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[carlfmiller]

These are the photos I am trying to embed into text to describe the procedure for making the leather upholstery.

[carlfmiller]

Two additional photos trying to get them into the finished document

[carlfmiller]

By now I have made a word document that has the hyperlinks to the varius photos above, and theyare in the text. I am going to copy the Word document and past it here:


1. Make   a cardboard template to fit in the seating where a cushion would go. Lay out the spots where the “tufting” will go (Tufting is optional but adds realism in the miniature)



2. Trace the template and cut out a balsa or thin plywood “plate” that will be the bottom of the cushion


3. Lay the template on the plate and use pointed tool to prick the locations of all the tufting buttons. Then drill the pricked spots on the wood plate with 1/16” drill

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199834;image

4. Use a school paper punch to make ¼” holes in the cardboard template, centering each hole over the prick marks in the template. The template at this point looks like this-- maybe yours won’t have all these corrections:

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199835;image

5. Cut 2-3 layers of polyester “batting” (ask your wife what this is) over size of the plate. Use a tiny amount of 3M 77 spray adhesive, and lay the layers on the wood plate, then use Exacto blade to trim the batting layers flush to the edges of the plate.


6. Use a bit more (not much!) 3M 77 on the bottom of the cardboard template and reposition the template on top of the batting layers. Careful alignment here along all the edges.



7. Find a ¼ thin-wall brass tube, and heat one end in a butane flame, then melt holes in the batting at each opening in the template. Try out on scrap first to determine the correct heat. (the punch will not work on the batting). The brass tube if too hot will burn through the wood plate and also damage the template. Too cold and the batting will not be cut through.  “Just right” and a perfect hole is made in the batting and you can pick out the center “doughnut hole”  if it is still there.  Carefully remove the paper template from the top layer of batting- (here’s where if you used too much 3M77 there will be woe.)  The ready-to-upholster cushion will look like this:

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199833;image

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199832;image



8. The upholstery I used is lambskin. On eBay you can buy a skin from Leatherwise, or buy a used lambskin jacket or vest and cut it up; this takes a little hunting, and some courage to do the sacrificial cutting.



9. Cut the piece to be covering your cushion about ¾ to 1” oversize all around. Obvious-- but easy to do wrong: lay the batting face down on the back side of the leather.



10. Now the hardest part: use Elmer’s white glue to fasten the leather to the backside of the wooden plate. Maybe practice on scrap to determine the method for trimming and wrapping the corners. Great care needed here to avoid a big thick overlap at the corners.  I looked at internet videos to see various methods, and experimented. Too hard to describe here, sorry, but a couple of close-ups might help.  Remember to cut darts on the curved edges, but don't cut the darts so deep they  will show when the leather is wrapped around the edge. Now you have cushion ready to add the tufting if that is to be included. (disregard threads in this photo)

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199839;image


11. At art store or Etsy, buy glass beads , size #11 or #10, galvanized gold works for me.
See  http://www.etsy.com/search?q=glavanized gold beads

12. Choose a very strong thread and the smallest needle that will take the thread. I suggest Dacron sail thread. Test out the combo to make sure the beads you have can be threaded through by the needle. I found some size variation in the #11 beads, and some would not go over the threaded needle, and some had to be forced.


13. Glue one end of the thread to the bottom of the wood plate, and begin the tufting by threading the needle up through the 1/16 dia holes, and get a bead onto the thread past the needle. Then with a little space (1/16 to 3/32) from where the needle emerges from the leather,  return the needle back down the same hole in the plate. Since this is a blind operation, sometimes it is difficult to find the hole, but when the needle comes through you can pull a little tension of the thread and – lo! — your first tufting!  Don't pull too hard, it is possible the pull the bead right through the leather and it will disappear.


14. Now push the needle up through the next hole, and repeat the operation. Don't forget to pull a little tension on each bead to make the tufting, this is hard to correct later. Here is a test piece:

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199831;image

then do them all:

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199840;image

15. Finally, glue the last thread down and cut it. I then add a drop of glue to each thread on the bottom plate “just to make sure”.

And put it in place!

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199837;image

Finished product will make you happy I think. I learned how to do this by watching an internet video of  a person upholstering a miniature sofa. The overall effect in the model boat is very gratifying

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=64735.0;attach=199838;image

I’m happy to answer any further questions— fun to share.  It was NOT fun to try to embed these photos, and now I have to delete the two previous replies which contain the original photos.  And when I hit the post button-- what will I see?

-Carl

[carlfmiller]

So now I see this didn't work-- if you want to see the photos you have to click on each hyperlink. Too bad, how clumsy.


Maybe there is a better way? I welcome the help.


Carl

[BrianB6]

They look very comfy 

[jpdenver]

Comfy --- THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE JOB.
BTW - What craft is that?  It kinda resembles a MH&B - Topaz?  Opal? 

Regards,Jim PopeDenver, CO
USA

[carlfmiller]

Thanks Jim and Brian. I agree the lambskin leather is very inviting and looks comfortable. I have repeated this technique on three other boats and every time it has the same magical effect. 


The boat in this was my first experience with the leather upholstery, in my 73" steam launch Jax which as Jim guessed is a take-off on the Windermere launches of the 1900's, such as Shamrock and Osprey, I think these are the basis for the MH&B Topaz, but I don't know Opal.


Here's a picture of Jax , the boat's namesake is my grandson alongside. At this stage of the boat's brief water career, and electric motor was installed since the Mildura steam plant was not yet ready-for-prime-time. That day is coming pretty soon. This boat was so much fun to build it caused a contagion which has led to three more boats, and a 4th one in my mind.


Carl

[rhavrane]

Bonjour Carl;
Amazing boat and amazing work 

If you are bored during this difficult period of confinement, I have a boat or two that would like to benefit from your talent