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[Bondo497]

@SmokinSCustoms
What type board are you using for your panels?

[John]

Steam would also help get those wrinkles out.
Looks great once its installed. Nice work @SmokinSCustoms !

[SmokinSCustoms]

@SmokinSCustoms
What type board are you using for your panels?

@Bondo497 On the smaller pieces I've been using water resistant panel board like the factory did. On the larger pieces, like the back of the sleeper in this 362 cabover I'm using 1/4 birch plywood. I've never used this thin plywood before so we'll see how it goes. The fun thing about using the panel board is if you want a neat edge on your finished door panel you can stitch through the panel board. That's how I ended up doing these Kenworth door panels.

[SmokinSCustoms]

Steam would also help get those wrinkles out.
Looks great once its installed. Nice work @SmokinSCustoms !

@John I've never tried steaming. Are you talking about just using a standard clothes iron? I noticed just a bit ago someone earlier in the thread talking about the backing being different. Sure enough it is and this vinyl likes to stretch more one way than the other. Other vinyl's I've used in the past didn't really have a backing and this wasn't an issue. The problem with this is that I can only orientate this vinyl one direction in order to cover my larger pieces. Any thoughts on that?

[John]

First off... Those Kensworth panels are sweet!! I really like that marble green with the brown.

A good steamer is a trimmers best friend. I use it nonstop. They solve so many problems. Not a cloths iron but a garment steamer like this. Here is what I use. https://amzn.to/2JYP7dj
They relax everything and make material lay more naturally. The hot steam also makes material much more stretchy so you can wrap and stretch things much easier. I highly recommend a steamer. You can even use the cheaper ones from department stores. They just don't last as long or hold as much water.

For vinyl backing.. there is a few different backing styles but noting that I think would cause that problem. All vinyl stretches more in on direction than the other. I personally have never seen stretch direction cause that problem. Usually I just worry about fitting my pieces most efficiently on the material with the least waste.

[SmokinSCustoms]

@John haha I appreciate it. I think my camera on my phone kinda messes with the pictures because in person they're actually a somewhat shimmery black and a burgundy (Carrara CR508) with burgundy thread. Thanks for the info on the steamer, sounds like I better bite the bullet and pick one up. For no more than they cost, the time and headaches it could save me, it would pay for itself pretty quickly.

[Bondo497]

@SmokinSCustoms
I never even thought about sewing strait through the board. I planned on glueing onto the aluminum pegboard the 352 has in it and screws and buttons on the headliner. Have you sewn any scrolls yet? That's what I've really been trying to hone my skill at since this truck has lots and lots of scroll work!

[SmokinSCustoms]

@SmokinSCustoms
I never even thought about sewing strait through the board. I planned on glueing onto the aluminum pegboard the 352 has in it and screws and buttons on the headliner. Have you sewn any scrolls yet? That's what I've really been trying to hone my skill at since this truck has lots and lots of scroll work!

@Bondo497
My 72' 359 had that aluminum pegboard in it with fiberglass insulation behind it. The problem I would think about gluing to it is getting it clean enough for the glue to have good adhesion. Personally I would take it down and just use it for patterns on new panels. Also when you have it down it'd probably be a good time to remove all the old insulation and go back with a dynamat type product. I still glued the vinyl and foam to the panel board and wrapped the excess behind the panel. Once I was done I just stitched a border around through the panel board mostly for the look. However, this did also pretty much lock the vinyl into place because it was stitched through the top vinyl->foam->panel board->wrapped vinyl. She ain't going no where for many years to come.

[SmokinSCustoms]

@Bondo497 Haven't worked on scrolls really, my machine doesn't have a long enough throat to put scrolls into larger panels so for the sake of consistency I haven't really been doing them.

[John]

Hahaha Yeah I was blown away the first time I saw someone sew through panel board. But it does works. Goes to show you how strong those machines are!

@SmokinSCustoms great advice! I have not worked on many big rig interiors. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Bondo497]

@SmokinSCustoms
Hey thanks for the heads up on glueing to the aluminum, I see your point. I will use them for patterns like you suggested. The throat on my machine is only 10" but it has a servo motor so I'm able to crawl through the scroll pattern while folding up the excess to clear the space of the throat otherwise I couldn't keep up with the stitches.

[SmokinSCustoms]

Hahaha Yeah I was blown away the first time I saw someone sew through panel board. But it does works. Goes to show you how strong those machines are!

