Technical The upholstery thread to end all threads

Space pens are the best thing I have found recommended. Doesn't rub off like chalk as you work, the silver colour can be seen on any colour fabric and can be removed with water when you are done.

 

The ad is for just the motor. I have 2 motors like that one. Free for the taking.

 

OK, I pulled the trigger and bought the Lucky Needle course. They have a forum over there, but it is waaaay slower than the HAMB.

Oh and @reyn, we need to come up with a use for old clutch style motors. Electric drifting go karts? Now about the extension cord......

 

I think this thread will work out fine enough


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Upholstery is a good hobby but a dying business - 50 yrs in the busines 36fordguy

 

A picture of foam cord 5/32 and solid cord in black for guys not knowing cording and just a few available. @stanlow69 that’s a great idea and thank you for the tip. It’s tips like that from Professionals like yourself that really make the difference. I haven’t used a bunch of the solid welting but have a roll of black and tried your tip. Wow it works awesome and super tight seam even on this practice piece. I owe you a Pop for the great tip my friend..

 

I'm sure it comes in limited colors i.e. primary colors etc. I would think you would almost have to make your own on something that was an odd color.

 

So why do you think that is? Just curious? Over the counter interior kits? That can't be it, we just lost LeBaron Bonney.

 

Most of the shops around me closed up,there was probably 15 and now 4 or 5.

 

Because no one has cars or furniture reupholstered anymore other than a very small group of hobbyists most of whom don't want to spend the money to get it done as evidenced by this thread.

 

People don't keep things very long anymore. My mom and dad had the same couch for 25 years. My friends occasionally stop by and they will say "Where's the old sectional?" Everyone crashed on their couch.

So many folks rotate their stuff out now, you are probably spot on. Cars are disposable, everything is molded plastic.

 

Most of the furniture built in the last few decades won't hold up long enough to make it worthwhile to reupholster it!

 

I know that NC used to be the furniture capital of the world. Not so, anymore. Old furniture is worth reupholstering.
I have always liked the MCM furniture, this may turn into an obsession.

 

Most of the car seats starting in about 2000 , the vinyl cloth was bonded to the foam, making reupholstery hard. This increased the life of the existing upholstery not requiring the upholstery to be replaced during the life of the car.Go to the junk yards and you will see all types of cars with good upholstery. To do these seats require an addition step of patterning. Also the thing that fails is the bonding and the foam buns. Foam buns require a lot of work to restore. This cost more and is a dirty job - grinding foam. Additionally buying and "shipping" foam cost a lot of money not cost effective. A compete car seats, headliner, door panels , trunk and carpets requires about 40 man hours to do. If you are running a one man shop. Shop time to cover overhead runs $75 to $100 per hours. So labor only is $4000 not counting any material or hides. This means a complete upholstery job runs about $6000. This coupled with a paint job of about $10000 ($15000 to $16000) and you can buy a street rod finished for this price

 

There seems to be quite a few high end automotive upholsters still around, maybe furniture as well (at least there seems to be on Instagram) but they have made a name for themselves with high end car builders so seem to have a pretty steady supply of work.

It doesn't make sense or is economically feasible for the average person that can buy a new upholstered chair for $300-400 to pay an upholster $800-1000 to get an old one re done.

 

What’s everyone’s plans here? Design? Type of fabric?


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@K13 where do you find the space pens? I have been using old old chalk and a stabile.
@Roothawg they sell a few popular colors but haven’t found a source that has a ton and thats the reason I have been doing my own. Especially leather welting and with hides you dont want to waste a bunch on welting and have to really plan a hide.

 

Most upholstery supplies seem to have them now. I just buy pen inserts from amazon. They are not space pens per say as they are not pressurized but they use the same ink and are super cheap. I just google space pen for upholstery and get lots of choices.

 

@dsiddons if you can share the leather pics that would be cool. I like leather and has a cool looks and unique to other interiors but it’s definitely more expensive then other materials .
Leather I feel is a bit more tricky as it doesn’t come in roll form so you have to plan a hide and hides have issues. The biggest thing on hides is shape ,flaws ,grain and stretch also add thickness . Then add its a bit harder to sew for me and have to take it slower because once you punch a hole in the leather its there ..
@F-head cool shop and great work love the bench but the coupe seats are awesome ..

 

T-1000 Silver Ink Pen

Just so happens, the seller is located here in OKC.
https://www.leatherseats.com/shop/p...es/t-1000-silver-ink-pen.html?___store=mobile

 

Thanks for the heads up on the marking devices. Time to use my googler

 

Heya neighbor,
When you're ready to fire up that new machine and do some crash course practice running, give me a shout. I have a buddy here in Must-stain who grew up in his dad's upholstery shop down in Ada and knows his way around some stitchin. I could try to cajole him into to running over to your place and spending an hour or two. He's ridiculously busy with work right now, so it's a maybe/not, but he's also a guy who has a hard time saying no to helping a buddy.
I asked him about picking up your project on the side but he's just too busy with work.
Shoot me a pm or text.
JML

 

There are over 30 colors of pre made welt. You should be able to find a color close enough. Using an ink pen(not Space Pen)will bleed through even when it`s not hot outside. It`s the dye that bleeds thru. Red foam glue will do the same thing. Lighter colored vinyls are more prone to bleed thru. Knew a guy who had to redo 4 boat interiors. Never heard of a Space Pen before. Or a Servo motor for a sewing machine before the HAMB. I`m an grump stuck in my old ways. Never use plastic for door panels unless the customer requests it.

 

Thanks for the offer. I may take you up on it. I'll practice for a while. I just swapped over the motor to a servo today. Still needing to build a table.

 

Build your table waist high. Right below your belly button. I built a raised platform for my machine(even with the work table) to sit on along with my chair.

 

I was planning on making the table the same height as the machine table.

 

My spouse is doing the lucky needle thing and loves it. There isn't any upholstery shops here, everybody has retired or died.

 

Your only doing it part time, so your back should be okay. Working bent over that is.

 

I have a limited space and I really can't make it any taller due to some doors that swing out. I may put it on wheels to allow me to move it, when I need to.

 

Yes definately do that,every shop I worked at had the tables too low which hurt my back so when I built a table in the basement I made it high enough.