How to Make a Powerboat Aft Bench Cushion

In this tutorial video we will show you how to reupholster a powerboats aft bench cushion. This bench cushion hinges back to revel storage below. The cushion has a vinyl fabric cover which covers the foam then the vinyl fabric is stapled to a backer board. To reupholster this cushion we will cut and replace the old foam then a new cover will be made from marine quality vinyl seating fabric from Sailrite. We will also cover the underside of the backer board to give it a finished look.
Order supplies and tools at: www.sailrite.com
How to Make a Powerboat Aft Bench Cushion Chapters:
Removing Old Upholstered Fabric - 0:54 min
Patterning & Cutting New Foam - 3:44 min
Patterning Top Plate Sections - 6:00 min
Sewing French Seam - 11:01 min
Sewing Channeling Fabric - 15:03 min
Sewing Prefabricated Piping - 20:35 min
Making & Sewing Boxing - 23:38 min
Preparing the Backer Board & Installing the Cover - 30:14 min
Hiding Staples - 36:16 min
Materials List - 38:54 min
Materials List:
Tack & Staple Remover - Item # 104319 - www.sailrite.com/Tack-Staple-...
Cushion Wrap Silk Film - Item # 103933 - www.sailrite.com/Cushion-Wrap...
High Density Polyurethane Foam (Firm) 3" x 24" x 82" - Item # 120195 - www.sailrite.com/High-Density...
Dura Skrim Patterning Material - Item # 103134 - www.sailrite.com/Dura-Skrim-2...
Marine Vinyl Fabric from Sailrite - we used Morbern Seabrook -www.sailrite.com/Fabrics/Mari...
Grosgrain Polyester Binding White 1" - www.sailrite.com/Notion-Mater...
Seamstick 1/4" Basting Tape for Canvas - Item # 104167 - www.sailrite.com/Seamstick-1-...
Marine Vinyl Channeling Fabric from Sailrite - we used Morbern Seabrook - Item # 105994 - www.sailrite.com/Morbern-Seab...
Seabrook Vinyl Welting/Piping Midnight - Item # 120144 - www.sailrite.com/Seabrook-Vin...
Cushion Underlining or Phifertex Vinyl Mesh Fabric - www.sailrite.com/Fabrics/Mari...
Polyurethane Foam 1/4" With Fabric Backing 58" - Item # 121506 - www.sailrite.com/Fabric-Backe...
Seabrook 3/4" Hidem Gimp Lite Glacier - Item # 120132 - www.sailrite.com/Seabrook-3-4...
Tools List:
3M General Trim Adhesive - Item # 73211 - www.sailrite.com/3M-General-T...
Clear Acrylic Ruler 6" x 24" - Item # 102400 - www.sailrite.com/Clear-Acryli...
Gingher Scissors Right Handed - Item # 19104 - www.sailrite.com/Gingher-Scis...
Sewing Gauge Ruler 6" - Item # 102995 - www.sailrite.com/Sewing-Gauge...
Magnetic Sewing Guide - Item # 102983 - www.sailrite.com/Magnetic-Sew...
Sailrite Ultrafeed LS-1 PLUS Walking Foot Sewing Machine - Item # 300502 - www.sailrite.com/Sailrite-Ult...
Gingher Thread Nippers 4 1/2" - Item # 104710 - www.sailrite.com/Gingher-Thre...
Sailrite Upholstery Staple Gun - www.sailrite.com/All-Tools/Up...
Drill and bits, Foam Cutter, Marker, Masking Tape, Pencil, Tape Measure
Order supplies and tools at: www.sailrite.com
Watch the Full Playlist of the 2016 Project Boat Here: • Sailrite's 2016 Projec...

[@pbr404]

Cindy is such a professional; I love watching her make this look so easy. I can’t wait to try it and see how mine comes out. Thank you Cindy!

[@SailriteDIY]

Your welcome!

[@cannedham3774]

I've learned that having a professional do this is worth every penny. Cindy is amazing!

[@vonkanon3091]

Oh man! That's exactly what I thought. I think I would just pay the pros to do it.

[@atomicunderground9971]

@@vonkanon3091 The pros just quoted me $8,000-$9,000 to do a full interior on my 19' boat. That is probably beautifull but will be more than we spent on the entire project including an engine overhaul and buying the boat.

[@07Convertable]

Absolutely beautiful! Perfection.

