Installing seat upholstery

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Mark Osterman
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Installing seat upholstery

Post by Mark Osterman » Thu Sep 26, 2019 6:34 pm

Has anyone made a comprehensive video for upholstering the replacement seat springs available through Langs/Snyders ? I just received a new seat and back rest. The only video I can find for reupholstering a seat is from a demonstration event and seems to be shot from off to the side. Is there an actual video tutorial? Also .. for the seat back?

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CudaMan
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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by CudaMan » Thu Sep 26, 2019 7:02 pm

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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by John kuehn » Thu Sep 26, 2019 7:59 pm

As far as the backrest and seat springs go the upholstrey kit I bought from Classtique had instructions on how to build a spring compressor and installing the covers. The rest of the installation instructions had a lot of tips to use. There was enough information without the now available video. The video will surely be a help. Nothing better than show and tell!


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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Mark Osterman » Thu Sep 26, 2019 8:04 pm

Yes, that link takes you to the same bad video with all the action taking place off to the right and too far away. I can’t see how the material is being connected to the bottom of the metal seat frame or any other detail. It is nice to see how the seat compressor works.

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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by CudaMan » Thu Sep 26, 2019 8:44 pm

Try calling Classtique and ask them directly, or maybe they will be at Hershey and you can talk to them there?
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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Mark Osterman » Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:49 am

Great idea. Would like to talk to them at Hershey. Thanks!


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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by John kuehn » Fri Sep 27, 2019 9:11 am

They use to come to Chickasha and do demonstrations on how to install the seat spring covers. I saw them there a few times and they delivered my interior kit for my 21 Touring. Don’t know if they still do it or not. But once you see how it’s done it’s surprising how easy it is. Just take your time and it’s all good.


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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by John kuehn » Fri Sep 27, 2019 12:43 pm

Mark if your going to Hershey you can the get information you need from Classtique. But if you don’t make it I still have the instruction sheets I got with my Classtique kit for my 21
Touring. It helped me when I installed the upholstry. Let me know if you need it and I”lol send it to you.

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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Doug Keppler » Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:54 pm

Mark are you refering to the video of Mike from Classtique doing the seat bottom? I found that Video very helpful and watched it several times to do my seat bottoms. The camera showed how he crimped the material to the spring pretty clearly. You must be talking about another video
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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Mark Osterman » Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:25 am

Yes, probably. The video was shot from behind a couple rows of seats. It would have been better to shoot a video up close at another time .. as an instructional video. The details are covered in the audio but not easy to see from a distance.


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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by DHort » Sat Sep 28, 2019 8:37 pm

Mark
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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Original Smith » Sat Sep 28, 2019 8:49 pm

I taught Elizabeth how to make a spring compressor many years ago. As far as the backrest spring: You want it as low as possible, without interfering with the bottom cushion. Also use plenty to padding up and over the tackstrip. If you look at a lot of restored cars, often you will see the outline of the top of the backrest cushion. That is because the backrest spring is too high. You can make two fabric hangers for that spring, and adjust them until you get the spring in the proper place. Most of this stuff is common sense. The secret is to take your time.


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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Mark Osterman » Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:07 pm

I received the new seat bottom and back springs from Lang’s yesterday. They are made by Snyder’s. I’ll pick up the seat kit from Classtique when I’m at Hershey on the Thursday of the show. The new seat spring set is framed with aluminum. I’m assuming that the original frame is steel. Is there any compromise in strength by using aluminum in the new set? I’m 230-ish pounds and hope it holds without distortion. Was thinking about transferring the new coil springs to the old frame, but maybe I’m worried about nothing. Mike at Classtique did ask if I wanted to use hog clips or channel for installation. Which is better? Also, I can see through the holes in my old upholstery that there seem to be some type of sheet metal band inside the sides between the upholstery and the body. Is this a spacer to keep the upholstery from resting against the sheet metal? I haven’t seen any mention of these in older posts.


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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Original Smith » Tue Oct 01, 2019 11:10 am

I would use 3/4" plywood for the compressor. It takes a lot of pressure to compress those springs. For the bottom I used two one by fours. I don't know why, but Langs and Snyders both sell Mac's upholstery kits. I would stay away from them. Mike at Classtique does a much better job. I sewed a piece of plastic welt around the skirt of the seat spring upholstery to hold it in place after the channel is compressed. I used wide jaw vise grips for the channel.

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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by DanTreace » Tue Oct 01, 2019 11:32 am

Mark

All the covers for the later T's used with me have had the beading in the edge that fits into the channel as Larry mentioned, use a channel lock pliers to fold over and close the channel, stock Ford method.

The channel makes for a very neat appearance and more practical as the spring base sits best in the seat frame with stock method.
F470CA6E8CF96D09D3FB8@DanPC.jpg
Hog rings are modern and weren't used on the Ford, but can be used. In this case I preserved the new spring cushion by using hog rings, as the cover was only a blanket, for simple job. Easy to remove the hog rings and then this new spring base could be done later with correct channel install of the right cover.
IMG_4607 (640x480).jpg
IMG_4606 (640x480).jpg
The compressor is needed to do this work on seat springs, this one is non-Ford, but operation is the same, layout the cover, place spring over, the compress the spring, and fasten the upholstery covering.
IMG_5537 (2).jpg
IMG_5538 (2).jpg
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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Mark Osterman » Tue Oct 01, 2019 2:38 pm

Thanks so much! Those pictures are just what I need. I did speak to Mike at Classtique yesterday about the installation and picking up my seat kit at Hershey. Also spoke with him about how helpful it would be for them to create installation videos shot professionally without an audience so there is a free view to see both the whole scene and close ups as needed.

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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Quickm007 » Tue Oct 01, 2019 3:02 pm

Thank you sharing these tips!

Really appreciated.
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Re: Installing seat upholstery

Post by Original Smith » Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:27 am

When I did mine, the plywood compressor I used was about four inches all the way around bigger than the seat spring. I used two 2X4's for the bottom somewhat close to the edges of the spring to distribute the force more evenly.

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