Messages

      10 year old UltraLeather is kinda old. That is back in the day when it first came out. There has been improvements in polyurethanes since then. UltraLeather makes a couple of marine versions and there is another polyurethane called Elements that is for the outdoor environment. What I find intriguing about an outdoor polyurethane is the characteristics of darker colored polyurethanes staying cool(er) in the sun. A problem I have encountered with UltraLeather is when compressed (like making buttons or welt with it), it can prematurely wear out. I built cushions out of white UltraLeather on a yachts flying bridge about 4 years ago and have not heard any complaints.

Rick

Setting up a facebook page for the business is definitely on the agenda. I have the website that desperately needs updating and with building very extensive spread sheets for analytical purposes - well, you know the saying - "so much to do, so little time" - I did want to come on here and say how much I appreciate your efforts with your website and how you come on here to enlighten this forum with your insights and updates - keep up the good work......

Rick

ps.. just curious about your name - are you old school enough to be able to "spit" hog rings when putting on seat covers?

I did a job for a lady in my area that does embroidery - and I liked her company slogan:

"Again, Sew What"

Rick

comes in 3 sizes -
1) 1360 (light weight) = #69 size thread
2) 2000 (medium) - #92 size thread
3) 2400 (heavy weight) = #138 thread

also - be careful about seam leakage - I have been trying the seam sealer tape from Tri Vantage - pain to work with

Rick

Try Coast to Coast Leather... they state on their website they will emboss customers materials... and one can see the perforation designs on the website

http://coast2coastleather.com/

as far as price, you will need to call them for that information

hope this helps

Rick

If I recall correctly, the last time (maybe a year ago) I priced Ultrasuede it was in the 65 - 70 a yard range ???? - from Gulf... I have found their prices are not much more than any other jobber with a comparable product. They are good ppl to deal with (I have been doing business with them off and on for over 30 yrs) and they carry a good line of upholstey materials / supplies / tools for the trade. I would not doubt that they have an exclusive for Ultrasuede - they were the exclusive for the southeast US on UltraLeather HP when it first came out and it looks like just in the past year or so UltraLeather has opened up to other distributors - but they are all still in the same ball park of prices at about $55 a yard.

As far as Ultrasuede, I have not found a reason to justify the price for it compared to other lines of imitation suede that are $30 to $40 a yard cheaper - unless you are locked on a particular color that only Ultrasuede can provide. If someone else has more experience with imitation suede and the comparisons (texture, wearability ect), maybe they can share. Also with Ultrasuede, if a customer insist on the product, fine and dandy - the more the material cost - the more is made on markup

To switch gears and to address something in your post, if I could ask you a question, please? You said you were going to do your own foam lamination on the materials for the headliner / hullliner - I have always been leary of using Dap to laminate foam to material for liners and let me tell you why - Dap being a contact cement - when the foam is glued on the material - one has a layer of contact cement on that side of the foam (either 1/2 or 1/4" foam) between the fabric and foam - now when one glues that to either a thicker piece of foam on the wall or glue to the ceiling - then one has another layer of glue on the other side of the 1/2" or 1/4" foam - now for the problem I perceive - when dealing with a thin layer of foam and contact cement on both sides of the thin foam laminate - if the foam gets compressed by - lets say someone leaning against or hitting a wall - then the glue on one side of the foam contacts the glue on the other side of the foam and one has an imprint. This is why I am inclined to use a pre-laminated foam backed material. I don't have to be concerned with the glue on the fabric side on the foam sticking to the Dap side I put on. The only possible solution I came up with it is if I am going to laminate myself, give it plenty of time to dry - like a day or two and then apply to the wall or ceiling.

Thank in advance for any reply and have a blessed day....

Rick

Gulf Fabrics - Tampa Fl
www.gulffabrics.com

Rick

ps... sit down when you get the price per yard.... they are proud of it.... and sold in 1 yd increments only last I dealt with them.....

If you want other sources for imitation suede let me know..... I have about a half dozen differnt cards from Miami and Keystone and some others....

What I have become aware of is the handling fees suppliers tack on in their shipping fees. I am about 40 miles north of Tampa so I use ground UPS the majority of the time. Now, when I had my shop in North Tampa for many years, I had access to one main jobber near downtown. For years I used to run down there to pick up materials. Then I started using other jobbers in Florida and ground UPS. When the order was given in their shipping deadlines / guidelines processing times, I would receive the order the next day. With reasonable shipping fees around $10 to $12, I reconized it was not worth it to me to make a 1 hour round trip to the local jobber to get the material figuring in gas and time. Now what I have become aware of is the extra fees the jobbers will hide in shipping to sometimes cover cheaper prices on materials. Not dealing with over sized package charges from UPS (anything over 61" wide) I did a job earlier in the year that required material from a jobber in Miami. Got the material and the ground UPS shipping was right at $13. Got some more material from a jobber in Clearwater (about 40 miles south) and the ground UPS was $19. WAIT A COTTON PICKIN MINUTE!!! I called them and told them I understand about shipping cost with packaging and such, but I also will be taking into consideration the fact that I don't like the practice of good pricing - specials or whatever - is made up in another area that is hidden. Another jobber that I use will give fair shipping charges and if part of the order has to come out of state from another of their stores, the shipping is half price. With all  that being said, yes, everything is going up in cost. It is up to us to be aggressivley creative, but also something that is just going to have to be passed on to the customer, just like things are passed on to us.

Rick

St. Peter was on duty one day at one of the Pearly Gates when this fellow come walking up. St. Peter ask him, "What did you do with your time while you lived in the world?" The fellow answered him, "I was a Lawyer while I lived in the world" and St. Peter said to him, "Naw, uh uh, you don't get to come in here, you just turn right around and get on down there to that place that is HOT!"

St. Peter went back to doing his thing and up walks another fellow. Well, St. Peter ask again, "What did you do with your time while you lived in the world?" The fellow answered him and said, "I was a Banker." St. Peter started laughing and said, "Your pulling my leg, right? No buddy, you don't get to come in here. You just turn it right around and just head on down there where it's HOT!"

Well, St. Peter was standing there and here comes another fellow. Again, St. Peter ask him the same question, "What did you do while you lived in the world?" and the fellow answered him "I was an upholsterer while I lived in the world." St. Peter said to him, "Well shoot son, you come on in, you done
been through your hell."

Rick

I just started using a PTFE thread called SolarFix from Keystone Bros. It comes in 4 colors - satin white, white, black and clear. It also comes in 3 sizes - light, medium and heavy weight - the medium being compatible to a 92 size thread. There is 1125 yds of thread on an 8oz cone (which is great for pricing). An 8oz cone cost $83.50. I have a cone of clear and I just got done doing some combing pads on a 35' Donzi using the thread. The colors were white, yellow and navy blue. I found the clear to work ok on the yellow and white but like June, it showed up white on dark colors. It worked ok on my Juki. I am going to keep clear for light to medium colors and have black for darker colors.

Rick

A decent alternative to a Bosch foam cutter - because of how proud they are of them - is the EZE 8" Foam Cutter. This website - http://www.upholster.com/toolkits/Foam-cutter.html - has them for $135. Mine works good. The only thing I had to do was refasten the round blade holder in the foot using JB Weld.

BTW - welcome to the Spring Hill area - I relocated here from Tampa in 04/08 - been stomping around in my area (where the shop is) for 35 years. Seen a lot of changes and more changes are coming to this area - good changes - growing fast - good for business.

Rick
Catalina Custom Upholstery
www.CatalinaCustom.com