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I have brought this topic up before, but now it has gotten out of control.  I am using a Rainco staple gun.  It is in good shape, I have had it rebuilt a couple of times.  I shoot my staples at about 60psi and that usually sets my staples like I like them to be.  Doesn't sit proud, but doesn't cut fabric.  

Doing slip seats, or anything, for that matter, you know you have to re-position some staples.  And every one of the staples breaks. I use my Rainco gun, OR I use my Porter cable gun, it shoots better at about 90psi.  Staples break no matter what gun or pressure or technique.  They break when I use a staple puller to pull them out.  Not when I shoot them.  I've used different staple pullers and tried to change my technique.
And this is getting ridiculous.  Doubles or triples work time on simple jobs.  Sometimes the little nub that remains, breaks off below surface, but sometimes have to get tack hammer to knock down the little pricks sticking up.  The brand that I'm currently using is BEA type 71, 3/8" leg.  
I've googled and BEA Bostitch appear to be the same company.  I'd like to see if I can fnd a good source for staples that don't break.  I bought a huge box of Senco a long time ago and wonder if that brand would work better.  
This has to end.  There has to be a solution.
Any comments appreciated, unless you just want to say I'm a moron...
Happy Friday 13th!!

regarding facebook upholstery...how does one access that?  I am a complete FB novice.  I am a member, but do not have any experience with using it at all.

I am a mid-century aficionado.  I have several Goodform chairs that have arms.  And on those arms, origninally there was a little pad that curved or conformed to the curve of the structure.  In 90% of the cases, that arm piece is gone or broken and I've not come up with a good way to re-create that.  Any body familiar with a fix that might work?
Perry
I can post a picture if it helps.

My preferred size of zipper has always been a #4 aluminum.  It's what I've always used.  This past month I bought a new 100 yd roll of zipper, sewed 9 cushions with zippers from that roll.  Two of those zippers spontaneously just come apart.  My supplier was willing to credit me.  He also suggested a 4.5 nylon zipper.  It is a coil zipper.  His pros were being able to sew right over it, and not messing up a needle or being able to cut it and scissors don't suffer.  However I've seen more nylon zippers go south than metal. 
Your input?

I have a project that involves sewing a hide with hair...I don't know if the creature is/was horse or cow?  It had hair.  I am inserting the hair part into a border of hairless, finished leather.  My concern is how to keep hair from having "cowlicks" as I seam it together.  I have sewed leather many times.  I use a leather needle, pray that I get it right the first time, etc.
I am wondering if I "shave the hide just a millimeter or so into the seam allowance.  I do have hair clippers that I could do just that. 
Any ideas or experiences on this?
Thanks.
Perry

For the last dozen years, I've driven a Honda Odyssey.  They are wonderful vehicles.  For something as big as they are, the MPG's are decent.  On long hiway trips, I can get 24/25 MPG. 
But the latest van is a 2001, she has 240,000 miles on her and she is starting to have a few hiccups.  Plus, we live way out in BFE and going to town and back is quite a haul, so I've been thinking of getting a smaller vehicle and racking up better mileage. 
The vehicle in mind is a Honda Fit.  The smallest Honda.  It has quite an impressive cargo area, but sofas are out of the question for pickup and delivery. 
I'm not stressing over this like I thought I would. 
Has anyone gone down to a smaller vehicle and how did it impact your business?
I've had a Honda Fit before, a 2008, but it didn't have telescoping steering wheel and was damned uncomfortable to get arms/legs comfortable length to drive.
This new one I'm getting has that feature and it makes all the difference in the world.
Perry

This may or may not have anything to do with upholstery, but since there is a wealth of information here...
I have a queen sofa bed.  Of course it came with the usual and super crappy mattress...so miss smarty pants (me) ordered a new one from Amazon...good price, great mattress...Fits width and length perfect.  (basically the size is what's called a short queen in RV's)

Here's the problem.  It's too thick to fold up and go inside the sofa frame.  Doesn't even fit under the inside back.  It's a 4.5" mattress and I think that's way too much.  Probably a 4" would be better.  Any ideas where to look besides Ebay or Amazon?  I don't want to spend a huge chunk of money.  I paid 150.00 for this one and it's a fair price.

Or is there a foam insert I can put inside the mattress framework and store the mattress when it's not in use? 
Thanks.
Perry

What has been the "last straw" in deciding to close your business?
For me, it has been the health or lack of in my right hand.  It's not carpal tunnel, but my right wrist and hand are KAPUT.  Small wrist bones in back of hand, constantly painfully popping out of place, can't grip anything.  Also, my whole right hand and arm is painfully numb a lot.
Finding consistent good help.  Impossible.

