How to hide finishing nails on upholstery ?

[christian]

I just installed an interior kit on my S/W, everything came out great but the finishing nails holding the body panels on are still showing. The instructions with the kit were very vague on the subject. Anyone have any tips ?

Thanks for reading

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Depends on whether you used "finishing nails" or brads. Also depends on how old (hard) your wood was. On old wood, we often find ourselves using a pin-drill to make a pilot first where the brad can be sunk down into the fabric. A small pin punch with a small convex shape on the end is great for setting the brad.

[Richard Wilson]

You can use a sewing needle to pull the fabric around the head of the brad out and over the brad.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I "seat" the nails with a wood or plastic dowel, so as NOT to drive them through the cardboard panel. Then just "pluck" the material over the nail head with a large needle. I bought some really tiny brads that are like finishing nails.
Bill W.

[christian]

Ok tried the needle idea, and it worked great, I was able to get the material over the nail head. Unfortunatly on the center door post, which for some reason has a thick pad of foam in between the material and panel, the nail head doesnt want to go under the foam. Im try to do this gingerly without making the hole large and noticable. The way it is now the nails arent visible yet because the foam is depressed by the head, you can see a dent where every nail is. i guess I'll keep at it.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

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Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Depends on whether you used "finishing nails" or brads. Also depends on how old (hard) your wood was. On old wood, we often find ourselves using a pin-drill to make a pilot first where the brad can be sunk down into the fabric. A small pin punch with a small convex shape on the end is great for setting the brad.

Brent, in case you don't have just the right size tiny drill bit, a cabinet maker friend taught me a TRICK. Just chuck up a finishing nail & they drill nicely & don't really take out any material, so a nail the same size will "grip" in the hole sufficiently. Bill W.

[H. L. Chauvin]

Additional wood tips to Bill's #6 reply above:

1. When using brads and/or finishing nails as drill bits, always snip off the larger diameter heads so they remain straight & spin concentrically when placed in a drill chuck in lieu of wobbling when rotating.

2. Also if providing wood screws in tough Model A hard wood, they are much easier to turn if one rubs the threads with "Chap-stick" -- also easy to remove later.

3. If one is providing bolts through wood in humid areas, or wet areas or subject to wet conditions, such as Model A body blocks, one can prevent shanks of bolts adjacent to wet wood from rusting by painting shanks with very fast drying finger nail polish.

[eystein]

Bill,

One unfortunate word in a single post should not spark off a reaction like this. To me, Marco has been one of the most valuable and helpful posters on this board ever, and I am overjoyed to see that he is back posting. Please do not give him any reason to stay out.

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

Dog here,
"IDIOT"! that's pretty strong language, GEEZ! the guys a real person, with a real NAME, just workin' to make a living & pay his bills. And sorta' condemming the company that made the upholstery! Not to mention tryin' to correct someones opinion on which wood is HARDER, & mentioning that pure skill can do it without a "HELPER"--whether that means a person or an alternative method, GEEZ!
My Dog point is that some purists act so haughty, like they are God's Gift to the Restoration World & that they know how to do everything SO perfectly!! So, what are the rest of us?? Chopped Liver?? Some reglar guys know a LOT of stuff & can make a Model A run & drive like it did when it was new & can make looooong trips of thousands & thousands & even more hundreds of miles without even battin' an EYEBROW! So's, lets jist be NICE & considerate to everybody here, HEY! it ain't no CONTEST to see who's SMARTEST, or who can type their name the
BIGGESTOR WHO CAN POST THE TRICKEST PICS.
Yes, I'm an outspoken Dog! Ol' Bill is outspoken too, but he ain't no Dog like me, but he trained me to be an independent thinker, & I don't go around following a pack of Dogs & peeing on tires & gettin' in hot water and chasin' poor oooold CATS! Gotta' log off 'afore Ol' Bill catches me!
Buster T.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by eystein

Bill,

One unfortunate word in a single post should not spark off a reaction like this. To me, Marco has been one of the most valuable and helpful posters on this board ever, and I am overjoyed to see that he is back posting. Please do not give him any reason to stay out.

