RUMCars Forum

General Category => Off Topic Lounge => Topic started by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 10, 2015, 10:19:06 PM

Title: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 10, 2015, 10:19:06 PM
Getting abit carried away with the sewing machine , done this for my brothers beach buggy rear seats
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Chris Thomas on February 10, 2015, 11:12:09 PM
Dear Steve

What temperature did you cook it at?

Chris Thomas
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Chris Thomas on February 10, 2015, 11:12:32 PM
Hot Seat
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 13, 2015, 12:01:29 PM
Haha Yep deff boiled it up ! If any one wants a Seat recovered i will do it for the price of the vinyl and postage to and from me , I need the practice , come on guys who's got a seat they want doing !
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 15, 2015, 11:29:32 AM
Didn't mean to be up at 3am finishing these
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: plas man on February 15, 2015, 03:20:26 PM
Haha Yep deff boiled it up ! If any one wants a Seat recovered i will do it for the price of the vinyl and postage to and from me , I need the practice , come on guys who's got a seat they want doing !

Vinyl  :o , we want Leatherette , and  we'll settle for nowt else  :D
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: AndrewG on February 15, 2015, 04:13:57 PM
Ah, "two nations divided by a common language".  British vinyl is American leatherette - well, except that vinyl is made in a factory whereas cute little leatherettes are bred on a ranch, then clubbed to death and skinned to make an upholstery material.  I read that on the internet, so it must be true.
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on February 15, 2015, 04:43:51 PM
To be honest American leatherette is British Vinyl with the leathery pattern moulded onto it but dont tell Plas man, he will get upset. ;D
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 15, 2015, 08:53:39 PM
Haha you lot are nuts ! It's leatherette, it's from an auto trimmers so good quality , the stuff I got off eBay was very thin and rubbish , I will put more detailed photos of the stitching to say if that will convince someone to let me sort out there seat
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: DaveMiller on February 15, 2015, 09:28:50 PM
There is, I think, a difference between leatherette and vinyl - but it's one of era, rather than definition and composition.

To me, the sort of thin, hard, totally unstretchable seat covering that was in the 1955 Bond I bought in 1970 was leatherette. The sort of material used in my first "proper" car (a '62 Vauxhall VX 4/90) looked actually less like leather (mind you, it was metallic blue!) but was thicker and more giving, being slightly elastic. That was vinyl.

Or is that just me?
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 15, 2015, 09:35:33 PM
well I for one would love to take you up on it , my Bond A and Gordon are done - need hoods for both still  :-\ I would love to get seats made up for the Bruetsch Pfeil but have no base or back to start with . there is a thick central tube in the car front to rear and yet I think the seat should be a one piece seat and a seperate one piece seat back . How to sort it a haven't worked out yet . Any ideas ?

i think you may have a point Dave , leatherette similar to that used to cover record players radios etc. or was that Rexine ?
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 15, 2015, 10:15:03 PM
Has it got any frame to it at all ?
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on February 15, 2015, 11:12:54 PM
Rexine, I think my Vox AC30 is covered in that stuff.

I agree with Dave, the earlier stuff was probably still made from vinyl but had different characteristics. I remember when Rhonda Bell trimmed my Inter seats with a nice grained Leatherette from Woolies she moaned about it not having any stretch in it. I remember it being backed with a very stoat canvas. A lot of the modern vinyl's are too stretchable in my view.
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on February 15, 2015, 11:17:38 PM
My Isetta seat needs recovering Steve. The vinyl is splitting along the stitch lines. It has to be a good job mind.
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 15, 2015, 11:43:04 PM
Leatherette has got a stretch to it , I will do a few more seats first before taking apart a seat that looks good already , I was after a metal frame or a seat that was completly ruined to upholster and learn from , that seat I just done cost me £25 so peanuts really, I'm guessing a pro would charge £300 for a custom seat and it's come out really well
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 16, 2015, 06:36:31 AM
Bob ! You started my day with a laugh -thank you  :) Rhonnda Bell and stoat canvas  ;D
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on February 16, 2015, 09:15:12 AM
Glad to have made your morning Richard.
Well I did say it was Leatherette didnt I? The leather could have been from a stoat! Specially bred for the purpose as andrewG suggested. ;D
Oh all right STOUT then but its much more boring. ;)
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 16, 2015, 09:55:21 AM
I've always loved the word stout , but it's sometimes used to describe me nowadays which I don't like  :)
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Big Al on February 16, 2015, 10:03:11 AM
Leatherette is a chemically produced imitation of leather. Some vinyl can be leatherette, then? Or is Leatherette a patented process? Snakeskin for Messerschmitts could be classed as leatherette, but is always called snakeskin, and is not patented. Not to be confused with leveret, which is only going to be small patches of hare.
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 16, 2015, 10:16:09 AM
I think rexine is cheaper , I know it doesn't (c)oscelot  ;)
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on February 16, 2015, 11:37:01 AM
Weaz,el like things to not cost osc'elot. :D
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 16, 2015, 12:02:09 PM
This is ridiculous ! On this forum one cannot tell if two things are stoatally different or just miss pelt
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on February 16, 2015, 12:31:53 PM
I know, its getting under my skin!  I'm told there is a good supplier in Stoat Newington!  ;D
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 16, 2015, 01:02:03 PM
I will go to stoat newington and stay with my Auntie  Vi n I'll see if he has any left ( GROAN )  :)
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on February 16, 2015, 01:08:54 PM
This has gone quite far enough! I'm surprise Marcus hasnt chipped in, this is his thing usually. I guess he is still recovering from the gig.
I'm told he has formed a new band  "Marcus de Mohair and the Leatherettes"!
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Big Al on February 16, 2015, 01:11:19 PM
Rexine? That was by the Police, wasn't it. No idea if anyone choose to cover it later, Mink DeVille. Ermine's 'Ermits?, Dave Brock of Hawkwind or maybe some otter band, but it was very popular in its day.
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 16, 2015, 01:46:24 PM
As Bob said this thread has probably run long enough , I have been expecting  Marcus to be piping up , he's probably in pleats . I know it's had me in stitches at times  ;D
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: AndyL on February 16, 2015, 03:32:46 PM
Easy lyrics to remember. Tune get's stuck in your head, despite being annoying!  ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5QErPDNcj4
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on February 16, 2015, 05:04:06 PM
Thats enough, no more furry stoat like animal puns please! In all seriousness, I did once buy some pretty good leatherette from Nick Pollcat of this forum, I think I still have it, ferreted it away somewhere! ;)
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: AndrewG on February 16, 2015, 07:09:31 PM
I remember it being backed with a very stoat canvas.

