Folks Of Interest I have freaking had it! A rant about people not following through

My point is if there was piles of people willing to spend the money someone would come along and fill that void or a existing quality shop would expand to fill it. The fact that someone isn't indicates there really isn't that many customers willing to pay a realistic rate out there. A shop being booked to October may sound like a lot but when you consider that a complete car probably takes a high quality shop about a month if not more that's only 10 or so customers.

This thread is a perfect example of how many people are not willing or able to pay for quality work and I am in that group as I did my wn upholstery as well. Top quality tradesmen earn every penny they make I just am not willing to spend that on a hobby.

 

I took the seat from my 57 F100 to my upholstery guy in early March. Seat, door and kick panels. I had a drawing of what I wanted and like times before, I left a deposit. He has done multiple seats for me, nice guy, always done really quick and good quality.

A week goes by and he text me that due to the Covid outbreak, all his suppliers were closed and he could not get foam. I get it, no worries. A couple months go by...still no foam. Couple more months...now he has foam but says now he's trying to get caught up on work. I'm thinking "wasn't mine right at the front of the line?" I haven't talked to him since. This was a couple months ago. Left a sour taste in my mouth. But he does good work at a fair price. So who knows.

 

My Wife did this for me (I did try to help)!

 

Here locally the best two stitch guys have long lines. The others take so long you might as well get in line for the two best and get the same timeframe

 

On the other end of the spectrum, I knew a lady who did stained glass projects and was REALLY good at it. The problem she ran into were the people who would commission a project, and never return to pick it up. Sometimes she could sell it to recoup some of her investment into it, but some of them were dismantled for other projects, so she lost out on her labor. She had talked about retiring and selling the business, but covid kind of forced her hand, and she eventually just closed it down. She was a big help to me when I was restoring some antique stained glass doors and windows because I have a strong appreciation for trade skills; it's unfortunate that many people don't.

 

My brother was a trimmer for a lot of years. If you decide to buy a sewing machine and tackle your own car upholstery, do yourself a favor and buy a machine that has a walking foot.

 

Good advice. I have been looking at them recently. Had to look up a walking foot to see exactly what it was.

 

I have a friend that is a custom home builder. He told me that if he could get a drywall guy or a tile man that would show up, stay sober and could actually read a tape, he could keep him in 6 figures a year. He gets so frustrated. He always allows a little time between builds for the guys to blow their checks and come back hungry.

 

3 tries at getting a taper out to the house. Nobody would even show up after they said they would

 

I needed a top for an OT convertible. The places quoted me $800-$1000 for the job. It was for a car worth $2000
at best. I priced a top at JC Whitney $250ish. I decided to do it myself. Figured I could ruin 4 tops before I was in the red. Bought an air stapler and a bunch of staples for way less than $100. It took less than a day to do the top and it looked ok on the first try.

 

I built a nailhead for my buddy’s 57 century and As a partial payment he gave me a 50 yr old machine and taught me a few things (he is a retired upholstery shop owner). I haven’t done a full car yet but I am no longer nervous about doing my own stuff especially flat door panels. I did a seat and it was do able but I did have a lot of help.
I do get the not wanting to invest in another skill because of the time but it’s hard to find people to do the work.
Next I need to get over my body work fears!

Scott

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Just finished reading this entire thread because I'm interested in other people's experience with upholstery in hot rods and customs.
I have a '31 Hiboy roadster which is as finished as it ever will be as far as body and paint. IMO, no true hot rod is ever finished mechanically because there's always something else you want to try!
But the only upholstery in it is the covers on the TR-6 bucket seats I found, freshly upholstered and installed them.
I have mixed emotions whether it's really worth what most want for the job or whether they just want to charge what the market will bear!
The one guy we have here in town that does a decent job at a somewhat reasonable cost also has a lot of regular repeat customers who are used car dealers.
If they get hold of a vehicle that is nice, all but one or two problems in the interior, he is very good at doing repairs that look like the work wasn't done and it's still original and never damaged. He gets a lot of this work.
And if your car is in his shop and in the midst of being completely upholstered and one of these jobs comes in that's where he'll put his efforts till he finishes and can get back to your pride and joy!
So then this process repeats frequently and your job just sits while he tends to these repeat, steady customers, maybe for months..
So, I drive the Hiboy without door panels or floor mats and console myself that at least they've, got a coat of paint on them!

 

Our city is installing new water meters, that meant I needed new shut offs above and below the meter. First two plumbers quoted me 1,000 and1,200 dollars and good do it that day or the next, wanna sign up? Nope. . Third guy said they work by the hour on jobs like that $149.00 first hour, 139. after that. But a three week wait, which was fine. He made all the arrangements witht e city, including having the city fix a broken street cutoff and bring the meter to the house at the appointed day and time. City did their part, plumber did his part bot as scheduled. Nice tidy work. My cost $202.00.

Not all contractors are goofballs.

On the other had a landscaper wanted 1,700 to dump and level some class 5 for a parking spot next to my garage and I'd need to wait three weeks. Uh...no thanks.

 

Thankyou from me, and the other one, whoever he may be.

Granted, greed has replaced pride in many ways, but there are still many good people out there. They are harder to find, and when you do find them, there will usually be a waiting list to get them to do your job. The consumer can be to blame at times for not having the patience. We are certainly moving toward a money, money, money, now, now now society.