[@shoaldaddyjamie2353]

I really enjoy all your videos. They really help me out and show me trips. thanks

[@patrickbrumm448]

I too like trips.

[@pkoldman]

Very nice! Thanks for all the great advise.

[@patrickbrumm448]

also, to avoid a mass of material hitting the machine head, a handy set of larger clamps is useful to roll the material close to you working seam, and secure it so it does not result in obviously crooked lines. You only get one chance to do the decorative top stitch, so ensuring excess bulk does not interfere with passage is crucial!!

[@jerrygsvt]

The narrator sounds like the TV show “Bar Rescue” but for professional sewing. Excellent and informative videos. Thank you.

[@pilotnelson4507]

🤣Like the old "Hi Bob," drinking game from the Bob Newhart Show, every time he says, "And do a backstitch to secure the seam," take a drink! lol

[@EvilWhiteColonialist]

Cindy is my favorite. If Cindy says it's foam... It's foam! ;)

[@pbr404]

Cindy is rad!

[@yb2112]

Nice production quality 👍👍

[@rboekdrukker]

That presser foot is so mesmerizing to watch

[@SailriteDIY]

Haha, who would have thought that a presser foot could be so captivating? It's the little things in life that bring joy, right?

[@Mihalyofficial]

Great stuff. Thanks guys.

[@francesprice9532]

Best info here. Thank you!

[@tjones99]

TOTALLY AWESOME VIDEO.

[@grapesoda4908]

Looks amazing

[@monkusbee]

Nice work!

[@erikramos3188]

awesome work

[@tonyspangler1201]

Your amazing thx for sharing

[@Rickibobbi88]

Do you ever sew the vinyl panel to scrim to give the Upholstery a plush look ? A lot of the marine projects I do are done with scrim, from the start. I also use a Double Needle Consew..

[@dwreed63]

AMAZING!!!

[@leewilliis8533]

I decided to buy a boat and fully restore it myself. I have a long ways to go and so far my only real challenge will be the seats and panels because that's what separates beauty from ugly on these boats.

[@SailriteDIY]

Very true! Thanks!

[@goneballistic]

this is amazing. I want to make my own cushion cover, but would be a disaster.

[@antoniocarlos5955]

Exelente trabalho,Sua máquina de costura é transporte duplo ou triplo?

[@patrickbrumm448]

22:13 I noticed in an old boat seat skin I was replacing that this "first stitch" was more a matter of nailing the piping in place, while staying well to the inside of the end-seam. As I do my "1st piping stitch" I actually force the layers to the outside left edge of the piping foot, putting that 1st stitch deep into the allowance and utterly using a piping foot the wrong way. When you do the final layering, THIS is when you run the pipe properly through the foot's grove, resulting in a totally clean finished product and NEVER ANY CHANCE the 1st line stitch is visible

[@SailriteDIY]

Very accurate and very good advice! I wish this was done when this cushions was made, but it was not. Thanks!!!

[@patrickbrumm448]

The bane of my existence finally answered at 15:57 - why exactly do the layers not feed through equally? I always assumed the top foot was smushing the material towards me, when she says here its because the bottom feet drag the bottom layer through faster, entirely inverting my guess.

[@user-ep1kb3ut1e]

Добрый день! Если возможно подскажите по пошиву.Кант встрачивали обычной лапкой? И как пришивали боковую часть к канту не видя где должна пройти игла? Я пробую пришивать кант на машине с двойным продвижением с лапкой для канта и все равно, одна сторона получается не плотно пришитой.Смотрю и учусь по - Cechaflo- в ютубе.Если можно подскажите по этому вопросу.

[@clintonchambers7890]

Wow! Cindy is an unbelievable seamstress.

[@SailriteDIY]

I think so too!

[@DaddysWreck]

You guys make that look so easy. Lol.

[@adrianmarzi]

It is very usefull

[@mauroaparicio1855]

very interesting

[@bigdub8147]

Do you do custom orders or just sell the materials and tools?

[@terrysmith7454]

were are you in florida ,were city

[@ohreally1021]

Thank you for this handy tutorial! Pardon my weird question - I would like to use marine vinyl for my motorcycle seat, but the foam and current vinyl have a "lump" in the middle for comfort. Can you somehow stretch the new vinyl to get the lumpy shape, so it covers the foam without squeezing the foam lump in? Thanks

[@SailriteDIY]

This video may help with your motorcycle seat project: www.sailrite.com/How-to-Recover-a-Motorcycle-Seat-Using-Stretch-Vinyl-Fabric

[@garyh4458]

I wish I could ride on that boat.

