Messages

Not yet. 
It's 30 year old vinyl but I'm hoping there's something like it out there somewhere.

I'm looking for black vinyl with this specific backing.  Anyone seen it before? Where might I get it? Thanks.

I've been fighting a similar problem for 3 days now.  Ultimately, the problem was the hook not close enough to the needle.  It looked close enough but it wasn't.

I got the leather at Veteran Company.  Veterenco.com
It was very good stuff.  Super soft and pliable. 

I've always been scared to do leather.  It's so expensive and I'm worried I might mess it up.  I made a vinyl prototype first before doing this.  Took me a liesurely 3 months to do these.  I had to repair the driver side bolsters, which was a new skill, and the patterns killed me.  These are old and rare Porsche sport seats.  Sold them for $1350.  The leather alone was $500 since they are full leather all the way around.  1.5 hide of regular and .5 hide of perferated.  These are probably the most difficult seats I've done so far.  I made about 7 cents/hr.  I also learned what "good" leather is supposed look and feel like.
Before and After
(click to enlarge)

I'm back, I've had to work on my cars the last few nights, both had bad alternators.
I'll try some of the suggestions when I start on my next piece.

I always use black vinyl with premade black welt cord,  but now I'm doing a seat in the color cork and have to make the welt cord as I can't find the premade stuff in that color.
I'm wrapping the vinly strip around the poly cord and sewing it with a welt foot.  I can't keep the edges aligned while sewing so I stapled the edges together.  There must be a better way.

I would love to shape out a new seat cushion, but I think the curves, angles, and slits are just too difficult for me.  I can image going thru 10 blocks of foam before I got one that was even close.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kbqPg9doQE

By the way, here is the video I mentioned before.  Skip up to about 4 min to see the shaping section.  I also work on this particular seat cushion that he's doing.  They are from the 70's and early 80's and they are almost always trashed at the spot he's working on.

Ok great!! I'll give it a shot...
I've been trying (for years) to make a mold of the seat cushions then filling it with pour foam, but it's expensive and very time consuming.  I think it's time to learn how to repair the old ones.

I watched a youtube video where the guy cut out a bad section of a car seat bolster and then glued in a piece of open cell foam.  He then rough cut the shape with a turkey knife then fine tuned it with an angle grinder.  What king of pad or disc would you use to grind the foam?  How about on closed cell foam? Thanks.

Well.....we outta have us an upholstery party sometime.  I'm in Brandon, just east of Tampa.

Interesting, I use that vinyl a lot for my Porsche seats (basket weave).  I get pretty good definition with 1/2" foam and my double needle machine.

I think that link is broken,

This works.
http://www.thehogring.com/2012/08/20/pro-tip-sewing-leather-with-ease/

Just cutting the piece after sewing it?  That didn't even cross my mind, I guess it was too simple....lol.  I was thinking in terms of making a permanent pattern but I could just cut the pattern the same amount.  Thanks ya'll

A rectangular piece of 1/2" sewfoam with Vinyl glued on top, making 5 pleats, 2" wide.  Double needle machine.  The piece needs to be 20" long.  How long do I need to cut the vinyl/sewfoam? Is there a general rule of thumb here? Maybe adding 1/4" for each pleat?