Planning Boat Upholstery Job, Need Advice

[jojo]

The customer has the nicest Chris Craft I've ever seen. It's a newer boat with a very classic look...wooden deck!
The seats are in perfect condition, but he feels they are too modern looking for the rest of the boat.
He wants pleats, but doesn't like the look of heat pleated vinyl, and wants wider pleats anyway.
My question is what method would you use to get a vintage pleated look? Could I simply glue the vinyl to 1/2" foam and sew lines every two inches?
Tuck and roll sounds like a lot of work. I seem to remember seeing a video on another method of getting a pleated look without seeing the thread, but I can't find that video now.
For the record, it's hard to find a picture of a vintage Chris craft with pleated seats. They just did them smooth back in the day.

[Mike]

There are foams already pleated, but whaT i  do is glue 1/2" foam to the vinyl mark the spacing on the foam you want slit the foam and fold on the lines and sew each pleat.  Them lay out the piece and mark your cushion pattern.

[scott_san_diego]

Just delivered a customers boat cushions back to him yesterday.  He wanted 4" pleats.  Glued the vinyl to 1/2" sew foam.  Using chalk marked the vinyl with 4 1/2" lines.  Sewed on all the chalk lines  just marked on the vinyl.  Then fold vinyl onto itself, so you have the back side of the sew foam and stitching showing.  Then sew the back side of the foam, about 1/4" from the edge.  This will give you nice clean pleats.  Then open it up and then place your pattern on top, to cut the shape you need, sew boxing.

[JuneC]

I'd do as Scott suggests.  4" tuck and roll pleats are about as classic as you can get.  Do a google image search for Hacker Craft.  Here's just one page that shows the upholstery (scroll down).

http://www.mby.com/news/533308/countdown-to-london-hacker-craft-26

Those Chris Crafts are really expensive boats.  If the owner's wanting new upholstery, I'd give him exactly what he wants and don't worry about the amount of work - just charge him accordingly.  Take my word for it - he can afford it.

June

[MinUph]

Mikes description is right on tuck and roll ,roll and pleat. This other method seems like double the work and awfully bulky seams. Take your time it isn't that hard.

[bobbin]

Invaluable information.  I have "one on the hook" for the fall that may just fall into this category.  I don't have a "problem" with vinyls or leather, but I tend to get all weird when it comes to "pleats".  Remind me of this thread when I post later in the fall, OK?  ;)

[jojo]

Thank you, thank you guys! This is exactly the info I was looking for! Now I'm excited to do the job. June, you're so right; he most certainly can afford it!

[MinUph]

I just reread mikes explanation and it doesnt sound quite right. Here is how I roll and pleat vinyl or leather.
Using sew foam 1/2" thick, no gluing needed.
One foam side mark out you spacing onto a larger than needed piece of sew foam by maybe 3-4"
Take a carpenters knive with a new blade extend the blade far enough to cut the foam but not through the backing. My knife is the second stop. It is about 1/2" of blade showing. Lay a stick on your line and cut the foam. The thickness of the stich will stop you from cutting through.
Now you are set to sew.
Roll the foam up foam side on top and put it under the head of your machine. On the firts cut line fold the rightmost section of vinyl and sew with a 1/8 to 1/4" seam into the cut foam. Keep it straight. Next fold the vinyl yo the next foam cut and continue untill the piece is done, keeping the vinyl straight and snug between channels.
Mark your size out ans sew around the markings then cut right next to these seams. You now have your finished insert ready to sew to the resr of the cover.
Some people make their own sew foam by gluing fabric to half inch foam. Maybe this is what mikewas saying. I find sew foam to be much easier to work with. The good stuff is pink foam and the backing is nice and smooth.
Have fun and we do expect finished product pictures :)

[Mike]

what I meat to type on my phone was I wasn't using backed sewfoam but similar to what you saud only with non sewfoam I glue it to the vinyl and have the pleat lines marked on the foam then cut the foam at the lines as you describe and I fold at the  the cut make it easy sew and roll and fold the next line sew repeatl   what you decribed with the backed sewfoam  do you layer the sewfoam with the backing material against the vinyl or vinyl and backing fabric sandwiching the foam?  I  experienced problems layering it vinyl foam and backing material when doing inside curve such as the inside of a bucket seat creating puckers of the vinyl , two equal length fabrics glued then curved the inside need to be shorter when the puckers came from having the fabric side of the sewfoam against the vinyl was problem solved

[ajlelectronics]

This might be useful? http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/tuck-roll-tutorial-146204.html

Here is a tuck and roll seat that I have been making:

https://www.facebook.com/301413426680002/photos/a.301730526648292.1073741831.301413426680002/301732043314807/?type=1&theater

[jojo]

Aj, this is the real thing; I think I'll stick to the faux method, since I'm doing the entire boat. That might take a year to stuff the individual channels! I love your work.

[Darren Henry]

That might take a year to stuff the individual channels!

I cheat!! Instead of cutting the back of the rolls smaller than the fronts, I cut them the same size. Once my project is all sewn together I cut the backs in half vertically , drop my "fill" inside and staple or hand stitch shut. Very quick and if required I can "fudge" things a bit to get my finished measurements/look exactly right.

it's hard to find a picture of a vintage Chris craft with pleated seats. They just did them smooth back in the day.

I have to disagree with you. Lake of the Wood's museum (Kenora Ontario) has quite a large archive of wooden boat pictures and artifacts.The vast majority are tuck and roll. There is a wooden boat parade every year as part of the August long celebration (Harbourfest) and I am always struck by the difference between the ones restored to tuck and roll and the ones that cheap out and go to flat.

I have a theory that may explain why you aren't finding that in your area: The boat is made in say 193? with tuck and roll. In 195? fiberglass and aluminum boats are all the rage but some one decides to refurbish this old wooden boat on the cheap. By 1970 the boat is mothballed some where. When some one "discovers" this great old wooden boat in the present they can only assume that the flat seats (which had become the norm in '60's &70's glass/tin boats) was standard.

[Mike]

all this talk of old boats reminded me of my first boat a early 60s bhuler turbocraft it had tuck n roll not seen here this was me in  1979

[MinUph]

That was a beauty Mike.

[jojo]

Ok, so the time is now, and I'm getting ready to do faux tuck and roll. So do you all make large panels and cut your small panels from that, or do you make them one panel at a time? Also, say my pleats are 2" wide, but the area I need to fill is 11 inches wide, what should I do...let the seam fall where it would, or try to plan something so that they're even? Sorry if I'm asking dumb questions; this is my first time!
Thanks guys!