[@jalan7055]

Hi, redoing some boat cushions. Your videos are great! When adding boxing to a rectangular cushion, should the boxing be a simple straight cut piece of equal width or should it curve? I am using the old cushion as a pattern and when I lay the boxing out straight it seems to curve/arc slightly, but I am thinking it is just stretched out of shape from being pulled and stapled to the seat bottom.

[@SailriteDIY]

If the seat is simply rectangular then the boxing should be a simple straight cut piece equal to the width of the foam and enough to pull under the backer board to be stapled in place.

[@boashna]

bravo

[@danielgrace7408]

French seem 👍👍👍👍👍

[@thecardoc8234]

What do I do about a pattern if my old seat's vinyl is badly torn and shrunken? Should the top plate be the same size as the wood base (plus seam allowance)?

[@pilotnelson4507]

Look for "Cechaflo" on KZbin. He does excellent examples of how to measure and cut upholstery based on the foam form.

[@dianawild]

how long are the 1/2 inch staples? There are three lengths on your website for the same part number.

[@SailriteDIY]

We have a variety of staple length sizes. Here is the link: www.sailrite.com/Staples-for-EZE-TC-08-Staple-Gun-1-2-Crown-Stainless-Steel

[@Project2Potential]

which foot should i use when sowing the welting piping in?

[@SailriteDIY]

If your using the Sailrite Ultrafeed Sewing machine the cording foot is built into the standard foot. If other sewing machine use a 3/16 to 1/4" cording foot.

[@Ramesh-eu1op]

அரூமை

[@shellyellingson2817]

How long is the stitch on the French Seam? Looks pretty long... 1/4" ?? Thanks!

[@SailriteDIY]

+Shelly Ellingson It is 6mm long.

[@colormorado18]

excellent job!, what sewing machine you recommend for this kind the job and materials ?

[@SailriteDIY]

Thanks! You can see the list of materials and tools, including the sewing machine we used in this video under the description of the video. Let us know if you have any more questions.

[@3rejohn]

id like to know the kind of thread you use ?

[@SailriteDIY]

In this video we are using a Polyester V-92 Thread.

[@BigPrizz]

how do you prevent puckering caused by the slippage of the two materials against each other (meaning top and bottom material doesn't feed at same rate)?

[@SailriteDIY]

Using a walking foot sewing machine can help with that issue, as it helps to pull the top fabric at the same rate as the bottom fabric. However, it is not a full solution. So... here are some helpful way to alleviate the issue totally. 1. Use a common stapler and pre-staple the assembly together every 6 to 12 inches. 2. Use Seamstick 1/4" (this is a double sided tape) and baste the edges together (my favorite approach for cushions that have stripes that must match up) before sewing.

[@BigPrizz]

+Sailrite i have a sailrite lsz-1 and im having trouble with slippage/puckering. but in the video there seems to be no issue and no staples or basting.

[@SailriteDIY]

When feeding fabric into the sewing machine, be sure too not pull or push one panel more than the other when sewing. Sometimes, that can be the issue. You can clip in match up marks along the two assemblies to be sure you are not feeding one in faster than the other as you sew. If you notice that your match up marks are not lining up you can tweak it as you sew them together, by pulling or pushing one panel as it is being sewn. Or You can pin or baste the assemblies together, before sewing (this is often shown on our videos, like this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4nCcnifh7Sal6sm44s). If you want to use basting tape, instead of pins, and you are using a canvas material use Seamstick Basting Tape 1/4" for canvas:www.sailrite.com/Seamstick-1-4-Basting-Tape-for-Canvas-50-Yds to pre-baste the panels, that will solve the problem. If sewing vinyl fabric use #20306. Watch this video for more on that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rV6pppSshdmqnbMm40s

[@patrickbrumm448]

paper binder clips

[@mosheandlena]

what kind of vinyl brand do you use ?

[@SailriteDIY]

We used Morbern Seabrook for this project. Here is a link: www.sailrite.com/Fabrics/Marine-Fabric/Marine-Vinyl-Fabric/Brand/Morbern/type/Products?order=custitem_popularity

[@maryparenteau7112]

What is the brand of sewing machine you are using?

