A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

[Bubba1235]

Took a look at another project boat yesterday and liked what I seen from the street. Then I walked up and seen the upholstery, UGH.

The two rear seats had the original white with a blue stripe but when the owner did the two forward seats and the bow he did it all in white. When I asked why he said it was too hard to sew the upholstery with the stripes in them. None of his work was double stitched like the original, the edges were a little rough, and there were lots of wrinkles, wavy cording etc..

All in all, not horrible for an amature job, but there was zero doubt it was done by an amature with a home sewing machine and limited skill/experiance. From my stand point (wanting to resell later) all I seen was something I would have to tear out and replace to make the boat marketable. I took a pass on an otherwise decent project boat.

I'll be honest and admit I've tried it myself a couple times and had decent results "for an amature" but found that buyers could spot it almost instantly and I had to lower my selling price to unload it. After adding up what I spent in time and materials and the discount to sell the boat, I could have easily paid a pro to do the work.

Since then I've found a couple really good upholstery shops with great prices and I am glad to give them the work and get professional results. Of course your mileage may vary...

 

[64osby]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Upholstery is tough, it is almost an art form. I used to to run a operation that did bus and train seats and also auditorium chairs. Patterns have to be exact. A good walking foot machine is a must. A heat lamp really helps on the corners.

I have redone my boat, no stripes or anything fancy. In fact it has no seams in it at all. Much easier to clean and maintain. It looks good and sits real nice. I also couldn't find what the 1964 looked like originally.

Sorry to hear it was a deal breaker. Or use it as a bargining chip and have your pro's redue it. But there is always another deal.

 

[stackz]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

meh, as long as the cushion is soft and looks like a place to park your butt, then its doing its job as far as I'm concerned. I'm not out to win any beauty pageants with my boat. I just want to get on the water and visit islands or fish.

 

[SDSeville]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

I guess it also depends on the project. I bought my boat for $1200 (and was told I paid too much for it). Upholstery shops out here want $1500+ to redo the interior. I think I will wind up buying new lounge seats (I haven't seen a DIY job on back-to-back seats that looks worth a darn - my own included). However, I will likely do the rest myself. There are a few DIY jobs on here that look pretty good. I can't see putting $1500 into the interior of a lower end project boat that won't be worth more than maybe $2500 when done.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

And that is exactlly how I looked at it.

I guess my point is that if you have never done upholstery and don't have the proper equipment, a vinyl boat interior is not the place to begin. Sure wasn't in my case. I would urge anyone spending that sort of money to rebuild their boat seriously think about taking it on as compared to having it done.

Just an FYI: You might be surprised at how cheaply you can have it done if you are willing to pull it all out, strip the covering off and give them to a pro to duplicate and restretch onto the wood/foam/seats.

With anything Bubba..learning is the EZ part of experiance..

That why I suggest fiberglass on scrap first to help you learn..I would also suggest make a pillow..or a scrap bolster with scrap materials before you start up your staple gun on a full out bow rider cushion... Learn and experiance the materials..

Glass or Break jobs..same thing..its easy. You just have to Do it a few times to Understand what you have.

Nobody should just jump in and start stitchin and streaching there bolsters on a first go around lol..nor should they start Lammin some stringers or trans Without learning there materials and tools..

But hey..some want to do this instant " tell me how and Ill go for it " .. waste a few hundred and do it again ( but they wont do it that same way the 2nd time ) .

I agree that having to redo something is harder then just doing it from scratch.

But in cosmetics...its not that hard .. its not sink or swim ..

And dont take this the wrong way..im not picking on ya..I actually feel the pain your saying..

YD.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Like stated before, why spend 2000 dollars on a 1500 dollar boat? I have seen some rough jobs too. I have also seen them sell. You get what you pay for. 1500 dollar boat 5 dollar interior

 

[jasoutside]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Just an FYI: You might be surprised at how cheaply you can have it done if you are willing to pull it all out, strip the covering off and give them to a pro to duplicate and restretch onto the wood/foam/seats.

I have making tons of phone calls, emails, and in person visits over the past year and I have been surprised at how expensive it is to have old seats re upholstered. The very best deal I could find for two seats was $430. Most estimates I got were about double that. A couple were triple that.