Typical - what looks like a vegetarian-friendly seat material is ruined because they slaughter wee animals to make the backing canvas!

Surely the main use of Rexine was to cover the outside of Dansettes and Roberts radios?
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Big Al on February 16, 2015, 07:14:37 PM
All done to make filthy Lutra.
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 16, 2015, 08:55:30 PM
Had this leatherette sent in the post today from a car trimming supplier , I thought the last stuff I got off of eBay was good but this is loads better quality , got to deside what colours to do the final peel seat in
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Big Al on February 16, 2015, 09:04:00 PM
Orange, damn, its not there! Well someone had to say it!
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: plas man on February 17, 2015, 04:17:03 PM
enough of the rag trade , now to the mechanic's - what model Singer are you using Steve ?
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 18, 2015, 07:05:16 PM
It's a 99k machine , I don't know any thing about machines but I need a better one
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 18, 2015, 08:22:16 PM
I know nothing of upholstery or seat making but this is basically all that I have
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 18, 2015, 09:05:43 PM
The original seat looks flat with no pleats or piping to it ? Did you want that or did you want to add something else to it ? Masking tape loads of paper together and trace the contour of that top curve roughly , hight of the seat and width , same with base and I can do it for you , this is my bros beach buggy I've just done , just needs stretching and stapling to the base
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 18, 2015, 09:25:14 PM
that looks great and thats a great offer Steve , but will have to wait for me too figure out a base of some sort and surely a seat back needs some contour in the depth - for back support ? And what seat height is needed to make a driveable position -  how does one figure these things out ? Any ideas anyone ? thanks
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 18, 2015, 09:44:51 PM
A ply backing will bend to the contour when the bolts are done up , in the peel I just sat in the car on wood blocks till I thought it was about the right right then welded the frame up
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 18, 2015, 09:50:09 PM
seat height logical hmmm ,  seat back contour ? whats that ? What did you do about your project Bob ?
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 18, 2015, 10:04:18 PM
I'm rubbish at explaining , this is what I meant by contours
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 18, 2015, 10:11:51 PM
ah ok, the top contour would obviously have to be measured and drawn - no problem . theres no back contour its absolutely flat as a board , see photo . But is a flat seatback supportive I think not , surely it needs some sort of lumbar support i.e. a " bulge" at lower back position but depth and height ? perhaps just try my Bond A seats in the Bruetsch and copy them in solid foam ? but again how do I make a single seat with a large tube running through it ? I will have to think this one out .
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on February 18, 2015, 10:26:04 PM
Have the seat base start at the same height as the tube and it won't be an issue and you can have it as a bench seat, for the lumbar support you sew in a foam called scrim foam to get a bulge , that way you just use a flat block of foam
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: DaveMiller on February 19, 2015, 06:20:27 AM
It may be, Richard, that you have to buy the foam, and cut and carve it till you're satisfied with the size and shape.  Then send the blocks off to Steve to cover them?
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on February 19, 2015, 08:54:52 AM
Thanks both
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on March 02, 2015, 08:42:30 AM
Door cards I made for a vw campervan
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Bob Purton on March 02, 2015, 10:35:28 AM
Looking good Steve.
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on March 05, 2015, 06:44:15 PM
Base of seat finished, someone must have a seat for me to recover ?
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: richard on March 05, 2015, 06:46:27 PM
i still have no seat to cover  :'( mind i have just bought ANOTHER project that may need them  ;)
Title: Re: Upholstery
Post by: Peel replica, Steve Fisk on March 05, 2015, 07:51:44 PM
What have you got then ? I'm ready and armed with a sewing machine