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I'll cut a sample strip for the welt and try the belt sander.

I have never tried to sand the leather for the welting,
As I have a steam iron, I just steamed the leather on the reverse and the made the welting.
When the leather is warm, one can easily work with it. After cooling down, it really is a nice tight fit around the welt.
At present I work on a Fritz Hansen Chair on a re-upholstery job. Use the double welt on the edge to cover up the staples.
But in this case I just soak the leather, sew it in wet condition and apply it around the chair. As the Leather tries it shrinks and is a tight fit on the edges.

let me know how it worked for you.
As I said just watch your fingers. It is a solution which only works for the buttons, as one has to work only with a small piece.
Larger pieces should be done with a skiver, but I don't see the justification to spend $1,200.-- on such a machine just to make buttons.
Not that I'm el cheopo, but I do have to see a return of investment. Buttons are just not made on a daily basis.

I spent a good part of the afternoon scraping the suede off the backside with a razor until it was thin enough to fit into the button press

Faced this issues already many times and solved it in using a grinding wheel to take some of the back off the leather.

I know it is unconventional, but faster than working with a razor blade.
Using the grinding wheel on a slow speed setting, it will take off most of the back of the leather in no time;  Time is Money!

Just watch your fingers, you do this on your own risk!
Some practice is necessary. But my buttons came out perfectly and the leather piece fitted into the button machine with no issues. 

faced this issue of double welt a couple of times.
I cut the leather in the same width than fabric. Before sewing I steam with my iron (doefix steam iron) the leather on the back side.
That way it becomes very soft. You can easy stretch it or work it in this condition.
One negative - If you are a slow worker it will cool out and you would have to start again.
I also don't use the standard double welt as it will come out way to big. Make the double welt from scratch with a smaller welt.
You do have to cut the excess leather carefully. I always worked like a charm for me. Issue is more of using the correct glue adhesive, so the double welt does not fall off.

I agree with what has been said above.
Personally I try to stay away from any upholstery of recliners. Many times the recliner is already in such a bad shape, that when I start to remove the mechanism it falls apart. Sleeper beds are easier in this case, the metal mechanism is mostly in good condition and stays in the customer house, the rest gets to the shop to be upholstered.
Many times I encounter the situation that the customer has a bad back and can't help and not even remove a picture from the wall when encountering tight spaces, probably too much work for the king.
Started to charge a pick up and delivery charge in this situations or just add it into the price.

this particular one seems to be the top of the line of installing decorative nails.
would say this is for a real manufacturing outfit.
but there are other ones too
like
http://fasteners.heicofasteners.com/viewitems/nail-guns-fastening-systems/kz-single-shot-frontloading-nail-guns
http://www.nailgundepot.com/Decorative-Nailers-Nail-Tool-Products.html
http://www.decotacks.com/auupna.html
http://www.uffytools.com/TH-T-DECO1.html

these are the ones I know about. But don't know any of them personally how good they are, haven't had a job big enough that an investment or buy would be justified.

maybe if someone else owns one of these beauties, they could let us know about the functionality of it.

I don't know how much or often you use your iron, but if you want something professional
just look at the doefix steam irons.
They are not cheap as it is with all pro-items, but they have great customer service and
if your iron goes bad you get it fixed by them in a very short time.
We have their complete set up with the aluminum rails etc.
I would not even look at anything else. It paid off already for a long time
http://www.dofix.com/English/Products/equipment/equipment.htm

What Doyle may not be thinking about is that you can't take a sofa or club chair into a movie theater or symphony performance or church or wedding or funeral and have your PERSONALIZED RINGER go off on the highest volume setting just to let everyone know that you have a $700 cell phone!  Cool

I have to add to the $700 cell phone the slim LED/LCD/Plasma TV mostly in a monster size, one finds in customers home and complaining about our labor price that we are too expensive.
The priorities of the general public just has changed quite a lot.

But now going back to the Recliners......
I have noticed that in 90% it just does not pay to do a reupholster job with Recliners and most customers think they can get the job for $300.- done when they only paid $399.-- at the box store.
And usually there comes the question, oh can you fix this too, there is just something loose (even though the mechanism is broken).
Nevertheless enough of whining and complaining, I do have many customers which do appreciate a nice reupholster job, which keeps me going.

[for car upholstery very important]

I don't know about the listed leather resources, but what bothers me with all of them,
there is no detail listed about quality of leather:
Is it full grain leather
is it top grain leather
how is the leather dyed
what is the the size of hide
thickness of leather
light fastness
weight
grain characteristics
stitch tear
crock fastness
elongation
is it a greenguard certified product

for car upholstery very important
flame resistance - is there a certificate on file

just don't like to get a leather hide without knowing what I really receive
to do my job. 

We are getting our double sided tape from our wall upholstery supply place called Wallmate
It comes in several widths, is not that heavy but has very good adhesion qualities.

Restaurants and Pizza places are mostly hard to deal with; price is mostly all what counts.
When taking off the old vinyl I use the bantam bully from superior pneumatic.
It has some useful attachments for staple removal.
Perfect for this kind of job; especially if one encounters a situation where the previous upholsterer
did not remove all the old vinyl and just stapled over it.

Yea a clear knock off of the original.
It looks like that even the side corners on the cushions have seams.
I encountered several of this chairs for re-upholstery.

"upholstery clinic" you are correct
Each square is a separate piece with welts criss- crossing each other. 
Button is there to hide the criss cross of piping.
It is not so complicated to do with the right sewing machine. This is the whole secret.

I did a similar upholstery job with larger squares and without welting for a headboard .
It did take me a while, but with some advice from a seasoned italian shoe maker
I got the job done.
Don't accept any cheap leather. Best to work with is a full grain leather.








I

joys Shop
Thank you for the lead
the people in Chicago promised me to send me a sample, but it never arrived.
still have to try the other lead
thank you :(
Gene
The fiber board you mentioned is somehow too stiff; if it would just a little bit softer it would
be perfect.
By the way had a lot of fun to watch the youtube movie. Had a real good laugh!
thank you

I'm trying to find some decent supplier who sells densified Dacron Sheets about 4" thick (used for outdoor Cushions)
Most sell just the soft Dacron Sheets which are not really suited.
thanks for any help