Technical The upholstery thread to end all threads

Here is my Consew. The Lay Z Boy chair factory here used these for years, and when they bought a new line of machines, a lot of these ended up in the homes of their employees. My table has a front section that attaches with piano hinge and folds down when not in use.

The machine was setup for production in a factory that paid according to piece rate. I tried a lot of modifications to slow this machine down. I would highly recommend buying a servo motor to replace the type that is on my machine. Learning a new skill on a machine that is designed for high speed is not much fun.

 

That's because I just finished it. It won't stay that way for long. As far as your question about the servo motors, they are supposed to be way slower, since they don't have a clutch. You can sneak up on it , instead of the traditional on/off electric motor. Supposed to be really quiet as well. I just figured any help I could get, would be worth it to lessen the learning curve.

 

You're killing me

 

I just ordered this servo motor. I am shooting in the dark here. Have to hope the reviews are honest.

 

Just installed one on mine. Will be watching this thread me and the Lady are going to do our own upholstery also in our 34 roadster.

 

@Roothawg great looking space and congratulations on the machine . It looks like the one I use a Pfaff 145 and great machine.
I recommend buying some binding tape and will help you keep layers of materials in line. I also use spring clips to align panels

As far as needles I use a combination blunt for vinyl and knife or chisel point for leather. You use the knife point on leather because the needle will take the least point of resistance . Sewing leather with a blunt point you may experience a skip stitch here and there because the hook will miss the thread loop in the bobbin area. This is when the needle is off a bit in positioning and when it needle reaches the bottom and then starts its up stroke. This will create a loop in the thread and bobbin hook will catch the thread and create a knot. If its off a bit it will either fray the thread or miss or skip the thread.
The threads I am using depends on what I am sewing vinyl 69 works great and 100 nylon. I also use 92 on leather and sunbrella type materials .

 

first I bought this old Singer, then I bought all this thread, then I bought these books, then I bought this smaller machine, and I still havn't se wn one damn thing!

 

I am a book geek and a couple that I like to use as reference and learn stuff from. I think with any book you can take something out of it no matter what. Some thread and needle information sizing a needle to thread is recommended

 

So I guess my main question is what thread and needle size is most common? I don't want to invest in a bunch of stuff that is a once in a lifetime use.

 

Thread: 69 nylon bonded, Needle: 16/100.

 

Root, where did you score that? Cost? My machine is crazy fast! I think that may be my solution also! I’m not sure a speed reducer would get the job done on my singer!








Bones

 

Servo motor is far more useful than a speed reducer. To those who asked, its a variable speed motor controlled by voltage. I bought an assortment of needles made by Organ Needle company. I don't know if my portable takes the same size as your full size unit. I use these companies for supplies. Not saying they are the best but I have received good service without difficulties:https://www.dltcorporation.com
https://midwestfabrics.com http://www.larrydennis.com/aboutldc/default.asp
this for abs panels: https://www.usplastic.com/default.aspx
https://smsautofabrics.com/
https://www.rochfordsupply.com/

 

I've been spoiled most of my life with a Brother and a Wife that did all the stitchin stuff. My brother passed a few years back and my Wife,, well then there's that. I didn't actually sew but was a pretty good 3rd hand. I will say my old Consew machine is grate. It has what Jr called a Cone style slipper clutch. I don't understand that at all but the machine will stich slow enough to drink coffee between stiches or at full pedal pull the material out of your hands.
What hasn't been talked about here yet is work table. Having room behind the sewing machine is a good deal. My machine sits at the 4 ft end of a full 4' x 8' piece of 3/4" sanded finish cabinet grade plywood. Having a machine close to the actual seat cushion limits the miles you put on yourself while doing the job. Having the work table built at exactly sewing machine height lets ya run the yardage away from the sewing head without issues.
Something I learned the hard way is that Vinyl has a grain. It will flex better one way that the other. Sewn wrong for a concave curve (some door panels) and it will have ripples. Ya, it looked real good till I installed the arm rest and window handle.

