Upholstery, a beginners journy

I will look at my 52 chevy tomorrow. I cant remember how it attaches.

 

Yes Sir!
It was operator error. Pulling it up tighter and the slits appears to have saved the day!
I figured I would need slits for the tighter curve, but not the long swoopy one.

I'll turn the flash on my new camera on.
I am using a stapler, then a body hammer to run 'em in a little more where needed.

Edit: I see! If the windlace is a bit more inboard, the cat claw strip will push it dead straight.

 

The one thing that i think alot of people are afraid to try. I can't wait to try on mine.

 

Awsome! subscribed !

 

Here is a hint,if youhave a compressor.Buy a hf air stapler,they are cheap,work pretty good.I buy the staples in 1/2 inch and 3/8.When i need shorter like maybe3/16 i use my dremel and cutoff to mar them and snap them off.don't try to cut them all the way thru.I slde the staples over a piece of mdf to hold.Now before anyone thinks I am crazy,ive worn out about 5 really expensive air staplers,some were several hundred dollars.Just remember to turn the pressure down to about 65 lbs.

 

I got one of those, but I couldn't find 1/4" staples. Yet another fine tip.

I'm going to start hanging the headliner today. Where does the listing usually end along the bow?


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RE.shorter staples.see my last post.I usually center the bow into headliner listing,clip back the listing an inch or so to start.Install headliner ,center in car.work the wrinkles out so they are even,side to side.Do that before attaching anything.If your headliner has those sharp dogs at the center bow, be sure to get them engaged.Turn them up a little so they don,t pull out when you stretch the headliner.Fisrt pull goes to front center next rear center.Worrk front and rear to sidesWhen every wrinkle is running fr to rrthen you can begin the sides.Start at each bow,,pull on the listing,You will probably have to clip a little more,go slowif you clip to hi you won't be able to make it look right.Now after eac bow looks tight,you can work between them.I usually use contact cement as a start,no pulling staples that way and no holes. Jack

 

and dont be afraid to pull it tight front to rear. Also, I use the side of my hand to push along the seam from the center towards the window opening as I am pulling it tight with my other hand. This helps the listing slide into place.

 

WOW! 1 hour of playing around and it looks like this will work.
I haven't trimmed the edges or secured it yet but that's next.

 

now that's look'n pretty darn good to me.....

 

Looking very nice. The foam backed newer headliner fabric is my favorite for making old style sewn headliners. Easier to stretch and make look good than any other material.

 

Now thats what we,re talking about!Jim&jake give real good advice too.Jake your right that headliner stuff works great,only thing is it,s a little to shiny for restorations. Jack

 

Agreed. I'm not fighting any wrinkles at all.
I really appreciate all the help!
Along the windshield, do I wrap around the pinch weld where the gasket goes, or trim right up to it?


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Thommyknocker<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_8483552", true); </SCRIPT> you're so coming to help me- when i get dumb enough to attemp this!
LOOKS are good! on a scale 1-10,
1 being - instilling a SBC starter & 10 being-something like riding a moped on I-25 during rush hour?

 

Beautiful Thommy.

 

Trim it at the bottom of pinch weld edge. You want the gasket to seal against the body on the outside.


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Gotcha Jake, thanks.
Duck, it's somewhere around a 4 or 5. not terrible but time consuming and hard on the knees It definitely helps to have the glass out. This material has been easy to use. I haven't had a wrinkle yet.

Plugging right along. I've got the sides tucked up and tacked which went VERY well. I also did a test fit of the garnish molding.

I was a little worried about the sale panel area, but it looks like its going to come out nice. Maybe not quite as tucked along the roof as I was hoping but it's definitely not a show stopper.

For the B pillar, I think I might have a plan for that. I'll trim a heavy piece of card stock to fit behind the garnish molding and cover it with some extra material.

 

I think the sail area looks good. Your plan for the B pillar is the way it was originally done. You can be damn proud of your work...and say "I did it my self!"

 

Darn, and I thought I was being crafty. Is it the same for the A pillar also? Just a little strip should do that


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The A pillar had another strip of material sewn face to face to the windlace. Once the windlace was tacked down the strip flipped over and covered it and the garnish moulding covered the edge of strip. Too late for that. You may be able to do it like the B pillar or cut a strip of the fabric an inch or so wider than needed, lay it face to face with the windlace with the excess toward the inside of the car, using a tack strip staple that edge down in the same place as the windlace was stapled. A tack strip is a 1/2" strip of board similar in thickness to the backing of a tablet. Turn the top and bottom edges over and flip the strip toward the glass opening and glue down. The garnish will cover the edge. Hope this is understandable.

 

Do it just like jake said,it should come out nice.You done real good.I would be proud of it.I just wanted to tell you guys,the1st trim work i ever did was the headliner &windlace in my 54 ranchwagon,I was 14.62 now. Jack

 

Some similar experience here Jack. I ordered vinyl from the Sears Roebuck big book and sewed up a headliner for my first car at age 15. It was a '57 Ford 2 drhdtp. Sewn on my mothers old cabinet Singer. Been doing trim work ever since and I'm also 62.

 

Jake,
I got you. I'll give that and the B pillar a try tomorrow.

I can't thank you guys enough for your help, and I'd like to wish you a happy new year. I'm not to far behind you, I'm 44 this year.

I got a little crafty at least. I made another panel for the package tray, and finished off below the rear window. The garnish molding will all but hide the seam I made in the lower corners.
Installed the sun visors and dome light housing.

 

Way to go Thommy!!! I was a late bloomer with my first headliner at 18yo. Im 47 now and I learn something new every day! Jake and Jack have taught me some cool tricks. Again, Congrats!!!

 

once again looks good!
what was the total price on the headliner?

 

Super clean work, nice

 

Thanks. I can help ya when you get this far. Just don't ask me to color sand LOL. With the liner, sun visors, welting, extra material and 2 cans of glue shipped for $232.


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This has been such an informitive thread! Upholstry now "seams" like less of a dark art and actually possible for the average guy like myself. Thanks y'all.

 

Damn fine work Thommy. So cool that Jake & Jack's experience is nearly identical, thanks for sharing.

 

Make shure your windshield is sealed good. I did the headliner on my chopped 52 Chevy. After it was all done ,I was flying down the highway at like 60 and the headliner blew up like a balloon . Had to pull it out so I could drive home. I was of course ruined after that