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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Reupholstering Scandinavian Dining Chairs

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Expert: - 12/30/2010


Question

chair back
The 'bottom' is easy.  The removal of the 'back' was straightforward but how is the fabric attached.  It appears as if the fabric (on both sides of this curved 'back') was stapled and glued on three edges.  I've cut off the fabric but can't tell how to clean out the 3 edges .. nor can I figure out how to attach new fabric.

Answer
Hello Nancy,

First you must pry out all the old staples,  to do that you can use an ordinary screw driver that is as wide as the groove and an ordinary pair of pliers to pull the staples out,  I suggest you wear heavy duty leather gloves because there will be lots of very sharp staples that don't come out completely and they will cut your fingers.

The glue that you refer to was most likely to hold a welt sometimes called cording in place to cover the staples.  

To upholster the new fabric you must have an air driven staple gun,  with a nose thin enough to fit into the groove.  So the bad news is that means investing in a small air compressor,  hose, and upholsterer's staple gun.  The good news is that once you have that you can upholster anything.  Staple the fabric into the grooves top to bottom first to give the fabric the shape of the curve,  then last side to side starting at the top - working to the bottom corner.

After you have upholstered make a cording,  trim most off to the seam line and then using a hot-melt glue gun glue the cording into the groove to hide the staples.

I hope this helps,  please don't hesitate to contact me if you need further pointers.

Mark Miller.  

Mark H. Miller

Expertise

custom furniture upholsterery. Became journeyman custom upholsterer in 1969. Certified by Upholsterers Intl. Union. Worked at San Francisco`s most prestigious upholstering shop as senior upholsterer. Am now president of Domar Upholstered Furniture Inc. Have upholstered for Presidents Reagan, Nixon, Clinton and the Queen of England. formerly taught classes in custom upholstering at the San Francisco Community College. Happy to answer all your upholstering questions.

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