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What piece of equipment can you use to press wrinkles out of your suedes and leathers?

The ultimate pressing tool for suedes and leathers is the hot head press.

You have learned how to use the hand iron like a little hot head press. Now let me explain how to use the hot head press itself to

press your suedes and leathers.

With the hot head press there is no live head steam to be concerned about. However, the head temperature is an important consideration. If the head temperature is too hot, the excessive heat could damage the skin, the finish or the color. Therefore, it is of extreme importance to limit the head temperature of the hot-head press when it is used to press suede and leather.

The proper temperature setting for the hot head is 250°F (120°C).

If the hot head press is heated electrically, the head and buck temperatures are set by electric thermostats or rheostats that are part of the press.

However, if the hot head press is heated by steam, and most of them are, then the head temperature is set and limited to 250 °F (120°C) by installing a steam regulator and a steam pressure gauge in the steam line that brings the steam to the hot head press.

Once installed, the steam regulator should be adjusted to lower the steam pressure going into the hot head press to 50 psi (3.5 kg/cm2). This steam pressure setting will translate into a temperature of approximately 250 °F (120°C) at the press head.

The results when pressing suedes and especially leathers on a hot head press set at this temperature are superb. Skins are smooth and leathers regain their shine as well as a slick, soft and supple feel. If you are going to do a lot of suede and leather cleaning then pressing on the hot head press is a must.

Any laundry or silk hot head press can be adapted to press suedes and leathers. Pressing wrinkles out of suede and leather can be done nicely with an existing hot head press that is normally used to press laundry or silk items.

The laundry hot head press does not usually have buck steam or vacuum. However, it can be used for pressing suede and leather as well as laundry items, if it is equipped with a steam regulator, steam pressure gauge, bypass valve and steam line to reduce the steam pressure to 50 psi (3.5 kg/cm2) when pressing suedes and leathers, as shown in the accompanying piping schematic for a steam press bypass for leather.

The reason for the bypass valve and regulator is to allow the laundry hot head press to be switched from laundry pressing, which is done at 375 ° F (190°C), to suede and leather pressing, which is done at 250°F (120°C ).

When doing laundry pressing, steam at 100 psi (7 kg/cm2) is allowed to flow directly through the steam cut off bypass valve to the press. However, when the press is to be used for pressing suedes or leathers, the 100 psi steam is diverted through the steam regulator by closing the steam bypass cut off valve, to reduce the steam pressure to 50 psi (3.5 kg cm2) and the head temperature to 250 °F (120°C). Of course, the head should be allowed a little time to cool down after closing the steam valve and before pressing leather.

This bypass is also necessary when a silk hot head press is to be used for both silks and suedes and leathers. Here the steam pressure must be reduced from 80 psi (5.5 kg/cm2) used to press silks, to 50 psi (3.5 kg /cm2) for pressing suedes and leathers.

The silk hot head press is a lot like a suede and leather hot head press. It has buck steam and vacuum built into it. Both of these features are desirable when pressing suede and leather garments. The vacuum can be used to cool the skin after pressing and also to hold the skin flat in place before the head comes down.

The buck steam is useful for pressing loose cloth linings on suede, leather and fur garments. It can also be used to provide a shot of steam to some of the less delicate cowhide and pigskin suedes and leathers before pressing to help get wrinkles out.

Notice I said a shot of steam (like on a form finished) before the head is lowered, not after the head is lowered. However, buck steam can be used as usual for pressing suedes and leathers, if the buck steam pressure is reduced to 40 psi (2.8 kg/cm2 ) with a steam regulator.