Hi.
Totally shocked on the quote to recover the seats of my Vega : $1K.
What is the feasibility of buying a machine to do it myself?
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Hi.
Totally shocked on the quote to recover the seats of my Vega : $1K.
What is the feasibility of buying a machine to do it myself?
Everythings possible! I'm gonna try my hand at it (maybe this winter) and re-do my seats.
Basically, I'm going to remove the current seat covering and use it as a pattern. I'll need to choose a cloth obviiously and practice.. practice.. practice..
Save your pennies and buy a machine made for the job! And they aren't cheap!!! I picked up a very old unit (all metal) with the foot controls and some attachments to do designs and I thought i was lucky to get it for just under 500! A local upholsterer says he'll buy it for what I paid when I'm done with it.
Like painting my car, I bought a book, joined a forum and listened to the pros.. there are always tips and tricks to pick-up and after a while, when you see other rides you can tell how a certain part of the job was done and it gives you more ideas etc. etc. etc...
I won't be doing counted stich work for awhile 8-).. but I'll work hard to make it pleasing and it'll look great to me!
I bought one for $400 from a guy who had picked it up new at a CA Goodguys show where Ron "The Stitcher" Magnus was pimping machines for the vendor. He talked to Ron, who told him, "It's all the machine you'll ever need" so he bought the machine, motor and table with foot speed, knee presser foot control. It's a Yamata FY5318 which is a clone of a JUKI 201. The problem is that it stitches waaaaaay too fast - I've been told that it's a drapery machine as opposed to an upholstery macine which creeps. I'm going to be looking at either rigging an intermediate jackshaft to cut the speed down to about 25%, or investing in a new variable speed motor for it. If I were doing it again I would shop for an old JUKI, which is what many (if not most) of the shops use, and they are serviced by your local industrial sewing machine company. I think you need to shop upholstery shops for competitive pricing before you jump into learning the business. Just my $0.02.
No need to junk it cause It's too fast
( ever think you'd make that complaint on this site? )
I assume it's 115V? Look on eBay for an inverter, or variable frequency motor driver ( VFD ). Be sure to get one with directions. You'll. Be able to completely control speed. If the machine is computer controlled, you'll have to run separate power for it
Did not say anything about "junking" it, just that I need to slow it down. However, the major industrial sewing machine company in KC wants nothing to do with Yamata machines. They won't even talk about servicing them. A word to the wise, talk to your local upholstery shops, ask them who services their machines, and then contact them and see what machines they service. You'll be money ahead to buy a quality machine.
Sorry, didn't mean to use a derogatory term.
A VFD will probably be cheaper than a variable speed motor, although if you could fond a DISCO drive, you'll have your speed control without electronics. The DISCO drive is a variable speed mechanical transmission. You'd probably need to do machine work to put it together, so my honest expectation is that the VFD is the cheapest and easiest route.
I'll take a look and see what I can find. Thanks for the ideas.Quote:
Originally Posted by firebird77clone
What about a juki HZL 400?
Juki HZL F400 Exceed Series Computer Quilting Sewing Machine with wide Table | eBay
Would a reostat(sp) work to slow it down. I have used one to vary soldering iron temps for stained glass.
I bought a used Consew production machine last winter. It was really fast but the treddle speed control is mechnical and I changed the linkage by adding a bell crank that allow me to increase the travel of the linkage and make it less sensitive and slower. It made a big difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by rspears
John
Rheostat : No!
An induction motor is designed to function st a specific voltage and frequency.
A VFD varies a motor speed by reducing frequency while changing voltage to maintain the motors engineered current requirements.
A rheostat reduces applied voltage, which is fine for a resistive load such as a soldering iron, but an inductive load such as a motor, will be destroyed by low voltage unless the frequency is modified in kind. The inverse is also true. Modifing frequency without changing voltage is certain death for an A/C motor.
DC motors, entirely different critter. A rheostat works fine, but is inefficient.
I pulled the trigger on a Singer 401A industrial heavy duty, all steel gears, professionally refurbished.
Now to order the material.
A suggestion? Grab a stack of jeans that need patching and practice, practice, practice on the heavy denim fabrics. When you can tuck & roll the knees of your Levi's you're probably ready to risk that upholstery material.Quote:
Originally Posted by firebird77clone
Good idea. It's been a while since I ran a sewing machine..
Which reminds me, I'll need thread too!
