Marshel Spring Unit Cushions

[65Buick]

Kody - looks good. Did you get the latex for a reasonable price?

And Steve- I understand now. Yeah I can see how that would be hard on the hands. I don't think I've seen mid century chairs quite like this before.

[SteveA]

Kody a customer asked me for an estimate on a wing chair recover.  I picked up the cushion and the label said Ladd Furniture Inc.  I hoped it was yours but it said North Carolina. 
Your name has ties to the Furniture trade in the south ?

SA

[kodydog]

Steve, Ladd Furniture Inc use to be a big conglomerate made up of a many of furniture brands. In the 80"s the furniture industry was going crazy. The industry was booming and big corporations were buying up as many companies as they could afford. Ladd Furniture was one. They are not as big now as they were then.

When we opened our first shop in Hickory NC we would sometimes get their mail. And sometimes when we placed a supply order they would ask if it should be billed to Ladd Furniture Inc.

Ladd is my Grandmother's madden name. Her fathers name was Edwin Ladd. Edwin Ladd is also my first and middle name. The Ladd's from my heritage are from New York and Michigan. I know of no close relations to the Ladd Furniture Company but you never know. A google serch turns up another Ladd Upholstery in Ladd Indiana.

Mr 65, we paid around $1100 for six pieces of latex. 26" X 30". On top of that we will add some for cutting to size and for wrapping them with cotton and for the time it took to order them. These are expensive cushions. At one point we had the customer talked into HR foam with no flame retardants added. She opted for the latex. I stuffed them into the muslin liners yesterday and they feel fantastic.

[65Buick]

Kody - wow that is expensive. I didn't know they cost quite that much.

[kodydog]

It is less expensive if you get latex with polyurethane added. And this is what most suppliers offer. Polyurethane also helps to stabilize the latex to help get a more consistent density. Apparently each batch of 100% latex comes out different. What you see is what you get. The customer did her own study and concluded 100% latex is what she wanted. It was hard to find 100% latex. One company said theirs was but when Rose studied the specs, chemicals were added. Its been a real learning experience.

[65Buick]

Yes. I remember from my own studies when we decided to forego the conventional inner-spring mattress and go for a 100% latex mattress. As always, lots of misinformation and deviation tactics.
I did not know that each batch came out differently though.
We do really like our mattress. It is 3, 3" slabs. Vac packed, shipped, then you put it together. It is very comfortable. Strangely though is does still have a rubber smell.

[kodydog]

I did not know that each batch came out differently though.

How much difference from batch to batch I do not know. Probably not enough to make a big difference.

After handling the latex the smell stayed on my hands all day. Rose wants to buy latex pillows but I'm not sure I could stand the smell while sleeping. Its not a bad smell but not a pleasant one either.

[kodydog]

We delivered two sofas with new latex foam today. When I opened the van door she let out a gasp with a little ahhh. That usually means one of two things. She was either extremely excited or extremely disappointed. I'm pretty sure it was the former.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/YTzmUKb1xYPmQ5Y22

[baileyuph]

Great work Kodydog!  Breath taking!  Sure she would have liked it!

Noticed how you treated the side bottom cushions where they fit the rear inside arm (curved).

Are these the cushions Rose said would work in the beginning?

One question about the double cord over the staples:  I assume you made the double welt but did
you glue or staple on?  Probably glued?

That sofa with the white frame color looks very slick but would also look beautiful also in a near white
fabric (hints of color and possibly pattern in it - but kept almost light as the wood.

I like it - BTW you and Rose will always have business, given reasonable prices, which I gather you do.

Doyle

[kodydog]

Are these the cushions Rose said would work in the beginning?

This has been a long post and a long job starting back in January. We are doing work for two sisters. They are both (I'm guessing) in their 20. I think the cushions you refer to is the first job we did. It was a love seat with marshal springs wrapped with cotton. That job, thanks to the help of the folks on the forum, came out better than expected. She was pleased. Now we are starting a sofa for the same sister. :)

One question about the double cord over the staples:  I assume you made the double welt but did
you glue or staple on?  Probably glued? 

I learned upholstery working in a factory building office furniture. A lot of that furniture used single welt glued into channels. I never worked in a factory that used double welt. When I started my own business I automatically glued all of my double cording. That's how I've always done it.

The one thing that irks me about double welt is how do you join the two ends. I first tried folding the loose fabric under and then butting them together. I now cut the ends, leaving them raw, and glue them together. I'm really not satisfied with either method.

[baileyuph]

double welt at corners:

Yep, sometimes it seems to look all right then there are the times of angst. 

Factories often (at 90 degree corners) will bend the uncut welt and glue it in.  Just depends, how
much at a corner is exposed when I am or not satisfied.

Seems, easier for factories.  Actually double welt fabrication (how it is done - sewn, etc.) is not always
the same experience for me.  Lot's of varying techniques can apply there.  I think I have seen factories,
at a 90 degree turn, cut the welt about half way through on a 45 degree before gluing or stapling.  Some looked fine, some
just ok.  When I duplicate this technique, some is fine and some just ok.

Sewing double welt, for me, largely depends on welt core size, fabric weight, and of course my
welt foot size.  I have several sizes, sometimes am able to sew it in one pass but to keep it consistent
other times I make two passes with the seaming.

Yes, the single glue in welt is easier to handle but not always just "easy".  Guess that is why we
get paid so much - wink.

So many variables -

Doyle

[SteveA]

I'm sure you were holding your breath as well - I know I'd be thinking if there is one spot or nick anywhere on this job I'm going to kill someone. 
Those sofas are of the highest quality restoration anyone could ask for.  Did they consider a light glaze to contrast the white paint.

I can't do the double welt in one shot.  I sew up long stands of the single welt taking care to 45 the joints than I sew the strands together.  I could see the time saver the other way.  I got to look for a video on Boob Tube for me to watch
SA

[kodydog]

I'm sure you were holding your breath as well - I know I'd be thinking if there is one spot or nick anywhere on this job I'm going to kill someone. 

While I was working on it I managed to put a few nicks in the finish. Some nicks showed up I swore I did not do. The refinisher gave me several ounces of touch up paint. Just a little dab and a quick touch did the trick. The lacquer paint dried in 30 seconds.

The customers boyfriend was there to help me carry the pieces into the house. The door to the porch was very narrow and on the second sofa he bumped the door frame. When we set it down he bent over to look at the damage. This gave me an opportunity to show him how to touch it up.