Gimp is a narrow edging used for covering raw edges of the cover and heads of common tacks which secure the cover. It comes in rolls of 25 to 36 yards. Black imitation leather gimp costs 20 cents a roll of 25 yards, and brown or Spanish, 35 cents. Cloth gimp costs from 2 to 3 cents a yard.
Three kinds of nails may be used in the work outlined: solid leather, Perfection and Metalene. Metalene is perhaps the most satisfactory. These come in the following numbers with attendant sizes; No. 230—½-inch head; No. 240—⅜-inch head; No. 250—7/16-inch head; No. 260—9/16-inch head, and No. 270—¾-inch head. No. 250 is used in our work. They cost 80 cents per thousand in the plain, and 90 cents in Spanish effect.
Upholstery springs may be purchased from 3 to 16 inches in height. They cost 6 cents a pound and weigh from 22 to 100 pounds per gross. On this basis the cost of the large ones approximates 4 cents apiece. The 9-inch springs are most frequently used, and their cost is a trifle over 2 cents apiece. It is better to purchase springs longer than necessary than to obtain them too short, for they may easily be tied down. They should be twice as long as the width of the rails into which they are placed.
Spring twine is needed for tying the springs. No. 60 four-ply Italian hemp serves this purpose very well. This can be purchased for 27 cents a pound in one-pound balls.
Stitching twine is also needed for spring and stitched edge work. For this purpose No. 252 elm flax stitching is used. This costs 30 cents per half-pound ball.
The prices quoted are wholesale. Retail prices vary so much in different communities, and even in different places in the same community that they cannot be given with any fair degree of accuracy. The wholesale prices quoted will, however, give some idea of the cost of materials to the workman. At present, however, even wholesale prices are very unstable. All prices above are pre-war prices.
PART II
Upholstery without Springs
CHAPTER III
Upholstering a Board Structure
A LOW FOOTSTOOL.—This project is chosen for the first work in upholstery for the reason that it involves the simplest processes possible. Nailing a piece of leather or strips of leather across a frame cannot be dignified by the term upholstery. Therefore, such work is not to be considered under this head. The structure, in addition to the simple upholstery processes involved, requires but elementary bench work in wood in its construction.
After staining the stool take a small amount of tow, pull it out thoroly with the hands until all uneven bunches are eliminated; then spread it out evenly on the top of the stool as illustrated in Fig. [6]. Then place a piece of muslin over this, tacking it with 4-oz. tacks ¼ inch from the edges of the board. The muslin should be folded over on itself at the edges, and stretched very taut. Tack each side first, then work toward corners. This method of tacking insures a smooth, taut surface, and should be followed always. Use the regulator, Fig. [7], to even out any irregularities and to force the tow well out toward the outer edges of the muslin. Then lay a piece of wadding over this to make a smooth surface; see Fig. [7]. Next stretch a piece of Marokene leather of the color desired over the previous layers and secure it with 2½-oz. tacks. These should be placed about 2 inches apart, ¼ inch from the edges of the stool, and surplus fabric trimmed to ⅛ inch from edges. Finally, cut a piece of gimp and secure with Metalene nails as shown in Fig. [8]. Fold the gimp at the corners and splice at the last corner. Place the nails equal distances apart on parallel edges. Be sure that the leather, gimp and nails harmonize with each other and these with the final color of the stool.