Anyone heard of DAP caulk as leather fill?

What DAP caulking was it as there are different types.

 

I used the same technique with some filler (Flex-Fill) from an outfit called Color-Plus to fix a hole worn in the driver's side seat bolster on my 308 from my belt over 20 years ago. Then I painted over the whole panel with their stock black colorant. It still looks just fine.

Then a couple of months ago I did the same kind of repairs to the cushions on a couple of big green leather couches I have. I sent them a sample of the green leather and they matched it exactly and returned a jar of colorant. I thinned it by about 15% with distilled water and sprayed many light coats. You can't tell any repairs were done.

It would be good if you found out and posted what kind of DAP compound the guy used. I'm sure it would be a lot cheaper than the Flex-Fill, and probably do just as good a job.

 

As far as I know DAP only makes two types of Latex Caulking. Regular Latex and Silicone Latex. No paint will stick to pure Silicone.
I doubt that I would be using Latex Caulking to fix leather but you do learn new things.

 

Dap Alex Ultra

Shop DAP Alex Ultra 230 10.1-oz Clay Paintable Latex Window and Door Caulk at Lowes.com

Haven't used it personally but have heard that its used on leather.

 

Think "Shoe Goo"....It can be used on leather and is paintable....

I can't imagine DAP caulk as being long lasting when it is being rubbed by sitting on it. But, hey I might be wrong.

 

Probably DAP glazing compound.

 

You're out of my league on using DAP caulk for leather repair, but I have had poor experiences with DAP being used as regular caulk. I have no idea if this would work as leather repair, but I have found the ultimate sealer/caulk to be Marine 5200 by 3M. There is a regular cure (very slow) and fast cure that takes 24 hours, but both, once cured would hold on tight no matter how big a rear end ends up in the seat. They are paintable too.

 

Wow, that is some crazy long cure time. According to some comments on Amazon, their regular cure takes a full week to become tack-free and 2 weeks to cure. Being suitable for marine applications and with that long cure time, I'll bet that stuff is amazingly strong.

 

It's actually fantastic stuff. It is so tenacious that sailors consider 5200 to be an adhesive which acts as a caulk rather than a caulk with good adhesive properties. Don't let this stuff cure and then expect to get it off easily. It is often used in situations where you would expect to use a thickened two-part epoxy.

 

Sounds like great stuff. Do you know if can be sanded smooth once it cures?

 

I'm 90% sure it can be. You can usually find the fast cure version at Lowes or Home Depot in the vicinity of the regular wimpy caulks. Buy a tube and experiment. It's also like regular caulk in that you can smooth a bead of it with your finger dipped in alcohol. If you get it on your clothes, fuggetaboutit. It ain't commin' out.
Most boats have a separate hull and deck. To stick them together, a big bead of 5200 and some bolts and you're good to go (after the 2 week cure time...)

 

Had to replace a cracked deck hatch. Was sealed with 5200. Sharp thin blade and prying. Still pulled up small pieces of deck with it. Only use it where you never have to remove the b bonded part or you will be sorry. Hatches,stanctions,ladders. Stays flexible too. Never tried to paint it. Always used white on white.

 

I don't think it is amenable to sanding as it remains flexible once cured. It is very tenacious to gelcoat and metal surfaces as noted. It is also very tenacious to skin as I have found out!

 

I have used this . worked ok depends on what you are using it for.. in my case it was not very visible.

 

DAP is only good for caulk around doors, windows and minor low use items. 3M makes the best...4000, 4200 or 5200, Fast Cure or regular. I only use 3M sealants on the boat.

 

Yep, it can be sanded although it's a slow process (I was experimenting on a big drip hanging out the end of the cartridge). You either have to use a fairly coarse sandpaper, or what worked best was a sanding drum or grinding stone on a Dremel tool.

 

Ok, technically it will wear down if you work long enough with course enough sand paper. However, that's not exactly the same as being "sandable" when you're talking about filling cracks in a leather Ferrari seat.

I used to be a boat builder and I've used countless tubes of 5200 and related products. It is really tough stuff and great for many things. But filling cracks in leather with 5200 strikes me as a bad idea.

If the sanding question came up because the mental picture associated with using this stuff involves squeezing it into a crack with an index finger, then there is bound to be a thin layer of the product spread out onto the leather on each side of the crack. If that is allowed to cure with the intent to sand it down to bare leather, then you're in for a disappointment.

The 5200 on each side of the crack will be tougher than the leather. As you sand, you will be wearing away the surrounding leather and hardly effecting the 5200 at all. This, as far as I'm concerned, is a recipe for disaster.

I confess to never having tried 5200 on a cracked leather seat, but I've never used it to keep my hair in place either. That's because I have an imagination and I predict using it in either instance would be disappointing at least, and perhaps it would lead to suicidal thoughts before it's all over.

If anyone still wants to give 3M 5200 a try, experiment on your wife's leather sofa first.

 

Good advise Mozella. Get an old leather shoe, baseball mitt or chair and try it. I would tape around the area you want to fill, only get the 5200 in the crack, and wipe off excess immediately. Use acetone to wipe excess as it drys quickly. Sand off the rest to blend, with 2000 sandpaper since you have will re-dye after.

I would not use DAP. If you are going to do this, use the best....3M.

 

Thank you everyone for the great feedback regarding 3m 5200.

 

From my boating days,you think maintaining a ferrari is expensive? A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.