I have not sewn any military seats but I have worked with canvas and sewing machines. I currently have 20+ domestic machines and some of these can do heavy work.
I believe any guy capable of rebuilding an old truck has the skills to sew canvas. The trick is to make it look right and to do it exactly the same for all the seats in one vehicle.
The walking foot with the open arm is preferred to do the tight corners you find in seat covers. I may be wrong but the seats I saw at the Hammond Barn had piping on the edges. A piping foot would be a definite asset for this project. A zipper foot can also be used to sew piping. Book stores have sewing books and a quick peek will give you the necessary techiques.
My supplier states that canvas should be sewn with a cotton/polyester blend. The polyester is for strength and the cotton is to protect the polyester from the sun. Cotton also swells when wet and seals the seam.
** There are a number of domestic sewing machines that were sold after the war that were manufactured in Japan. They can be found in Canada under the name of White,Brother,Viking and a number of other brands. They were mass produced and cosmetic changes to the casing were available to various suppliers. Look for a machine that has all steel gears inside.... I have found the heavier machines (cast iron flywheels) do amazing work. **
***There are three different lengths of feet on domestic machines. There is a short foot and a slanted foot. Both of these should be avoided. Look for a machine with a long legged foot. You can buy a greater assortment of feet for this machine. These machines also usually have the capacitiy for thicker material. The best part is that the longer footed machine can be modified to take a shorter stronger needle. This is done by shortening the needle bar. (usually just an allan screw)
I am sure that the job can be done.
If there is interest in continuing this thread, I will post pictures of the machines I would recommend.
PS: I had to do a Steam Boat weather cover and my walking foot broke down. I did the whole job on a standard feed Singer..... an industrial type with table and motor underneath.
Guy
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