PAC tells how... to rejuvinate your leather using Leatherique products

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imported_camaroz28

New member
I am wondering if there is a way to remove scratches in colored plastic. Somehow my 4-wheeler got several deeep scratches in the plastic. Would wet sanding and using a polish like Finesse-IT II work? I have a PC and a direct drive buffer, so machine polishing would be a problem.



I applied 3 layers of SG when I bought the 4-wheeler back in November. Everytime I take it in the woods, the plastic never gets scratched, only the SG.
 
You need different abrasives for plastic. You have to be EXTREMELY careful if you use a machine - especially a rotary - because a little too much heat won't just ruin paint (if it is painted as opposed to molded-in color), it will melt the plastic. Then your're SOL.



Talk to a body shop that repairs plastic bumpers - these are painted - see what they use.



Certainly wet sanding will be safe. But I'm not sure what to recommend to bring the shine back up. Anything by hand should be OK at least as an experiment - (3M fine Cut rubbing Compund is supposed to remove 1200 grit sanding scratches) but be very, very careful if you try it by machine,.
 
Plastic is a lot different than paint. If they are just small scratches like from driving too close to a pine tree branch or something then you could probably polish them out like on your car. But if these are scratches that you can feel with your fingers then you have a different situation. Carguy's advice applies 100% if that is the case.
 
I am working on it this weekend so I will take some pictures and experiment. I don't have much in the way of plastic polishes (besides Plexus), so I will see what I can do with it.
 
that most plastic is textured and you will lose the texture of it if you wetsand.



SC, how do you like the Novus stuff? How well does it work on plain black interior plastic like doorsills and such? I am curious about the 1-2-3 system and would love info from anyone.



Fine Cut Rubbing Compound made some black plastic I have kind of hazy. I bet an application of FI II or comparable would help this, but 303 covers it up until I buy more abrasives.
 
Puterbum



I have been using Novus 1 and 2 for a while now and I really like it. I use the Novus 1 on my show car to detail all my plastics (ie Speedometer lens cover, plastic taillight lenses, etc.). It is really good. The Novus 2 contains more abrasives and removes alot of scratches when you follow up with Novus 1. :xyxthumbs
 
I've got this scuff/haze on the rear tailight of my coupe. I've used Novus 1,2,3 and it helped a little bit - especially on the lightly scratched parts. But on the deeper ones, it did pretty much nothing. I havn't used it much, i guess upon more applications, better results will follow. But as of now, i kinda wondered what Plexus could've done for me. Has anyone used both?
 
If Novus #3 won't remove it, I would imagine options are to live with it, replace it, or wetsand / rubbing compound and move your way down the abrasives ladder to less and less abrasive until its perfect.



Okay, addressing your concern, a rubbing compound seems more in line with what you need. Do you have Finesse-It II or Meguiar's #2? Someone compare abrasiveness of Novus 3 (most abrasive) with one of these products? They work on plastic too.
 
How to recondition Automotive Leather using the Leatherique Twins.

The majority of today's automotive leather is coated. This means that the actual leather hides under a top coat of material, often urethane. While the top coat makes the leather easier to clean and more resistant to wear, it also makes it harder to care for the hides underneath. This can lead to the hides drying out or rotting, giving a cardboard like feel. While most of today?s excellent leather cleaners and conditioners do a great job at treating the coating, Leatherique is designed to treat the hides underneath.

The three main types of leather.

Uncoated
Aniline- Aniline or uncoated leather is leather which receives its color during the tanning process. It is dyed through out the thickness of the hide. Since there is no protective coating, aniline leather will give the softest, most luxurious, and most natural feel of any leather type. However it requires extensive upkeep because leather is naturally porous and stains extremely easily.

Coated
Semi-aniline leather- Semi-aniline leather features a hide that has been dyed in the tanning process as well as a protective coating. The coating can be dyed or clear, and is usually very thin. This gives semi-aniline a very soft, subtle feel plus the benefits of coated hides. This type of leather is often used on an exclusive luxury cars and exotics, although it is becoming more common.