[@SailriteDIY]

Mary Parenteau We are using the Sailrite Ultrafeed LS-1 here is a link: www.sailrite.com/Sailrite-Ultrafeed-LS-1-PLUS-Walking-Foot-Sewing-Machine

[@patrickbrumm448]

also, why waste seamstick in the place? Buy a few boxes of paper binder clips: eternally re-usable, and never any adhesive to worry about!

[@KFountain]

Whats that clear stuff your drawing pattern on?

[@SailriteDIY]

Dura Skrim. Here is a link: www.sailrite.com/Dura-Skrim-2-Patterning-Material-74

[@KFountain]

Sailrite thanks for the fast response. Ill be ordering some soon. I do upholstery for a living and definitely want to buy.

[@josephinemello7015]

What thread did you use?

[@SailriteDIY]

Josephine Mello We used a V-92 Polyester thread.

[@lpsdoodleswolf4836]

what needle size did you use ?

[@SailriteDIY]

We used V-92 Polyester Thread with a size #18 needle.

[@lahdea1471]

Hi how are you. I have a business and I'm looking to some one also how can work with me in my shop. Hopewell va is my town. Auto and Marine upholstery.

[@niyamat9754]

Yes I am My name is Niyamat from Bangladesh. But last few years ago I am working in Maldives. My work uplostery

[@shoaldaddyjamie2353]

What price would you charge on thus seat for all the work you did

[@patrickbrumm448]

my guess and its probably on the low side: after new foam and change of pattern, $250-$300. If I were to redo the same seat, using same pattern, closest color, new piping, same foam (I flip it when optional...) I'd ask $80-$100 and I'm in a county with 1,400 lakes where everyone has a pontoon boat. I've been told my prices are too low.

[@Ace.Fisher]

Is your price including materials or just labor?

[@user-sm6ke8ot5z]

Im habe vere good

[@paulym5814]

Wouldn’t a French seam look better on the tan boxing

[@brianmaharaj4763]

WHY U DID NOT USE THE BASE OF THE SEAT TO CUT FOAM

[@SailriteDIY]

We could have done that also.

[@elsabrackett9337]

Looks great how much you charge to make this cousin

[@SailriteDIY]

Sorry, we do not sew customer jobs. We only sell supplies and tools and give free tutorial videos for the DIY market.

[@keribritton4535]

Do you ever use leather on boat seats?

[@SailriteDIY]

Hi Keri, That is not something we have done here at Sailrite. We always use a marine upholstery vinyl.

[@julieberry2793]

What kind of sewing machine is she using?

[@SailriteDIY]

It is called the Sailrite Ultrafeed LS-1 found at this link: www.sailrite.com/Sewing-Machines/Portable-Heavy-Duty-Sewing-Machines

[@jarodmorris611]

The narrator for all of these videos kills me. Say-er Rite" Great info though.

[@adamhaxton3619]

I don’t understand why when tracing the new foam why didn’t she use the wood instead cuz the foam isn’t exactly symmetrical

[@SailriteDIY]

Typically most foam edges go past the backer-board edges by 1/2" or so. Yes, we could have traced around the board and just marked outside the edge that distance.

[@adamhaxton3619]

Sailrite true that and also if you would’ve steamed the old foam it may have expanded to it’s original size being about 1/2 inch all around. Every time I used old foam we steamed it with a jiffy steamer

[@TheChevyman21]

SAIL! RITE LOL the narrator never says it right saarrite lol

[@patrickbrumm448]

16:32 Glue? no, I use lot of "glue", and what you mean here is "adhesive". In fact, if you used barge cement (a mucilaginous glue I guess you call it, cut with toluene) any exposed edge is more easily rubbed out in little boogers whereas vanishing some exposed seamstick is much harder! I am surprised she sets the seamstick in from the first edge, this only heightens the potential for exposure!

[@jynclr]

That's not a French Seam. All that is is a top stitch to sew down the sides of the seam. It's a good look, yes, but it is not what a French Seam is. Love your videos, tho'.

[@jimbobxcityguy5338]

"Where using the worlds best sewing machine" what a load of crap. Please tone it down show some class.

[@brucewayne2984]

Oof, those colors look horrible in that boat

[@AceFrahm]

I'm sure it looks fine when complete to human eyes outside in sunlight instead of to a camera sensor under factory lighting.