Does any one know of any good video's showing how to reupolster a seat using horse hair?
Anything on YouTube.com?
Here's a short video of a guy doing a chair, interesting how he fluffs and stuffs wads of it under a web of strings.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUJA_074nC4
Mike-
Welcome to the forum.
What year of car? What body style?
: ^ )
-Keith
Keith, how long did it take to grow all the facial hair to stuff those awesome seats?
On a semi serous note, I always wondered about the cars with seats stuffed with horse hair. I know several people who are very allergic to horses, such that they will be unable to breath (anaphylaxis). Is there any danger for this sensitivity in such people to be triggered by sitting in such seats?
I had a friend who I never let get near the inside of my old Mercedes due to the horse hair stuffing. Would be a shame to find out the hard way.
Curled horsehair for stuffing seats is usually a combination of horse and/or other hairs, and is cleaned and sterilized before being packaged and sold. I'd doubt that it would cause any type of reaction to someone allergic to a "live" horse...
Nice seats Keith! I think they would be comfy for a nap.
I've been driving the same '13 touring for almost 50 years, and my butt still has a waffle pattern after tours! That stuff is not soft!
Jack Putnam posted some pics of how he did it in the older forum thread.
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/212085.html?1305846005
I am willing to help anyone who is going to attempt to do diamond tuffed horse hair upholstery. As with anything you must do your homework and research as much as possible. You will find very little in print on tufted upholstery in automobiles. It is a lost art.
BTW the "diamond" upholstery used in Ford automobile is correctly labeled "half diamond" as it is not a complete diamond shape.
If you plan on using foam stuffing and staples I can't help you.
I think the real key is if you have original upholstery to learn from and use as a pattern.
My dad did the diamond and square tufted upholstery on his 1900 Waverley Electric using original upholstery as the pattern. He is strictly self-taught.
It is stuffed with horse hair but there is a thin layer of cotton batting between the leather and hair, just like the original. The cotton minimizes the "telegraphing" of the horse hair so the leather appears smoother. It is also a more comfortable surface.
There is no sewing of the pleats. The amount of leather required is strictly mathematical and depends on the number and depth of the pleats.
There is a lot of "evolution" in upholstery, too. Some pleats are tufted, some sewn, there are different sizes of diamonds, even different mixes of materials.
On early cars there seems to be differences between different body makers. Beaudette bodies seem to have larger cushion diamonds than Hayes bodies.
I have only found one manufacturer who makes metal prong type buttons. You have to paint them yourself.
Are you thinking about doing the upholstery yourself? What year?
: ^ )
Keith