J A Milton Upholstery Supplies

Sue has asked me to contact you with regard to your question about whether or not you should sew down the stuffing of your upholstery pad before fixing the scrim permanently.

Your instincts were perfectly correct, it is best to do this first but make sure that you have the scrim on perfectly square before you do this. You can use the threads to line it up, I always get my students to pull out a thread through the centre in both directions to be sure it is square and the same with your fixing points on straight sides. This will help you to be sure your pad is the same height throughout.

Headboard Fixing Brackets

Q

Can the Brackets be used on their side or at an angle?

Hello,

I wondered if you could help, I am making an upholstered headboard for a king size bed to hang on the wall.I found your company whilst searching the net for brackets, I thought the o nes you have were just what I am looking for however, the problem I have is that the bed is under t he eves and the wall (for fixing to) is flat where the brackets need to be which is ok but above is s loping so I don’t have the space for sliding from above to position the headboard. I can go from the sides.

Have you any suggestions ? would your brackets work sideways? .

Many Thanks

Kind Regards Lesley Parkin

A

Dear Lesley Parkin

Thank you for your enquiry and question. Yes they would work sideways but of course the headboard would slide sideways it someone pushed it.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you would like to know anything further

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Frames, Legs and Show Wood

Q

How to fix Queen Anne legs to Frames

I would like to replace the legs on my coffee table with your Queen Anne legs. Information on which glue to use would would really help me as I have done ver y little DIY.

Many Thanks

Pamela Meredith

A

Thank you for your enquiry. PVA (wood glue) is best because it eats into the wood to make a very strong bond. I deally you would need to screw them on as well. You can do this from underneath via the wing sections. Countersink them and then fill in the holes with wood filler if you prefer them not to show. I hope this is of some help to you. Please let me know if there is anything else you require.

I hope this is of some help to you. Please let me know if there is anything else you require.

Q

Show wood

Can you advise? I have an overstuffed bedroom chair (looks a bit like a dining room chair)which has a really nice inlay on the back and around the seat. I am worried that I might damage it when pulling out old tacks etc and wondered if there is something I can use to protect it whilst trying to lever.....

A

There is really very little you can do other than proceed with caution. Put masking tape around the edges of the show wood but make sure that it does not stay on too long so that it leaves a sticky residue when removed. Always use your ripping chisel so that it points away from the show-wood, preferably keeping in the direction of the grain. If you find yourself in a situation that you do need to lean it on the show-wood, put a thin piece of wood underneath the part of the show-wood that you need to rest upon. Not much help but the best a professional would do.

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Q

Holes where the tacks used to be

What would you suggest as a wood wood-filler for a chair I am about to reupholster which has a HUGE number of tack holes? Thank you Mrs Watson

A

Thank you for your enquiry. I would not suggest any type of wood filler as they will not stand the time in an upholstered chair. The best thing for the holes in a chair is a mixture of PVA or Wood Glue and sawdust.

We sell the wood glue here and if you have a piece of wood that you can just saw at home. Work it in to the holes wiping the excess of with a damp cloth letting it dry for the said time on the bottle and keep doing this until you are satisfied that the holes are filled leave it to dry again. This is the best method and can be used on joints and splits. If you are using it on show wood or wood that you are going to stain make sure that all the excess glue is removed with your glue. What would you suggest as a wood wood-filler for a chair I am about to reupholster which has a HUGE number of tack holes? Thank you Mrs Watson

A

Thank you for your enquiry. I would not suggest any type of wood filler as they will not stand the time in an upholstered chair. The best thing for the holes in a chair is a mixture of PVA or Wood Glue and sawdust.

We sell the wood glue here and if you have a piece of wood that you can just saw at home. Work it in to the holes wiping the excess of with a damp cloth letting it dry for the said time on the bottle and keep doing this until you are satisfied that the holes are filled leave it to dry again. This is the best method and can be used on joints and splits. If you are using it on show wood or wood that you are going to stain make sure that all the excess glue is removed with your glue.

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Starter Kit for Upholstery

Q

Please can you advise us all on a starter kit that I would need to start upholstering? Thanks for your advice Sue Millard

A

It is always very difficult to give the correct advise – sometimes it depends how comprehensive you want the kit to be- ‘basic’ or ‘complete’! If you are intending to do traditional upholstery the list should of course contain a pack of each straight and curved needles.

Basic kit

Hammer

Webbing strainer

Tack lifter

Staple remover

Pack of each needles & a spring needle

At least 1 regulator (probably a 10”)

Scissors

Pincers

Add the following for a more complete kit:

A Mallet is advised in order to save the damage to the handles of the tools when ripping out.Ripping chisel (straight or craned, personal preference) Small 5” scissors for cutting into corners on work Large tailor scissors for cutting table.

