Mission Impossible (Part 1)

Remember this? Dingy old 3-seater sofa?

Just a note, I'm not a professional. In fact, this is my first attempt to re-upholster a 3-seater, Victorian chair. You'll get to see my progress, and I hope this turns out well. I think it'll take me sometime to complete this. So bear with me. Worst case if I fail (cross my fingers), I'll send this to the upholsterer.

Yes, it's time to re-upholster it. I've not bought any professional tools yet. Reason being I'm unsure what's underneath when I take away the exterior. I was hoping that the materials inside are still in good condition so I can minimize working on it. It seems that I was wrong...

These are the tools I'm currently using.

Anti-clockwise from top:

1. Pliers for pulling out the staples
2. Pair of working leather gloves
3. Hammer (I need buy a magnetic one soon, but it's so hard to find!)
4. Cutting pliers
5. Flat headed screw driver (aid me in removing the staples)
6. Tack/Nail remover

My fabric has also arrived. Somehow my camera doesn't capture the pale blue background of the fabric.

Mission Impossible Day #01
The exterior cover has to go, so I went & work on it.

I'm taking out the staples from the front cushion part so that after the back cover is removed, I can un-staple the lower back part to completely remove the cushion cover.

I've removed the back cover. This is the inner piece covering the framework behind.

Ok, now the inner piece is removed. I was expecting webbing lining the inner parts, but I was surprised to find rubber strips instead. I doubt that it can last for the next 5 years. Which also means I have to tear it down to the bone & start from scratch. So much for wishing... This calls for professional tools... O_o"

I have to un-staple these parts in order to remove the cushion section.

See there's two sections? The top one is for the back rest section of the sofa and the bottom one is for the cushion section. Un-staple them.

Ok, cushion cover is off.

 Now to remove the bottom layer to see the construction of the sofa.

Huh? This is their spring system? Looks similar to the mattress types.

It's also a good idea to track the parts, so I labelled them and kept a record.

The sales person told me that the sofa's frame is made of teak wood. It's one of the hardest wood around, so it'll be tough to work on. While un-stapling, you cannot imagine how filthy this sofa is. I was wondering who are the people sitting on this chair. Piles of dust and dirt gather in the corners and areas not exposed. I found dead mini leaves, beads, a coin, a pill, a hair pin, and probably dead insects.

That's it for today. I have a feeling that my fingers will get a muscle cramp and be sore. Uncovering the back rest is a challenge for now. I'll have to do some observing and research.

Stay tuned for part 2.


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