Upholstery, a beginners journy

or plea for help?

I haven't seen a lot of project threads detailing interior trim work Maybe it's the excitement of having a nearly competed car, the lack of knowledge, or a much larger budget than mine that drive guys to their local trim shop?
Or perhaps I'm crazy for wanting to do it ALL myself? After all, I've come this far...LOL

I'm by no means an experienced auto trimmer, but I've done a few small projects here and there. I like to figure things out, and hopefully with a little advice from the more experienced, I'll be able to stitch up a decent interior.


I'm going to spin off this new thread from my previous build thread:
Final chapter in the crummy chop
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=390824
And here is the victim, my '50 chevy chopped sedan.

And next is a picture of the samples I got showing the colors I'm thinking about using.

 

So let's begin:

While I was out with my wife shopping, we swung into my local Joanne's to see what they have.
I grabbed this remnant of home upholstery material (I know pretty huh?) and a few needles and thread.

I figured I'd start with a smaller piece to copy, like the center armrest.
I choose to pick apart the original vinyl and leather piece and use them for my pattern. I had to go back and relabel the pattern, caus I screwed up and put one piece upside down But that's easy to fix, pick it apparts and sew it back up!
My second attempt looks all right! The important part to remember is the little notches are used to line up the pieces, and label those pieces.

While I'm shopping for a bigger machine, I'll skip the welting and use my Mom's home machine with a walking foot attachment. It actually worked pretty good!

 

Before I put the sewing machine away, I stitched my little samples together.

Man, this stuff is easier to handle. The little machine even went through 4 layers

 

Keep at it,you'll get it.Don't cut it too big,a little small,tight is better.Too big and it will look like socks on a rooster.Use chalk as a marker,never a felt pen,even ink will transfer where you don't want it.China markers are good too. P.m me if you need specific advice,or ask on here,there are plenty of trimmers with talent here. jack

 

Subscribed!!

 

Hey Tug, hows your 50 doing?
Jack, thanks for chiming in. Chalk works well on the tweed, but wouldn't show on the flowers LOL

If I look into my crystal balls, I think the headliner will be the first thing.
I had to make strips for the wind lace tack strip. The stuff I used is from home despot, 1/4" thick and like a fiberboard. It takes staples ok.

On to my first headliner question.
In the second pic, you can see where the little claws were removed by the previous hack. This is where the end of the headliner would grab.

What would be a good replacement? I might be able to make something like that.

Also, how would you attach the headliner down to the sides of the package tray? Possibly just use a panel on the tray, and glue to that?

Above the rear quarter window, how does the headliner attach here? Just glue?

 

Lots of trimming info here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=174

Use adhesive to glue the headliner around the top of the quarter window. Be carefull to apply the adhesive to just the under edge. The garnish moulding will then cover that edge.

Not sure if you meant the first pic for the part missing. If you mean the saw tooth retainer/tuck strip...I make them for many cars that never had them. I'll search for some pics on my other computer tomorrow.

For the rear corners next to the package tray...use adhesive to glue it down to the tray surface. Then the package tray will cover that edge.

 

Yes,just as jake said contact cement.if your car has trim around the glass,be sure it covers that wood you put there before stapling.also along the sides where you added new wouod,secure it good in some places.you could bend a few of the tabs,or put contact cment in the channel,i like stuff called intant grip.comes in a caulk tube,used in shower panel installs.keep at it. jack

 

subscibed

 

Subscribed, stuff I'll need one of these days. Thanks for the thread.

 

Jake, thanks, I've been trolling there for quite a while now.

BrerHair: I missed your build entirely. And what do I see on the first page? The answer to my question
Pic blatently stolen from you



I guess I assumed it would be more sophisticated then that LOL

 

Over the years I have made many sewn headliners for 50s Ford and Chevy PUs that didn't have such a thing. I also use these tuck strips on mid 30s to 40s Gm cars and others that didn't have tuck strips on the edges.

