Upholstery for beginners

[Andy Smith]

Now that we've retired my wife wants to try her hand at a bit of upholstery. Nothing big, not taking on any 3-piece suites or anything, but we do have a set of dining chairs with padded seat and back rest (open back with a 'bar' across the top sort of thing) that need recovering and she wants to give it a go.

Any recommendations for a kit of tools that a starter/hobbyist upholsterer would need? Better buying individual tools rather than a kit or not?

She's seen this kit on Amazon

but at £145 we don't know if that's good value or not, especially if she quickly loses interest or can't do it - and they're not the sort of things I'd use if she doesn't.

[GB]

My initial reaction is that that looks like £30 worth of tools.

I am thinking of reupholstering our kitchen chairs, and the only tool I need is an electric staple gun.

[The Natural Philosopher]

All I used for a big sofa was some decent scissors, a sewing machine and most importantly and unpick tool.

If you are going to he hammering in tacks, a decent small claw hammer is a must and a metal 'spudger' for getting old ones out

Looks completely overkill apart from the hammer and the spudger - just get stuck in and it you find you need an extra tool just buy it.

[alan_m]

If the OP takes the a look at the padded seat he will probably find that the fabric has been stapled. These days hammering in tacks is possibly only for antique restoration. For decorative tacks a small hammer with a nylon head is probably better.

+1

The wooden mallet would only be required to repair a wooden frame. For instance, glueing a mortice and tenon joint and banging it together, but possibly you would also need suitable clamps to keep it together while the glue dries.

From the 4 and 5 star reviews

The stretcher may be excess to requirements, as my upholstery course just uses a piece of wood as a stretcher.

The pincers were actually next to useless.

Shame that the apron is rather small and 'cheap'.

[Chris Hogg]

My late wife had a fairly heavy-duty staple gun for securing fabric to a wooden frame. The OP may get some idea as to what's needed from furniture repairs featured on 'The Repair Shop', although they don't come round that often.

[Sam Plusnet]

A bit late in the year perhaps, but do check if your Local Authority runs 'Evening Classes' which include upholstery.

My wife did such a course a few years back. She learned quite a few of 'tricks of the trade', and gained a clear idea of what tools were useful[1] and which were a waste of time & money.

[1] Beware, your own tool kit will be raided to supply several of these.

[S Viemeister]

When I first started doing upholstery, I used a proper tack hammer, the kind with a magnetic tip. I got pretty good at it, but I've decided that a good staple gun is faster and better for most of what I do.>

[Harry Bloomfield Esq]

Most of those items will be unnecessary, for the job you have in mind, providing you already own basic tools.