TECH:Upholstery 101 - Seat Covers (Dial-up warning lots o' pix)

Wow, excellent tech. Thanks for the time and the great pictures.

I'm asuming that you are not using your granny's Singer sewing machine... What kind of machine are you using?

thanks agian.. I'll bet that after this post you are sure to find someone that has a truck to swap!.

- Joe

 

What a great post!

 

Thanks for all the kind words, guys. The machine I use is an industrial machine, a Pfaff 1245 with a walking foot. It's definitely not Granny's old Singer. There's been several posts about industrial machines in the past few months. If anyone is interested, a search should be able to find them.

 

excelent tech Mike,

this thread has been coppied to the Tech Archives,
the Q&A posts have been retained and more will be added as they are answered.

(the atta boys have been removed)
like this one
thanks Mike

 

Wow, 'lil old me in the Hallowed Halls of HAMB Tech Archives.

Glad to be of help.

 

Deservingly so, congrats.

 

Thanks Mike,
I have done a couple of small projects and there are 3 or 4 tips that will really help me out.
I appreciate you taking the time to do this post.......its so much cooler than the O/T stuff.

Thanks again!

 

Thanks. I liked your Tech on covering seats without doing any sewing. You nailed it and it looks great too.

Here's Dreadman's thread on building seats and covering them without having to sew. It's very good and I recommend it.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=167878&highlight=upholstery

 

Excellent post Mike. Great help understanding what goes into a job.

Couple of questions:

How feasible is a job like this with a household sewing machine, not a walking foot model?

Are back-sewn pleats coming in part two?

Thanks Again
Canuck

 

Well first the HAMB auction and now this. The HAMB truely owes a great debt to this fine young fella. Next time you see him buy him a drink for his efforts but remember he has to drive home.

Thanks for a job well done

 

Thanks Mike,
you dont have to give me a plug, I'm an amateur upholsterer, acctually it's the first time I tried it. I would have sewn, if I could have figured out how. But sucess does not come overnight.

 

Wow! Thanks.....

Tech Archive???

I know you have an industrial sewing machine but for the occasional user will a heavy duty regular (not a $50 Walmart special) sewing machine get the job done?

Where can the average joe get supplies?

This is great!

 

excellent tech. thanks, even I reckon I could give that a go!

 

Awesome post Mike.

 

Thanks. I did indeed make the archives.

You can use a regular machine if you take your time and have a good supply of needles. (You're gonna break some) Having a welt foot or a half foot that lets you sew welt on is a plus but if you don't want welting, you can get away with it. Using a regular machine will take more time because the capacity of the machine just isn't designed for 3 or 4 layers of vinyl and such, but it can be done.

Check your local yellow pages for upholstery suppliers. Some will sell directly to the public. You can order roll goods (material) through your local upholstery shop, furniture or auto. Make sure the materials you choose are rated for auto or marine use.

 

One thing Mike didn't mention is the use of the proper needles. Now, I'm not an upholsterer, but I have sewn leather beater bags for metalshaping using a Brother sewing machine from Wal Mart.

Using "vinyl" or "leather" needles takes a lot of load off the machine. These needles have a small groove up the backside. The needle punches a hole and the thread slides into the groove; the machine doesn't have to push the material out of the way.

Two layers of fairly heavy leather is a heck of a workout for a "consumer-grade" sewing machine ............. but, it'll do it if you take your time.

Most machines have an assortment of accessories available, including a zipper foot, which should work nicely for welting or piping.........but they'll usually cost you extra.

Great post, Mike!

Tim D.

 

Brilliant , thanks a bunch ! How did you know Ive been gearing up for making my intrior?

 

Tim brings up a good point, so to speak, about needles. If you're using a home machine take the time to get the appropriate needle. A leather needle will have a diamond shaped tip and the thread groove he mentioned and is good for heavy gauge vinyl and leather. These will leave an "x" shaped hole.

If you're doing just cloth or vinyl, use a round needle. Use as heavy a needle as you can get but try some test pieces first to make sure the holes left aren't too big that they look ugly. Mkae sure any needle you use has the thread groove - it'll make your life easier when you start sewing.

Also, use a heavy synthetic thread. Don't use cotton thread as it deteriorated quickly with the temperature changes a car often sees. Remember, your not sewing up a dress for your lady. The stitches in a car will see more stresses and environmental forces than clothes will. Also, if you use a small gauge thread it's more likely to cut the materials you're using as well.

Also, take your spools of thread and douse them with silicone spray. Do this AWAY from anything you ever plan to paint ever. The silicone lubes the thread and helps to prevent thread breakage and binding.

 

Excellent tech paper, learning new things everyday at the HAMB.

 

Thanks for the silicon spray thread tip, I'll do that right away.

 

Great post, Mike!

You can also use zip ties instead of hog rings. They're cheaper, no special tools are required, and they won't rust!

My fiance explained it in an earlier tech post

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143204&highlight=upholstery

 

oh yeah, and she did my 59's seats with a home machine, but she broke it halfway through and had to buy another one. I later found a really good industrial machine for her on Craigslist for $300 including the table and accessories.

 

Great tech Mike. I spent the best part of 10 years steering a Singer machine full time. Your article is informative and spot on. I especially like the brake line repair on the seat frame!

Another tip I learnt from my old masters was when making the piping/beading to use curtain wire....fine coiled wire covered in white plastic. Don't know if that translation is right but if you know what I'm talking about it helps hold a near perfect straight line on bench seats.

Bruce

 

great tech article! here is my 2 cents: i have seen guys use the old lady's electric carving knife to shape foam,those hand held steamers(the one's they sell on late night tv) work good on those wrinkles. also i thought that when you laid out your material it had to be a certain direction because of the fact it stretched differently because of the way it was made and if you didn't it would rip from not being able to give a little? this i just some things i observed hanging out at local upholstery shops in the past. always wondered about the material thing.

 

That is a HERO tech thread!! VEry, very nice. I still think sewing scares me too much to actually try it, but great info here none the less.

 

that is awesome! Thank's think I am gonna try this Soon~!

 

Great tech.
Is it possible to sew something like that on a household sewing machine or do u need a industrial typ one?

 

Laying out materials in a certain direction is needed when using cloth. The nap will run in one direction and the back of the material will (usually) have arrows printed on it to indicate the right direction. If the material you're considering rips easily enough that you have to compensate for it, use a different material.

 

Thanks Nick. Go back and re-read posts #46,47, & 49. The use of a home machine is covered in these posts.

 

Bump for the night crew.