Technical The upholstery thread to end all threads

The "bead" I'm talking about is around the perimeter of the inside of the steel door's surface where the upholstered door panel will sit. The upholstered door panel can sit inside that bead, or on top of it.
Now that you've brought up wind-lacing, does a 32 Ford roadster even have wind-lacing? If so, where does it go?

 

OK, that clarifies what you're asking. It's been awhile since I've looked closely at roadster doors. I think the upholstery panel edge just gets real close to the inner door panel edge, can't remember the term(door-frame, idk), but it exists 'twixt the door skin & inside door panel. Windlacing use? I'd have to go pic-searching, I can't say for sure. Guess it could/did go either way, with or without, at least for hotrodders. If you do use it, windlacing would go around the front, bottom, & back edges of the panel. Nothing to seal on the doortop edge. A wag would be that it'd be used by the factory, if only as a finishing touch. ??? Now I'm curious myself. .
FWIW.
Marcus...

 

I need some help from the upholstery gurus. I would like to do the kick panels, doors, package tray, etc. in my '30 A coupe. I don't have a sewing machine or the skill so I've been looking at the pre-pleated materials available out there. Anybody have advice as to which ones to buy for this project. Problem is I have a great set of early Mustang Pony buckets in it in the Ivy Gold color which has not been easy to find in the pre-pleated material. Anybody got some pointers?
Thanks,
Andy

 

Can you find the material in the color you want? Maybe someone could sew the pleats for you and then you could cut it to fit your needs? Hopefully there is somebody in your area that could help you out.

 

Did this in my basement. The white pleated material came pre sewn with foam backing. It is made for a boat so the pleats have a pebbled texture to them.



There are plenty of videos on YouTube for making no sew panels. This is the one I followed

 

I had no upholstery experience at the end of 2023. I bought a Sailrite LS1 machine (that’s it in the background), watched a bunch of YouTube videos, did a new seat for my beat up old golf cart as a practice piece (and sewed a bunch of vinyl scraps for practice, too) and then, in Jan-Mar, did this interior for my ‘28 RPU. The pleated panels started as plain vinyl, to which I stitched 1/4” sew foam. If I can do it, you probably can, too.

 

OK, gave birth to my first door panel today...

 

Real pleats, done the easy way...

 

Great job SDS.

 

Looks awesome. Nicely done

 

Very, very nice job!!!!!!!

 

Big kudos to whoever turned me on the Weldwood landau top adhesive. I returned the five spray cans of 3M stuff and bought a gallon of Weldwood and a $20 EZE glue spraygun. This stuff is amazing to work with and stocks like mad. In addition, I've made two door panels and only used about an inch from the gallon can.
Will never go back to spray cans.

 

nev

never heard of the glue sprayer before!

 

What is a EZE glue spray gun? Can you give more info on it?

 

https://www.albrightssupply.com/eze-spray-glue-gun-with-aluminum-cup-ctezsprgun

 

Thank you, I am going to look into buying one!

 

I bought both the Weldwood landau adhesive from:
https://www.yourautotrim.com/ezespg...4judmjpJBrHljw4l7cMOT8zierfLd3hUaAmGjEALw_wcB
...and the EZE spray gun from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/EZE-TB-10P-S...15191722&sprefix=eze+spray+gun,aps,135&sr=8-2
There are no small parts/orifices to become clogged like you get with a paint spray gun. I like the plastic cup, so you can easily see if you're running out. Leave the adhesive in the gun and hang it, the solvent keeps it from drying up.

 

Need advice on the carpet...

I am not afraid to piece and sew it together with a seam around the trans cover and a few seams over the trans cover, but am concerned about seam allowances making it tough to get a tight fit. Also concerned about the seams being bulky on the back side. I bought jute and can shove the seams down into the gaps between the jute panels, but have been thinking to not use the jute.

Another option is to make the trans cover carpet as a separate piece with a bound edges...either the trans cover over the edges of the flat floor carpet, OR the flat floor carpet over the trans cover edges. In any regard, I'll also have removable floor mats with bound edges.

Need some recommendations from guys who've done a few of these.

Thanks~

 

I like the trans cover with the binding on it and separate from the main floor. Good thing is if you have to take the cover off you don't have to remove half the carpet to get to it. I guess it is just what you like the best.

 

This guy has good techniques...

 

I made a pleated panel for the Devon before I saw your post. That looks great. I have already sewn the upper and lower panel to it, and probably do not have enough material to do it anyway so I probably won't take it apart, but it really puffs up the pleats.

 

SDS, one of the guys on allmetalshapers.com uses belting and adhesive and then sews with a large needle and twine to bind any darts or inside corners. That doesn't add to the thickness.

 

Use contact adhesive to attach the cover to the panel, glue one section at a time and pull it tight (front only).
Then, flip over and hand brush the contact adhesive to the back of the panel and the 2" border of remaining fabric. Pull it as tight as you can without tearing, then stick it to the back-side (about a 3-4 inch section at a time). I got a lot of the wrinkles, kinks and pulls out by doing it that way.
Also, doing it in a warm work area REALLY HELPS versus cold. The vinyl really complies when it's warm.

 

Like the second example in this video?



Looks like a time consuming pain in the keester, but is probably the best method for not adding bulk to the seams.

Works with flat seams too

 

The carpet I am using is loop, not cut pile. The rows of loops are easily visible.
Do I run the rows front to back, or side to side?

 

Yes, but skipping the first hand sew portion and hand sewing the belting to the carpet on each side of the gap.

 

This is how I did mine. None of the upholstery or carpet has been attached in this picture so its all kind of loose and hanging but it gives the general idea.

 

55 chevy

 

Carpet day...



Going to screw down the sill plates, then trim the rest of everything. I've decided to go the route where the firewall will be a separate piece and ty floor carpet will go over the top of the transmission cover carpet and the floor carpet will have a nice bound edge

 

The trans cover carpet happened today...



I'll sit the trans carpet out in the sun, so it molds a little, before gluing it to the cover. Will only glue in a few spots and not on the flange in case I need to get the screws out to remove the trans cover.
Next, have to bind the carpet edges on the hole for the transmission then do the firewall.