Split Ambla

will6440

Member
Hi all, I have a split between the outer bolster of the seat base and the centre section which is box pleat. I recently took it to an upholsterer who said that it wasn't the seam that had failed but the ambla has split next to the seam. He said the only option was to try and find a quantity of ambla which he'd be able to replace the whole of the outer bolster with. Given I have Sandalwood the chances of finding some material are next to zero. What i want to know is whether it would be possible to insert some material underneath the outer bolster and the box pleat section and glue them together?

Can anyone give me some advise?
 
hmmmm... bonding old vinyl is not likely to work too well. You could try unstitching it, bonding a patch over it from below using a nitrile adhesive such as Bostik 1782, then letting it cure fully (3 or 4 days) then stitch it back together. Might work, but personally I would get your upholsterer to get as close as possible then colour it.
 
Thanks quattro. I think you're right about just trying to find a match that's as close as possible. It's a shame as the rest of the seats are all in great condition and i'd like to keep it original but that's looking less and less likely.
 
I had a similar problem with BOP's ambla driver's seat in a couple of areas. I nipped the edges together (can't remember exactly how) & used superglue on both splits with some success:

IMG_8466.JPG

IMG_8465.JPG

I could have probably done a neater job using less glue if I'd been more careful, but they're not really noticeable 'in the round' & have stopped the seat splitting any more.

You could do this with a split near the edge of the seat, even if it's a long one, in a few stages. It will be less obvious if it's near the seam. Probably worth having a go before trying to match the vinyl - what have you got to lose? ;)
 
you can get vinyl repair kits .differnt colours and patches that get glued underneath to strengthen area and even 'imprint' mould to impart a matching 'grain' pattern to make repairs almost invisible. I bought a kit years ago and used it once! decent results for a first attempt but sort of thing you need a practise at. no idea where remains of 'kit' is .
 
I had a similar problem with BOP's ambla driver's seat in a couple of areas. I nipped the edges together (can't remember exactly how) & used superglue on both splits with some success:

View attachment 17963

View attachment 17962

I could have probably done a neater job using less glue if I'd been more careful, but they're not really noticeable 'in the round' & have stopped the seat splitting any more.

You could do this with a split near the edge of the seat, even if it's a long one, in a few stages. It will be less obvious if it's near the seam. Probably worth having a go before trying to match the vinyl - what have you got to lose? ;)

Hi Phil, interesting stuff, i think the problem I have is the location of the split. There isn't a great deal of 'meat' on one side which would mean there is relatively little to stick to unless I really pulled the material together which i suspect would just cause another failure along a different seam. Might be worth a try though
 
you can get vinyl repair kits .differnt colours and patches that get glued underneath to strengthen area and even 'imprint' mould to impart a matching 'grain' pattern to make repairs almost invisible. I bought a kit years ago and used it once! decent results for a first attempt but sort of thing you need a practise at. no idea where remains of 'kit' is .

Classical Green, this sounds like a really good option. I'm not too bothered about the grain as the idea would be it would be underneath the split and therefore almost invisible (if done well enough) to anyone looking. Do you know where you got your kit from?
 
found it online. if I come across it again ( currently working in garage) will post and details or a pic of kit. garage has about 3 tons of boxes etc so might turn up eventually but probably way after you need or want :(
 
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