Jerry Feather

Here is a little progress on the leather forming tooling that I am duplicating for loan.

I first had made a laminate of some pieces of Poplar so I cut it up into rough cylinders in my band say so I could chuck them in my lathe and turn the wood cone bodies to form the leather into the Ignition switch opening.

I broke one of them, but I have glued it back together and if it isn't too out of round when the glue sets I'll try to turn it like the others.

I also coated the wood with epoxy so that it will be resistant to moisture and so the leather may stretch more smoothly over it. When that sets I'll chuck these back in the lathe and sand them smooth.

Then I made a bunch of the ABS washers that are used to form the leather into the other openings. I kind of made a large bunch because it gets kind of addictive turning them in the lathe.

The small ones each have to be individually rounded and smoothed on the forming edge, so that takes a little more time. Otherwise I can make 8 of these at a time in the lathe.

Dean_Fuller

Holy molly....you have lots of very cool toys Jerry. This thread just keeps getting better!

Jerry Feather

Here are the forming washers. The large ones go inside the pod on the working side of the openings and the smaller ones with the rounded smooth forming edge will go outside on top of the leather and will be drawn into the opening with a bolt and wing nut after the leather is saturated with water to make it formable.

The same process will be used with the wooden cones, but the reason I use a cone instead of simply another washer is because with that large an opening the leather wants to stretch downward in sort of a curve and doesn't form firmly against the sides of the conical recess.

The other openings have such a steep angle and much less conical shape that this is not a problem in them.

Nevertheless, an additional part of this set of tooling will be a single wooden cone shaped "cork-like" tool that will be used after the leather is formed, trimmed and then reglued when the plug will be inserted into the opening and left for a while to help have the glue stick the leather tightly to the insides of the openings. Boy, that's a mouthfull.

I still have to make some of the steel tubing leather punch that I mentioned in the instructions. It will be used to punch a hole in about the cneter of each of the opening so this forming tooling will work. I haven't found the one I made for myself some time ago so I'll just make an extra one. Those will be included in each of the kits.

Jerry Feather

rgs944

Thanks for the pics of the forming tools Jerry. I will be trying again on my pod this weekend. I had some issues the first time around so I think what I learned the first time will give me a better outcome this time. I would have kept the first try as it was exceptable for me to use but the dog chewed up a corner of it. Yes the dog is still alive but just barely. The little mut is hard to get really mad at and I also take some responsability for being stupid enough to leave it on the floor. Oh well, someday I will look back on it and laugh, just not this day.

garylewa

PROJECT UPDATE:
I sewed the leather pieces together this morning and it turned out way better than expected. If anyone else is doing this "mod". I used Coats & Clark full polyester thread and leather sewing needle (size 14) in my sisters Brother LS-1217 sewing machine. I experimented with stitch size and stitch length on numerous scrap leather pieces before settling on a stitch length of 2.5 and a stitch width of 2.5 (these are probably Brother specific settings.....).
I was having "issues" sewing the two front front pieces to the tunnel so I hand stitched these two panel pieces to the tunnel (5-10 minutes) then ran them under the sewing machine in one quick pass on each side. I found this much easier for me than starting and stopping to manipulate the leather under the sewing foot and the finished results proved it. I then ran the top stitch and lastly, the center bottom stitch in one pass as Jerry Feather states in this topic.
I am going out to find the contact adhesive and will post pics when this is completed. I still will need to form the **** holes.
Jerry, if you don't mind: Since I am finished with the patterns I would like to "pay it forward" as Jerry did for us and mail the patterns and instructions to someone else free of charge that would like to try this. Just PM or shoot me an email and I will mail them out asap.

rgs944

I have decided to use some padding on the top and sides of the pod this time. Since I am using thinner leather I think it will give it a more full look. I will post pics when it is glued.

garylewa

Just keeping this post alive.....

rgs944

I will be installing my pod soon and will get pics once its in. My second attempt turned out better so I guess I need to thank my dog for chewing the first one up.

garylewa

Here is mine; it isn'tConcours of Pebble Beach quality but it looks better than cracked/split vinyl........Those aren't folds/creases in the leather after cementing down, I used 3-4 oz. distressed dyed black leather.

rgs944

Here is my finished product for the pod recovering. Not a pro result but it turned out acceptable for me as an impatient amuetur. I have a lot of respect for the guys who can accomplish this at a high level. I am not one of those guys but for the little money I have into it I am very happy that I no longer have big cracks glaring out the window. A very big Thank you to Jerry for the patterns and everyones help.

Jerry Feather

Thanks RGS for the report and congratulations on the completion of your pod. I'm glad you are pleased with the result. That is what counts the most.

I apologize for my lact of attention to this "class" project, but have been busy with the liners and cover lately. I'll try to finish up my end of this cover class when I get back from Spring Fling.

I couldn't find the hole cutter I made out of tubing to cut the holes for the forming tooling I made, so I have to find another piece to make some of them to include in the hole forming tooling kits I was working on last. When I have that accomplished it will be just an evening and an hour or so to form and reglue the leather into the switch openings and call this project complete.

Are any class participants coming to Spring Fling? Maybe I'll take the pod in its current state of progress for show and tell.

Jerry Feather

dimi5928

Here is mine on my 83s couple years ego (sold)
Did all the interior restoration job by my self (happy days) i miss...



_______________________
Jimmy

Dean_Fuller

This has been awhile but I have a pod needing recover. Jerry...did you finalize the install kit? If so I need to see about renting one.

Rereading this thread is helping me to get my head in the game.

Anyone else use Jerry's pattern??? If so , how about some pics.

Thanks

Dean_Fuller

Just now getting around to using Jerrys' pattern and will be covering a pod in the next few days but in vinyl. Thanks again Jerry. I will report back soon.

Dean_Fuller

Jerry...

after reading back thru your post I see you say I need to add 1/4" to some of the patterns you sent. Which edges specifically do I add the 1/4" ???