Colorbond LVP on cloth seats?

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TCBRacer77

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I was wondering if anyone has tried the “not so convincing” cloth seat color change using Colorbond LVP. I’ve seen a video on Eastwoods website where they paint and entire bench seat that had cloth and vinyl black, claiming it won’t flake or crack. I know the product is descent on plastics and whatnot but not so sure about cloth? Im sure you guys would confirm my suspicious on how effective this is lol but hey who knows! Maybe it does work great?
Im wanting to dye my grey seats from the junkyard tan to match the rest of my interior temporarily until I can save up for a nice reupholstery. What do you think? I don’t want to drive to work and have tan all over the back of me lol

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sewlow

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It's way easier to go to a darker color from a light one than it is the other way around.
I've never used Colorbond. Can't vouch for it.
My dye of choice is SEM. Been using it for years. Never had probs with it when applied properly.
There's no dough in doing projects 2x. Never had a come-back with SEM.

Fabrics in a vehicle are man-made. Leather being the exception.
Nylon. Olefin. Polyfin, Vinyl, etc.
Basically...woven plastic.
That means that those fibers that make up the material are very slick. Non-porous. The material is used in vehicles for that very reason. Dirt & stains have a hard time glomming onto the individual fibers.
Non-fabric solid materials are more susceptible to dying as you're only having to deal with a single surface.
Fabric is a multitude of surfaces.
So...the dye has to worked deep into the fabric in order to reach every individual strand.
That requires either:
-Light coats of the dye, brushing the material between each while the dye is still wet, getting it right down in there to the base.
Just spraying the dye at the material & it'll only sit on the tips of the strands. Don't get it down to the base of the fabric & as the material moves around through normal usage it'll all start to look blotchy.
Then, the material'll need to be brushed again when it's dry because the dye will cause the fibers to stick to each other. They need to be broken up.
-Or,
Laying the dye on the fabric in a one-shot heavy coat. Basically, just drenching the material. Still requires brushing, but done several times as the dye dries.
Have to watch the surrounding vinyl/leather bands when doing this method as drips in the dye can not be worked out of those materials.

With either method, an adhesion promoter is mandatory.

And after all that, I really, really don't like to dye fabric seats.
The end product is never as nice as the original.
The material looses it's soft touch. Ends up with a slightly crispy feel.
Because the individual fibers are so soft before being dyed, they are working around against each other when sat on. Dye makes those fibers thicker & crispier creating probs with flaking where the promoter maybe didn't get full penetration.

 

TCBRacer77

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It's way easier to go to a darker color from a light one than it is the other way around.
I've never used Colorbond. Can't vouch for it.
My dye of choice is SEM. Been using it for years. Never had probs with it when applied properly.
There's no dough in doing projects 2x. Never had a come-back with SEM.

Fabrics in a vehicle are man-made. Leather being the exception.
Nylon. Olefin. Polyfin, Vinyl, etc.
Basically...woven plastic.
That means that those fibers that make up the material are very slick. Non-porous. The material is used in vehicles for that very reason. Dirt & stains have a hard time glomming onto the individual fibers.
Non-fabric solid materials are more susceptible to dying as you're only having to deal with a single surface.
Fabric is a multitude of surfaces.
So...the dye has to worked deep into the fabric in order to reach every individual strand.
That requires either:
-Light coats of the dye, brushing the material between each while the dye is still wet, getting it right down in there to the base.
Just spraying the dye at the material & it'll only sit on the tips of the strands. Don't get it down to the base of the fabric & as the material moves around through normal usage it'll all start to look blotchy.
Then, the material'll need to be brushed again when it's dry because the dye will cause the fibers to stick to each other. They need to be broken up.
-Or,
Laying the dye on the fabric in a one-shot heavy coat. Basically, just drenching the material. Still requires brushing, but done several times as the dye dries.
Have to watch the surrounding vinyl/leather bands when doing this method as drips in the dye can not be worked out of those materials.

With either method, an adhesion promoter is mandatory.

And after all that, I really, really don't like to dye fabric seats.
The end product is never as nice as the original.
The material looses it's soft touch. Ends up with a slightly crispy feel.
Because the individual fibers are so soft before being dyed, they are working around against each other when sat on. Dye makes those fibers thicker & crispier creating probs with flaking where the promoter maybe didn't get full penetration.

