SuzukiSavage.com - Waterproofing Leather

wolfmrp

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Re: Waterproofing Leather
Reply #30 - 01/09/10 at 17:35:49

I just applied a bees wax bases product called "sno-seal" You use a hair dryer and melt the paste into the leather. I did a test and the result were promising. I made a small bowl shape with the test piece and let water sit in it over night. There where no drips after 12 hours of holding water, but the fibers did seem a bit damp after the test. I will report back after the next big rain.

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Digger Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Ya gotta be tough to ride singles! Posts: 1604 Colorado Springs, CO Gender:	Re: Waterproofing Leather Reply #31 - 01/10/10 at 20:38:28 Sno Seal is the best stuff I've found to treat my boots with. I've never been able to COMPLETELY waterproof leather, but Sno Seal comes closer than anything I've ever used.
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Oldnewguy Senior Member Offline thumpin' along! Posts: 369 Upstate NY Gender:	Re: Waterproofing Leather Reply #32 - 01/11/10 at 04:20:21 I just had a thought! Instead of sealing the seat how about wearing plastic pants. Also there are some other possibilities that I will let other members come up with.
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rokrover

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torkenstein

Posts: 147
SoCal

Re: Waterproofing Leather
Reply #33 - 01/12/10 at 13:38:10

Leather is porous and must breathe - that's one of its advantages - so nothing should completely seal and waterproof it. Brooks Leathers in England make a fancy conditioner called Proofide for their iconic leather bicycle seats that will offer shower resistance. For really wet days they offer a plastic slip-over cover, so that should tell you something. Google "brooks + proofide" to learn more. Kinda expensive stuff though.

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wolfmrp

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Portland Or

Re: Waterproofing Leather
Reply #34 - 01/13/10 at 21:02:31

After using the "sno-seal" and the first big rain the water was still beading up on the seat. After the second big rain the waterproofing was effectively gone. Sad

I think the sno-seal does a good job for some items(boots), but I am beginning to think that I was just not meant to have a leather seat. (At least not while living in Portland) I just got some nice looking vinyl and will be redoing the seat again this weekend. I may take this opportunity to shape the foam a bit or even inlay some memory foam were my tailbone hits.

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Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down by the mind before you reach eighteen. --Einstein

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babyhog

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Re: Waterproofing Leather
Reply #35 - 01/14/10 at 05:05:40

wolfmrp wrote on 01/13/10 at 21:02:31:

After using the "sno-seal" and the first big rain the water was still beading up on the seat. After the second big rain the waterproofing was effectively gone. Sad

I think the sno-seal does a good job for some items(boots), but I am beginning to think that I was just not meant to have a leather seat. (At least not while living in Portland) I just got some nice looking vinyl and will be redoing the seat again this weekend. I may take this opportunity to shape the foam a bit or even inlay some memory foam were my tailbone hits.

Wolf, sorry to hear of your problems. I've complained about my seat from day-1 and hope I have it worked out now, but haven't been able to ride lately so I haven't been able to try it out.
But... I realize it might be too late for this tidbit, if you are gonna work on your seat this weekend, but I ordered a piece of Saddlemen "raw gel" and inserted in my original seat. Its another option, unless you already have the memory foam. The gel is really dense and helps reduce vibration and softens bumps greatly. I love it, so I thought I'd mention it to you.

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~ 2006 Black, Big Crank battery, HD Softail muffler, engine guard/o-ring pegs, Spitfite windshield, custom mounted Saddlemen bags, Mustang seat! ~ oh, and Hairdo by Helmet! ~

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