Rounded corners on office chair

[stickandtin]

Trying to upholster an office chair with rounded corners. Looked really simple...no boxing, no piping....
How hard can it be..... After numerous tries, I am about to run screaming. Using marine vinyl and can't get around the rounded corners without a bunch of wrinkles showing on the edges....which is not what the chair looked like with the old vinyl on it. Can anyone explain to me what the trick is for getting around rounded corners without wrinkles before I go insane? LOL. Thanks

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

Pictures of the project working on are always beneficial.  About a year and a half ago, I upholstered 8 office chairs, all of which had rounded corners.  I patterned my vinyl off the existing covers and had no issues with wrinkles around the edges.  If they are not huge wrinkles, a carefully applied heat gun will take care of them.

Any chance of posting a picture (close up preferably) that shows the issue you are having with the wrinkles?

Virginia

[SteveA]

Pictures are definitely helpful.  Is it pull and staple or a sewn back ?
SA

[brmax]

You might try some 4-way stretch type vinyl, its not real new but has improved this type of project.
I'm not sure what all super duper specs they might have in that type, but atv and many other  outdoor craft in various temperatures have use it for awhile.

good luck
Floyd

[gene]

There's a video on youtube, I don't recall the name, where a guy shows how he staples vinyl underneath on a rounded corner.

He makes many many many many tiny pleats and pushes them back from the edge with his fingernail, on the under side, and staples them down.

I have used this technique many times and it works very well.

Sorry for not remembering the name.

gene

[kodydog]

Some vinyls work different then others. I'm guessing the old vinyl was much softer then the new vinyl. All you can do is add a few strategically placed pleats and call it good. Also a little heat help sometimes. Steamer or heat gun.

[sofadoc]

Heat gun set at 750 degrees held about 6" from the corner for 3-5 seconds.

[MinUph]

Yep heat gun. Not a blow drier.

[Darren Henry]

Yup , heat gun and then start in the middle and don't be afraid to pull on the vinyl.

[sofadoc]

If you don't want to "break the bank" on a heat gun, this is a nice one for $30. It has several temp settings, so you can get a feel of what is just right for your application. Test on a scrap piece, so you will know how much heat is too much.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-watt-12-interval-heat-gun-430-800-570-1160-69343.html

[Darren Henry]

That is a good one. Mine are $20 Canadian Tire specials with two settings 750 or 1500 watt.

[stickandtin]

Thanks for the advice. Was able to get one done. Tried to post a couple of pics but kept getting message that said my files were too big. Have pics saved on iPhone and cropped them down using edit option but still got message saying files were too big. Don't know how to make the pic files on my phone smaller.

[brmax]

I think something like 86-125 kb may be the max size, doing it this way anymore days.
Welcome to the picture hosting sites world for storage, and then you can be linking to that particular photo you are sharing in the post.
Its not an area of my specialty at all, so will direct to one posting above in the stickys as to posting from photo bucket, but some others will surely give some leads as many photo sites nowadays.

good day
Floyd

[sofadoc]

Thanks for the advice. Was able to get one done. Tried to post a couple of pics but kept getting message that said my files were too big. Have pics saved on iPhone and cropped them down using edit option but still got message saying files were too big. Don't know how to make the pic files on my phone smaller.

You'll have to upload your pics to a storage site like photobucket. Then copy the img thumbnail, and paste it here.

[stickandtin]

I finally saw the sticky on how to post pics.......DUH. Read the directions first LOL