The Upholstery Forum

After talking about buying a steamer this one came up in a local online buy and sell for $20, the timing is perfect.


I’m just finishing off a captains chair for a boat and don’t have a clue as how when and where to use the steamer


So.... do we’ve steam before stretching on the cover or once it’s on, do we steam the inside of the cover or the outside? I’ve looked for how to videos but haven’t found anything yet

@Revv Up ,

Turn your steamer on, pull your cover on and start steaming on top of the cover and along the boxing where you are going to be stretching the vinyl for hog ringing. For me I have found the vinyl cools rather quickly so work a section at a time.

steam all the seams from the inside before you install your cover. Steam any part of your cover that is giving you trouble or needs to be stretched tighter. With vinyl don't worry to much about getting it too hot you'll be fine.

Very good timing and very good purchase!!!

I will say!!!! $20 is more than a bargain!

I’m pretty impressed... not only is it good for putting covers on it rocks for taking off vinyl that’s been bonded or glued to foam.

@Revv Up ,

Crap man. You guys need an auto store like PA that is in Kamloops. Seats like that are miserable to do. I would go tell them to buy a new one from PA.

I always say the steamer is a trimmers best friend

BigRig wrote: ↑Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:34 am @Revv Up ,

Crap man. You guys need an auto store like PA that is in Kamloops. Seats like that are miserable to do. I would go tell them to buy a new one from PA.

Seat is from a Zoom Boom and the mounting looks pretty propritery. I think they have about 6 more in the same condition they want to circulate to me. Next time I will just make a new foam and cover so I can throw the old one away in 1 piece.

@Revv Up ,

Construction seating would be really cool! You have a lot or real neat things coming to you.

Speaking of steaming covers. I did foam on this and now have to stretch this cover down. This is my first leather cover and it does have a ways to stretch. Also with leather can I spray adhesive onto the cover to adhere it to the foam or just leave it being it is leather?

Perhaps the leather has stretched and deformed and you would need to add a layer of foam over the seat foam so that it fits snugly? I have read that it's better not to glue the leather to the foam so that foam and leather can move freely

@BigRig Let me play devils advocate with my very limited experience...

I would think if you glue it then steam it you may break the glue bond anyways so why bother with that step.

Or if the leather stays bonded to the foam .....then you would need to stretch both the leather and the foam to make it fit. I’d try to not use glue.

@Revv Up ,

Hey Revv, I just steamed it lightly and did not dare use glue. This guy needed his seat back as fast as I got it UUUUGGHHHH. When you see a seat like this come in and if the truck is not out of service I would give them the # for Nationa l seating

Hello 'upholstery' Wold!
First of all: thank you Johnny for creating this forum
So far for leather manipulation I used heatgun but when I read "the steamer is a trimmers best friend" I want to test it out. Question is: which steamer do you recommend to buy? I read that Jiffy J-4000A it is a solid choice, but what about cheaper solution like Karcher sc2 for example? Do you have any experience about that kind of multipurpose steamer in leather job? (English it's not my native language, sorry for possible mistakes)
https://www.kaercher.com/uk/home-garden ... 20520.html

@Nedved ,

I recently acquired a Jiffy steamer for clothes. It is just perfect for what I do.

Hi @Nedved! Welcome to the forum!

Yes you can defiantly use creeper steamers. Personally I use the J4000 but any thing that makes steam will work. A lot of professionals use the J4000 because it has a large water tank so that you dont have refill it near as often. Also it puts out a lot of steam.

Also be careful wit steam on leather. It reacts differently than vinyl. If you can do a test on scrap piece first. Some leather will shrink a lot with steam.