I agree totally on this ^^^ entire comment!

Most of us would agree that Marco has walked the walk and has earned the right to speak of his experiences. In my opinion Marco is arguably the best Model A upholsterer in the country, and has given WAY more back to the hobby here than he has ever taken. My opinion too is Bill (or whomever this fictitious 'Dog' or 'Buster' is) should have never even written such an disrespectful comment, ...even if he did feel that way. Thanks for posting again Marco!!

[christian]

Ok I'm kind of embarrassed to say, but its a cartouche kit.... I know, I know.. But my budget just got eaten up making the car roadworthy, since its a driver I had to cut costs somewhere.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by christian

Ok I'm kind of embarrassed to say, but its a cartouche kit.... I know, I know.. But my budget just got eaten up making the car roadworthy, since its a driver I had to cut costs somewhere.

i figured it was and i made the same embarrassing move once also but never again. would rather have no interior
my seats are worn out and door panels, the worst part is it never gets driven much

[Charles Coe]

I installed a cartouche kit in a 31 Tudor and found that the cardboard backing of the panels was very hard and the heads on the finishing nails were bigger than the originals. Had a very hard time driving them in far enough into the cardboard to pull the fabric over the heads. Although the fabric quality was not as good as it could have been, it's held up well for 3 years so far.

[d.j. moordigian]

OK....so we can all learn...are there any photos of what the problem is
and how to correctly do this....please.

Thank you..

[Charles Coe]

My problem was because the upper cartouche panels had no padding between the cardboard and the fabric. I didn't have a problem with lower panels that were padded. I was able to pull the fabric over the nail head.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

Brent, in case you don't have just the right size tiny drill bit, a cabinet maker friend taught me a TRICK. Just chuck up a finishing nail & they drill nicely & don't really take out any material, so a nail the same size will "grip" in the hole sufficiently. Bill W.

We did that in wood shop back in High School.

[Mike V. Florida]

I quess I missed Marcos post before he deleted it but Bill,

Marco is one of god's gifts to the Restoration World & he does know how to do everything SO perfectly when it comes to restorations!!

He, along with the other god's gifts to the hobby, literally wrote the book on judging what is right and wrong.

[Napa Skip]

Back to the original question...

I second the 'use a sewing needle' approach to lift the upholstery over the head of the fastener. In 1979, when I installed the upholstery kit in my coupe, I used a fairly large upholstery needle (used for carpet sewing). I found this gave better control over what I was doing.

Just for a data point (and admittedly off-topic) here's the cost of the upholstery kit on October 10, 1978, from Carter's Cut & Cover Shop on East 6th Street in Beardstown IL. I don't know what happened to Carter's but I have been very satisfied with the quality of their product in the intervening 34+ years:

$350.00 Complete Mohair Upholstery Kit (including headliner)
$25.00 Brown Floor Carpet
$15.00 Rumble Seat Floor Carpet
$95.00 Rumble Seat Upholstery
$24.00 Roof Cover Kit (did not include - as I recall - the chicken wire)
n/c Side (kick) Panels (cab and rumble seat areas, including seat-back)
--------
$509.00
$24.80 Shipping (Illinois to Idaho)
--------
$533.80 Total cost

Times have changed...

[d.j. moordigian]

CHRIST.....I don't own a closed car...and I'm trying too learn something!

I'm now pissed off.....

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by d.j. moordigian

CHRIST.....I don't own a closed car...and I'm trying too learn something!

I'm now pissed off.....

calm down dud,
here is my problem fabric wear out on the seat bottoms and door panels

[Charles Coe]

I agree with eystein, Brent, and Mike V. If Marco is willing to spend his time posting to try and help someone and share his knowledge and expertise, please don't attack him! He's one of the most knowledgeable folks in the hobby and some of us would like to benefit from what he has to say!