Learning to Recover Your Table
Hey, Digger.
If you're a DIY type and usually get good results, then you should give the recover a try. Here's a method that will get you some practice before you do it for real with that 860.
Buy a 1/2 crown air stapler at Harbor Freight. $20.00 Use the stapler for the rails. Buy a can of 3M77 at Home Depot. $10.00 or so. Use the glue for the bed.
Order a set of Simonis videos from Seybert's or other supplier.
Take your table apart, down to the bed. Carefully remove the bed cloth and any staples. Spray the edges with the glue, then practice putting your old cloth back on the bed. The pockets cuts are already done, so just try to get them back in their proper place. If you have the videos in hand, and have reviewed the bed cloth section, then your practice will be easier.
At any rate, if you use the glue method, you can put the cloth on and then take it back off several times without any damage. Repeat the whole process five or ten times. When you get good, it only takes ten or fifteen minutes.
When you're happy with your bed work, cut the old bed cloth into pieces suitable for rail recovery. Don't waste your time trying to learn rails until you have the videos. There are some secrets in there that you would never be able to figure out without them.
Anyway, do the same routine with the rails. Put the cloth on...take the cloth off. However, the rails can't be recovered using staples without a bit of wear and tear on the wood. Be judicious there.
As long as you don't trim the ends or cut off the surplus cloth on the underside, you can practice with the same piece of cloth several times. Side rails are a bit different than end rails. Practice both.
By this time, you'll know if you're ready to take the plunge for real. Even then, order a little extra cloth because mistakes are easy to make, and some can't be fixed. Also, you can skip the glue and use staples on the bed if you want to, but be advised, you will have a big problem with stretch shadows.
Good luck to ya. :thumbup:
jfred
