Topics

Hello fellow upholstering aficionados.

I took an old club chair down to it's wood frame today. The cotton under the decking fabric had a pink stain on the top of the cotton. No stain on the decking fabric. My first thought was that maybe this chair once belonged to Jim Jones.

When I took the top layer of cotton off the arms, that pink stain was on top of the cotton that was used to hold the horse hair in place. This cotton was covered with a very thick layer of cotton that gave the arm it's full dimension.

Attached is a picture of the pink stain on the arm.

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz228/genejoe/IMG_20170510_175638176_zpsheurb5m0.jpg

Any one know what this pink stain is? Should I be worried?

gene

SofaD has talked about his grandmother upholstery business repairing mattresses when he was young. I wonder what she would say about this $150,000 mattress.

Does anyone sleep on one of these?

https://www.hastens.com/en/beds/vividus  (Vividus sleep is like touching a dream.)

http://nymag.com/strategist/2017/05/how-to-pick-a-mattress.html  Original article.

gene

Here's a video from Kim's Upholstery channel. It's 34 seconds long for those of you who are really busy and don't want to click on the link if you are not going to have enough time to watch the video anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwhSElhkrwo

I'm thinking it's scrap wood that was used for the sides with no specific intent other than a cheap way to make a chair.

gene

You gotta love it.

I'm selling an item on Craig's List. I sell personal things from my shop, not my home.

I use the email through Craig's List, not my personal email. I got an email reply from a guy who had his company name and address on the email. The company is an LLC and the address was hyperlinked. I clicked on the address and bing.com maps showed exactly where that address was located.

Sounds legit.

Out of curiosity I googled the address with google satellite and the address is an empty parking lot. I checked the LLC company name with the state and there is no company by that name.

I almost emailed back saying I only take cash and I would meet him at his business address at 11:00 p.m. LOL

I did email back to say the item is still for sale. I haven't heard back. I wonder if he will want to pay with a company check?

I was talking to a homeowner recently who lives in one of the 10 richest neighborhoods in the country and he said you cannot prevent getting ripped off totally, all you can do is make it is small losses when and if they occur.

gene

I've been looking for an upholsterer or sewing person to help with my work load. I'm not swamped, but I am very pleasantly busy.

My supplier told me that she knows of 4 or 5 other upholsterers in this area who are looking for help.

I don't know of any young people coming into the upholstery business. And the same for folks who sew cushions and drapes. I've talked to several folks who say that when their sewing employees retire they won't have anyone to replace them.

I hope business is better than just sew sew for everyone.

gene

Dance like no one is watching.

Sent a text, email, twitter, Facebook, etc., like you will one day be reading it under subpoena in open court.

gene

When I make a cornice board I glue and brad nail the face board, two sides (returns) and a top board (dust cover).

I saw a video where the boards were covered with lining first and then they were glued and brad nailed together.

Do you think putting on the lining first makes for a less strong joint?

Do you think it would be better to use staples (1 1/2" for example) instead of the brad nails?

Thanks for your thoughts.

gene

Sometimes when you are picking up a sofa and it won't go down the stairs you've got to improvise, overcome, adapt.

https://gfycat.com/PoisedHeartyBoto

gene

A new customer called me last week. They had a salon chair that they needed recovered. They were off work Monday and Tuesday so I cut into my work schedule and did it Monday so they could pick it up Tuesday. Here it is Wednesday evening and they still haven't picked it up.

It does seem that every time I go an extra mile for a new customer they never need it when they said they needed it.

I am thinking of having a 2 or 3 week minimum on everything, except for IDs who I know are only trying to get something done because the home owner is going to Europe for 3 months or something like that.

Does anyone refuse to give fast turn-a-round to strangers who come to their door?

gene

Howdy,

When you make a deck cover, you machine sew the face fabric to the decking material.

When you hand stitch the deck cover to furniture decks, do you staple the sides of the decking cover (the seam where the face fabric is machine sewn to the decking material) to the sides of the furniture before you hand stitch? Or do you hand stitch and then pull the fabric where the seam is to the sides and staple?

I feel like hand stitching decks is a lot harder and takes up more of my time than it should.

Thanks,

gene

Here's a video showing fully mitered skirts on Stickley fine upholstered furniture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5Q-qBTQWOY

Does anyone do these mitered skirts on a regular basis?