1 metre stick for measuring when cutting out (more accurate than soft measure and can also be used for drawing lines) Wooden handled Buttoning need Full range of sizes of regulators

Cupped punches

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Staple Guns and Double Piping

Q

Dear Sir

I have to attach some double piping to a Victorian chair I have nearly finished renovating. As this is the final detail – the ‘icing on the cake’ so to speak, I want to achieve a professional finish.

The double piping is shop bought (Houles) rather than home made so the two ‘strands’ are very close together and I fear any staples I try to use will show. I was thinking of buying an electric long nose stapler to do this but they are quite expensive for an ‘amateur’ like myself to purchase for infrequent use however I am prepared to pay this amount if the stapler will produce the refined finish I require.

Could you advise me on this and do you have a recommendation of which stapler might achieve this result for me?

Regards

Linda Read

A

There is only one electric stapler with a protruding nose, the 71EL. However it is very difficult to say if it will do the job or not because it can depend on the piping, what it is made of and what it is being applied to. The final result cannot be predicted as it can often be more of an experiment as to which application will achieve the best result.

The professional will use a pneumatic stapler as it will bury the staple much deeper and an electric stapler has a habit of jumping as it is fired.

Some double piping if it is made very close together and is very stiff can simply be applied with a hot melt glue gun. I would not be able to guarantee which would give the best result you may have to experiment.

Regards

Joan

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Attaching Buttons for a Headboard

Q

Can you please confirm, is it the Wooden Handle Button Needle I need for tufting/deep buttoning on a headboard?

A

The button needle will do the job if you are using loop back buttons. Just refer to the Hints and Tips section on our website where it explains how to use the needle for ‘ surface buttons’ on cushions. The principle is the same but of course there would need to be holes in the headboard to start with. The twine that goes through to the back would need to be either

The button needle will do the job if you are using loop back buttons. Just refer to the Hints and Tips section on our website where it explains how to use the needle for ‘ surface buttons’ on cushions. The principle is the same but of course there would need to be holes in the headboard to start with. The twine that goes through to the back would need to be either

wound around tacks that are then hammered home or

stapled down in a zig-zag fashion to the back of the board

wound around tacks that are then hammered home or

stapled down in a zig-zag fashion to the back of the board

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Q

Modern Fillings to Make Deep Buttoning on a sofa

Hi a am currently making a 2.5 seater sofa from scratch, the design i intend is a modern shape which will be quite angular. I am struggling with the choice of padding as i want to finish the sofa in leather with deep buttoning, the guide books i have use hair in the method of 2 stuffings. I would like to know whether there are any modern fillings that i can use to achieve a deep buttoned look. (foams, fleeces, waddings) Also i intend to spring with double cone springs i dont know if this affects filling choice.

Regards Michael Richards

A

Dear Michael Richards

I have spoken to our upholsterer and this was the advice she could give you.

Double cone springs should not affect filling choice other than it would need to be a substantial filling over the double cone springs because they are normally used under traditional hair pads which is denser than modern fillings. Foam can be used for deep buttoning but you would need to bore 1” holes though the depth of the foam to accommodate the buttons and skin the foam with a good 4 oz polyester. If you use foam you may need to use a denser base foam with a slightly softer topping. Rubberised hair can be used in the same way as foam using several layers and covering with cotton felt. However you must remember that you may need to use firm edge profiles to form the edges of the arms and front edge of the sofa base. In traditional upholstery these would be sewn into the hair.

Rubberised hair can be used in the same way as foam using several layers and covering with cotton felt. However you must remember that you may need to use firm edge profiles to form the edges of the arms and front edge of the sofa base. In traditional upholstery these would be sewn into the hair.

Modern Fillings to Make Deep Buttoning on a sofa

Hi a am currently making a 2.5 seater sofa from scratch, the design i intend is a modern shape which will be quite angular. I am struggling with the choice of padding as i want to finish the sofa in leather with deep buttoning, the guide books i have use hair in the method of 2 stuffings. I would like to know whether there are any modern fillings that i can use to achieve a deep buttoned look. (foams, fleeces, waddings) Also i intend to spring with double cone springs i dont know if this affects filling choice.

Regards Michael Richards

A

Dear Michael Richards

I have spoken to our upholsterer and this was the advice she could give you.

Double cone springs should not affect filling choice other than it would need to be a substantial filling over the double cone springs because they are normally used under traditional hair pads which is denser than modern fillings. Foam can be used for deep buttoning but you would need to bore 1” holes though the depth of the foam to accommodate the buttons and skin the foam with a good 4 oz polyester. If you use foam you may need to use a denser base foam with a slightly softer topping. Rubberised hair can be used in the same way as foam using several layers and covering with cotton felt. However you must remember that you may need to use firm edge profiles to form the edges of the arms and front edge of the sofa base. In traditional upholstery these would be sewn into the hair.