I really think some careful shopping a fella can buy brand spankin new for just about the same or less.

DIY would be significantly cheaper than either of those options, course often times it looks DIY too.

I'd love to take a run at sewing up my own seats but I am absolutely, 100% certain it would look like carp. I will work on the simple stuff like wrapping an stapling - I think I should be able to handle that. If a sewing machine is involved it really shouldn't be me running it.

Cheers!

 

[jkust]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

I agree, a bad upholstery job diminishes an otherwise good restore. I've seen some nice self jobs on here and so really bad ones too. I dislike single tone upholstery when the original called for a stripe. I realize it is easier said than done though. As a non restorer but an old boat owner where I've seen my restored versions of my boat, I do admire the guys who do an entire job soup to nuts and then also do the upholstery.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Thats why I suggest Learn the materials and tools..

The pros have the tools and experiance..

I apprenticed with a master when I was 26..He told me to to use as much scrap wood/vinyl/ultrasuede/staples as I wanted on my spare time to learn the materials and tools. countless little triangles and square cushions I made on MY time.. having fun with the scrap. I learned a great deal with pleats and corners .. blind stapling..etc..

Im tellin ya.. you get some scrap and start working with the stuff to get used to it before you tackle the big job.

Hint: Ive learned when tacking down vinyl.. angle your staple gun 45 deg to tack your material before you square staple it ( the staples will be half in and ez to remove and less damageing to the material if you make a mistake ).

YD.

 

[andgott]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

The quality of 'amateur' upholstery that I've seen really runs the gamut, from some outstanding work that rivaled what you'd expect out of the best shops to some interesting, cobbled-up jobs that were absolutely terrible... The worst part about these jobs is that they were usually done by someone who was just ecstatic about the work they'd done- and REALLY wanted to show it off, AND wanted an opinion on how they did. A dangerous combination. I don't critique artwork for the same reason

It all depends on your ability, willingness to learn, and of course access to equipment- And what YOU really intend to do with it. My boat had a VERY amateur upholstery job when I dragged it home-

The seats were made from parts of an old couch, with OSB bases... I wish I had a picture of the forward bench seat, it was even classier- You can JUST see part of it in this pic. It was made from an old mattress!

Ugly, and not that functional, but they DID get the owners by for a while. Of course, they REALLY didn't help the resale value. Then again, they really didn't hurt it either.

I decided to do my own work- For a few reasons. Cost was one of them- I've got a 'fleet' of boats that I'm restoring, at this point 4. Each one needs a new interior, and that really adds up. Second, and more importantly, I LIKE doing it- I've done cushion/canvas work on other boats in the past, and was ready to learn a bit more about it.

I'll be the first to admit that it is not a project that everyone should take on. If you don't know how to sew- learn. Take a class, ask the wife- check out a book. Whatever it takes. Like anything else, there is a lot of 'technique' to learn. No one is born able to do it... Once you've mastered the basics of sewing, read up a bit on the specifics of upholstery and specifically marine upholstery. There are differences in things (like what thread to use!) that may seem minor, but make a HUGE difference in the end.

I am something of a perfectionist when it comes to my projects. I don't want someone to look at my boat and say, "you did a great job, for an amateur". I want them to just think it looks nice- so I've developed the abilities I need to get the job done right, and when I know that something is beyond me, I find someone else to do it. We all need to know our limits!



Pricing varies for upholstery work, too. It seems to be a regional thing- There are people in some areas of the country doing a great job for very low prices. Other places, it seems that the quotes are high, and the work marginal... I suppose it's a supply and demand thing.

 

[SawDust{RM}]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Strip the old off, take off the foam, use PVC board for your new backing, spray old foam with 50/50 Bleach if needed, reglue to new backing, then take the old vinyl for pattern with everything else to a pro, buy your own Vinyl, make sure they use UV resitant thread, 3 stripes is still cheap, long runs & cushions are not that expensive, bucket seats should run around $125 per.


Dealing With A New Vendor
The Most expensive guy in my town does the worst work, but alot use them because they don't know any better, just because someone hangs up a sign, doesn't mean they know what they are doing, unfortunately its like everything else in life, the only way to know if your going to get burnt is to hold your money in your hand & jump into the fire.

