My father taught me the Upholstery business years ago. I do some re-upholstery, but it is not my main business. When he retired he gave me a cushion stuffing machine. We used to use it to stuff seat cushions. I'm sure it could do spring unit backs as well. Does this have any value? I am looking to sell it to make room in my wood shop.
John
Is it the big metal contraption with the foot pump? And the wheel that compresses the sides? If so, I sat mine out by the curb years ago.
I had one years ago and loved it. If you close I'll take it. Where might you be?
Quote from: sofadoc on February 08, 2011, 05:06:47 pm
Is it the big metal contraption with the foot pump? And the wheel that compresses the sides? If so, I sat mine out by the curb years ago.
Just curious what you're using now?
I used one at a local shop and loved it. I'd like to have one myself!
Whenever possible, I bring the zipper around each side far enough to easily stuff the cushion by hand. I also have the EZ cushion stuffer, which I seldom use. For cushions with tight zippers, I usually use a plastic bag and vacuum hose.
To me, the old mechanical cushion stuffer was more usefull back in the day when most cushions were spring units. It took up too much room in my shop. I don't miss mine one bit. I tried to sell it. No takers.
These machines stuff foam cushions better that anyone Ive seen do it by hand. Something about being able to press the foam against the front boxing that hard just cant be done by hand.
I agree they take up allot of room in a shop but they are great tools. Really Baker! :-)
After reading Paul's comments, I realize that those old mechanical stuffers might be more useful than I thought.
The one that I ditched years ago had some moving parts that were badly worn, making it cantankerous to use. It probably jaded my opinion of them.
Anybody near Cookeville, Tn.? Here's a nice one that's priced right:
http://www.golsn.com/listings/equipment-tools/industrial_machines/1693657.html
I have a customer that drives right through Cookeville a lot. I thought he might pick it up for me, but he's not going any time soon.
I did talk to the lady that is selling it. She still has it.
It's funny, a while back I was bashing these machines with you Sofadoc. I said I hated using it and it took up too much room. Well a couple weeks ago I had something like 18 cushions to stuff. All were a really scratchy fabric and my arm was raw after three and I was really starting to dread the job. Then I thought about the 'medieval torture device' in the back corner under all the junk and though I'd give it a shot. Like you say it was cantankerous to use but also like Paul says it really made a sharp cushion. So I pulled it out farther from the wall and really cleaned it up. After a little (wait a LOT) of oil the wheel started spinning freely. Then I REALLY looked at the little cog thingy at the back and found that it was in backwards which is why it was such a PITA to use. Well. I have since taken back everything bad I've ever said about this lovely piece of machinery, and apologized to the boss for almost coming to blows about me wanting to throw it out. If only I could use it to stuff V berth cushions.
sofadoc that one you posted a link to looks good. Wish it were closer. Mine didn't even have the padded foot petal just metal :)
Wow, 25 years in the trade in Australia and have never seen one. Only one I have seen was a vacum powered one where you use the plastic to suck all the air out of the foam. That was used in a mass production factory, its allways been, strong hands and a long sleave shirt for me. :o
i use a wet and dry vacuum cleaner with a shower
water trap attached to the pipe.
Cover the foam in silk wrap and turn on the vacuum
the foam shrinks to about a quarter the size..
like the FL school does it.
rich
Ya know I have yet to try the shrink wrap way of filling a cushion. I suppose as long as the fill is pushed forward enough before letting the air back in it would suffice.
With the machine I always filled the cushion so the foam fill was probably compress half way in the cover. Then as I worked it it would come back toward the rear (zipper). Most times I had to actually pull it back. But that is the best part as the front is nice and tight.
Paul,
It just seems to me that you were working in the dark ages for so long with that mid evil stuffing machine that you never developed any real stuffing techniques. Oh, it would be cool to have a customer come into the shop and take them on a museum tour of all the steam powered upholstery machines of years gone by....sooner or later the compressor will kick on, they'll spot the recoil hose and staple gun, then the gig will be up.
Thirty years or so ago when the uph trade transitioned from mechanical stuffers to vacuum stuffing we followed in the footsteps of the manufacturers. It absolutely did a great job but the plastic made a lot of noise if left in. Pulling out the plastic was kind of a hassle. Those big rolls of film didn't come cheap either. I don't see remnants of the film in cushions like I used to. Maybe they use bigger zippers nowadays?
Quote from: fingers on February 27, 2011, 12:47:01 pm
but the plastic made a lot of noise if left in. Pulling out the plastic was kind of a hassle. Those big rolls of film didn't come cheap either. I don't see remnants of the film in cushions like I used to.
Same here. I'd been told that the silk film was silent, so you could leave it in. You can't. You have to at least dig most of it out. Digging it out without messing up the batting can be tedious.
For me, by the time I set up the the stuffer, wrap the core with silk film, stuff the core, and dig the silk film out, I could've just stuffed the cushion by hand in the same amount of time (or less).
I don't think that there is any one stuffer that is ideal for all types/sizes of cushions.
I have a much bigger shop than I used to, so space isn't a problem anymore. I'd like to give the old "medieval torture device" another shot.
Quote from: fingers on February 27, 2011, 12:47:01 pm
Paul,
It just seems to me that you were working in the dark ages for so long with that mid evil stuffing machine that you never developed any real stuffing techniques.
I don't think I'd agree with that. There's quite a bit of technique to all of the methods.
Quote from: fingers on February 27, 2011, 12:47:01 pm
Paul,
It just seems to me that you were working in the dark ages for so long with that mid evil stuffing machine that you never developed any real stuffing techniques. we followed in the footsteps of the manufacturers.
Why would you ever want to follow a factories way of doing something unless it was a huge job and the quality didn't really matter. Factories are far from craftsman and just because they do something doesn't make it the best way only the fastest.
No foul here just a difference of opinion. And yes I was doing this almost thirty years ago.
Hey Paulie,
We followed what the manufacturers were doing because it was a state of the art technique back then. At that time the guy that introduced me to the trade was investigating alternatives to the mechanical stuffer. He had relocated to a smaller shop and was having a hard time justifying keeping it around to fill the occasional Marshall spring unit wrapped with cotton. He was associated with a fella that ran a smaller upholstered furniture manufacturing co. My boss got the idea of sucking foam down from him. It even worked well on the spring cushions. Plastic was still too much trouble.
If I encounter a cotton wrapped spring unit now, I simply add a wrap of bonded dacron to ease the stuffing. Having had a little fun here with what is basically an obsolete device, I'd own one if I had the storage area for it. Who knows, maybe even learn to depend on it. ;)
Bern
I have one of the mechanical units
At one time, I was trying to sell it
I'm glad I couldn't find a buyer for it
I make a lot of spring unit cushions, and it's great for them!