@SmokinSCustoms great advice! I have not worked on many big rig interiors. Thanks for sharing your experience.

@John No problem, I've ate, drank, and slept trucks since I was a kid. Started out turnin' a wrench on them, then paint and body, now interior. People gripe about how much it cost to restore a car........they should see the cost of some of our parts. Guys easily drop $40-50K to restore one to a decent condition. As far as "show trucks" go the sky's the limit on $ spent on them.

[SmokinSCustoms]

@SmokinSCustoms
Hey thanks for the heads up on glueing to the aluminum, I see your point. I will use them for patterns like you suggested. The throat on my machine is only 10" but it has a servo motor so I'm able to crawl through the scroll pattern while folding up the excess to clear the space of the throat otherwise I couldn't keep up with the stitches.

@Bondo497 That's pretty much my same setup 10" throat and servo motor. My problem with my machine is its really hard starting. I dunno if its just not broke in yet or what, but its really tight when my needle is all the way up. I wish I knew more about the machines and how to "tune them up" a bit for easier starts.

[Bondo497]

I hear ya brother. I didn't say it was smooth sailing for me either lol.

[John]

@Bondo497 That's pretty much my same setup 10" throat and servo motor. My problem with my machine is its really hard starting. I dunno if its just not broke in yet or what, but its really tight when my needle is all the way up. I wish I knew more about the machines and how to "tune them up" a bit for easier starts.

Hey @SmokinSCustoms Ive never used your model machine before, but that's tightness is probably not normal. Sewing machines don't have break in periods like that. After looking at the pictures again of your recent panels. My gut still says you have a thread tension problem, like something is threaded improperly. Its really hard to tell with out being able to put my hands on the machine. Make %100 percent sure the bobbin is installed so that its spinning the right direction.
What I would do is completely unthread the machine. even remove the bobbin. Then turn the machine over my hand and see if the tightness is still there. If it turns smoothly you have something wrong with your thread
If its still tight after that disconnect the belt from the motor to machine. Spin by hand. If its smooth you have something up with your motor.
If its still tight you have something wrong with the machine. Then I would oil the heck out of it. Every moving part you can reach while rotating the hand wheel . Let it sit over night and check to see if its better. If not youll want to call the place you bought it from and ask why its so tight.

I really hope this helps.

[BigRig]

My thread tension get really tight when the thread on my spool guides gets a little tangly. Sometimes I don't notice and the machine is pulling thread through and I only notice by looking at my stitches.

[Bondo497]

@BigRig
Its hard to keep an eye on everything at one time isn't it?

[BigRig]

Sewing is not as easy as it looks!

[SmokinSCustoms]

@Bondo497 That's pretty much my same setup 10" throat and servo motor. My problem with my machine is its really hard starting. I dunno if its just not broke in yet or what, but its really tight when my needle is all the way up. I wish I knew more about the machines and how to "tune them up" a bit for easier starts.

Hey @SmokinSCustoms Ive never used your model machine before, but that's tightness is probably not normal. Sewing machines don't have break in periods like that. After looking at the pictures again of your recent panels. My gut still says you have a thread tension problem, like something is threaded improperly. Its really hard to tell with out being able to put my hands on the machine. Make %100 percent sure the bobbin is installed so that its spinning the right direction.
What I would do is completely unthread the machine. even remove the bobbin. Then turn the machine over my hand and see if the tightness is still there. If it turns smoothly you have something wrong with your thread
If its still tight after that disconnect the belt from the motor to machine. Spin by hand. If its smooth you have something up with your motor.
If its still tight you have something wrong with the machine. Then I would oil the heck out of it. Every moving part you can reach while rotating the hand wheel . Let it sit over night and check to see if its better. If not youll want to call the place you bought it from and ask why its so tight.

I really hope this helps.

@John With the motor off the belt the machine seems to run though pretty smooth by hand, just a hair bit tighter when its completely topped out. However, once the motor is on the belt it tightens up quite a bit. Brand new motor, I wouldn't have thought there would be an issue with it but I have seen stranger things. What's the best way to look into motor issues you think? I've got an electric motor shop not too far from me, but they mostly deal in oilfield motors.

[John]

If you have a servo motor there will be some resistance in the motor but it shouldn't be excessive. I would think if something was wrong with your motor you would be able to hear it.

How tight do you have the belt tension set? You don't need a lot. I don't know if that could cause the problem... Just a thought

Where did you buy the machine from? I would call them If you can and ask if what your experiencing is normal.