Sounds promising but real leather is also a by-product of the beef industry so there will always be natural hides ready to be turned into leather, so long as humans consume meat and that ain't changing anytime soon

I agree with Lee. About 50psi seems to be best for my siphon feed with landau. Also, make sure the vent hole on top of the glue container isn't plugged. I get the blobs and a spackled pattern if its clogged. I've also learned to shake up the glue bucket before I pour it in the gun cuz Landau separates when it sits for a while. I've never noticed the smell after a day or 2 but I'm so used to it at this point

I've never heard of it but always had great luck with Weldwood.
FYI For anyone on the east coast in the US. You can get the 5gallon buckets from Puckett Foam in Winston-Salem NC. They have truck routes and deliver to a lot of cities. Also, good prices on foam.

Puckett Foam Products
336-788-7272

There does seem to be a difference in the material from one brand to the next. I bought a different brand one time and it seemed more brittle than the Palight. I also usually use mostly glue to wrap panels that are only PVC. If I need something heavier like door panels I use Luan plywood for the structure. You can use the PVC for designs on top of the luan. Hope this helps. Cheers

Have you ever tried using foamed PVC sheets? You can get them in 2mm, 3mm, 5mm.. my favorite brand is Palight. It bends nicely, machines easily and holds a staple. Comes in 4x8 sheets and cheaper than the panelboard. I get it at Grimco, but all the sign supply places have it
https://www.grimco.com/Catalog/Products/PalightPremiumPVC

Here's some in a 35 Chevy I'm doing right now

After buying and watching Sid Chavers videos I noticed he was using a long arm and sewing through door panels. I wanted to be able to do that and I was tired of material falling off the table and stuffing bench seats through my machine. So I recently bought a long arm from NC. I got the 1508L which is based on a Juki. I've only done one set of seats with it but it seems to be a good machine for the money. Its a tank, sews like butter and handles thick layers of leather and foam much better than my Consew 255rb. I love my consew but the space under the long arm is so nice. Mal, Mel, and Mark at NC were great to work with and they've been super helpful and responsive with any questions I've had. He even gave me a 5 year extended warranty that they usually only do for sema. Good folks over there. Good luck in your search but I say pull the trigger, its a game changer

I'd be interested to hear if there are any standards too. I think if you are an experienced trimmer and you can show a potential customer previous jobs and your quality of work, then it's all about communicating each step of the process so they know what they are paying for. I usually give a "ballpark" estimate range like $2-3k. I've found most customers understand each job is unique in our line of work. Unless you are working for dealerships or govt that want hard quotes, I usually just talk it out with the customer. The people that get it are the ones you want to work with anyways. Just my 2 cents. Cheers

this was 1/8 and 1/4" landau

looks great

thanks man!

I use rivets. the pvc seems to hold staples well but I usually just scuff the edges I'm wrapping and glue it.
I'd actually like to use thin wood door cards because sanding and breathing in pvc is probably terrible for you- the guys at Gabes custom interiors use RV interior panels. They are backed with vinyl and super thin. If anyone knows where to find something like that I would really appreciate it

this is the way I’ve learned to get smooth pieces. only glue the seam. I use landau in a cheap harbor freight spray gun. I keep it very light on all other areas besides the stitch. You could use a light tack spray adhesive like this one, also available at harbor freight, it says high tack but it’s not even close to landau if you keep it light. Easily pull apart to reposition the piece

I’m using foamed PVC sheets. I buy the 3mm. I’m guessing it’s cheaper than ABS and it’s waterproof so definitely better than the old school upholstery board. Super light weight, strong, easy to work with. You should be able to find it at sign supply warehouses

That crossed my mind once or twice. Thanks Scott

Anyone tried the Volara foam? It is a closed-celled, irradiation cross-linked polyolefin foam..
Just got started on a full custom interior in a 65 Riviera, might give this stuff a try

nice work Jack

As well as not always fitting great, your hands can really take a beating. I like having a full custom car or boat going and a katzkin every now and then. And I also agree that it seems like all the stereo shops have a "leather" guy, and do them for cheap.. and from what I've seen, it's definitely a get what you pay for situation

You nailed it. I'm close to Nashville and there are quite a few other shops around that install katzkin (I used to work at one). Going rate is about 1295 for 2 row, 1595 for 3 row with a single color. 2Tone, perf, piping are extra. Some shops charge more for door panel inserts and center consoles, some don't.

I did 2 F150's in a day a few different times. You can get pretty efficient after a while.

This vise from harbor freight works pretty great
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-3-4-quarter-inch-articulated-vacuum-vise-3311.html