PDQ's Completed Projects (Canvas)

[PDQ]

I've already posted these on Richard's board and thought I'll post them here too.

A mixture of remakes (redesigned) and new builds. Most are my own work with the odd 2 man operation made by work colleague and friend, T. Hartnell and myself. Some pictures were taken before overal completion.

Feel free to comment and I will try to answer any questions that you may have.











http://get-up-and-go.com/upholstery-forum/index.php?topic=8502.msg69391#msg69391

[Peppy]

Holy beans! Thats some hot stuff! Looks like bird shit'll bounce off them! Are they all sunbrella? Do you sew them too?

I like the dingy cover with the red barbell looking things. You shrink that one on? 

[Eric]

Looks nice, I to am intrested if you sew the glass in, especially on the first couple pictures. Also do you have a picture of the framework for the black curved camper?
Eric

[JuneC]

Indeed!  Very nice looking work.  Can a normal-strength person put those covers on?  And what are those red "barbell looking thingys" on the dingy cover?  The fit on that thing is impeccable. 

June

[mike802]

Very nice fit on those covers.  Way back when I was still doing canvas work I always left a little for shrinkage, your covers fit so nice and tight, I wonder it they will still fit in a year or two?  It is not my intent to criticize, you do very nice work and i can see a lot of time went into it.  Maybe I was over cautious and worried about returns to much.  I only had one cover ever come back, that one I was doing outside because my shop was full and I got caught in a rain storm.  The canvas (sunbrella) got wet and I went ahead and finished the job, apparently being wet the canvas over stretched and the only way my customer could get the cover on the boat was to soak the cover in the lake before installing it.  I ended up making a new cover, hopefully you make money on the first cover, but it you have to make a second it cost you money.  Guess I became a little gun shy after that.

[hdflame]

Nice looking work!  Not a wrinkle anywhere!

After you post the thumbs, I'll move this over to the "GREEN ROOM" for easy finding in the future. ;D

[Mike8560]

NICE work!, how did you do the curved camper? and shy the red dots on the tender? funny thing on tight whats wrong with tight i ask? a guy wanted me to make a bridge cover for his 38' Carvr Santeago for hurricane protection so I did with Top Gun and vent so port vents and fastned with turnbuttons. nice and tight today he came back a week later and asked if I can loosen it with a strip up te center  ::) so hes all paid shoulf i charge him extra? and perhap loose a full enclosure later on when hes got more money or perhap it would not happen anyway  ::)

So tell us a bit about yorself PDQ where did you learn to do  nice work like that and do you have your own shop? UK right?

[JuneC]

funny thing on tight whats wrong with tight i ask?

Yeah, easy for you to say.   ::)  You're what, freakin' 7' tall? :P And I'm 60" IF I stand up REALLY straight.  I can't do the "200 pound gorilla" canvas anymore.  Just too small/old/weak/frail/wimpy/you get the picture. 

June

[Peppy]

I say if the customer can't do it up it's due to operator error. It was delivered done up right? If you can't do it up your doing it wrong. Put down the rum and coke and think about things from a different perspective. Don't do up every zipper and then fight with a snap. Or do and pay me to come do it up, either way's good.

I had a guy say (I quote) "I DEFIE you to do up that snap!" I undid the zipper a bit and snapped it on and zipped the zipper. He says "I didn't know you were going to cheat!" No kidding.

(btw I'm only a 140lbs gorilla.)

[JuneC]

I totally agree, Peppy.  I always tell my customers to start each zip, don't finish any of them. Do the snaps, then finish the zipping.  But still, some covers defy you to snap them.  I've seen them recently come up as much as 3" short of snapping.  Even with soaking the canvas, they're never going to reach.

June

[timtheboatguy]

Hey, I never thought of using Spandex to do canvas work!  ;D Very nice work! My covers look like my old face...wrinkled! We would love to learn more about your methods.

Tim

[PDQ]

Are they all sunbrella? Do you sew them too?

Hi Peppy,
They are made in Sauleda apart from the RIB cover, which was made in Odyssey,

Yes, I do all my own sewing.

Looks nice, I to am intrested if you sew the glass in, especially on the first couple pictures. Also do you have a picture of the framework for the black curved camper?
Eric

Hi Eric,
Yes, the glass is sewn in. The frame work for the curve (not my design) is a simple, yet clever method of using fibreglass tent poles. I do have an a few images of them and will post them  for you shortly.

Can a normal-strength person put those covers on?  And what are those red "barbell looking thingys" on the dingy cover? 

Hi June,
All my covers go on quite easily so long as the correct method is used, start and finishing points for example. I make it a rule of educating my customers on the best method of fitting their new cover at the end of every job. Once they have this knowledge, it's easy for them. 

Ah, the red dots. :) The colour scheme for the RIB cover was a customer requirement. He wanted all reinforced areas that prevent chafing to be done in red. The larger "barbell looking thingys" are the grab rails and the smaller ones are other reinforced areas done the same way to match.

Very nice fit on those covers.  Way back when I was still doing canvas work I always left a little for shrinkage, your covers fit so nice and tight, I wonder it they will still fit in a year or two?  It is not my intent to criticize, you do very nice work and i can see a lot of time went into it.

Hi Mike802,
there's no harm in constructive criticism whatsoever. In fact, I believe it should be encouraged more here for better discussion, so good for you for standing up and saying what's on your mind. :tup: You raise a valid point regarding shrinkage and I'm sure it's a concern that all of us worry about. I assume you're aiming your concerns in regards to the first two images (the 'curved' canopy) and the RIB cover?

When I get back from work later today I'll sit down and go through it with you. I'm a bit pushed for time at the moment as I want to post in more detail, but that will take up too much of my time right now.
Time for work. Will come back later.

Thanks for the comments, all.
 

[jock36]

Great pics... i've just done my 1st spray guard today, it turned out well + the interior :) .

It could be a new string to my bow & yes nice work.

Chris

[Mike8560]

I totally agree, Peppy.  I always tell my customers to start each zip, don't finish any of them. Do the snaps, then finish the zipping.  But still, some covers defy you to snap them.  I've seen them recently come up as much as 3" short of snapping.  Even with soaking the canvas, they're never going to reach.

June

I do the zipper thing also and if a cover is tight snaping from the front sdown the side to the back gettign tighter and tigher dont  snap the whole side do the front then the rear corner snaps then fill in the center snaps. this is ok o a trailer but harder if installing in the water or on a lift.

[PDQ]

Here's one that was completed'ish recently (just need to tidy it up tomoz)

Nimbus Commander 380:

Six piece.

Fwd panel attached to and draped (skirt) over curved flybridge rail (PITA)