Messages

Its a 1960 Hawk
Thanks for your response , I will be sewing it myself
Three rivers is sending some samples and Meade dist.

It just tkes a little getting use to. After time she wll learn how
much pressure to put on the petal.

There is a air chisel on the market that has been modified to pull staples .
You do have to be carful or it will gouge the wood. Its good for flat surfaces.
I believe I bought it from Burch many years ago

I'm working on a 1960 Studebaker am I can't seam to find white vinyl headliner (non perforated)
Does any one have a supplier
Thanks

When I had my business in Detroit it was about 50 -50
ID's and commercial accounts
Both had there challenges . but both can be very profitable
It takes a lot of leg work , but once or in with the purchasing agents
and as long as you deliver what you promise you will have pretty steady work.
I am now working mostly with the general public  which also has its challenges
But you have a little more flexibility on deadlines

I bought some on ebay and I love it
Also a left is all you should need

Has anyone had any experience with polyester print . Are they durable , any fuzzing issues.
How do they compare to cotton prints.
Thanks

 There are some designers who can open some doors for you that on your own would never be open. That being said it doesn't hurt to checkout who your working for before you start the work. Just like every other business not all designers are ethical or are known for doing quality work.
  I do have designers that once in a while ask me to pad the price a little , but those arraignments are made prier to any quotes. Usual I bill them and they bill the customer and any mark up they charge is up to them.
As far as other upholsters and shops go in my area ,we pretty much all get along there is plenty to go around .

20 years ago  I did a half and half chair. I found a nice antique chair re-glued , re-padded , refinished and recovered half the chair. I changed  the back to a channel back , hand sew the seat and outer-back together , took the cushion apart and sewed it together with half new filling. It was a great visual for customers . I wish I still had it or could find the pictures . I ended up redoing the hole chair and selling it.

When I was in the Detroit area and did a large volume of business , I was burned a couple time by designers. And found a lot of them work strictly on commission whether for themselves or a large firm . Its almost impossible in Michigan to get a judgement against someone who doesn't have a regular paycheck. Some of us are to trusting and have to learn the hard way.
Also if you ever receive a call about a bankruptcy move quick don't hesitate if they make you an offer take it, a little bit is better than nothing.

I use a office chair without arms . However the best sewing chair I had was a 1950s Steelcase secretarial chair that still had the original green vinyl on it with a felt seat. My wife convinced me a few years back to get rid of it and buy something newer and better looking. I wish I still had that chair ,I been looking for another with no luck.

Maple is my choice for frames , over the years I have experimented with oak ,ash, and poplar.
But I won't be so quick to disregard dowels . There may be stronger joints, but double dowel and glue joints are the standard and I have never experienced any problems. We used to build a lot of custom furniture from sofas to beds.  Dowels are quick , easy and dependable.

Never say never. I became an auto mechanic fresh out of high school.
It was my passion (so I thought) Started at a dealership ,things got slow was offered a job tearing down furniture at an office supply warehouse. Swore I won't do it for long and here I am 30 years later. Kinda funny.

To all facing a similar dilemma with a non compete contract . Check with an attorney or there are some free legal aids you can find online . In most states they are not worth the paper there written on . No one can stop you from making a living and unless there some kind of a trade secret or design owned by them , they can not stop you from going to work for a competitor or opening a business down the street. You own your set of skills and experience and thats how we all pay are bills.

June is right the design of the bows have a lot to do with stretching . Standing water and the wind are the culprit . Bow pockets seam to work best to hold the bimini in place, better than straps.
Make sure the bows have a nice crown and the center one is slightly higher, so the water drains .
The span between the bows should be about 36 to 40 inches . I like to use straps on the front of the bimini , because it gives you some adjustment (you can tighten it up as needed). However all canvas stretches  especially polyester . Polyester can be challenging  to work with , it gathers when you sew and most binders do not work the same on polyester binding. And over time it stretches more than canvas , the only bonus is the price and the weight.