Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Seating & Re-upholstery

This is topic Seating & Re-upholstery in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 05-20-2004, 03:37 PM:

First of all, can someone tell by looking what make & model seats I've got?

My seating is still in pretty good shape but it's starting to look a little tired so I want to find out about recovering them. Unfortunately these are not the kind where you just pop something out, undo clips, and stretch new covers back on.

Note the cloth backs. This is more like "real" upholstery. The backs do come off the recline mechanism. The fabric is stretched around and stapled to the plywood back and then there is another piece stretched around a thin plywood sheet that forms the back of the back and is then tacked onto the main piece with tiny brads. Before it goes on a small strip of folded fabric with piping goes on about 2/3 of each side and across the top.

Is there even a remote chance I could do these myself and have it come out straight? That would only be possible if the fabric components are available precut. I think maybe I need to deal with a regular upholstery shop. Working with a local vendor might save a ton on shipping costs. But maybe I should still get the fabric as precut units if they're available.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 05-20-2004, 06:23 PM:

They're Heywood Wakefields.

Tom Moyer installed a billion of them in his '70s vintage Reece's Pieces-colored theatres (I have about a thousand of them).

Sorry... I haven't found a source for parts, unless you're near a dumpster when Regal re-seats one of their places.

[ 05-21-2004, 12:42 AM: Message edited by: Jack Ondracek ]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 05-20-2004, 08:22 PM:

I concur with Jack. I, too, think they are Heywood Wakefields.

Posted by Kevin Baglow (Member # 721) on 05-21-2004, 04:44 PM:

I recently took a sample to Thailand and came home with a few hundred new covers for my seats (for a fraction of the cost of making them here in oz.) I have contact with the people there to do more of you wish. Surface mail to the US is cheep.(use 30KG boxes)

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 05-21-2004, 05:11 PM:

That would be interesting but I wonder whether I could manage to do an accurate job. Worth a shot. One shop I contacted would of course hold off until seeing the item before giving a proper estimate but said he'd guess probably US$100-125 each. How much were the Thai covers? I would probably have to let them have an example of each size (front of back, back of back, piping edging, bottom x 2 size seats). That might require purchase of a couple spares to put in as I have none now.

Not sure how I would handle it with a local shop either. I guess schedule an otherwise empty day or weekend day with them and take them as many as they can do in one day.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-21-2004, 06:51 PM:

I concur that you throw those out and install some nice sofas and love seats! Hey, thats a nice screening room... not a movie theatre. While you're at it that curtains also gotta go....way too 70's to still be of use in this day and age!

Mark

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-21-2004, 08:47 PM:

While we are on the "identify these seats" topic, can anyone identify these? (see below)

They were installed in the former GCC corporate screening room (more pics in the gallery), but I don't believe that they are a standard GCC model. They would have been installed around 1995. They were a bitch to disassemble. They have since been donated to a nonprofit and they would like to find a source for parts.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 05-21-2004, 09:52 PM:

Steve,

I have been looking around for information on seat cleaning and repair. I have been in contact with a company called American Office Services who say they will repair and reupholster auditorium seats for $70 apiece.

Your seats are more elaborate than ours. We have Hussey seats.

Mercyhurst College - D'Angelo Performing Arts Center

Ours are not high-backs, nor to they rock. I don't know if they will do your job for the same price they gave us but it's worth a look.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 05-22-2004, 12:58 AM:

Thanks; I'll see what they have to say. On location sounds good to me.

Posted by Adam Fraser (Member # 1074) on 05-22-2004, 11:54 PM:

I just looked at an invoice from the 70's when we had our seats re-upholstered and the bill was well over $10,000 for 500 American Bodiforms and took several weeks to complete. Not much help now, but interesting.

Looking around at some seat suppliers you may be able to find brand new ones for comparable prices to getting them redone. I heard someone on here talking about brand new rockers for under $150 each.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 05-23-2004, 09:58 AM:

Yeah but probably more conventional ones, not with cloth backs, right?