Bolster Cloth Black

[dch1950 37 1 Cars]

Hi all,

I thought today was going to be different. I was expecting a flood of orders from Edinburgh from some fool who seems to think he knows that car upholstery is so easy that I must be spinning it out just make myself look good. Ah well.

 

For those of you genuinely interested in what I'm doing, here's where I'm at as of today.

I have made up a denim RHS thigh bolster, yes - so what. Well the difficulty arises from the start and end of seam location nicks. Amanda (my latest sub contract machinist) works using these to get seam locations correct. The one in question on the thigh bolsters is the the inner face joining seam of the 2 sections that comprise that side. I have always taken the stance that if you start with seam positionally correct then the stitching follows. This is not the case in the machinists world when piecing sections together; the start of seam nicks are vital and must be bang on. So I sewed a bolster set without location nicks (essentially by eye) and then cut the required location nicks into place. This is blindingly obvious I suppose, but I based my patterns on seat covers I had dismantled (using an average outilne and details based on several sets of component parts.) It didn't work though.

Another spin off has been the fact that because the denim is fairly stiff, I have not been able to stretch the cover around the foam profile quite so much and this has brought to light some radius corrections to get the overall edge fit correct.

I have just taken this bolster apart and transferred the mods to the patterns. I will then cut out some new patterns, make up a sew set, and should (touch wood) have a really well fitting set by tomorrow lunch.

I'm a happy bunny now - and feel confident about my ability to produce the goods (not Amanda's unfortunately but never mind)

Don't forget that even my tailored covers will look crap over poor replacement foam rework. (no names mentioned here - but they don't look good I can tell you) Still you pays your money and you takes your choice.

Keep the faith

regards

Dave

Edited October 13, 2011 by dch1950

[Tom Fenton 1,525]

Sounds good Dave. Is there not a cheap fabric out there that has a similar amount of flex/stretch to it as the bolster material, would something like this be better for your mock ups as it will "give" in a similar way to the actual stuff?

[dch1950 37 1 Cars]

Sounds good Dave. Is there not a cheap fabric out there that has a similar amount of flex/stretch to it as the bolster material, would something like this be better for your mock ups as it will "give" in a similar way to the actual stuff?

Hi Tom,

yes there is, but the point I was making was that if you fit a cover really at the limit of the elasticity of the material then you can make anything look a really good fit. The material that really counts ( and I have made this point many times in the past) is hide. This is has minimal stretch and ipso facto the patterns must be accurate, Denim is cheap and BECAUSE it has minimal stretch it will ultimately give the optimal fit. The black rib (stretch fabric) will consequently fit as well.

Denim is £8 a metre and does what I need. The target West Trading material is £26 per metre, the ASCI top end fabric is circa £45 per metre. I tried some Elastane/black rib corduroy but I didn't like the way it worked (the stuff used in jodphurs .)

ten out of ten for effort though

regards

Dave

ps pattern mods done, will cut out a sew set this pm and sew asap.

D

[GLPoomobile 958]

Hi all,r

I thought today was going to be different. I was expecting a flood of orders from Edinburgh from some fool who seems to think he knows that car upholstery is so easy that I must be spinning it out just make myself look good. Ah well.

 

Very good Dave. It took me a while to get it, but very good

 

Just for the record, I am genuinely interested too. I eagerly read all your updates with interest. If I was actively restoring my gti instead of leaving it sat idly under cover, i'd be ordering most of your products.

Edited October 13, 2011 by GLPoomobile

[dch1950 37 1 Cars]

Very good Dave. It took me a while to get it, but very good

 

Just for the record, I am genuinely interested too. I eagerly read all your updates with interest. If I was actively restoring my gti instead of leaving it sat idly under cover, i'd be ordering most of your products.

 

I didn't want to make it too difficult for you , you know my views on meatheads and rocket science. The result was quite. albeit unexpectedly, exquisitely perverse - don't you think?

Keep the faith

Dave