Have you done them before? I'm thinking this might be a benefit when I am working with thick fabric.

gene

I saw two people weaving down the street. I yelled at them, "Come on! Get a loom!"

gene

I ate lunch at Chik Fil A recently with my son. He ordered a spicy chicken sandwich and I heard him say something about "coffee". I said I would have the same thing. My son then said, referring to me, "He wants his coffee hot." The guy taking my order looked up at me, saw my advanced age reflected in the lines and creases on my face, and said something like, "Oh. Yea."

I stopped in Dunkin Donuts this morning for the first time in several decades. I ordered a small dark roast coffee and a glazed donut. The lady asked "Hot or cold?" I never had someone ask me if I wanted my donut heated up before. Oh, she wasn't asking about the donut. She was asking about the coffee.

Is this cold coffee thing the latest sign in the continuing degradation of our society?

Has this cold coffee thing been going on for a long time and I'm just now noticing it?

Is it easier to get cold coffee out of new fabric or hot coffee?

I think of all that time and energy spent over my entire lifetime heating up my coffee, and I could have just drank it cold.

Have any old codgers out there drank the Kool Aid and began drinking cold coffee?

Happy Friday on a Wednesday,

gene

Howdy everyone,

I'm going to spend a few hours today working on two open arm chairs with a picture back panel all trimmed out with double welt cord.

And then I'm taking off the rest of the year!!!

Happy New Year to all those who follow the Gregorian calendar!

gene

I love it when Canadians make fun of Americans. They get it right every time!   :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL01SReeOqE


gene

I reupholstered a fully upholstered club chair in 2013. I am currently reupholstering the same chair. Today I took the back out panel off and found this inside.

I wondered where that went.

I put the tape measure on it to show the size of the roll of chip strip.

gene

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz228/genejoe/th_IMG_20160901_130600_zps5orgm7wf.jpg

I found this series of videos fascinating. This guy has been making furniture for 30 years. I thought some of you folks might find it of interest also.

He starts with buying the logs. Just imagine if we had to chase down and kill cotton tail rabbits to get the cotton, and then weave it into thread, and then hand stitch seat cushions, etc.   :o

gene

Howdy,

I thought I would start a thread off topic for a change.

I'm having trouble finding an answer on the internet, and thought someone on this forum might know.

A friend runs a hydraulic cylinder  to draw metal on a mandrel in order to make trumpet bells.

The motor is 12 volt and says "2400 rpm at 30 Amps. He uses two 12 volt truck batteries to run the motor. This hydraulic cylinder was originally on a truck that transports cars.

He wants to stop using truck batteries and be able to plug the motor into a regular 110 volt outlet.

Does anyone know what, where, how he can do this? I'm finding it interesting that an easy answer does not seem to be available.

Thanks,

gene

Today I told a long time customer to take their business someplace else.

I think what they did was, instead of approaching a problem in a mature, reasonable, professional manner, they felt they could manipulate and intimidate me because they "owned me" due to the business they were bringing me.

After our first meeting on this issue they ended the discussion by saying, "You can decide how happy you want to make me."

I have always appreciated their business but they have always been a source of stress and sometimes anxiety for me.

------------------------------------------
My evaluation on this option to cut bait:

How will this effect my sales? Definite dip in sales dollars but I believe I will quickly/eventually make it up with new business.

How will this effect my business' reputation? Neutral to positive. (Positive if others have had similar issues and hear about this.)

How will this effect the kind of business I want to have? Very positive.

How will this effect me personally? Very positive. I am grateful I did not NEED to bend over and take it. Less stress. Less anxiety. I think I will be a bit more relaxed overall. Integrity intact.
----------------------------------------
In a very real sense this is a lose/lose situation, and I feel bad about this. This is not the kind of results I want to have.

And to answer Rodney King's question, no we all just can't get along.
-----------------
I am going to look closely at how I manage my business in terms of my customers. I'm not sitting in an office waiting for the next customer to come in. I am reupholstering, cleaning, making phone calls, getting tired, feeling irritated, buying supplies, doing paper work, wondering where I put my scissors, when the next customer comes in.

Could I have managed my business better, with this customer over the years so we would not have gotten to this place? I'm thinking probably not, but I will take a look at this issue anyway.

I hope some of this might be helpful to others.

gene

How do you folks schedule your work?

When I get the fabric and furniture and a deposit I figure 2 to 3 weeks. It seems like I am always trying to catch up. I get behind on a job and that puts me behind on another job and it snow balls from there. Or another job comes in that I think I can get to in the middle of the current jobs, etc.

I have IDs who sometimes want a specific delivery date for their customers.

I saw a web site from CA that said when they pick up the furniture they return it in 2 to 3 days. That sound like they have a few upholsterers working for them.

Thanks for your thoughts.

gene