Still Recovering Hide-A-Beds?

[kodydog]

Its been a while since I've upholstered a hide-a-bed and even longer working with one this heavy . This one had a Stearns and Foster tag on the mechanism. It also had an inner spring mattress. When I dropped the bed I noticed the mechanism alone was very heavy. I honestly do not know how the two young men who brought the sofa to me, with the bed in, were able to carry it out of the house and into their truck. I delivered it in two pieces. Thankfully the two young men were there to help and they were grateful the bed was separate. It was a struggle to get the sofa into the house and at one point I was sure they would drop it.

[sofadoc]

I still do several of them a year. But it's rare that I get a good quality heavy one. Most of the ones I get in are actually lighter than a regular sofa (once the mattress is removed).

[SteveA]

It's good to see well made pieces being restored - I do more repairs than complete restorations - folks just don't redo like they used to.  That sofa with a good fabric should last them 25 years. 
The new ones last 5 years
Nice job - did the old cushions have the welt in the center like that ?  Was this an older couple ?
SA

[kodydog]

Nice job - did the old cushions have the welt in the center like that ?  Was this an older couple ?
SA

Yes. The only thing I changed was to add more padding to the top of the arms and wrapped the back pillows with a layer of dacron. Once in a while its nice to get a job that doesn't require a whole bunch of extra work.

The customer lives on a 10 acre horse and goat farm. She lived in a 30 year old single wide mobile home and wanted to build a small site built house. Builders are so busy in Florida she couldn't find one that wanted the job. They can pick and choose and they would rather build the bigger houses. Better profits I guess. She ended up buying a nice new double wide. We were lucky to get our shop built before everything went crazy. There is a new neighborhood going up behind us. They are building houses as fast as they can and sell them before they are done. I watched them build 10 new houses in 3 months, took the dog for a walk yesterday and they are all sold.   

[SteveA]

When my in laws moved to New Port Richie their Son went with them.  The first house they bought him he out grew and it was less expensive for him to have a new house built than to add on to the existing. 
Did I tell you the time when my FIL told me it was OK to swim in the channel - half way back to the dock I started to wonder if there are gators in this  F%$# water - still don't know to this day if he was trying to make his Daughter a young widow ?
SA

[kodydog]

I remember canoeing up and down Florida rivers in the 70's. Back then it was rare to have a gator sighting. Now its rare not to. My neighbor went kayaking last week and saw a 10 footer soaking up the sun on the bank of a local river. My favorite fishing creak is salt water. Generally gators stay away from salt water but last month I saw one slither into the creak as I was nearing my favorite fishing hole. He saw me first so all I saw was the tail and it was about 4 foot. Now its decision time, should I stop and fish or just keep going? For some reason deer like to bed down right next to the creak. This is wet swampy land where only wiregrass will grow. Wiregrass is 3' tall so you cannot see the deer until you're right on top of them. They wait until I'm about 3 ' away and jump up and splash away. Scares the hell out of me every time. I can hear them splashing way off into the distance.

[gene]

Crocs live in Florida and prefer salt water. I'd hate to be eaten by a croc and everyone think it was just a regular alligator.

https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/environment/2018/07/02/rare-american-crocodiles-sanibel-cape-coral-naples/752914002/

[Mojo]

I do not mind the gators as they are big and you can spot them most times. It is the damn snakes down here that always gets my attention when on a walk in our woods. Most of the coral snakes left our property after I cleared out the underbrush but I still have a few around. I wear snake chaps if I am going into the woods to work. I got bit by a pygmy rattler on my arm 3 years ago......... Not fun and caused all kinds of blood issues for me but nothing like a strike from an eastern diamond back. The pygmy though is one nasty little rattle snake. He actually hit me twice before I could get my arm out of the way ( one was a dry bite ). They wont kill a human but will kill pets. Their venom is a hemotoxin and not a neuro toxin.

Speaking of water, float down the back waters of Florida rivers in a canoe and you have to worry about water moccasins hanging from the tree branches above your head. Had a buddy end up with one in his boat. I wont get into the scorpions or brown recluse spiders.

But Florida is nothing like Australia. Everytime we go back to see her family it is like stepping into the food chain. So many creatures there that want to kill you. Jellyfish, octopus, sea snakes, bull sharks, Taipan snakes, croc's, King brown snakes, Red Belly snakes, Death Adder snakes, red back spiders, Funnel web spiders ( can be deadly ), Stone Fish, Emu's and yes even a pissed off Big Red kanagaroo will gut punch you to death and open you up like a can of sardines with their razor like hooves. I think of my time in Australia where every move I made on my in laws 10 acre property was a calculated move and it makes Florida more pleasant for me. :)

Mojo

[kodydog]

Alrighty then, cross Australia off my bucket list. ;)