Upholstery Frames

I suppose the first frame-maker was the cabinet-maker or chair-maker for as already explained the first sign of more comfortable sedating was the addition of a cushion to the completed chair or settee.

As it developed to the stage of all-over stuffing a quite separate craft of frame-making began to emerge and indeed to day it is a trade that is fully occupied.

The timber frames are usually made from birch, beech or oak and also from other hardwoods. Nearly all frames are assembled by dowelling the joints, the main foundation rails using four dowels at each joint and where there are lesser strains and stresses, two or three dowels will suffice.

The ordinary coil spring made of coppered steel is probably still the best and most efficient way of building a sound foundation. It is also the most adaptable unit in the comfort of an upholstered job. These are made in a long range from 3 in. in height to as high as 14 in.

They are graded in gauges or thicknesses of the steel. The 3 to 8 in. are usually made in six gauges and the longer springs in four gauges and are the heavier types. The description given is \'three by fourteen\' up to \'three by nine\', the lower the gauge number, the heavier the wire, and consequently the harder the spring. For example, the 3 in. spring by fourteen gauge is much lighter than the 3 in. spring by nine gauge.

With the advent of mass production and prefabrication came the \'spring unit\'. This is the complete foundation either for the seat, back or arms and is made in single, double or even triple layers for the seats at least.

The spring unit is composed of single-cone springs riveted on to a base of thin steel laths. The tops of the springs are held in an upright position by a wire mesh with a heavier wire around the edges.

From: Upholstery  by: Arthur Bevin

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