The tack strips on my 14 touring have finally failed, it has broken into many bits, too small to glue together. I am thing of buying new ones, but at $250 each at Snyder's and I need two, it seems a little expensive. I checked the web and found this cold-bend™ hardwood. The site shows it being bent by hand and enough to do both seats would be about $180.
Has anyone a better solution or has anyone tried this stuff?
http://www.puretimber.com/cold-bend-hardwood-1/
Jon Anderson makes them and they are no ways near as expensive.
Geeehzzz...it would be a cold wiener in a hot dog bun before I'd pay that website's prices!!! @ @
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Tony: When I put the tack strips on my "19 I ordered the material from Cubels(Forwood) and heated them and bent them to fit. Ironically I do not remember what I paid but they worked great for me. Worth checking on!
Bill D #14079 MTFCA
Years ago, early 1980's I restored a 1966 XKE roaster that had seen hard times. The wooden tack strip around the back had rotted away. I machined the proper bevels on the mahogany and then soaked it in wet bath towels. After about two days it was very limber and went right in place. The grooves had small nail holes in them and as near as I can remember I pushed the nails in and then bent them over. The upholstery was glued in but the top fabric was tacked.
Interesting, looks like the cold bending process would work but there may be less expensive ways. The old fashioned steam bending is not really hard and bending/gluing laminated wood may be an option.
I read that some strength is lost in the in the cold bending process but may not be enough to hurt anything.
Jim
Another consideration of the cold bent wood is that it shrinks about 1% in length when it dries. A 50 inch length would shrink to 49 1/2" when dry.
Jim
Wow, those are some crazy prices for bent up sticks of wood. When I did the strip on my '21 roadster, I bought one from one of the suppliers, (don't remember which now but it must have been cheap, because I am...), and it's shape was way off. It looked like they completely missed one of the bends. I made a crude bending jig, using my original strip as a guide. I soaked the new strip for 1 month on the laundry tub, (just cold water). It then bent easily around my jig which I clamped it to. About 1 month later, I unclamped the strip and it didn't spring back a bit.
If I needed another tack strip I would do it the same way but start with a straight stick of wood. I don't know if the 1 month for each step is really needed. I had the time however while doing other stuff so I just let it sit that long.
I have done "cold" bending of the tack rail behind the seats. I used dead green, red oak! Trimmed a branch from the tree, cut it into a 3/4" square and bent it around the seat back. I does require many, many clamps and a lot of patience. it cost $0.00 dollars.
Go get a green Willow from the bank by the river ,or creek. Keep it wet after you get it to size. It will take a tack and bends easily.
Another alternative is to use PVC tack strips. Not my idea, but originally posted by Mike Black.
Home Depot and Lowes both carry a PVC in 1x4x8'. About $8 if I remember right. Rip it into 3/4" wide strips on a table saw. You should wind up with about 4 8' tack strips. Clamp one end to the lip and begin bending using a heat gun. Clamp or screw as you continue to bend.
I just finished the rear backrest on my 15 touring and it takes a bit more than an 8' piece. Holds staples and tacks really well. I also used screws to hold the tack strip in place, but drill the pilot hole for the screws WAY undersized and the screws will hold well.
Easy, cheap and no worries about splitting or rot.
Check out this post:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/257047/308133.html
You might want to try using ammonia to soften the wood prior to bending. More detail is provided in this article and includes, at the bottom, a contact name and address for more detail.
Thanks for all the ideas, need to think about it for a while.
Jack - thanks for "Go get a green Willow from the bank by the river ,or creek. Keep it wet after you get it to size. It will take a tack and bends easily."
I live in San Diego and the nearest river is the Colorado nearly 200 miles away and I am sure there will be a Sierra Club policeman watching, report me for some offence and the fine will way exceed the cost of the willow, such is Califunny....
Move away from the crazies.
That would cost me my wife, my daughter and my two wonderful grandson's. Not worth it just for tack strips!!!
I made the tack strip for the back of the front seat by taking a chain link fence post, putting caps on the ends. Filled this with water put an oak 1x1.5x6ft strip into it. Put this on a bed of charcoal briquettes for 6 hours and it bent around the back of the seat easily. The results were very good. Held it in place with clamps and after it dried a couple of days put the screws in. The whole setup and wood cost less than the above quote for the tack strips, and that includes all the clamps!