I actually have a heating/cooling guy make the strips. Strips are 4 feet long, cut 1 3/4" wide, bend over and flatten a 1/4" edge, and put a light bump with a brake about half way. To fit them to the vehicle I use a die grinder cut off wheel to cut slits to almost the edge. Cut the slits from 1/2" or more apart depending on the radius to go around. When screwed down it forms a tight fit to tuck the headliner edge under.



The piece in my hand and below it are the ones. The other parts are listing bows and the ends for attaching the bows that I make from brake line.





These pics are in a '59 Chev PU so I didn't use windlace. In your case I would make and fit the tuck strips first, then remove them, install the windlace, reattach the tuck strips and then you are ready to install the headliner and tuck the edges under the strips.

Jake

 

That is awesome Jake thanks!!

 

Very cool Jake!

 

throw some more pics out there for us to view...looks simple but yet clean and neat.

 

Interior fitting gets very 'crafty'. Jake's use of brake line tubing is a good example, as it can be shaped with the related tools; but more important, it is coated and won't rust inside the headliner in time...
Imagine that brown stain, oozing out between your piping...

 

Thom, you done yet? Hahahaha!

 

Cool Jake!
That's the reason I posted my build thread Thommy, hoping it could be helpful in some way.

 

I have been saving these pics to do a "how to" on sewn headliners from scratch, but since it's been 7 years since I took them I'll add a few more...

When installing a headliner, attach the rear first, front second, and the sides last.

It is a tight fit between the tuck strip and the roof edge or windlace so I use a plastic glass bone (wedge) to give a little room to tuck and be carefull not to tear the material. Then I use a tucking tool (available from any UPH supplier) to tuck the edge of the headliner up and under the strip.





No close up of the finished edge...just the complete headliner. Nice finished edge where it was tucked.

 

Wow, thanks Jake!
I dug through my boxes and found the tuck strip poky things for over the doors! I forgot about them, Thanks.

Another dumb question
It's chopped quite a bit, I've got 12" of windshield. Would you even bother with sun visors or would it look funny without them?


Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

I would put them in. Remember what it's like driving home against the sun at sunset? Put them in.

 

Please do this!!!!

 

I would suggest shortening the visors, otherwise they will cover almost the whole window, when turned down. Attached pictures are of the visors in my Plymouth wagon. Bob

 

Thanks Jake and Bob for the info.
I took 1 1/2" off mine.

I'm going to triple check my measurements, but I think I'm ready to order my headliner.

From here:
http://www.wlsheadliners.com/classi...ique-car-headliners-by-your-measurements.html.

They'll make it to my measurements, which they gave me a few pointers since I don't have an old one.
Email from WLS

"The bows need to be straight up in the car (or if there is an imprint on the top where the rested, use this) - measure from front glass to first bow (add 3 inches) - then from rod to rod - last measurement - from last rod to the furtherest point the headliner goes. When measuring across the car - measure somewhere around the middle of where the panel should be, or follow the rod toward the rear of the panel (add 6 inches to this measurement) - it may get wider as it goes toward the back - in some cases the last panel can be as wide as 85 inches."




Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad

 

Using heating/cooling ,metal strips for tuck strips is genius. Great idea. Thanks for sharing the secret.

 

I'll be real interested to see how the headliner you are ordering fits. Let us know when you get it in. Thanks.

 

Is there a commercial source for the metal tucking strips?
Most sheet metal shops won't mess with a small custom job.
Hard to even find any kiind of small fab shop anymore.

 

Hope you can get some help from a tech I did some time back;
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=604077
Dana

 

Not available that I know of. If you can shear some strips and have access to a sheet metal brake, you can make them yourself. Use galvanized 20 gauge. I actually go to the back room of the heating/cooling place and get the working Joes to make them in their spare time and pay about $20 for their beer fund. I get about a dozen at a time. You need to get creative in working with the system. Good luck. Jake

 

You can also make the strips yourself.Use roof flashing,run thru bead roller step dies and thjen tipping dies.I have also cut them to shape then rolled them[not as easy].if you want a very nice rounded edge a wire can be rolled in.Another option is 2 layers of luan,cut to shape,one smaller than the other.that will make the step edge to tuck into.These guys,like me have had to get creative in the trim business. good luck, jack