Automotive Upholstery Handbook: Make & Install Complete Interiors, Vinyl & Convertible Tops, more

This how-to book, gives the do-it-yourselfer, a thorough overview of auto upholstery, accompanied with step-by-step instructions and hundreds of how-to photos. So, if you plan to redo your car, truck, motorhome, even airplane interior, the Automotive Upholstery Handbook is a guide you cannot be without! Learn step-by-step how to:

• Make and install interiors for any car, truck, van, RV, boat or airplane
• Sew like an expert — on vinyl, leather or any fabric
• Restore, recover and build bench and bucket seats
• Upholster armrests and door panels
• Make and install headliners and carpeting
• Install convertible tops, vinyl roofs, sim-con and landau tops
• Create street rod interiors
• Build boat and motorcycle seats

Book Excerpt: Automotive Upholstery Handbook MAKING A BENCH-SEAT COVER

We ended the last chapter by sewing the pleated sections of the seat cover to the centerpiece. This was done for both the cushion and back. You should now be ready to join those assemblies and corresponding end pieces to make a cushion and back cover.
SEAT-COVER ASSEMBLY FITTING Place the seat cushion on the bench. The old cover should still be securely fastened to the frame. You should always do your fitting with the old cover in place unless you're using it for a pattern. Otherwise you'll end up with a cover that's too big unless you make allowances as you did when making the stadium-cushion cover. As shown in the accompanying photo, I clamped the pleat assembly to the seat cushion after making sure it was centered left-to-right and front-to-back. Centering is very important, especially left-to-right. If the cushion and back covers are centered correctly, the pleats will align when the cushion and back are assembled. If the centers are off, the pleats will also be off. So measure carefully. I use clamps for the initial fitting so I can move the cover easily. When I'm satisfied with the placement I pin the cover in place. This is more secure than clamps. As shown, I placed a pin in the front and back of the welt where it meets the end caps. Mark these locations with chalk. When you remove the cover, make a nick or V-notch with your scissors at the chalk mark. This is to position the end cap to the pleats when you're ready to sew them together. Remember how you made nicks in the corners of the facings on your stadium cushion? This assured that the face-piece corners were correctly aligned.

Subject: A step-by-step guide with hundreds of photos covering all aspects of auto upholstery and interiors. ISBN-10: 1931128006 | ISBN-13: 9781931128001