Replies

1. 
   mikegagne | Jan 07, 2006 08:20pm | #1

   woodduck, if you are going that route, find something you like in a junk (resale) shop and take it apart. You'll see how it was built and upholstered and also how to improve on it. I learned how to build furniture doing repairs for resellers like that when I was in my midtwenties. Now I can make almost anything. aloha, mike

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jan 08, 2006 05:54pm | #5

   DITTO! I did that long ago.. Just married and no money.. Wife found some old hunk of junk (good wood though) in the style she liked..Yo make a long story short.. The frame was perfect except for the feet as I recall.. Made new feet and stripped off all the 'stuffins'..Took the frame to a 'PRO' upholsterer.. Final product was just about perfect at about 1/4 the cost...Hell, the little lady was happy!

   Edited 1/8/2006 9:55 am by WillGeorge

1. 
   mikegagne | Jan 08, 2006 09:34pm | #6

   <Hell, the little lady was happy>....the most important part.I did my adventures like that in Chicago. Lots of old high quality furniture to be found there. I had a sofa from one of the old movie palaces with harlequin faces carved on the wood frame above the back rests and original frieze upholstery. It cost a bit more to reupholster than we wanted to spend but did any way. When I moved to Hawaii Imade a 1500 profit from someone who "had to have it". I now wish I still did.... aloha, mike

2. 
   ring | Jan 08, 2006 12:06am | #2

   I agree with Mike.  Long ago I made custom sofas for a furniture store.  You never know how it will feel before you actually sit on it, and even in copying the dimensions of one you like, if the upholstery isn't identical it won't "work" the same.  You're right, it isn't hard at all, but the conjunction of woodwork, upholstery, and fabric is highly unpredictable for most of us without years of experience in this specific field.  You're wandering into the unknown...

   DR

1. 
   woodduck | Jan 09, 2006 05:17am | #7

   Hi again,

    Thinking of the fact that I only find about a quarter of the couches I sit on to be actually comfortable, I now regret my little 'how hard can it be ... '. But, but I still want a very plain and matching set, something like prairie style but a little more modern and I can't afford it new and I'm not seeing anything used I like ( although they are less than a quarter of the price of new). Assuming that I can build a good stiff frame, do a good job assembling the various types of foam for the cushions which I would then get professionaly upholstered, would either webbing or those horizintal springs be enough? Because those coil springs hand tied eight ways seems to difficult seeing as I've never done this before.

   Thanks for your input, woodduck

1. 
   ring | Jan 09, 2006 07:21pm | #8

   Webbing can make a fine sofa.  My main point was that the ergonomic results are highly unpredictable until you've actually sat down on it and then it's often too late to change anything.  Foam comes in very different densities (i.e. hardness) and that also affects where the body comes to rest in relation to the back, and so on.  Also - what seems like minute changes in the angle of the seat or angle of the backrest can have a great effect on the comfort of the sofa.  The best bet short of actually making a prototype is to mock up the seat height and angle, as well as the backrest height and angle, using pillows you borrow from something you like.  It's still a bit hit-or-miss but you'll have a fighting chance.

   DR

1. 
   highfigh | Jan 09, 2006 07:28pm | #9

   A mock-up wouldn't need to be full size, either. The cushions on chairs and sofas change over time and this should be considered when making the decisions regarding foam thickness and hardness. Firmer foam can be used with softer on top and if the soft breaks down, it can be replaced. It still needs to be glued down because the top layer will stretch after having people sitting on it. Shaping the foam is easy with an electric carving knife. Any mistakes can be covered by gluing a piece over it and re-carving. Look for books on chair and sofa making- they'll have recommendations for cushion height, backrest height and angle, etc.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

3. 
   highfigh | Jan 08, 2006 02:56am | #3

   "I mean, like how hard can it be, eh?" Depends on how long you want it to last. Overbuild the frame. It won't be seen anyway, so it might as well be bulletproof. There are upholstery books out there and if you look in the phone book, there is usually an upholstery supplier fairly near you. Most will sell to the public but some are strictly wholesale. If you don't want to deal with foam cushions collapsing over time, you'll have to decide if you want springs in it, and which type. There are coil springs and another kind that arch from front to back with kind of a wave pattern. Each has its own method of installation.

   Another way to go is finding a nice set at an estate/rummage sale and if you don't like the fabric, recover it (or have it recovered).

   Anyone can try to upholster something, the hard part is getting it to look good.

   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
4. 
   vbwoodworks | Jan 08, 2006 04:37pm | #4

     Why not build a Prairie style (arts and crafts) theyare fairly easy to build, can be sized to fit, and are actually more comfortable then they look, with the right cushioning any ways. The cushions are seperate pieces so get them done by a good upholstery shop unless you can sew cushions from start to finish.