Dantwolakes is a professional upholsterer and is on several fourms, has written lots of info. google then search his posts on various sites. Used commercial machine prices vary, I have done some seat covers using household machines, you just can"t do everything with one. some colleges tech programs have upholstery classes.
I have everything I need to start my project
Sewing machine, shears, hog ring pliers and hog rings, thread, , two yards of period correct ( sawtooth) fabric, three yards of cow hide pattern black vinyl, 17 yards of black welting.
Total cost $570.
Ok, almost everything. Still need some heavy needles and a big table. I can borrow the table, and the needles shouldn't be much.
If I don't run into any big problems, this project should come in about $300 under the $1000 estimate.
ok, I got my sewing machine, but it had a slight mechanical problem. I contaced the seller on ebay, and she offered a generous rebate, which I took. Now the machine is fixed, and the differen$e is more than sufficient to compensate my time.
The machine runs great, but I broke about four needles before figuring out I didn't have the foot and needle in tight enough ( PLIERS!) and that I had the foot set too close.
ok, got a test piece done, posted the pic on another thread. Its a shifter boot for a 71 satellite, roadrunner clone. For a friend, if he likes it. but, you can see the fabrics I will use. The seams are all welted, but it may not show up in the pics.
what the hell, I'll post them here too.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...3358868239.jpg
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...3359958216.jpg
I would shop for factory made upholstery. There are a lot of companies that have the original patterns. They will make your cover and you install them yourself. The front seats should cost you less than half, of your estimate.
Today I got passenger seat out, and removed the cover from the seat back.
Got the back half of the seat back cover knocked out, in duplicate. Tomorrow I'll tackle the front half, and hopefully the seat bottom.
Passenger side seat is completed, and installed.
If I can manage, I'll post a picture.
Can't complete the drivers side. I need more welting and leather. Dude badly under estimated what I'd need.
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...7clone/tn1.jpg
one seat recovered.
That looks great for your first efforts! It seems like you cranked that one out, how long did it take?
it took probably eight hours and ten needles to make both front seat covers, except I ran out of welting, so the drivers side seat is not yet together. Since the seats look identical, I used the passenger side cover to template them both.
More than a needle an hour... hmmm.. I haven't figured on breaking needles. I guess I better find some before I start playing with mine! Thanks for sharing!
Use the leather needles.
My baby picked up a couple of packs of slightly lighter needles, and it took five to finish the seat bottom.
The lighter needles go through the fabric like butter, but the thread breaks them.
Holy cow, I didn't realize..
The leather needles are about a buck and quarter each!
But, if they break less often, you save money in the long run. :D
Mike
Drivers seat done, pictures to follow.
I can now confirm that the seats were re covered previously. There is additional foam on drivers seat bottom.
The driver seat has a few more wrinkles compared to the passenger, possibly resultant from taking a shortcut by using passenger seat as template for both. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Hopefully the wrinkles will work themselves out .
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/IMAG0285.jpg
Back seat bottom is done.
Also.. the sun pulled out all the wrinkles from the passenger seat, and half the wrinkles from the driver seat! Another couple days, I think the driver side will be wrinkle free.
For a 1st timer they look real good.
X2, impressive when you think you haven't done this before!
X3, consider I did not break a needle making the last piece!
There might be hope for me.
:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::eek::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by firebird77clone
http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...e/IMAG0292.jpg
Ok total cost
$160 sewing machine
$305 fabric, welting, hog rings, hog ring pliers, shears, staples, staple gun., needles
$465, a savings of $535 under estimate!
Oh, and the wrinkle you see in the driver seat, is the only one left. The others baked out from the sun.
If it gets on my nerves, I'll pull the cover off and add some padding to the edge, otherwise:
On to the valve seals!
Don't forget, the satisfaction of doing it yourself = Priceless!
I am very impressed you did this yourself. Nice work!!
Hi, I do a lot of leather stitching, I have a ferdco 6/6 will sew up to 3/4 inch heavy stuff that's a 3 grand machine, but I also have a singer 29-9 circa 1929that u can run with a motor or trundle foot board, the neat thing about this one is you change the foot direction and not the material, and I have a consew circa 50's industrial sewing machine this bad boy will do almost 3000 stitches a minute, the good news is the last two machines I found on craigs list for nothing just come and get em read the add... If you do your own do a lot of practice runs... enjoy!!