I love to sew.  I love projects.  I love seeing a customer's face when I deliver a piece and I know I got it "just right". 

I'm thinking seriously of giving it up at the end of this year.  Life is too short to not be traveling or enjoying one's self...

Sadly,
Perry

I got this message from a friend, and since this is something I haven't seen, I thought I would post it here.  Maybe one of you's guy or gals has seen it, and has some insight or solution.

We bought two recliners from Lazy-Boy. We got the power lumbar support option.



The chair normally has those springs under the cushions on the back, providing even support, but when they installed the lumbar support option, they left out the springs on the whole back. The area between the lumbar support mechanism and the headrest is like a big hammock with a fluffy pillow on it.



The top edge of the lumbar support feels like a 2X4 across the back.



We are having 'discussions' with Lazy Boy.

Thanks.
Perry

I am having trouble logging in to forum discussions.  I sign in, id and password, get the screen that says welcome "cajunpedaler", but then when I go to forum to post or reply,  I am listed as "guest" and not allowed to post or reply.  I've tried all the different boxes to log in...Anything I need to know or do?
Perry

OK...so what is YOUR world's record for working with the most band aids on fingers?  Today, I'm working with both thumbs and left index finger front pad with band aids.

If anyone would see me, I wonder what they think? And why does it always happen when you are working with a light colored fancy cotton or linen?


Perry

I don't think I'm going to want to do upholstery for the public much more than a couple of more years.  I am 60.5 yrs young, but my hands and wrists are beat to hell and back..just like the rest of us.
I want to continue doing projects till they put me in the ground, but these will be fun projects for myself and family and friends. 

Has anyone ever decided to pull the plug on the business and then told the public?  How much notice?  I'm also thinking it could backfire a couple of ways..one, I could get so overwhelmed that I would really burn out, OR...it would be a ghost town, because customers would just start looking for their new upholsterer now..

Perry

Seems like I've seen this discussed before..but here goes my rant anyway.  I've been using BEA staples and lately they are breaking. whenever you have to lift one that's misplaced...and they ALL break.  So I bought a box of Empire staples and same thing.  So I am wondering if there is a common denominator in my staple gun...I looked at the driver (the tongue that pushes the staples out of my Rainco gun) to see if there was wear, uneven, etc that could be affecting the staples.
I've asked both my suppliers if they were getting complaints about staples being weaker and from both suppliers I got no comments from other upholsterers.
Anybody else?
Perry

I have always loved all machines that sew.  I've got 2 industrial machines, many sturdy home machines, 3 sergers, etc.  I am wanting an embroidery machine.  Not one that costs thousands of dollars...But I don't know what to look for or what to ask for.  Basically, I want one that I can program (through a card or usb?) to make little designs (no bigger than 1 1/2".
Any suggestions?
Perry

I did two huge sofas for a customer in the recent fall...they were well made, mid century sofas.  I enjoyed working on them thoroughly.  However I delivered them to the customer and told her the fabric maybe wasn't what she expected.  I also gave her the original pieces off the sofa in the event she ever wanted to recover down the road.  Well here it is, less than six months later and this is the email I got from her...

Hi Perry,
I hope that you are well since we last saw you in November. You did a wonderful job with our sofas! Unfortunately, the "commercial grade" fabric that we chose has not held up well at all. Since the second week that we had the sofas, there has been a major issue with pilling and threads coming loose. Luckily, x xxx textiles has recognized this as a fabric defect and is giving us a refund and paying for the sofas to be reupholstered again with a different fabric. So, my question to you is, would you be available to do the job for us again? I'm meeting Caroline this week to order the new fabric. How is your schedule looking? Also, we would like to have the other sofa that I showed you in our keeping room done as well when you have the time. I'm going to order fabric for that one too this week. Let me know your thoughts on all of this - I look forward to hearing from you!
Thanks so much,
Maggie L

BTW...this involves the decorator who wanted the kickback last month, so I am anxious to see how this all plays out.

