Back to the Volkswagon

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Still working on the volkswagon.  Fortunately the owner has been pretty laid back about things.  I think he was ready to try and be a hard @ss and I explained to him how much time I have lost because he did me a "favor" by starting tear out.   And there have been lots of Murphy's Law incidents that neither of us predicted.  Last week, had I a flamethrower that car would have been torched.  Finally got the headliner installed without a lot of wrinkles.  Went to close the top and we couldn't get the left side latched.  Bob & I both worked on it, including trying to assist it with a rubber mallet all to no avail.  I spent a portion of three days last week trying different things to get the latch in place and nothing worked.  Still, I was pretty sure I could finish the job without latching the car, just po'd at yet the latest wrinkle.  Frank called to find out if I was finished and I gave him the good news.  I told Frank that he would need to tow it to a frame shop when he picked it up.  I did laugh out loud when he asked me if I could take care of getting it back and forth to the frame shop.  I reminded him that there's no battery in the car so it cannot be driven and told him that it is leaving my garage only one time.  My patience with this project hit the cellar quite some time ago.  I told him I'd call him when the top was on.

Yesterday, full of patience and good cheer and went out to work on the vw.  There is a bracket that I wanted to screw on that keeps the front of the headliner in place as I knew that would let me know if I needed to adjust the headliner at all.  I never worked so hard in my life to get that bracket screwed in on the left side.  Finally did and ran my hand along that portion of the frame and hit something.  Took me forever to see it but finally discovered there was a small screw, half in and half out and by now bent.  Took a little work to get it to unscrew but I finally did.  Just for kicks, I put the top down and was able with basically no effort at all to get the left side latched.  Right side has never been a problem and it latched as well.  So this stupid little screw that you could hardly see gave me a couple weeks of grief.  Frank was very happy when I called him with the good news that a visit to the frame shop is no longer on his agenda. 

I still have to spray the shaping/insulating foam in place and will need to trim it a little before spraying it down.  Should get that done this week and that means next week, I will FINALLY put the new top on.  I am sure there will be lots of adventures with that.  But, I'm thinking that I may actually get this job done without using a flamethrower to get out of it.

Oh yeah, and the headliner looked FABULOUS once the bracket was in place and the top latched properly.  WHO HOO!!!  Still, I recite at least 100 times a day "I am never doing another volkswagon as long as I live"

Gotta get after it!

Virginia

[scottymc]

Never say never, next time work out a price and triple it. ;)

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Never say never, next time work out a price and triple it. ;)

Sounds great to me.  Hubby however doesn't like having his car relegated to the outside world when I need a spare bay :D

Seriously, if I had the correct set-up I wouldn't mind it at all.  When I attached the headliner, I was supposed to have the frame stretched straight in the air.  I had to stop because of our rafters and garage door opener mechanics.  That was one area I "punted" and was fortunate that it came out correctly.  I put the frame down, pulled the headliner between the two frames, clipped it down with my jumbo quilting pins and took a quilting water soluble pencil to mark where the headliner should meet the frame and then sprayed the adhesive on.  I expected to have to adjust a little bit at least and was quite pleasantly surprised that the headliner fit like a glove the first time.  Beginner's luck I guess ; )

[Darren Henry]

if I had the correct set-up I wouldn't mind it at all.

Oh do I remember that.  ::)---My first upholstery shop was a 256 sq ft choir loft in an (at that time) 108 year old ex-church. I did the leathercraft and shoe repair out of my 7 1/2 X 12 uninsulated work shop at home. [picture some counters/cabinets/ huge old antique finisher and the kerosene heater I needed to get the place warm enough for the glue to stick and my finisher to run--->12 C /5? F apparently---and you'll know why some times  it is handy to be the size of a jockey]

[Mike]

 Hubby however doesn't like having his car relegated to the outside world when I need a spare bay :D

im with him!

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I had to order yet a few more parts for the VW yesterday.  Stuff that I'm sure Frank and his son either broke or threw away.  Really hope that is the last that I have to order.   Felt a bit better about the amount of time I've spent working on it after talking to my vendor.  He works on VW's in his spare time.  I asked him if I wasn't the longest headliner/top replacement in the history of VW's.  He chuckled and said no, that I would be surprised how long some of them take.  Also that I need to remember that what I've been doing is more than a replacement, it's actually a restoration and that with these old VW's you just don't know what you are going to get into until you get in and start doing.  So I felt better about the time it's taken.

I am actually itchin' to get out there and work on it but it's in an unheated garage and it's 50, blustery and drizzling.  Not good weather to be working with spray adhesive.  I'm ready to spray the insulating foam pad to it's liner and then it's time to put the top on.  Really want a warm day for the top so that I can lay it out on the lawn for an hour or so to loosen the vinyl before I put it on the car.  Once the top is on the frame, nothing looks really horrible until I am ready to insert the window and that has me a bit freaked out.  Chuck (vendor) and I did chat about it.  He's got it all detailed nicely complete with pictures in the manual he produced but it still gives me the "Can't someone else do the window" blues.  I'm sure it will be fine once I get to going on it, just the pre-window jitters.  The window is literally the last step.  Once it's in correctly, then I total up Frank's ever growing ticket, call him and get my garage back.  Hopefully no early snows for us for a few more weeks.  The sandhills of Nebraska got a rain/snow mix last evening.  Too early for this weather.

Need to work on other stuff since the VW is out for the day. 

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

but it's in an unheated garage and it's 50, blustery and drizzling.

How big is your garage? I've had some experience with heating issues like that. And before some Floridian gets smart aleck---We don't use whale oil lamps down this far south LOL. Well not if we have the hydro ---anywayzz.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

It's barely a double -- if we drove pick-ups or SUV's it would be a one-car.  Some room is taken out of it because the previous owner did carpentry in there so there are work benches set up.  I do have some tools on one of them but don't leave too much of value in it since Grand Island is having a lot of vehicle/garage break-ins right now.

