I am thinking about doing my own upholstery and I was talking to my momz about helping sew them up. She was questioning whether the vinyl would be to tough on her machine and burn up her clutch like jean material had in the past. And also does anyone know what the sparkley vinyl is called in the industry, so I might find a dealer who carries it.
My Mother in law has done some boat seats with her regular machine. I know she had to use a thick needle and take it slow, but otherwise it worked fine. Here is a link to a place that has metalflake vinyl... http://kristkustoms.com/metal.html
The material you're talking about is called Zodiac. I think a few guys here on the HAMB might be able to get you some. It is spendy though. When I worked at an upholstery shop, I saw first hand how tough alot of automotive material is to sew. I think your Mom's sewing machine would have trouble doing the job. Alot of it also depends on how many layers you are going through. Pleats, landau foam and binding can be a thick bunch of material to sew through. E
For what it's worth, I'm no pro... It *can* be done on a regular ol' machine, but don't expect greatness. Ya need a machine with what's called a "walking foot", where the foot actually lifts and moves (like it's walkin'...duh...I guess I already said that). Otherwise the machine will pull the material all wrong. I don't sew myself, but I worked in a trim shop for about a year doin' everything but. I've seen some cheap ones thru Harbor Freight, seems like less than $300 (a good one can be 10x that) but I've never checked them out. It's not that easy...buy extra material is all I gotta say! Olson
First of I've always called that sparkley vinyl "Bass Boat Hull" vinyl, but that's just me. It has no universal name, just call it that sparkley stuff and they'll probably know what you're looking for. Most suppliers carry itt and Naugahyde makes a high quality version of it. As for the machines capacity to sew multiple layers of automtive vinyl, I sincerely doubt it. Most home machines are designed for fabric used in clothing. If your mom had trouble with denim, the vinyl will more than likely give the same troubles. If you're using a lightweight cloth for the upholstery, you may be able to use a home machine, but vinyl will likely give you trouble. An industrial machine is designed with what's called a walking foot. This has two sections: An outer foot and an inner foot. These feet move forward alternately to press the material to the feed dog underneath and pull it backward as the stitch is made. Regular machines only have one foot and this is designed for lightweight materials. The one foot set up makes it difficult to feed the layers of material evenly and without puckering them. Also, most home machines will not have the welting foot to sew the welt. Welt is the round "piping" at the edges of the seat top and the skirts. It's that decorative trim and the major seams. If your mom is adventurous, she can try it but she's very likely to damage her machine. Industrial machines are a bit pricey but can sometimes be found at a good deal if you look around. Hope this helps you out even if it's not what you want to hear. Good luck!
I agree. If denim was giving you a hard time on that machine, then vinyl is gonna be hell. Zodiac is pretty heavy stuff too. I did my first upholstery job on my mom's sewing machine, and it was awful. I had to stop every 6-8 inches to fix the sewing machine.
Thanks for the info. I forgot that there is a section at my work where they sew heavy banner material and such and I am talking to some of the people who work in the department to see if the machines they use can handle it. I don't think they have the walking foot, only the lower feed where the bobbin is.
Unless your mom has one of those singer machines from before the war it probably won't cut it. You can still find those old battle axe sewing machines at antique stores. They are really rugged, and will do the job if you can use it. I've seen them converted to electric, maybe some were electric to start?
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