22 replies to this topic

[Tom Geiger]

This year’s  Christmas Amnesty Project is my old '34 Ford rat rod project, which has burlap look seat covers. Since I sectioned the interior to better fit inside the sectioned body, the back seat I had done previously won't work anymore. So I took a seat from a second kit to take six scale inches out of it so it will fit in my modified interior tub. That meant I needed to cover this seat to match. So here we go...

This is super easy guys...

 

 

Materials - One kit seat and Micro Kristal Klear. Elmers white glue will work also, I just had this handy.

 

 

You'll need a napkin or other suitable covering. This is a Taco Bell napkin. So go to Taco Bell, buy a dollar taco, take 50 napkins and some hot sauce while you're at it. I like their hot sauce. You'll also need a couple of Q-Tips.

Before we start, a few things about the seat. I had to cut mine apart to take some plastic out. You probably still should cut it into two pieces. It's just easier, although I've done covers and tucked it into the crack between the top and bottom cushion. Also, check the fit of your seat. If it's already a tight fit in the interior, you will need to sand it down some since we are adding a layer of napkin to it.

 

 

Take the white glue and give the seat part a decent and complete coating, even around the back edges. Don't thin it out any, nor do we want a lot of glue to soak through the napkin. Now let it sit a few minutes to get tacky.

 

 

Now take a section of napkin and take it down to single ply. We only want one layer to glue. Just press the napkin into the glue. We don't want the glue to soak through to the face.

 

 

Now cut the napkin down to the part you will wrap around to the back of the seat and start your wrap. You want to flatten down all your edges that will be visible. This defines the shape. Let it dry.

 

 

Now roll it over and it should look like this.

 

 

Add glue to the back. You can even glue on top of the napkin and it will soak through. You can be sloppy here. Let it dry.

 

 

Now we have the two seat cushions defined and ready to put into the interior.

 

 

And the end result is worth the effort! I will cover the arm rests to match.

 

 

[JunkPile]

Great idea.  Thanks

[southpier]

looks itchy

[cchapman195]

Great tutorial. Thanks for the idea.

[crazyjim]

Terrific.  Can the Taco Smell napkin be painted?

[Ramfins59]

Great idea Tom.  Thanks for the how-to.

[lanesteele240]

is this just for rat rods or could i use it for old trucks?
just kidding. way to think out of the box

[Darren B]

wow that is pretty cool love the finished look thanks for sharing.

[pandamonium2112]

Wow, i like the look...Do i have to get hot sauce? I'd prefer the green sauce..

Thanks for sharing

[plowboy]

Very convincing look Tom! I'll have to give that a try sometime.

[Tom Geiger]

Terrific.  Can the Taco Smell napkin be painted?

 

I guess so but I haven't tried it. The reason I used the Taco Bell napkin is because it was the color and texture I needed. The difference between what I've done and the techniques I've seen posted is that I don't soak the material in a watered down glue mixture. I merely put enough of a coat of glue on the seat to hold it down without soaking through. That leaves the fabric (aka the napkin) looking and feeling the same way it was prior.

 

 

 

I just made a headliner from one for the same car.  I cut the shape from a business card, then glued the napkin to it. Came out well and it will go into the car.

[crazyjim]

I picked up a stack of Taco Smell napkins yesterday after our FAST meeting.  Gotta try this out.

[JunkPile]

I picked up a stack of Taco Smell napkins yesterday after our FAST meeting.  Gotta try this out.

 

Hi Jim,  Some RUST would look real nice along with them Taco Bell seat covers.  Just a thought

[crazyjim]

Rust?  Me?  Not!

[Tom Geiger]

Great Jim!  Let us know how you make out.  The key is to use enough glue to get it to stick, but not soak through to the surface.

 

Also, note that the Taco Bell napkin just happened to be the color I was looking for. I'm sure there are other napkins in other colors that would work as well. 

[Darren B]

That looks really realistic........

[Dr. Cranky]

Excellent results.

[greymack]

Great idea there so if the taco sucks at least you have some very useable paper towel awesome.

[Sixties Sam]

Great idea, Tom. I wonder if you could use a spray adhesive. I've used Elmer's spray craft glue on dioramas to put brick paper on foamboard walls, and for sticking woodgrain paper on a 1910 Model T firewall and floorboards. It works well. It will also soak through if you overdo it (guess how I found that out!).

 

Sam

[Tom Geiger]

Thanks Sam!  Try the spray adhesive and see if it works for you. That's the whole idea of modeling, take a tip and take it a step further!