Monday, February 11, 2013

More Cushion Details Per Request

A couple people have asked for more details on the materials I used in the cushion making so here you are: The fabric is Sunbrella interior marine fabric from Sailrite. I won't shop anywhere else because their customer service and educational tools are the best. The fabric is designed to resist soiling and moisture. Beware of using regular upholstery fabrics to save money. You get what you pay for and if you use regular house upholstery fabrics you will be recovering your cushions again in just a few years. I used their cushion underlining for the bottom of the bottom cushions which is non-skid and breathable and a third the cost of the fabric so it saves money. I also used batting over the foam to plump them up a bit. Here is the link for the specific fabrics I used:

Cushion Underling

Sunbrella Linen Natural

Batting

You also need V-69 weight thread and #18 needles in the machine.

While I'm on the topic of sewing, I've wanted one of Sailrite's Engel Hotknife for a long time but I just don't have the extra change to lay down for one so I found a less expensive alternative. When we were at the Chicago Boat Show West Marine Rigging had some Panther Portable Rope Cutting Guns for an incredible $37.95. I bought one and then bought the Engel tip from Sailrite. With a little modification (removing the plate between the wires) the tip fit the Panther gun and works flawlessly. The gun heats up in 5 seconds when you pull the trigger and cools down almost as fast, so you don't use a lot of electricity. Having that gun saved me about 20% on time when I did the second bottom cushion over the first one which I did with a soldering pencil.

If you have anymore questions just leave them in the comments and I'll address them there.

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