Pigmented leather- Pigmented leather is the most common form of automotive leather. A colored coating gives the finished product its ultimate hue and provides the highest resistance to wear. We should note that pigmented coatings vary widely in the quality of coating used. Some less expensive leather may feel almost synthetic. When the leather cracks on pigmented leather, the raw gray hide is often visibly exposed.



The most important step in maintaining today?s coated leather is keeping it clean! Grit and grime will abrade the leather?s surface like sandpaper, eventually polishing it to a high shine, and over time removing the top coat completely. Frequent vacuuming is the first step in keeping your leather happy. Wiping the coated leather frequently with water or a light cleaner such as a Blackfire?s Interior Cleaner will remove light soiling. And conditioning the coated leather with a high UV protectant such as Blackfire?s Hi UV Leather Conditioner will go a long way in preventing the coated leather from cracking.

A deeper approach.

Over time the coating will develop microscopic tears making it more permeable and exposing more of actual hide to dirt, grit, and worse, human body oil. For over 50 years Leatherique Restoration Products has been in business of treating and preserving leather. Their products deep clean the leather hide and restore suppleness and original feel.

Getting started.

First vacuum the leather thoroughly and inspect it. If the leather coating is extremely soiled clean it using a mild leather safe cleaner. For light soiling Lexol Leather Cleaner works great. For heavily soiling a non-caustic cleaner like Optimum Power Clean works extremely well. Spray the cleaner directly onto a cloth and wipe into the leather. Flip the cloth over and wipe clean. If there is still soiling use a leather friendly brush such as the Leather Brush. Remember to test an inconspicuous area first.

Vacuum thoroughly first
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Clean the leather to remove topical soiling
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After cleaning all of the leather surfaces to be treated we like to give them a wipe down with a damp towel, to remove any residue from the cleaners.

Heat

Leatherique?s leather restoration products work best when used with heat. We recommend using them on a warm and sunny day. First roll up the windows to your car and let it sit outside for about an hour to build heat into the interior.

Rejuvenate First!

Next begin by applying the Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil to all of the leather you wish to treat. We like to attach a Trigger Sprayer to the bottle to make it easier to apply and recommend wearing gloves. Spray the leather liberally with Rejuvenator (for hard to reach areas spray the Rejuvenator Oil directly onto your gloved hands and apply). Then work the Rejuvenator into the leather with your hands paying special attention to the threaded areas and folds or sharp corners to insure that the product reaches the hide.

Attaching a trigger sprayer to either Leatherique product makes it easier to apply.
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Start by rubbing Rejuvenator Oil into the hides liberally.
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Roll up your windows to create a greenhouse and allow your automobile to sit in the sun for several hours. We recommend checking on it after a couple of hours. Reapply to any areas that have soaked up all of the oil and continue to let sit. Finally after 5-6 hours you should be ready to remove the excess product. Keep in mind that leather that is excessively stiff may require multiple treatments to restore original suppleness too.

Allow to sit outside with the windows up. Touch up any areas that adsorb and
appear dry.
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Cleaning for that pristine finish.

After Rejuvenator has fully absorbed and conditioned the hides it will float out any grease and grime giving your leather a sticky, dirty appearance. Use Leatherique Prestine Clean to fully clean your conditioned leather. We recommend filling a bucket with warm water to aid in the cleaning process. We also recommend attaching a Trigger Sprayer to the Prestine Clean to make it easier to use.

First spray a section to be cleaned and wipe with a terry cloth.Then rinse out the towel in the warm water and ring until it is barely damp, and wipe the section again. Work a section at a time until the all of the leather has been cleaned.

Mist with Prestine Clean and wipe away the residue.
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You can see how much dirt and grime has been released from the actual hides,
even though we cleaned the leather before starting!
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A super soft, great looking leather interior restored to its original feel.
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How often should the leather be treated?

How often the leather should be treated depends on the age and frequency of use. As coated leather ages the coating becomes more permeable and exposes the hide to more problems. If your leather is like new, than an annual treatment is necessary. If your leather is worn or highly used than we would recommend at least using Leatherique twice a year.
 
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