Push comes to shove, I probably can set up a space heater but then I need to leave the garage door shut, screwing up my natural lighting so then I would need to bring in some floor lamps.  So, I just need to hurry up and get it done before cold weather gets here permanently.  Supposed to be in the 70's and dry next week so I should be able to haul it.

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

I would use one of those radiant propane heaters that thread onto your BBQ tank. We commonly call then sunflower heaters. For the kind of cold you'll be up against you should be able to leave the door open. One of them will sweat you right out of a good sized icefishing shack in the dead of a Canadian winter.

so then I would need to bring in some floor lamps.

I would spend the few bucks for a couple of 4' florescent lights and use the daylight bulbs.Much better light and they don't get in the road.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Thanks for the tips.  I'm hoping to get the VW finished before winter.  I am really close but don't know how much of a pain getting the top on correctly will be. 

I do plan on working on the loveseat (channel back) that matches the chair in the garage as there is no room at the inn.  No way are we lugging that sucker down my very narrow steps to get into the official Sew & Sew area.  The chair is in the dining room and that is where I am working on it.  I do that with most chairs.  There's a nice little niche that works perfectly for reasonably sized chairs.  If the VW goes well and the weather holds, I could get the loveseat done before the weather gets crappy but this is Nebraska so one never knows.  Having a cold early September, plus all the rain we've gotten, has me thinking that we could have a very cold and snowy winter.  We are definitely due for one of those.  This will be our 10th winter back and we have yet to be inundated with snow.

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

I've worked out of the living room/had the shoe repair in my 7 1/2 X12 X I almost have to duck workshop/ 256 sq ft in an old choir loft at the top of a spiral stair case--- ::) If you can set yourself up in the garage, your workflow will improve, you will be better ready to tackle it when you do go out to work, and it presents much better when people bring their work to you. Makes it easier to charge your new [what you are actually worth] rate. You have been raising your rate (STERN CHARACTER) ---right??

Before I took the leap and rented the big shop I put a little bit from each job aside---a bale of insulation from these two, a roll of vapour barrier from that one,etc... and made do in my widdle workshop.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Makes it easier to charge your new [what you are actually worth] rate. You have been raising your rate (STERN CHARACTER) ---right??

Yes sir, I am raising rates.  Not going too fast so as to freak people out but I have raised them and will again.  I've been trying to up them a bit on each new "big" job.  I have a big storeroom off my Sew & Sew area that I am toying with remodeling.  I'd like a real bathroom down here -- I just have our old toilet from when we remodeled upstairs.  Thought I could make a nice bathroom and incorporate a real changing room for my alteration projects.  Use our laundry room now though I could get a couple of cool screens and use part of Sew & Sew.  So many decisions, so little money.  ; )

Using the garage as much as possible makes good sense.  I'm very dedicated about getting downstairs like I should in the morning and after lunch but I really hate having the dining room trashed by my larger projects.  As long as Bob has his bay for the 'vet he's happy.  I don't mind parking in the driveway.  I'm sure the logo on the HHR shows up much better than the yard sign anyway so that would be the bonus.

Gotta get after it.  Lots to do today.

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

 ;) Glad to hear you've given yourself a raise closer to sweat-shop rate. LOL. I hear you on the time-budget-wanna plans for shop improvements. It's a balancing act to be sure. Just be patient and keep picking away---some damaged sheets of gyp rock (wall board I think you call it ) for cheap this "payday", towels and curtains at your thanksgiving white sales etc...She'll all come right on the night as the Brit's say.

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

We actually dumped a ton of $$$'s into the basement before this started.  I worked part-time at our Jo-Ann's Store to get remodeling money.  I was still working my full-time job them so it got a bit hairy before it was all over and done with.

Basement originally had a "great room" and a bedroom off it.  Tore out the wall between the two and rocked the former bedroom and transition wall.  Replaced windows with energy efficient ones.  Bob & I tore out the old ceiling together -- that was definitely a hoot.  Then we had an electrician come in and rewire what is now Sew & Sew with a dedicated circuit for each machine (sewing, serger, embroidery, long arm quilter and upholstery) as well as a trac lighting set-up with some additional cans over my two large tables that house 3 of my machines.  It's all quite cool.  My customers are pretty much blown away when they get down here and see all of the machines and those huge tables.  The tables have electronic lifts so I don't have to bend down to pick up whatever machine I need which is perfect for me since I'm fused at L5/S1.    I painted the ceiling and walls and then had an industrial type carpet put in as it doesn't have a high pile which makes it easy to spot pins/needles/etc and also to vacuum up all those pesky threads that never seem to hit the trash can.

All in all, it's a great set-up.  Just was designed before upholstery came into play.  75% of the time it's not an issue as I'm doing restaurants, boats, motorcycles and other assorted small items.  But when chairs, loveseats and other larger items come along then it's not ideal. 

Really don't want to rent a commercial space as rent is astronomical here.  Also Bob, I and all the four legged creatures like having me here most of the time so incorporating the garage into the mix on a permanent basis seems an ideal fix.  I'll take the winter hours to try and design a better set-up out there and also how to get that second bathroom/changing area going in the Sew & Sew area.  Now I just gotta go find that money tree ; )  Better yet, get those restaurant chairs fixed so I get paid for that job. 

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

 :-[ Well now I feel like a blithering ass. You speak so modestly about your arrangements that I envisioned way less than that.Please excuse  my "presumptions" , and moderate some of posts. I was thinking cement walls, 3 pull chain lights, ---glazed cement floor.