Nice straight lines. I couldn't do a straight line if Jesus was holding my hand. You do outstanding work.
Guess that is Upholstery 101, is there a guide or is it free hand? Having the pleats matching width and end pleats matching side for side is an art form. Bob
Making some progress on covering the trunk panels. I tried to get a little 50’s show car action going on in the trunk and did my last name initial on the battery box. Basically glued some piping to sew foam and then glued the material over top. Ran around with with the piping foot and I’m really digging how it came out. Decided to try and make some more traditional looking stuffed tuck and roll. Used a synthetic cotton material cut into strips to give it a nice round shape. Instead of using muslin I used 1/4” sew foam as my backer for a little more shape. Still need to upholster the piece over the gas tank so hopefully get that done this weekend.
This is great. Thank you! Don't see enough of it. Your coupe is top drawer. Sent from my VS835 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thanks guys for the good word, this stuff is a lot of fun. Here’s a comparison shot to see the difference doing a T&R over just foam and doing it with the “cotton” stuffing.
Yes that’s it, Dacron is the roll I ordered. Just went back to the Ebay link and it’s listed as extra dense polyester batting if anyone is looking to search for it. Was able to get the final panel for the trunk done last night, this is the one that will cover up the gas tank.
Today was a good day! Cut up and put some edging on the carpet and got all the panels installed. It has some issues but overall I’m very happy with how it looks.
Picked up this chrome model A shifter out of the classifieds and spliced it together with my Jeep shifter. Never hurts to add some chrome on this car with so much black paint going on.
Ok so I have to ask. I did my pleated (OK "tuck and roll) door panels with the foam like sid Chavers and others have shown. Well I had seen the other way like you show with the muslin and dacron or cotton stuffing giving the more rounded or traditional (if you will) look. I thought that might be kind of cool on my seats. Well I contacted a pretty well known supplier and boy was that conversation uncomfortable! all I heard was: Dont use dacron. Cotton batting is worse. Why do you think they make foam? what are you trying to prove? Needless to say the conversation sucked. The sales guy only proved to me Im an amateur. So be it. I can still do my interior. So could you answer a couple questions? this sales guy told me the stuffing on a "traditional" tuck and roll would only squish down over time. Use foam. He told me muslin backing was only available attatched to foam. So my question really boils down to this: Will a traditional stuffed tuck and roll stand up over time and not squish down and is it that much harder than the foam backed muslin pleats so common today? What say ye??
Back in the old days, they used denim(not jeans) and vinyl. Then stuffed them with cotton using piping tins. Or other ways to stuff the pleats. This way, the rolls feel hard. The foam and dacron is a less expensive way of doing it, and a lot faster. Did the salesman misunderstand you. Using only muslin and dacron. Yes it would flatten out. But using muslin(scrim) backed foam and dacron. Not so much. But it would where you sit. For the more authentic and fuller look. Use Tuck-n-roll foam. It comes in different widths. Is thicker than 1/2 inch muslin backed foam. And is muslin backed and has V groves to follow along for the pleats.
The second pic is 1/2 inch muslin backed foam sewn with hidden stitching. The first picture is with Tuck-n-roll foam. Maybe someone can zoom in on the seats. If you ask 10 different people, you will get 10 different answers.
The original tuck n roll was hard and offered some air circulation. The newer foam compresses flat and is no different than flat vinyl. Dacron is most likely somewhere in between. Form follows function , then form for form sake without function.
@6inarow don’t bank on any of this stuff I’m showing as the right way or time proven way of upholstering. Like I said before it’s my first go at this so it’s a trial and error thing. I’m not sure how using Dacron with the scrim foam would hold up on a seat but for panels I don’t see it flattening out. I didn’t know they made tuck & roll foam, I’ll have to order some and give it a try.
I’ve been thinking and over thinking the headliner for a while now and finally decided to do it like this. Cut the white panels to the size of the roof bow gaps with gold piping in between. I left a 1” seam in order to attach to the bows. Measure 20 times cut once Here it is just mocked up in place to see if it will work. Next up need to make all of the accompanying panels above the doors and C pillars etc. Hopefully get this wrapped up in a couple weeks and onto figuring out the seat.
You’re doing a great job. The foam versus all the other options is like arguing politics or religion. Many ways and if it works use it. I notice you’re marking on the back side of your vinyl...I learned really young not to use an ink pen...it will eventually bleed through to the surface. Hard to tell what you used, but a regular lead pencil works best. Keep up the great work.
Thanks @jakesbackyard , I’ve been using a Tandy leather pen and a charcoal pencil. They both wipe off pretty easy so I hope it doesn’t bleed through down the road. I’ve tried a few ways of doing t&r and what I’ve found is if I just fold the vinyl and sew it to the base material then roll over the foam or foam & Dacron it makes it easier to stitch multiple layers together or wrap over a panel. Its just less bulky then doing a top stitch and folding it and hiding it with another pass.
Next up I bought some 1/8” foam board from a local plastic supplier. It’s cheap at about $30 for a 4’ x 8’ sheet, cuts with a razor and can be heated and formed into corners etc. Is the material you used called foam core or does it go by some other name, and is it textured on one side?
@VA HAMB I really like the Fabricator so far, it has plenty of power and is easy to control. You can just barely put pressure on the pedal and it will walk like it’s in slow motion.
This took quite a bit of head scratching and I actually made 2 headliners one with a panel back and one that attached to the bows with Velcro and rivets. When I built the car I used steel 3/4” box tubing instead of wood for the roof bows. I ended up going with my original plan and used the Velcro/ rivet attachment. Next up I had to make a wooden bow around the rear window to the quarter windows to staple the headliner to. Then build an aluminum structure to attach all these rear panels. Heated and formed the pvc foam board and used some chrome upholstery screws to hold it all down. Here it is upholstered and final mounted up. Up next shaping some foam and deciding on what the seat upholstery will look like.
Very VERY impressive work! Thanks so much for showing how upholstery work can be accomplished by the previously untrained!
The Jalopy Journal
