Fabric covered Austin 7’s

[Erich]

A note about plywood and fabric. I bought some aircraft quality birch ply in 3/32 for the "door" cards on my Ulster Rep. I intend to varnish both sides to seal. The first coat thinned 30% to soak in. Traditional varnish, like Epiphanes has a lot on boiled linseed oil that hardens the wood. It takes a while to cure completely. As far as fabric, the description from R C Moss about the cotton used to make traditional Rexine rings true to me. I have restored wood and canvas Canadian canoes and once the cotton is stretched over the hull, it is necessary to torch it to burn off the fuzz. I would assume that, having rebuilt canoes, the technique to get the material stretched over a body tub on a car is similar. I use "come alongs"on the canoes, basically a block and tackle so that the fabric is tight and won't wrinkle in weather changes. If anyone needs advice on stretching, let me know. There are special upholstery tools that make it easier.

Erich in Seattle