Mexican blanket cover

[custom cabby]

I bought a large blanket intending to recover my original F100 bench and as I started to look at it, was wondering which is the best way to do this? I bought some eyelets and was going to run a strong vinyl rope around the back and underneath to fasten it but not sure about that. I obviously want to do it myself with the best turnout I can get. So any advise welcome.

 

[Metal Twister]

I would look at the existing cover and make it as close to that as possible. But your method sounds like it should work just as well...

 

[hillbilly4008]

Is the seat out? If not, does it come out easy? That would save you some work in the long run.

I was at Lowes today and seen some eyelits, thinking to myself i know i could use these for something. Now i know what! You da man!

 

[custom cabby]

come on guys... I know some of you have done your own seat coverings.

 

[BigIrish]

You don't have to use rope and eyelets. Go to an upholstery shop and pickup some clips (not sure what they are really called. Basically you fold and stretch the blanket over the bottom portion of the seat, wrap it around underneath and clip the cover to the metal frame/rods/springs of the underside of the seat. The clips look like big thick staples, that you use to crimp the material around something metal underneath (staples/clips will pierce the blanket).

For the back of the seat, I'd use a seperate peice of blanket, wrap it from the front around to the back of the seat. Use those same clips to connect the material in the back.

 

[custom cabby]

I thought about those clips but when using the blanket (not a very heavy material) but with no reinforcement, all it will do is stretch open the blanket and shread it apart before I even have a chance to sit on it. Typical vinyl would hold up to that because of the strength and the seam that you would connect the pin to. Or are you thinking about something that I haven't thought of?

 

[BigIrish]

Ok the clips are called "hog rings". There's a special set of pliers you get get to make them easier to crimp (not expensive). Google "seat cover installation instructions" and you'll get a bunch.

Get the hog rings and pliers here. Type in Hog Rings in the product search and the rings and pliers will come up.

http://www.nagusupholsterysupplies.com/

 

[BigIrish]

I thought about those clips but when using the blanket (not a very heavy material) but with no reinforcement, all it will do is stretch open the blanket and shread it apart before I even have a chance to sit on it. Typical vinyl would hold up to that because of the strength and the seam that you would connect the pin to. Or are you thinking about something that I haven't thought of?

Well you usually double or triple up the material at the point where you are going to hog ring it. Use a ring every inch or so and it will spread the load, not tear the blanket. Those rings, if crimped right, will hold the material without tearing it. Just crimp the hell out of it and it will hold it.

Keep in mind when you sit on it, you are actually unloading the stress on the material because you are compressing the seat springs and the material on the sides is going slack.

 

[BigIrish]

Sorry one more key point about those rings. You are not hanging the material from the ring, like a shower curtain. You are actually wrapping the material around the metal rod or spring underneath and then hog ringing over everything. Its acting like a clamp.

 

[custom cabby]

so, if i'm understanding this correctly, I would need to have a bar inside of a seam in order to hog pin the material? If not, I can't imagine how this would work correctly.

 

[BigIrish]

No, the original seat cover has a bar inside of it which is hooked to the metal frame of the seat. What you do is wrap your new material over that old seat cover & bar, then put a hog ring around everthing. The hog ring will pierce right through your new material, the old seat cover and wrap around that bar, clamping your new material to the existing bar in the process.

Trust me it works. I installed some new seat covers this way and the material on the bottom was very thin cloth. Picture hanging a sheet from a clothsline - wrap it over the line and pinning it. Kind of how this works except the ring will wrap all the way around the clothesline, piercing the sheet in the process.

 

[custom cabby]

sounds easy enough.. will give it a try, thanks.

 

[timbo]

You can pick up a set of hogrings with the pliers from a auto parts store , advanced,autozone,pep boys. I found mine at advanced auto.
Tim

 

[timbo]

double post.
Tim

 

[Carlos Murphy]

Seat covers

You can also use saddle blankets, they come in many southwestern designs and old west designs.