wrapping rails

D

dendweller

Well-known member
I recently put new cloth on my rails on a gold crown. I got the simonis dvds and watched them a few times. The
last time I even made notes with pictures from it. First time I did the rails was really pretty poor.

Had more cloth so I had another go at it. While I can get the rail to look good, I can't turn the corner for the
corner pocket without having folds where I'm stapling on the bottom of the rail. In the dvd, the guy seems to
just pull the pull the cloth and the come out, mine seem to big to pull out.

I'm stretching the cloth when I pound the feather strip and for the last 4 inches or so I'm pulling the cloth about
half way towards the nose of the rail as I set it.

It's become kind of a challenge at this point, I either missed something in the dvd or I just ain't cut out for wrapping rails.

If anyone has any idea what I might be missing I'd appreciate the input.
 
Last edited:
Sheldon said:
Got to have strong fingers, and get the loose cloth under the staples. It's not something that comes easy, and you get better with practice.
Click to expand...
Come to think of it, it did look like the guy had wrinkles but he pulled hard enough over the edge that he was able to get a staple in in such a way that the wrinkles were after the staple.
 
dendweller said:
Come to think of it, it did look like the guy had wrinkles but he pulled hard enough over the edge that he was able to get a staple in in such a way that the wrinkles were after the staple.
Click to expand...

As for the actual corner fold part, you might have to work the fibers of the cloth a bit. It's hard to describe, but you kind of have to get a feel for how exactly the cloth stretches and the fold will interact with the facings. The DVD is a bit misleading in the fact that I'm pretty sure RKC has the hand strength of a gorilla paired with decades of practice. It takes some real beef put on the cloth at some points to get a smooth wrinkle free bottom edge but he makes it look really easy. If you end up with wrinkles/folds where the staples go, take a staple out and try again. You might have to take a couple out in order to get the slack out.

Sorry, it's a bit hard to describe in words, but you basically take your time and get a feel for how the cloth stretches.
 
I'm a DIY'er at heart but there are some things I feel are better left to those that perform the task all day, every day.. This is why you pay a professional: experience.
 
boogieman said:
As for the actual corner fold part, you might have to work the fibers of the cloth a bit. It's hard to describe, but you kind of have to get a feel for how exactly the cloth stretches and the fold will interact with the facings. The DVD is a bit misleading in the fact that I'm pretty sure RKC has the hand strength of a gorilla paired with decades of practice. It takes some real beef put on the cloth at some points to get a smooth wrinkle free bottom edge but he makes it look really easy. If you end up with wrinkles/folds where the staples go, take a staple out and try again. You might have to take a couple out in order to get the slack out.

Sorry, it's a bit hard to describe in words, but you basically take your time and get a feel for how the cloth stretches.
Click to expand...
Thanks, appreciate it.
 
rexus31 said:
I'm a DIY'er at heart but there are some things I feel are better left to those that perform the task all day, every day.. This is why you pay a professional: experience.
Click to expand...
I hear ya but it didn't start off as a way to save money. The guy that I've had do work before and got this table from had health issues and is not able to work at present. Asked another local guy about subrail work, asked him to stop by and take a look. He's about an hour away and that ended that conversation. Not sure I blame him but I would of paid for his time if that was a problem. Communicated with a couple others on this forum, distance, being busy or my not wanting to ship got in the way. In the end I probably won't do the rails on the end product. In the mean time I'm spending too much money on rail cloth and putting too many staple holes in the rails but I'm figuring out what I want in the long run.
 
rexus31 said:
I'm a DIY'er at heart but there are some things I feel are better left to those that perform the task all day, every day.. This is why you pay a professional: experience
Click to expand...
To make it worse, I have a long history of dabbling, have had a number of cue lathes over the years (have 2 now), never worked on anyone elses cues, make my own golf clubs from components... Once I get start it's hard to let it go.
 
dendweller said:
I hear ya but it didn't start off as a way to save money. The guy that I've had do work before and got this table from had health issues and is not able to work at present. Asked another local guy about subrail work, asked him to stop by and take a look. He's about an hour away and that ended that conversation. Not sure I blame him but I would of paid for his time if that was a problem. Communicated with a couple others on this forum, distance, being busy or my not wanting to ship got in the way. In the end I probably won't do the rails on the end product. In the mean time I'm spending too much money on rail cloth and putting too many staple holes in the rails but I'm figuring out what I want in the long run.
Click to expand...
I get it and I never mentioned anything about the decision being financial. Patience is a virtue and it is worthwhile to be patient in finding a skilled mechanic to do the work. This is already costing you something extremely valuable: your time. I waited 3 months to get my rails done and my table setup after I spent a month on the cosmetic resto. I wanted it done right (the first time) and it was well worth the wait. The table plays lights out and I wouldn't have it any other way. Ditch the facings, stop ordering cloth and retire the stapler until another task comes calling and focus your efforts on getting a qualified mechanic to do the work. There's a reason only a handful of guys in the country know how to do this work: it ain't easy.
 
Yeah I was in a similar place. I checked out all the tables near me that I could find, even some an hour away and none of the tables had nice cover jobs on them. I needed my Gold Crown rails modified for current cushions anyways so I had the rail guy cover my rails and I did the bed cloth myself which worked out. I had to make some pretty elaborate crates for my rails for shipping protection but it was well worth it. I saved the crates in case I ever need to ship them again.
 
Last edited:
fastone371 said:
Yeah I was in a similar place. I checked out all the tables near me that I could find, even some an hour away and none of the tables had nice cover jobs on them. I needed my Gold Crown rails modified for current cushions anyways so I had the rail guy cover my my rails and I did the bed cloth myself which worked out. I had to make some pretty elaborate crates for my rails for shipping protection but it was well worth it. I saved the crates in case I ever need to ship them again.
Click to expand...
Thanks
 
dendweller said:
Come to think of it, it did look like the guy had wrinkles but he pulled hard enough over the edge that he was able to get a staple in in such a way that the wrinkles were after the staple.
Click to expand...
Are you kidding me, I never even had to pull a staple and put another one back in, I just know what I'm doing, backed up by the thousands of tables I've worked on already😅🤣🤣
 
if you re-read it, didn't say you had to pull a staple, said you were able to pull the wrinkles out of it and get a staple in the proper place. Someone else said I may have to pull a staple, not that you would.
 
dendweller said:
if you re-read it, didn't say you had to pull a staple, said you were able to pull the wrinkles out of it and get a staple in the proper place. Someone else said I may have to pull a staple, not that you would.
Click to expand...
The problem you're having in the corners is in the placement of the first staple and the stretch relating to that position.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top