Painting saddle?

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Hey @el, I've painted saddles a couple of times. Used a 100% acrylic paint, kind that comes in a tube. Rubbed it on with a rag. These were saddles that I had recovered with various types of vinyl from the fabric store. So not a stock production saddle covering.

The acrylic does wear off gradually over time. I never did try to seal that with a clear of any kind. But for a rat rod bike I didn't mind.

I also used Flex Seal on a couple saddles,yeah, the black stuff that seals and protects everything under the sun. I did spray that with a matte clear, and it held up well. Very durable.
 
I've used VHT vinyl dye on car upholstery in the past and it held up for decades without any fading or peeling. It sprays on just like paint and I had no trouble going from a lighter color to darker (the reverse might not work as well). Other manufacturers offer what I presume is a similar product.
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I'm assuming you are asking about painting leather or vinyl seats. The checkerboard one above is a painted metal seatpan. I've done that on my Flexy and Firewing builds too. But I've never painted an upholstered saddle yet.
 
There ya' go! As coincidence has it, I'm currently 'skinning' a leather-covered ottoman to fulfill the same purpose. If the cover begins to bunch up around the curves, just remember that little V-notches can be your new best friend.
 
I used a pleather jacket sleeve to cover a nanner seat last year.

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I once thought about moistening the leather, then putting the whole assembly inside one of those vacuum sealer bag things. I never got my hands on one of the pumps, tho.
 
I've painted a Brooks B68 (red), B17 and matching leather backrest I just made, and a Cardiff version of a B17 (turquoise) using Angelus leather paint. It's easy and is probably as durable as a factory job. A small bottle will easily take care of a saddle, maybe even three. You'll want to remove any existing finish using leather deglazer (which is mostly acetone) and maybe sand it a little so the paint can soak in deeper.

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