Reupholstering a Bench seat. Picture Heavy

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X-cabsquarebody

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Just showing how I recover a bench seat.

Remove covers off seats by cutting the hog rings, and unhooking the J channel.

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Cut reference makes in the old covers seams, marks are called darts. The darts will be transferred to the new cover and aid in getting the cover pieces sewn right.

I'm cheating some cause I have a cover that I made into a pattern years ago, and used it for my seats.

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I make the seating surface part by sewing the pleats in. To make the pleats, I glue my cloth to 1/2 backing foam, draw out my lines with chalk, then sew the lines. Cut out the centers and caps, glue backing foam to them, and sew them all together.

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X-cabsquarebody

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Lay the pattern over the sewn section and trace with chalk. Make sure to transfer the dart makes. I sew around the section with the pleats to lock the seams in on the ends.


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Lay out the other pieces, and trace, and cut. These don't get backing foam on them.

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X-cabsquarebody

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Now sew the listings and channels on. Sew the pieces together.

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X-cabsquarebody

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Clean up the hinge covers and seat beats. Steam the form cushions, to make it softer, and fill out the new covers better. Glue the foam back together, and reinforce with felt, or burlap. Weld up broken frame if damaged.

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Put to all back together and enjoy!!!

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X-cabsquarebody

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The front seat would have cost around $400 in my shop if it was a customers seat. It had many problems, lots of foam damage, frame damage, and missing springs. I also DON'T cut corners. Some shops will cover the same seat for less that half the price, but they don't fix foam, frame, etc,,,,,. They also don't use backing foam on the seating surface, or use listing for the rings to hold to. My seats came out awesome. It took some time, but well worth it!
 

bucket

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You explained how, and showed how... but I still don't get it, lol. I'll probably learn transmissions before I figure out upholstery :doh2:
 

Stroked

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Beautiful work! I can only dream of doing something like that.


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89Suburban

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Got some good talent there man, thanks for the write up. :)
 

Mr Clean

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Awesome job, but I don't think anyone else here has a industrial sewing machine. Can you make the covers for the members here and walk them threw the install?
 

X-cabsquarebody

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I can make the covers up and ship. Installing it not hard. But foam and frame damage needs to be fixed or new cover will fail early.
 

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Jim Hensley

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Anyone tried the New Seat foam from LMC ? My foam isn't torn up but it is pretty weak in the drivers spot, I feel like I'm sitting in a hole.

Update,, nevermind I took all my seat and carpet out today to clean everything and the String supports are busted.. Looks like a good excuse to Swap out for Buckets..
 
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Stewzer55

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Great work. My mom is a collector of sewing machines, about half a dozen Singers from about 1889 Treadle to 1952 and a Pfaff from Germany that's supposed to be able to do leather and vinyl. I've been thinking about getting a material like old fashioned MB-tex that was used in old Mercedes for mine, it's got an Indian blanket style cover on it now.
 

hatzie

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Great work. My mom is a collector of sewing machines, about half a dozen Singers from about 1889 Treadle to 1952 and a Pfaff from Germany that's supposed to be able to do leather and vinyl. I've been thinking about getting a material like old fashioned MB-tex that was used in old Mercedes for mine, it's got an Indian blanket style cover on it now.

I use a Singer 201-2 & 219K for upholstry.
 

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