Upholstery WIP - chair from scratch

[Lappa]

Excellent result and excellent WIP. Thanks for the journey

[Arron]

Dust cover underneath is usually cheap semi perforated material, a bit like eco shopping bags are made out of. Black the usual choice, sometimes white. Black I would think wouldn't reflect light or add any new colouring to the décor.

Ok, perforated so it breathes and doesn't get mouldy inside I guess??? I never thought of that.
We had some leather couches that got a bit mouldy once and the smell never left them.

The black idea is good too.

Cheers
Arron

[q9]

Maybe perforated so air can escape when sat on? Not sure the logic behind choice of material, just an observation...oh and it is cheap too...

[RobjG]

Nice job...... re cutting foam, my dad used an electric carving knife.... mum was p***** but dad had the need. Worked a treat, he was in the game 50 years started when he was 15 and did nothing else until he retired at 65. He was good, very very good.
Also using air compressor powered stable gun is the only way you can stable upholstery properly, you just don't get the penetration from an electric stabler.
Hope you attempt more upholstery projects. It can be more challenging as it requires more diverse skills than woodwork... the tricky stuff like combining furniture quality woodwork with upholstery is a beautiful thing if done correctly...... all the best

[Arron]

Always the way isnt it, once you've finished you realise all the things you should have done. I thought I'd update this with some useful stuff that I've found out since finishing.

1. Curves under shark trim
The major shortcoming in this project is that there is a little runching on the outside back, at the top, where the curve is most severe. I couldnt quite get this out no matter how hard I tried. Actually, its more just looseness then runching. Looking at some videos it seems the cure for this is to cut vertical slits in the fabric, about 40mm apart, to relieve the tension. These should run from the edge to the point where it tucks in under the shark trim. You need to be careful how far you cut - cut just to the point where you can be confident the sharktrim will hide it.


2. Cardboard to shape piping
The other shortcoming is the wavy line created by the piping around the bottom of the chair. A partial solution to this, it seems is to staple on some 12mm cardboard strip on the tail of the piping, pressed right up against the rolled edge. This makes the piping sit flatter.


3. Source of cheap calico
Doing a bit of reading, it seems that in the US painter's dropcloths are to diy upholstery as pallets are to diy timber furniture building. I'm not sure I'd like to see heavy grade calico as a surface fabric, but they are a wonderful source of cheap fabric for linings and preupholstery layers. I bought a Wagner dropcloth from Bunnings which is heavy grade 11oz calico, which worked out to $3.60 per square meter.

I also bought from Masters a pack of 3 dropcloths on sale at $25 which worked out to 83cents per meter, though they are a lighter grade.

I still dont get why Spotlite charges $15 or more per linear meter for the real lightweight stuff.


4. Some other things I bought from a 2dollar shop which should be useful next time.
Poultry stuffing pins, like monster sewing pins. I sharpened them up on a grindstone till real sharp, then tied some hi-vis ribbon on the end. They will be useful for holding batting etc in place and wont get forgotten about and end up left in the chair.
Tailor's chalk. Like flat blades of chalk. The chalk is not waxy so it is easy to get off, in fact it just kind of vanishes before the job is finished.
A magnetic parts dish. Good for tossing staples into but the best thing is turn it upside down and sweep the workbench with it and all staples adhere. Keeping your workbench clean of staples is important if you have exposed timber which is highly finished.

cheers
Arron

[Christos]

I sort of missed this for a little while but I sure am glad that I was able to read up on what you have done. Really nice looking chair.

[Cleokitty]

Great information, Arron, thank you for sharing all those 'Do's and Dont's'. They should save a lot of people a lot of false starts and redo's.

I know this is an old thread but that information is unlikely to date. I know I'll be back to refer to it.