After years of admiring genuine diamond tufted upholstery, I finally found a how to book online explaining the process. I decided to start on the door panels, and depending on how they turned out either keep going or quit.
The first step was to remove the ridges from the lower section of the door so there would be a flat surface to apply the panel. The embossed area was trimmed away and replaced with a sheet of heavy steel. This was sealed with urethane and attached with pop rivets to keep it as flat as possible:
A template was then laid out establishing where the buttons and folds would end up:
The pattern was transferred to 3/16” ABS plastic sheet, and all the button and mounting holes drilled.
2” foam was marked for button holes and cut with a hollow punch. I don’t have a photo of the door panel foam, but this photo shows the same operation being performed:
After much experimentation finding the correct fabric allowance (the difference between the spacing of the holes in the backing and the holes in fabric) – holes were punched in the fabric and prong buttons were inserted from the front. The fabric allowance determines the depth and shape of the tufting.
Before applying the fabric to the foam and backing, “Christmas Tree” mounting studs were inserted through the ABS backing, providing a means to attach the panels to the doors. The item I used is Auveco 12759
Then it’s a simple (?) matter of wrestling the cover into position and folding the prongs over once the diamond folds are neatly tucked in place. It’s actually not all that simple. It’s tedious, very hard on the hands, and exhausting. It takes many hours for just one panel and explains why diamond tufted upholstery is so excessively expensive. And the design I chose increased the difficulty level because I wanted small diamonds popular in the late 1960’s. Larger diamonds would have required much less work. Completing the panel involves folding over the edges are stapling the cover on the back side. Then it’s time for a test fit.
On my first attempt the diamond tufting turned out beautifully. Unfortunately I didn't realize the dull finish ultra-leather fabric I selected would not provide the appearance I was after.
I had no choice but to tear it all out and start over. