[jacko]

I have a Prochem a Chemspec manual. The latter being the most comprehensive. What i would like to get hold of is a manual with fabric samples included. Upholstery can be a nightmare identfying fabrics/fibres if there is no label or unable to extract a fibre.

Can anyone help?

[Derek]

Jacko

The only manual of sorts that I have that includes fabric samples is the one produced in the US by ASCR.

It is an excellent guide but refers to US fabrics. and doesn't reflect the current UK trends.

Why don't you start your own?

You never heard this from me but.....if you pop into your Marks and Spencer store that sells furniture they have a vast array of 'free' small fabric samples...all labelled up for you to get started.

Shhhh don't tell everyone

Cheers
Derek

[Ian Rochester]

I did a similar thing to this a while ago when I first started, though I got my samples from the local upholsterers and carpet shop.  I've still got them all in plastic sleeves in a A4 leaf binder. 

It's impossible to recognise everything when you are starting out and I found it very useful and would recommend it to all new starters. 

I still don't know a lot of the fabrics but have a good feel now as to how they should be cleaned.  Still dig them out once in a while

Talk to the upholsterers and carpet fitters, I found them to be a useful source of information and advice.

[stevegunn]

Get yourself on the NCCA course the manual includes upholstery fabrics and you are given different carpet types too

[Dynafoam]

Am I the only one who, when asked by a customer "What is that fabric called?" sometimes cannot recall the name, but can tell them just about everything else about it?

Normally, about an hour after giving up trying to remember, I burst into the kitchen and say "Chenille" (or whatever) but still find it embarrassing that the name does not always simply roll off the tongue as would be expected after so many years in the business 

[gwrightson]

john better when you ask the customer if they know
when they initialy book an appointment, i always enquire first to give me some idea first what im going to look at .
more often than not the reply is "well its material, or some sort of cloth "
is it a fact most customer dont know what there own suites are?
geoff

[Ian Rochester]

Steve,

After viewing this forum for the past couple of months and reading the different threads on training etc, I am now seriously considering doing the NCCA Course. 

I did the one day Extracta course when I first started out and before I had bought the machine, it covered quite a lot and the manual has been very usefulas have John and Brian at Extracta. 

But by all the positive feedback the NCCA course does sound like the course to do.

As with anything the more knowledge you have available to yourself, whether it is in techniques, fabrics, chemicals, machinery, pricing, personal presentation, etc, etc ... it all comes in useful and not all of it can be learnt in ANY one or two day course, it only comes with time and experience.  I'm still climbing in the lakes whilst some of you are 3/4 of the way up Everest (nobody ever reaches the very top)

Time management is always the hurdle and any courses will now have to wait until the New Year.

[Ian Gourlay]

Would it be a good idea to start a list of all known Funiture Fabrics and Carpets.

Then we can tick them when we aquire one.

It might even be possible to swap.

Bit like Soccer Stars stickers for big boys and girls.

[jacko]

Great Idea Ian

Who is going to kick off the list?

[Jim_Lynch]

Here are some links which may be helpful. They are American sites...


http://web.archive.org/web/20010611091652/members.nbci.com/UphCleaner/

http://www.fabriclink.com/University.html


Cheers,


Jim