I am in a tiny, tiny rural location.  We are in the poorest, least populated, least educated parish in the state.  There is a huge chasm between the types of people that live here.  Some of the locals are so poor and uneducated that upholstery in not even in their realm of doing....ever.  Then there are those who have relocated here (like me and my husband) to be out in a rural setting and soak up the ambience of the country.  Neighboring my little town is another little town that is the hoidy toidy rich community.  It is 5 miles away, but almost like a different culture. (It is) Baton Rouge is 20-30 miles away. There is a shop there that has always been the "gold standard" of namedropping. "I had my wingback re-done at Denicolas".  I have worked for the last couple of years with a decorator who has thrown work my way.  Because she does the leg work with the customer usually picks fabric (and make the mark up, no doubt) I've enjoyed the clientele that she has referred as they have appreciated my quality and labor pricing.
Didn't hear from the decorator over the holidays.  Till today.  I get a message from her, pre-empting a call from a customer that she is referring.  The decorator asks me to either GIVE HER a 15% kickback on my price.  I told her that my prices are low enough, I don't want to give up any percentage.  Then she asked if I could go up 15% on my price and give it to her.  
In the middle of all this, I get a call from the customer, wanting a ball park estimate.  I say I need photos of chairs and fabric first before I throw out any numbers.

In past locations, other cities, any time I worked with decorators, I never met the customer.  I just dealt with the decorator...I've always gotten the impression that they (decorators) consider us upholsterers peons.  I just ignored the condescending crap.
There are 2 other upholsterers in my rural area.  They are long time and established and their work, although I haven't seen a lot of their work, is adequate.
This decorator has said that she's worked with them in the past.
I sent her a message and asked if she had requested a kickback from them as well....(by this time, this is all not sitting well with me)
Her reply...No I could but just don't know them as well as I do you and not as happy with their quality.
Her next text to me...Plus I recommend you first!

My reply to her....I need to think about this.

Bottom line is this, the more I think about this, I'm really pissed.  These f*cking decorators can't do crap without us making them look good. And every single one of them has some kind of attitude, holier than thou.

The only thing I'm really thinking about is how to tell her NO. HELL NO.

My overhead is low.  My prices are low.  I am less than half of Baton Rouge pricing.  I am 25% lower that the other two guys local.  I'm happy with what I make.  (However I will go up on my prices, I think)

Input?

Perry

I am using a COM Crypton fabric.  It came with a user pamphlet.  Suggesting a vent of muslin to let it breathe.  It said it didn't recommend brass vents or grommets.  My dilemma is that the cushions are visible all the way around, they fit in a slatted dining chair.  I *can* make it just one sided, but was thinking of making it flippable.  The customer has stated that she does not want buttons in the seat.  Any suggestions?  Thanks.
Perry

I have been doing upholstery for nearly 30 years.  I love the craft.  I like having the knack for doing upholstery.  When I first started, I was the poster girl for "Scared, broke and hungry".  I honestly don't know how I survived. 
For the most part, upholstery (mine anyway) is not the be all end all money maker.  Employees are expensive, they are barely useful if you can find one that stays off the damn phone.  Supplies and shipping are outrageous.  One thing that's changed for me, for the good is I get more estimates over email and that at least saves me the first one or two dead, time wasting trips to a customer's house..whilst they figure out what they want..(and I'm muttering and praying for patience)
I have never had a wealthier customer base than I do now.  They pay whatever I quote.  But I am, I fear, entering burnout.  My hands are shot, my enthusiasm is not what it used to be.  Maybe it's partly winter doldrums.
Brings me to point...I'm not ready to throw in the towel..I want to do some spec work..I do want to upholster things that *I* think are interesting. And hopefully sell them.  I have a couple of items in mind.  Mostly wingbacks and small ottomans. (not as sets) I have a couple of outlets. 
Any thoughts?
Any experience with such a wild notion?
Perry

One of the big mysteries these days is fabric content.  Especially since most upholsterers work with COM fabric.  Most of the time, I can tell if something is synthetic or cotton, but that's as far as it goes..
Therefore, when delivering a finished piece using COM, I put on the receipt that Customer supplied fabric. I guess my mild rant here is the cleaning methods recommended for different fabrics.  Water based, or definitely not water based cleaners..or solvent type cleaner, etc.

I personally have a piece of furniture that, as I type this, I am committing the ultimate upholstery fabric sin..I am washing the cushion cover in the...gasp...my hand to my throat....WASHING MACHINE!!! (Imagine horror movie music here)

I have no idea what the fabric content is...It pills, I shave it.  It's synthetic for sure.  It's a piece of furniture that my dogs are on quite a bit.  And it seems to stink to high heaven...worse, way worse than any fabric that they also spend time on.

I'm not a believer in Febreeze at all...it's chemical makeup and the fact that it simply fools the brain into thinking there is no odor is creepy to me.

Anyone chime in? Similar thoughts, similar experience?

Perry

This is a possible project for myself.  I have a nice little loveseat that is presently a hide a bed.  I am thinking of taking out the guts and mechanics that make it a hide a bed and installing something that will be as close to a non-hide a bed as I can get it, after market.
Any ideas, suggestions..?
Thanks.
Perry