Well, between puppy duty which has basically consumed most of my days lately. I did manage to make a 12 hour down and back to Fresno, California and recovered an original Ben Hur wood trailer. The wood ones are more rare than the metal ones. I have two metal Ben Hurs. This one had the original racks and an original canvas cover which are hard to find...even in reproduction.
So, I immediately had to set about to reproduce the original cover, of course. All between puppy watching. Main thing, since it's been between 105 and 110 degrees everyday, don't want her drowning in the pool. She is getting better at swimming. However, she jumps in from the side of the pool and really doesn't know how to get out. She's a bit fearless. She has been my adoring shadow everyday:
And she's becoming a good shop dog hanging out whilst I'm doing my thing:
Here's the wooden Ben Hur I recovered:
Here's a vintage photo of Ben Hur trailers heading to the ETO I would suspect to do their thing:
Anyway, I have all this canvas and figured I would give it a go. The most technical aspect of the cover would be the two flaps front and rear. The front is buckled outside to prevent the weather from getting in, and the rear flap is tucked inside and buckled. The back flap has areas that have double canvas for the wear areas:
All of the edges of the cover have a initial 1" hem, and then a 2 1/2" hem. Eats up a lot of canvas, but is really durable:
Glad I brought home my desk. I welded up some adjustable locking castors and dialed them in to make a make shift sewing table. Actually works pretty good and provides a lot of space:
All the hems have three beads of threads:
Here's the back flap showing the reinforcements:
The technical area, as I mentioned, are the curved areas on the on the upper flap and the top of the cover. The trailer has steam bent bows that are curved/bowed, so the canvas was made to match the curve I believe. However, I was told that they were actually straight. Not sure. Curved seems to make sense.
Anyway, Took me a bit to figure out the curve, but managed it:
Used a piece of wrought iron to replicate the curve:
Just when I was thinking that all was going well, I had to work on the top cover where the flaps mount and reverse the curve...not to mention trying to sew these two together. This was a mind bender:
More reinforcement at the top of the cover where the flaps attach:
Lots of mental gymnastics going on here:
Closer view of the reinforcements:
Now laying out the large top panels. Lots of measuring to make sure the extra canvas was there for all those folds in the hem:
Then sewing the large panels together. Wow, that's a lot of canvas to manage:
Ruh roh....Although the canvas was exactly the same length when I started to sew the long runs, the top piece ended up about an inch longer on both runs! WTH! Spent some time on the web and I think it's the pressure on the presser foot. When I lift the needle and foot the presser foot doesn't apply any pressure on the canvas. I tried to adjust, but not sure if that helped yet. Will find out when I try it again with the 114" runs:
The original canvas has not hem and leaves the exposed ends of the canvas where the top panels meet. I thought I would improve and fold the canvas over and overlay it so the front piece is on top on the two sections:
Shot of the exposed ends on the original BH cover:
However, I think I shot myself in the foot, as when I incorporated the cross seam into the horizontal seams along the bottom of the cover, the layers multiplied. I think it ended up being eleven layers!
In some places I think it ended up being 14 layers. I think I almost broke my machine. Jammed it up pretty good, and it would sew one stitch without cutting the thread. I tried new needles, tension, stitch length, and nothing helped. Went back to the guy who built the machine and he was perplexed as well. He then decided to up my needle size and gave me a couple to try. That did the trick. I could sew up to 12 layers without issue now before it cuts the thread. I spent like an hour hand wheeling the last four feet of one flap and it still cut the thread on about ever third of fourth penetration. I wish I knew more, but for now it's working well with the larger needle. Still can't figure out the secret to the needles, All kinds of sizes and numbers.
Moment of truth to see if my measurements come out:
Actually fit pretty well. Now...really to see what happens trying to sew reverse curves...yikes, that was interesting:
Now some grommet work:
With the flaps on it looks pretty decent:
The curve looks pretty decent:
Next need to figure out the canvas straps and buckles:
The reproduction covers I have seen have the leather sewn on, but this original has rivets. I was told just sew and go, but the originality bug always hits me. I ordered some brass rivets and washers:
Here's the original buckle arrangement I want to replicate:
Cut an punch all the holes in the straps and for the rivets:
Now just need to attach all these:
Today, I cut out and completed the sewing of eight front and rear panels with the hopes of completing four more of the covers to sell. I'll see how that goes....
