New Project

[mikeC]

The original padding would have been something like horsehair or coir, which could be 'feathered' towards the edges:

https://www.upholsterywarehouse.co.uk/a ... llair.html

or perhaps this skin wadding is the answer:

https://www.upholsterywarehouse.co.uk/a ... dding.html

[ColinB]

Thanks Mike, I'll keep a note of these firms. Fortunately Colin Borley has just finished the roof on Rob Roan's Senior so I have asked him for advice by email. John Griffiths did confirm that he used the existing wadding when he did his Six and it only extended over the hessian area, but I'll wait and see what Colin says.

[jeans_old_man]

There are some informative pictures of a Bentley restoration here:

https://www.enfieldautorestoration.com/wood-coach-trim/

Looks like they used the 'skin' wadding.

[ColinB]

That is a really useful link Brian, thanks.

[ColinB]

I had a really good chat with Colin Borley today and I'm now happy I have a way forward on the roof. The other great outcome is that he told me Rob Roan has to make a new windscreen for his Senior and recommended that I see if Rob could make a second one to fit my Six. Rob has great fabrication facilities in his factory in Peterborough as well as an extremely skilled workforce, so this a great outcome. It will be fabricated from mirror finished stainless steel which suits me very well.

[ColinB]

While waiting for the wadding to arrive I've drilled the dash for the starter, choke and fixing screws and trial fitted it. I'm very happy with the colour and the dull sheen of the finish. I need to find some brass screws and fix it into place for the time being as its safer in the car than knocking around the workshop.

[froux]

Beautiful !

[ColinB]

Ha Ha! Merci beaucoup Froux!

[ColinB]

Not everything goes well! I had a go at the roof today pinning the piping along the tops of the doors then cutting the foam to tuck inside using tape to hold it in position. Finally I rolled the vinyl out over it and pinned it into position. It looked terrible with lumps and bumps all over the place, and worst of all the vinyl I bought will not give at all to take up the shape on the corners of the 'beak'. So I have ripped it all off and will start again with different materials. I wonder if padding of any kind is actually needed - I suspect that a tightly stretched cloth like a thick sheet over the void to support the vinyl (or whatever I end up with) will do a better job. Still, I have learned something and the next time I try to do it will not be the first time!

[jeans_old_man]

Hi Colin, the second one is always the best! Martrim offer a product called Everflex Vinyl that they say is suitable for fabric bodies and 'the perfect material for making vinyl roofs'. Might be worth speaking to them.

[jeans_old_man]

Maybe the secret is....heat! Look at the iron in this picture. It looks like the ones that aeromodelers use to apply the covering to model aircraft.

[ColinB]

Thanks Brian, Everflex is on my list of candidates for the next attempt! I tried heat on the stuff I have got including a hair dryer, boiling water and a hot air gun but nothing worked, and the hot air gun started to melt the surface. So I concluded that it just isn't suitable for this application.

[jeans_old_man]

I'm guessing it is the backing cloth that determines how it will stretch. I have some material that I bought from Segal Motor Trimmings a long time ago that has a knitted backing and stretches in two directions. Unfortunately, they don't seem to stock it now.

[ColinB]

I see from an online search that Everflex is used for fabric bodied cars so I think this will be suitable as it must mould to various shapes. So I have taken a chance and ordered it from Martrim. They were much cheaper than Segal. While I wait I will take the time to prepare the roof better.

[ColinB]

The Everflex arrived this afternoon and it looks to be a lot more flexible than the Woolies' black on black so I'm hopeful about it. A trial piece warmed with a hair dryer moulded quite nicely over the corner of a table which is a good start. Thinking about the basis for a decent roof I realise that the foundation is everything. So I have tensioned the hessian right up so it creates a nice flat surface over the wooden frame and made sure all tacks and nails are as flush as possible. I'll experiment with a further layer, perhaps of an old sheet, but the hessian may be enough on its own.