Wish I had more to contribute. Wish I still had my Brother to do my Stitching.
This should be a good thread to follow.

 

I'm nowhere close to learning about sewing part.

My questions about upholstery begin with what materials are best for door panels. Specifically, what fasteners (I don't want them to be seen) and what type of "board" to use to make the panel before it is covered?

 

Brent, when I finished the interior of my '32 Roadster, I used Masonite or more commonly known as hardboard. For areas I had to shape, I used shower board. It is a thinner plastic that is easy to form. Both are available at Lowe's or any other home improvement warehouse. I attached the door panel with plastic door panel clips used on late-model vehicles. I was able to get these at the auto-body supply house in town.

Check out my '32 Roadster album for many pics of the interior. I was my first so I learned a ton by just doing it, trial and error. I was happy with the results of the hardboard and shower board.

Good Luck

 

Check out Cechaflo videos on youtube. He has very nice "how to" videos. Also the Sailrite videos are good. You have to get into doing most covers inside out. For best end results you need to make covers a tiny bit small and stretch, stretch, stretch when putting them on. Letting them set in the sun before installing helps.

 

Good idea for a thread, ill also be watching. Santa brought me a couple of old singers and it has been fun so far learning some of the basics

 

I went the smaller pulley route and my Pfaff still went 1000mph. I finally bought a speed reducer with a jack shaft and pulleys that goes between the motor and machine. It is much more controllable now, but I don't remember the brand I bought.

 

I'm in

 

So I ordered a servo motor and a 45mm pulley. I will see where that gets me.

 

I use American Trim and Upholstery Supply in Tulsa. https://www.atrim.com. They provide good quality materials at a great price, but more important their technical help was fabulous.

 

We have Gipson Trim here in OKC. The guy that owns it comes off as a harsh old codger, til he found out I built hot rods and lived about 1/2 mile from him. Now we are buds.

 

Tech help on something like this is very valuable.

For the most part upholstery work is just fabrication with another type of material. You make patterns , cut the material, and attach them together. There are tricks of the trade like most of the things we do.

 

I’m a raw beginner on the upholstery thing myself and I bought a good used Juki LU 563 walking foot machine and added the sew quiet 6000 servo motor.

I’ve broken myself in on the machine with a little nylon webbing project my son and I worked on for him.

Its a nice machine. I did a bunch of research on thread and needle size for different types of materials.

I have ordered thread and needles from the Thread Exchange and had good service.

https://www.thethreadexchange.com/

I’m looking forward to getting into it.

 

92 thread is the most common 21 needle 36fordguy

 

Be careful with needles. Pfaff's are apparently very particular on needle size. I spent a year trying to get my machine to stop breaking thread. I finally noticed that Cechaflo had the same machine I do so asked him and he told me what needles the machine needed to work properly and solved my problem.

 

That's pretty much the same motor I put on mine. Made a huge difference in my ability to control the speed compared to the clutch motor that was on it. Pros like @stanlow69 I'm sure are great and have no trouble with the clutch motor and controlling their speed, but a schmuck like me it was a big help.

 

Ok guys! I looked up that servo motor, read what little info they gave. Will that servo motor “ back up” that is reverse? If so, is that all it would take to put a reverse in my Singer sewing machine, which doesn’t have a reverse! A factor I learned “ after” I bought it! I just assumed all sewing machines had reverse! I was looking for a walking foot so hard, I forgot to check if it had a reverse! Now ,understand , I know nothing about sewing, but sixty plus years ago I remember seeing my Mom make her Singer go in reverse! It looked like that was real useful!






Bones

 

No they won't. The machine needs to have a reverse on it. Reverse is for locking stitches at the beginning and ending of passes. You will have to lift the presser foot and needle and physically move the material back and then restitch to achieve that without reverse.

 

I'm fortunate enough to have this lovely lady do all my upholstery and has taught me extremely valuable lessons with stitchin' She runs a new CONSEW and a Singer, loves the quietness and power of the CONSEW servo and parts are easy to get.
She goes by the Swede and obviously likes to party.