Solid foundations start with good wood
Published On: January 1, 2012Categories: How-To Articles, Interiors & UpholsteryWe’ve all been there. You start a new upholstery job by removing the old fabric and find a little surprise: rotten wood. And although you were aware that some of the pieces would have to be replaced, there was no way of knowing that the damage was so extensive. Now you have to contact the [...]
Precision is key to upholstery graphics
Published On: September 1, 2011Categories: How-To Articles, Interiors & UpholsteryThis is where the placement of the new design is going to go on the seat back. Designing new graphics into an upholstery job doesn’t have to be the most dreaded portion of the job; it actually can be the most rewarding. You just need to get comfortable doing some custom work, so [...]
Fabricating a Navy top
Published On: September 1, 2011Categories: How-To Articles, ProjectsOur Wasque 32 project boat with Hood Canvas leaving CW Hood Yachts in Marblehead, Mass. This boat was featured on Channel 5 Boston's Chronicle News Magazine. In the last article (July/Aug issue), we patterned a Navy top in one step at my brother Chris Hood’s boat building facility, CW Hood Yachts, in Marblehead, [...]
Zipper organizer
Published On: July 1, 2011Categories: How-To ArticlesOrganize zippers on a Lazy Susan for easy access. Problem Zippers are cumbersome to organize and store, and are hard to access easily. Solution Organize and store zippers of various lengths on a hanging Lazy Susan, allowing easy access to sizes and colors. Process andwich a bearing assembly between a round piece of plywood (approximately [...]
Self-pleated bench seats from scratch
Published On: July 1, 2011Categories: How-To ArticlesThe finished bench seats in a 1957 FeatherCraft. If you do any upholstery in the marine industry you will use a pleated vinyl at some point. Customers often request that I not use pleated because they want something that is easier to wipe clean and doesn’t have all the grooves in it. But [...]
Patterning a Navy top with side curtains
Published On: July 1, 2011Categories: How-To ArticlesA fleet of new CW Hood Wasque 26s with Hood Navy tops on the hard in Marblehead, Mass. We made a trip to my brother Chris Hood’s business, CW Hood Yachts, in Marblehead, Mass. Chris was refitting an older Wasque 32 and needed a frame, Navy top and side curtains made up. We [...]
Simple storage
Published On: May 1, 2011Categories: How-To ArticlesUse rain gutters as storage for ends of tables and next to sewing machines. Problem Small tools and marking pens are often hard to find and can get misplaced around the shop or under projects on the work table. Solution Build a simple storage compartment with lengths of vinyl gutter and end caps for holding [...]
Fabricating a bimini
Published On: May 1, 2011Categories: How-To ArticlesA 13-foot-long Hood bimini installed on a Trawler in Marblehead, Mass. Bimini top: Start to finish At Hood Canvas, we start the process of fabricating our “Flat Liner” biminis by setting up the frame with stanchion bars at each end. Then we run a strap from the aft bow to the forward bow, [...]
Dual-pocket part pouch
Published On: March 1, 2011Categories: How-To ArticlesOrganize snaps on a tool belt with custom pouches. Problem Carrying a number of boxes of snaps to the installation site can be cumbersome and take up space in the vehicle. Solution Make special pouches that hang on a tool belt to hold snaps of different sizes and types to minimize the number of tools [...]
Make inside corners look good
Published On: March 1, 2011Categories: How-To ArticlesProper preparation, a good pattern and a firm foam base will yield a wrinkle-free corner cushion. The inside of a corner is one of the most difficult areas to get looking good. Here are a few tips for good-looking corners. To start, you must have a good foam base. Because of all the [...]