Let the buyer beware

[gene]

I've bought jute cord and used it for my welt cord for the last 11 years. It came with a wooden core. I bought another 10# roll and didn't notice that it did not have a wooden core until I went to use it today.

The top piece of jute webbing is what I have used for the last 11 years.

The bottom piece of jute webbing is what they are selling me now and telling me it's the exact same size. Yea, right.

Their new supplier is saving money by eliminating the wooden core AND by making the jute cord half as thick.

It's like when they stopped making 2 x 4's 2" x 4".

gene

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz228/genejoe/th_DSCF3231_zpsucoshayl.jpg

[brmax]

Its looks like they at the manufacture have someone turning the screws a little loose after the quality control person leaves the site, as that on the bottom looks flat and loose.
Sorry
Some things can be ordered in a good planning stage and then be past a certain date, but I have argued many times to get things straight. And a few time went some where else forever, though tough sometimes it takes that before they wake up.
I had just the other day ask a supplier for a sample in cording because of no tech on it ? crazy.
As listening to people here about specifics on things I want to make sure when I order something it is or has the stuff I am counting on from paying attention to experienced postings and such.
Well its a bummer man, keep us posted on your outcome.
Later

[JuneC]

Yep, like some suppliers offer vinyl with 1/4" foam backing - but the foam backing is barely 1/8", much less 1/4....  NOT.  I'm not buying that story for a New York minute. 

June

[baileyuph]

June,
The foam back bonded vinyl;  Since I do auto seat original type repairs, my question is -- does the bonded foam part seem substantial enough to wear reasonably well?  Curious as to what to expect in terms of durability.  If so, might be worth it to save time cutting/sewing the sew foam.  The fitting dynamics are slightly different between the bonded and sew foam approach -- another subject.

It would be swell to reduce cutting and sewing time on the work.

Doyle

[sofadoc]

I used to buy the 5/32 fiberflex (tissue) welt in the 2000 yd. center-pull box. But the last couple of times, the welt had a lot of kinks in it. So I have gone back to the individual 500 yd. rolls on a spool.

I've thought about trying a roll of jute welt before, but now I'm afraid I'll get stuck with the stuff that Gene posted about.

Gene: Looking in my supply books, I see that the price for a 10# spool of jute welt is close to that of a 500 yd. roll of fiberflex welt. But it doesn't say how many yards are on a 10# spool. Is it more or less than 500 yds.?

[gene]

Dennis:

About 60 to 65 yards per pound for 5/32" jute welt cord.

Sunshine Foam prices, all 5/32":

Tissue welt cord which I think is your fiberflex: .0479/yard. This is a stiffer welt cord and I cannot use it with some thinner fabrics. I use it with all slipcovers because it will not shrink if washed.

Cotton welt cord. .0665/yard

Jute welt cord. .054/yard

The cost of jute welt cord has continued to go up over the years, passing the tissue price and getting closer to the cotton welt cord price.

This new 5/32" jute welt cord that Sunshine is now selling is crap and I'll try to take it back.

gene

The only reason I was using jute welt cord is because the Merv Knutson video I watched to learn how to make welt cord he was using jute. I bought that and many moons ago it was much cheaper than the cotton or tissue so I kept using it. I could not use it on thin fabrics because the jute sometimes has bumps and irregularities that would show up through the thin fabric so I use the cotton on thin fabrics.

[kodydog]

My supplier will try to down grades products every once in a while. Usually by the time I get around to complaining, all his other customers have already. We keep him on his toes.

Don't know if this will help Gene. I just finished a job using a very thin cotton fabric. I didn't like the look of the cording so I double wrapped it to give it more thickness. The first layer I used Sunbrella. This actually made the cord rather stiff and the look I was going for. The back of the cushion is rounded and this helped to keep its shape. It was double the work to cut, a real time killer but it came out nice. I used double cord on the bottom of the chair and this I only wrapped once. Made a nice thin finished outcome.

[sofadoc]

My supplier will try to down grades products every once in a while. Usually by the time I get around to complaining, all his other customers have already.

My suppliers will try to shoehorn in some crap on me every now and then.

Most recently, a roll of Dacron that felt more like steel wool. I really hate it when I call to complain, and they say "We haven't had any other complaints.........all of our other customers love it".

I had one salesman that would absolutely turn a deaf ear to any problems that I had with his products. Then he would show up next month pushing the same junk that I complained about the month before. He hadn't heard a word I said.

[byhammerandhand]

Boy, I understand that.   I bought some plywood recently and the store raved about how much of it they sold, a lot of it to the Amish furniture industries across the state, they had QA people in the Chinese factory, etc. etc.   It wasn't the worst junk I've seen, but every time I worked with it, I ended up with these microscopic splinters in my hands. Never again.  The 1/4" stuff had so much warp in it, I had a hard time cutting it.