Rubberised hair can be used in the same way as foam using several layers and covering with cotton felt. However you must remember that you may need to use firm edge profiles to form the edges of the arms and front edge of the sofa base. In traditional upholstery these would be sewn into the hair.

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Springs

How to fix (zigzag) springs

Q

Hello, I was wondering if you can tell how I can fix my sofa as my springs are breaking. Its a fairly good sofa and I notice I can buy the the springs from you and the the fixing clips too, which is half the battle, but I was just wandering how easy it would be, I have read your article on how to fix webbing to chairs. But I was a little worried on how to get the right tension when fitting Sinuos Springs. Can anyone fit them or is it best to get someone to do it for me. Im quite handy at DIY.Any advice would be much apprietated. Kind Regards David

A

Hi David

The first thing you have to do is remove one of the broken springs. Firstly check from underneath if the clips that hold the springs are broken (these are fixed to the top of the frame but you should be able to feel them from underneath). These are often in tact but do sometimes split once the springs start to break. Even if they are in tact you should be able to remove the broken springs by knocking them sideways out of the grasp of the clip. Once you have removed a broken spring you can measure its exact length by standing on it on the floor to flatten it. The most common type is what we call D’Ark in shape that means it has a slight curve in its length.

The new springs can be put back in the same way by slipping them into the clips. How easy they are to replace will depend on how tight the clips have been fastened down.

If a clip is broken this can be more complicated because they should actually be fixed from the top of the from which entails removing the upholster from the base of the seat.

Hope this is of help to you.

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Q

Springing

I've a question about Springing. I've sprung a simple chair in the past using the original springs but now I've taken on a project to spring a chaise longue. The original springs are bent so I 've bought some replacements and they seem alot firmer (although they are the same height and gauge) and therefore sit higher on the webbing when tentioned down.

Should I be tentioning them more - I'm aiming for 150mm high once tentioned as the springs are 200mm high untentioned but it is difficult to acheive this height, particularly on the central springs - I'm only getting 160 - 170mm. I'm worried that the seat is going to appear too high once stuffed etc.

Any tips? Will tentioning the springs down to 150mm cause a problem?

Thanks and regards, Fiona Taylor

A

An answer from Joan Milton who is a Master Upholsterer specialising in traditional upholstery.

It is always my advice that when re-springing an old piece of furniture you should use a spring at least one size smaller in height than the old ones that you removed. There are several reasons for this but the main reason is that a sprung chair is under tension at all times (even when not being sat upon) and the frame is not as strong as when it was first made also the new springs are much stronger than those that you removed. It is therefore kinder to the old frame to reduce the spring size. If you do this you should achieve the desired height.

Regards Joan

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Traditional Methods

Q

Rag Rugging

Hello,

I am trying to source a fabric that has quite an open weave. One that can be used for rag rugging. I can find plenty of Hessian suppliers but no-one that seems to stock a fabric that has slightly larger holes (3-5mm gaps) that can be used with a rug hook. Do you have a product that might fit this need or know of the name of a material or supplier that I can track down?

Thanks Leigh

A

Thank you for your enquiry. I have checked with my colleague and unfortunately we can not think of anything else but Hessian as this is what is normally used. My Nan used to make rag rugs and she used 12oz Hessian like our scrim.

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Q

Lloyd Loom Chest

I have an oblong lloyd loom type chest which needs to be repadded and covered. Can you tell me what product you would recommend for the padding.

Many thanks Anita

A

There are many ways to tackle this job. It would make a book if I wrote about all of them. However, I would suggest that you first find out how the original was done by taking off a little of the cover.

Once you have found out how the original was done I will be able to advise you how to tackle the replacement.

I will also look through our many instruction books to check if they have instruction on this particular job.

A Lloyd Loom piece is well worth approaching correctly as it may be valuable.

I will also look through our many instruction books to check if they have instruction on this particular job.

I hope this helps

Regards Joan

I have an oblong lloyd loom type chest which needs to be repadded and covered. Can you tell me what product you would recommend for the padding.

Many thanks Anita

A

There are many ways to tackle this job. It would make a book if I wrote about all of them. However, I would suggest that you first find out how the original was done by taking off a little of the cover.

Once you have found out how the original was done I will be able to advise you how to tackle the replacement.

I will also look through our many instruction books to check if they have instruction on this particular job.

A Lloyd Loom piece is well worth approaching correctly as it may be valuable.

I will also look through our many instruction books to check if they have instruction on this particular job.

I hope this helps

Regards Joan