New hobby

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marlinman93
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New hobby

Post by marlinman93 »

I took up a new hobby this weekend. Not really be choice, but just because I'm a tightwad and hate paying people to do work at over inflated prices, and slow response times. I've been threatening to buy a commercial sewing machine to do some leather stitching, and maybe even some upholstery repair. But in recent weeks I was driving my '39 Chev around trying to get estimates on recovering the bucket seats, and got sticker shock at the prices! High of almost $2000 for two seats, using my material, and I remove the seats and drop them off! To a low of about $700 for the pair.=, same parameters.
So this weekend I finally found an old used Japanese made Universal commercial machine. A 1950's era copy of a Singer, and so good a copy they say parts interchange too! Seller said he refurbishes them, and I bought it for $250, and he tossed in extra parts, accessories, and a manual. Plus he gave me a nice cabinet with side table, and four drawers to mount it in!

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I removed my seats, and took one apart. Got the upholstery off it, and using my wife's seam splitter, I marked all the seams on the back with a felt pen to keep things in order, and then split the panels. Laid the panels on my diamond pattern naugahyde material, and marked the outline. I then transferred all the felt markings to the new pattern, and cut two sets out for the two seats.

Set up the new machine, and began stitching the new panels into my old panels. I reused the side bolsters, and just did the centers to match the doors, and back area of my old coupe. They turned out pretty well I think, and even with buying the machine, and the material, I'm still in less than half of the low bid estimate. And I've got a sewing machine for belts, holsters, slings, etc. now!

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When the seats are done, I need to dig through my gun leather and see what else needs repairing!
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
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Sixgun
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Re: New hobby

Post by Sixgun »

That's what I call self confidence in tackling a new learning curve. You know the old saying, "necessity is the mother of invention." In your case, money was the main motivator and I don't blame you one bit in doing it yourself. I'd do the same thing even if I had 20 million dollars in the bank.

Although we old heads love the term of "American Exceptionalism" the cost that comes with it borderlines fraud. So you learned a new trade that will help with future endeavors. No wonder people are turning to the Chinese. For someone to have the gall to charge you 2 big ones for an at most $500 job would get a nasty Google review.
Last edited by Sixgun on Tue Aug 04, 2020 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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BenT
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Re: New hobby

Post by BenT »

Nice job! I having been looking into an old sewing machine for leather also. it would come in handy.

Sixgun, what country do you live in where you have to have your vehicle's brakes inspected for a sticker? Or is it like the stickers I would give my kids for doing a good job! :D
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gamekeeper
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Re: New hobby

Post by gamekeeper »

Nice job, could become a profitable hobby.... 8)
If more men loved and cherished their wives as much as I love bacon the world would be a much better place.
Bill in Oregon
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Re: New hobby

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Vall, you have my full respect for tackling that job! Mom tried to teach me to use her old little Singer Lightweight when I was a kid, and I must admit that I bled. :shock: 8)
Side note: Did you know the late Gordon Solly of Multnomah? I think he was editor of the Gas Leak at one point, and also had a 1939 something -- probably a Chev. He let me drive it once, and the double-clutching exceeded my coordination.
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marlinman93
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Re: New hobby

Post by marlinman93 »

gamekeeper wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 2:17 am Nice job, could become a profitable hobby.... 8)
I sure don't need or want a profitable hobby, or any other extra time robbing activity! At almost 70 I'm happily retired and every demand on my precious time is an irritant to me. So I wont be pursuing any sewing work! :)
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
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marlinman93
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Re: New hobby

Post by marlinman93 »

Bill in Oregon wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:04 am Vall, you have my full respect for tackling that job! Mom tried to teach me to use her old little Singer Lightweight when I was a kid, and I must admit that I bled. :shock: 8)
Side note: Did you know the late Gordon Solly of Multnomah? I think he was editor of the Gas Leak at one point, and also had a 1939 something -- probably a Chev. He let me drive it once, and the double-clutching exceeded my coordination.
Can't say I recall ever hearing the name Bill? I've been into cars since years before I could drive, and met a lot of guys over those years. But unfortunately if i didn't develop a long time friendship with someone, I've likely forgotten their name now. Sometimes I remember a car a lot better than a face. So I'll see a car I recognize and then put the owner to it.
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
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Sixgun
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Re: New hobby

Post by Sixgun »

BenT wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 8:24 pm Sixgun, what country do you live in where you have to have your vehicle's brakes inspected for a sticker? Or is it like the stickers I would give my kids for doing a good job! :D
Ben,
Pennsylvania is probably the worst state in the nation to open up money making opportunities for unscrupulous auto repair shops and most of them are. If your vehicle has more than 40,000 hard miles or 60,000 easy miles they will find something wrong with it. A tiny gear lube leak at the yoke of the rear or trans will keep you from getting a sticker.........this repair station I go to is notorious for over charging for brake jobs.

For the better part of my life I never could afford an up to date vehicle and in order to beat the system I would power wash everything underneath using a good degreaser. I'd tighten the wheel bearings so there was no play...all kinds of tricks I had to do. If there was body cancer I'd put on duct tape and spray paint over it...... for emissions testing you are exempt if you drive less than 5,000 miles so when the speedometer got to around 4500 miles, I'd disconnect the cable. If you go over the 5,000 mile limit the trick was to use high octane gas and 4 bottles of carb cleaner or fuel injection cleaner a week before testing.

Always kept the same kind of vehicles so if the tires were bad, I'd switch em with another vehicle or use my winter snow tires just for inspection.

All these memories will make you nasty and when reaching old age I'd sooner cut my nose off to spite my face than to give my money to some money grabber. One thing it taught me was I can fix near anything that goes wrong on a car.----6
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marlinman93
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Re: New hobby

Post by marlinman93 »

Finished up the seats this morning. I had fun doing them, even though I did mess up the first pair by not noticing I was off my marked lines. It made the first set almost 2" too wide, which required me ripping out seams and then sewing them again at the correct lines. Unsure how I got so far off, but at least too big was easier to fix, and no waste of anything but time and thread.
So here are the old bucket seats back in my '39 Chevy coupe again. Going to send the upholstery shop a "thank you" card to thank them for being expensive enough they pushed me into trying something new. Now I gotta go dig through my junk leather box, and see how many gun cases, and holsters I can salvage and stitch up! :)

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Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
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GunnyMack
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Re: New hobby

Post by GunnyMack »

Those seats look fantastic! Nice job, good skills to have too!
BROWN LABS MATTER !!
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marlinman93
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Re: New hobby

Post by marlinman93 »

GunnyMack wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 4:56 am Those seats look fantastic! Nice job, good skills to have too!
Thanks Gunny! They're not professional quality, but I'm happy with my first time at sewing upholstery.
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
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GunnyMack
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Re: New hobby

Post by GunnyMack »

Well you just need to start an upholstery shop and you'll get better in no time ! :D
BROWN LABS MATTER !!
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marlinman93
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Re: New hobby

Post by marlinman93 »

GunnyMack wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2020 12:38 pm Well you just need to start an upholstery shop and you'll get better in no time ! :D
I'll be 70 in October. And I don't think I want to start a new career. I'm pretty darn happy with goofing around on my own!
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
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