 

[proshadetree]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

the only way to know if your going to get burnt is to hold your money in your hand & jump into the fire. That is funny and sad. Where is my fire puter outer.

 

[oops!]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

bubb's.........bubb's........dont you get it?.....

put an add in the local cl.....and say you are an amateur uph person.... then practice on there boats.....butcher them and get paid !.... by the time you do 10 boats for 20 bux an hour...you are a pro! then you charge the 85 shop rate with your wally world sewing machine...lol

when i did my b liner......it was my first real uph project.....the people that saw the boat, just loved it.....i just grinned....its not that hard....just a real pain when you sew your fingers to the vynal !

 

[oops!]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

buying for resale is tricky.......with narrow margins....purchasing is the key.

if one too many things are out of line..even a 100 dollar 2008 boat isnt worth it

 

[Fireman431]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Just another opinion:

I am an upholsterer and have been for 18 years. If you take a few cushions/seats to a few upholstery shops & tell them that you would like to learn how to do it, most would be more than happy to show you as they go. I have had many people come into the shop wanting to watch/learn and even help as I redo their furniture. It's a way to pass time, meet new people, and pass on a bit of a dying trade. You would be surprised at how much you can learn from a quality professional. You would probably get a break on the price as well if you help (and if you brought beer!).

 

[oops!]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

well austin....in the past few weeks.....i have talked with kals kustom glass.....(rinell, blue water) and regal. as well as our good friend ondarvr.

all are reporting things on the up swing....regal, had to stop producing for a while...(the 08 stock is still out there) but they are back up and rolling.....and have 6 months back orders.

kals custom. is up this year from the previous 2 and ondarvr is saying that some manufacturers are slowly picking up. a small increase...but picking up.
our area is usually strong i have seen 3 over 10 thousand dollar boats move since the new year. we have 2 fifty thousand dollar boats sitting in the yard....but they are due to poor marketing. (the owners have asked me to help with the marketing)
the big regal just came in yesterday.....i have to write a repair schedule and cost sheet for it today. i expect we can fully fix the boat for 25k leaving a 75k profit.
selling the big 100k mini yacht here is a stretch for the market. but with our new laws...(drinking and boating) the mini yachts are in full demand.....then the keeping up with the jones thing comes into play.

dont know about your area.....but....things are slowly picking up in most centers

 

[oops!]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

we got that regal for 5k......so it was a no brainer.

the big bux boats will take longer to sell......and generally need more bux to repair....and the repairs need to be done right. as the 100k crowd is expecting more bang for the buck.
but the pay off is better......2 a year and you can breath easy

 

[SDSeville]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Bubba was right. I stripped my engine cover/doghouse and my 2 rear seats and found someone to duplicate the covers with my material for $100 labor. I will reinstall myself. Upholstery shops wanted $550 if I just brought them the entire seats and engine cover. I am saving $450 labor by stripping and reinstalling myself.

 

[Fed up]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Just another opinion:

I am an upholsterer and have been for 18 years. If you take a few cushions/seats to a few upholstery shops & tell them that you would like to learn how to do it, most would be more than happy to show you as they go. I have had many people come into the shop wanting to watch/learn and even help as I redo their furniture. It's a way to pass time, meet new people, and pass on a bit of a dying trade. You would be surprised at how much you can learn from a quality professional. You would probably get a break on the price as well if you help (and if you brought beer!).

I am a self taught upholster, I learned by messing up my own stuff. And allot of it. Started with wrapping headliners when I was about 15 (first car) and went from there. I did upholstery professionally for about 2 years before the market turned upside down. The work is extremely tedious and can cause some serious headaches.
I still do side work on occasion, mostly for friends or some of my great customers.
The best work I think that I ever did was a vinyl wrap on a range rover dash.

 

[tschmidty]

Re: A pet peeve - Amateur upholstery

Not to hijack or anything, but curious what the opinion would be on my upholestry work. I think it is in the amateur upholestry category but as others have mentioned, I couldn't justify the price of having a professional do the work on a boat I bought for $1800. If I sold the boat in the next year or three I couldn't realistically expect to get more than $3000 for it (and that's if I do everything on my list, real captain's chair, shiny gelcoat, new pinstriping, etc. mechanically it is in good shape).

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=383202&p=3114019#post3114019