bond to give added flexibility and pigment color to reduce build-up of the surface repairs.
The next phase is Refinishing in 3 steps:
An adhesion coating is first applied, follows with color coating and ends with a luster matching topcoat.
Non-Stick Rub Resistant Protector:
A non-slip draggy feel protector is recommended.
This brief information is to ensure you that although the steering wheel damage is “past the point of conditioning and cleaning”. It is also the cleaning and conditioning that is the foundation of a holistic repair.
I suggest that the above sequence of process is easily accomplished by oneself, perhaps leave the refinishing to a pro with better equipment to accomplish a professional finish.
Routine Maintenance:
Use a pH 3.0 rinse to routinely neutralize the leather surface from “sweat” with simply spray and towel extract.
You may not see what you see for many years to come...with a maintenance routine in place!
What do you think?
Roger Koh
info@leatherdoctor.com