 

Unless you have tried it I think it's hard to comprehend how labour intensive upholstery work is. I equate it to body work if you have never done it you have no idea what all is involved. The big difference with upholstery work that I found is mistakes are costly in both time and materials. Once that needle pierces that piece of material there is often no going back and fixing a mistakes without starting anew and it can set you back multiple steps to fix a mistake. In my entire build there was nothing more stressful than doing the upholstery.

 

Getting anyone to work for you as become a universal problem. I have heard too many stories from too many people. One shop here wanted $2000 to do the front and back seat for my Chrysler. Its best to buy a sewing machine and do it yourself.

 

This is why there are not a lot of quality guys out there and that's not meant to be a put down as I was in the same boat.

This tiny cab cost me about $1500 in materials alone. I obviously don't get the same pricing a shop gets but it ain't cheap.

 

Professional tradesmen do get better material pricing, but there is also a value in them having the training, experience, insurances, etc to do their job properly and safely. Surely you wouldn't expect to pay your upholsterer the same rate you would pay someone to sweep your floor.................................................
I am talking about quality tradesmen and women, not the fly-by-nighters. A good job will cost you. A succession of bad jobs will cost you more. Do it once, do it properly.

 

Who said they would?

 

Well I lied a bit. I did my coupe a few years back and fucked up the headliner . But final deal was when The Hog ring kicked me off the forum because I wasn’t a professional upholster. So I sold the machine until recently found these Lucky Needle videos and decided to give it another try. This was the coupe I did and found a picture on the internet of it.


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Hey @K13 , that was not directed at you, although it may have seemed that way because it followed your post. It was a general statement, and I stand behind it 100%. I have experienced it myself. Some people choose their contractors based on the premise that the more expensive ones must be ripping them off. Not always true. Sometimes the cheaper ones are cutting corners. I lost a job recently based on cost, and then got called back to rectify what the other clown deemed satisfactory work.

Edit: I didn't charge labour time for this. I figured that the elderly couple had already paid once. Chalk it down to 'advertising expenses'.

 

Excellent. Went through a high cost Bay window (2) purchase/install. A little custom in size and some opening fabrication. Sales person didn't just over charge, he robbed us. Our fault, but the work [Two Polish guys and three days fini], and window quality/workmanship was fine. Sales person called a couple years later selling roofing, which the garages needed, just to see what the price would be I said come on over. After all the flimflam he quoted $16,000 on a $10,000 job [three other quotes] so he was trying to rob us again. I said no. I watched him load his salesman shit into his car and he was so mad he was talking to himself; the mark wasn't like he thought it would be..

 

I wonder if we as consumers have to be like government agencies. Put a bid out, accept the bid, work out the details and penalties. I/e if completed to spec by xx/xx/xx payment in full. As delays come, payment is decreased. Of course bonuses apply by completing the project early to specifications

just thoughts

 

Well Roothawg, explain it to me, please. I thought the walking foot was a big thing that you had to have a special machine. When I looked it up, it said it was just a part of the machine, the foot, I guess that was turned up a little more! It looks like it could be added to any machine! The guy I bought my machine off of said mine had a walking foot! Still not sure?
Any help? Thanks. Here’s a pic of mine.

 

"I wonder if we as consumers have to be like government agencies. Put a bid out, accept the bid, work out the details and penalties. I/e if completed to spec by xx/xx/xx payment in full. As delays come, payment is decreased. Of course bonuses apply by completing the project early to specifications"

 

On a walking foot machine the presser foot moves up and down and forward and back basically pulling the material through the machine as you sew. It lifts moves forward drops down on the material then pulls it backward as you sew. A normal sewing machine only pulls material through from the feed dogs on the bottom. You cannot just add it to a machine as it is part of the mechanics of the whole machine. When you get into multiple layers of thick material the walking foot keeps the material moving through the machine. Without it you basically have to manually pull the material through which when you are trying to keep 4 or 5 layers together and lined up is not fun.

 

Ok, thanks! That makes sense ! I was getting conflicting descriptions of a walking foot! I think I got took, then as mine only has a large foot, that will climb, but doesn’t have that back and forth motion. That is why I bought this machine, because it was supposed to have a walking foot. If it has a walking foot , the bottom of the foot should be serrated? Right?
Thanks,








Bones

 

Sorry my description wasn't great. It's more the needle part of the foot that moves forward and back. The part in the middle of your presser foot in your picture. Then the outer foot just moves up and down like a clamp almost. Some of my feet are serrated some are not. That looks like it might be a welting foot you have on now and my welting foot is smooth.

 

You might try Morgan Bulleigh in Wichita they have been around sence the 50s

 

@Roothawg and @guthriesmith I went to a Collage trade school program(since closed) and worked in the industry for 10 years before venturing out on my own. There is an upholstery program at McPhearson`s in Kansas. The main thing is you want a 4 to 5 inch stitch length. At least that small. 4 would be better. Other wise when you sew, you have heard the term: tear along the dotted line. Pay a little more for a machine with reverse. $800 would be a good deal. but $1200 is more common. Finding a $400 to $500 dollar machines are very common, but no reverse and 5 to 6 stitches an inch with no walking foot. You should be able to sew thru upholstery grade non water proof panel board with a layer of carpet and binding. My machine can.