V-Berth Cushions

[jojo]

Anyone ever do v-berth cushions like this? In vinyl?



How would you handle the bolster?
Thanks for any and all input.

Jo

[JuneC]

The 3 center pieces are filler pieces for when the table is lowered?  I assume they're in 3 separate pieces to ease storage.  Big cushions on small boats present a problem when not in use.  Those three I'd join underneath with a fabric "hinge".  The hinge between cushions could be sewn in to all cushions so they're permanently linked, or made with velcro tabs to make them non-slip.  The knee bolsters I'd put in with internal zippered pulls(stretchers). 

June

[Grebo]

V Berth ?    Talk them out of vinyl, fabric would be much more comfy.  :D

[bobbin]

Are those really V berth cushions or are they exterior bow cushions?  If they're interior V berth cushions I'd follow Grebo's suggestion and urge your customer to skip the vinyl... ICK hot and sticky to sleep on. 

And if they are corralled by coaming I would skip the permanent hinge because that would negate the ability to store them easily.  You'll have basically turned 3 small cushions into one big one.  But I like the idea of using velcro tabs to link them one to another, that way you get the best of both worlds;  they're joined and won't slip apart if there is no coaming but they can still be stored and stacked easily.  Very clever. 

I can't tell from the picture if the knee bolsters are part of the cushions... doesn't look that way to me, but logically it's what makes sense.  I would do them the same way June suggests. 

[Grebo]

I had one customer who insisted on having his old berth cushions covered in vinyl  ::) then accused me of changing the foam as they where then to hard  ??? .
Like I wouldn't have charged for it  ;D

Suzi

[fragged8]

some people .. sheesh

a pal of mine is a trained clockmaker, he was once accused of
stealing the gold screws from a clock and replacing them with brass.

A gold screw would be about as good as a lead screw.

Rich

[jojo]

Yes, they are indeed v-berth cushions, with the worst fabric I have ever seen. It's pink, with black and mauve brush stroke patterns on it. It's bad 80's.

Would anyone attempt these in a striped fabric? I'm thinking the bolsters would be really difficult to get the stripes lined up. The bolster is in 3 or 4 separate pieces. We are still in the deciding-on-fabric phase.

Grebo, that's a great story...paranoia runs deep.

[Mike8560]

id try stripes but i thimk the bolsters would look better a solid i ihad vinyl but the vinyl looked like cloth i a formula i had i only usd te area to ut on swin shorts ect and to access the anchor on the deck wo it was always getting wet

[bobbin]

Sure, you could use stripes but you'd better pay strict attention to the horizontal repeat and you'd better plan the layout carefully.  Me? I'd avoid that possibility at all costs, lol.  A small, all over print would be considerably easier to handle. 

[DBR1957]

I'd recommend against vinyl unless you're going to replace the foam with something firmer or use a fleece backed vinyl that steams easily. Don't do a permanent hinge because the cushions may have to be removed individually to get to stowage compartments beneath them. Have the customer sit/lay on the cushions as they are now then pull the foam and lay a sample of vinyl over it and have the customer test again. If you do go with a vinyl be sure to bottom with a breathable fabric or mesh. The vinyl top won't let air escape. Vinyl will get sticky on hot days but most boaters I know always keep a sheet or two on board.

Double check the fit!!!!!! If the customer brought these in, sure as anything he didn't check for shrinkage before he took them out. He will surely notice it when he goes to put them back in even if you made them exactly the same size/shape they are now.

If using the original foam be sure to steam it so it expands back out to original size. Sometimes older foam won't steam out immediately. I'll steam right when I strip everything. If I have a stubborn piece I'll go over it again in a couple of days.

[Peppy]

Double check the fit!!!!!! If the customer brought these in, sure as anything he didn't check for shrinkage before he took them out. He will surely notice it when he goes to put them back in even if you made them exactly the same size/shape they are now.

Amen!

[jojo]

Aw, crap, he did bring the cushions to me from his storage shed  :(.

Thanks for the input, guys. He does want to go with vinyl, as he is concerned about them being easy to clean and also getting wet. I'm glad for this, because vinyl is much easier to work with, imo.

Fleeced back vinyl is also a good suggestion: is this the same as flannel backed vinyl?

[DBR1957]

Definitely view those cushions in the boat and note any discrepencies with the customer.
If the boat isn't available then the job has to wait until it is available or no warranty on
fit. This sounds harsh but you are actually looking out for your customer. Do not take his
word on the fit! Not that he isn't being truthful it's just that he probably didn't even check
and assumes they're ok. They may be fine, but I've learned the hard way on this. As much
as I've wanted to tell a customer "Tough" I've still eaten a couple. Even after I've taken the
foam out of the skin, puffed it with steam and set the bare foam in place to show there was
no way it was right beforehand.

Fleece backed/flannel backed I think is the same junk. Very thin layer on vinyl that gets
hard and cracks in a few years. 80's Bayliner, you know what I'm talking about. The only
good quality of that product is that it lays out almost immediately when steamed. I actually
think it was invented to speed production at the factories. I much prefer expanded vinyls.
Saddest day of a boat upholsterer life when MSG (G&T Industries) was bought by Spradling.
95% of the time I could go to the MSG samples and find exactly what I needed. Oh well, do
mainly canvas now, so not to big of a deal.

[Lynn]

I agree, NEVER do bow cushions from old ones. They almost never fit. Use them as a guide for style but that's about it.
Lynn

[Mike8560]

So were are tou at dbr tour fairly new and I do t think i welcomed you  ?