Gocha, I mean it might not be worth the time and effort then to try and dye the seats… i find myself in that state of mind where all the different colors are driving me nuts, even though everything is in good shape, if I try and do this I might be battling a different frustration of ruining the quality of the seats… would you agree?
 

TCBRacer77

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Any issues with flaking? lol that’s like my biggest concern, I’d consider it still if the fabric is just a little hard from the dye
 

sewlow

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Dying fabric is one of the very few jobs I'll do where there is no warranty. I can't stand behind the questionable durability.
I've done it. The customer's been happy.
But as far as I'm concerned, just not up to my usual standard.
I'm only as good as my last job, & if I wouldn't be happy with such in my own vehicle, then why should the customer?
As their driving away, I'm just hoping that the next time I see them will be for a proper job instead of another quickie fix or to ***** about the lack in quality of the job that I did in the first place.
Besides that, one day another upholstery guy may look at the job & go..."Blecchhh! What the h3ll is that mess?" They don't have to know who did it, but the owner will.
Not good for the shop's rep. Not good for repeat biz nor any further recommendations.
 

PlayingWithTBI

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I've been thinking about doing mine from tan to Shadow Blue but chickened out. Hell, the tan is kinda growing on me anyway, LOL. Great tutorial, guy!
 

sewlow

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Any issues with flaking? lol that’s like my biggest concern, I’d consider it still if the fabric is just a little hard from the dye
I can't recommend Adhesion Promoter enough.
It softens the surface of the fibers allowing for the dye to actually soak right into them. Once the dye hits the promoter & sinks in, there is a catalyst between the two that will kick, permanently bonding the dye to the material.
 

TCBRacer77

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I was also looking at the seat shop’s kit to re upholster the bucket seats, looks like good quality….
 

sewlow

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I was also looking at the seat shop’s kit to re upholster the bucket seats, looks like good quality….
Best I've seen so far.
...and that's from a guy that had issues with way too many so called 'kits'. A lot of issues. Various Co.'s are guilty.
Some only have an issue or two.
Most are just bad. Bad everything. From the materials to the patterning to the actual stitching.
Some even pack attitude when a customer tries to get a cure out of them due to their lousy product.
I've even had one order-desk jockey tell me that I didn't know what I was doing. From a person that's worked for that Co. for a whole 3 years & never pulled a set covers on, let alone the sub-standard ones made by the very company she works for.
Passed on to the owner (inherited from her father.) & get the same B.S. attitude.
I asked if she had ever read her Co.'s online reviews.
She said she hadn't (why?) but I think she actually had & just didn't want to admit it.
They are the joke of the aftermarket seat cover world.
Other bad experiences over the years from a couple of others.

...and what none of these co.'s will tell you is that although every cover they'll sell you has a warranty, that's done & over with, non-existent, as soon as the first hog-ring is punched through the material

There's a few seat cover co.'s that stand out amongst the herd.
The Seat Shop is one of them.
 

TCBRacer77

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Best I've seen so far.
...and that's from a guy that had issues with way too many so called 'kits'. A lot of issues. Various Co.'s are guilty.
Some only have an issue or two.
Most are just bad. Bad everything. From the materials to the patterning to the actual stitching.
Some even pack attitude when a customer tries to get a cure out of them due to their lousy product.
I've even had one order-desk jockey tell me that I didn't know what I was doing. From a person that's worked for that Co. for a whole 3 years & never pulled a set covers on, let alone the sub-standard ones made by the very company she works for.
Passed on to the owner (inherited from her father.) & get the same B.S. attitude.
I asked if she had ever read her Co.'s online reviews.
She said she hadn't (why?) but I think she actually had & just didn't want to admit it.
They are the joke of the aftermarket seat cover world.
Other bad experiences over the years from a couple of others.

...and what none of these co.'s will tell you is that although every cover they'll sell you has a warranty, that's done & over with, non-existent, as soon as the first hog-ring is punched through the material

There's a few seat cover co.'s that stand out amongst the herd.
The Seat Shop is one of them.
Your input is greatly appreciated and valued! Thank you
 
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