MTFCA Forum

Just looking to see if anyone might know/remember what size they used when re-installing the kick panels, Not the upholstery nails that hold on the welting, rather the tacks that attach the kick panels to the wood frame. The kick panel material is 3/32" in thickness, so I am thinking that the 2.5 oz tack would be the right size. Any help is greatly appreciated.

2.5 oz is 5/16" in length
3 oz is 3/8" in length
4 oz is 7/16" in length

I would use the 3 oz tacks an the bare minimum. The wood is old and could possibly be a little 'punky'. The longer tack will probably hold better. Just my opinion.

I presume 2.5 ounce tacks are described as such because a given number of them weighs in at 2.5 ounces, 3 ounce tacks weigh 3 ounces for the same number of tacks and so on. I'd be using 1/2" tacks. What would the ounce weight be for the same number of those? I guess the only advantage of such an arcane description is nobody has to count the tacks, they just get weighed out.

That was the worst job on my Saturday morning stint at the local hardware shop, weighing out nails from bulk boxes. They were identified by length, and sold by weight. "I'd like 2 lb of 3' flatheads please." Leather gloves saved the day, provided they had no holes in them.

Alan from down under.

Allan wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 02, 2022 11:30 pm

I guess the only advantage of such an arcane description is nobody has to count the tacks, they just get weighed out.

Alan from down under.

Arcane, yes. The thickness of leather is measured in ounces and the size of the tack would indicate the thickness of leather it would securely clinch, a 3oz tack for 3oz thick leather.

There we go Joseph. Now all we need to know is how 3 oz leather became so described. Presumably a certain area of hide weighed in at 3 oz.
That same area weighing 2 oz presumably would be thinner.

Allan from down under.

RE "Not the upholstery nails that hold on the welting" I thought that was the job of the upholstery tack/nail, to hold it all to the wood?

The tack holds the panel to the wood frame:



Once the panel is in place, the upholstery nail holds the welting to the panel and frame:

Wouldn't it have been nice if you mentioned the year of your car! My '25 roadster uses nothing, and I'll bet the touring doesn't either.

Original Smith wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 10, 2022 9:19 am

My '25 roadster uses nothing, and I'll bet the touring doesn't either.

It is prior to your '25 Runabout, no metal channel/clips to hold the right-front and part of the left-front kick panel, but there are still tacks to hold the panels in place on a '25. Because of the metal channel/clips on a '25 Runabout, there may or may not be tacks along the top edge of a the left side kick panel, I do not know I have never owned a '25, but the upholstery nails for the welt/binding trim most certainly hold the kick panel in place. The door panels are put in place then trimmed out with the welt/binding, unless you are installing the panel and welt/binding at the same time and only using the upholstery nails. So for the sake of the discussion we will say it is between 1913 and 1927, which the Encyclopedia from the MTFCA website says that for 1913 to 1927:

"Door and side panels were covered with imitation leather until about 1917 when the side panels were changed to a black cardboard-like material, with a trim welting around the edges"

If you are using nothing on your '25 Runabout, what holds the kick panel along the top on the drivers side, tacks and upholstery nails or just upholstery nails? And what holds the kick panel to the door frame? There is most definitely something there, I will take that bet.

The original question still stands: Just looking to see if anyone might know/remember what size they used when re-installing the kick panels. Or, what size would come in one of the kits from the vendors (Classtique, Snyders, Langs).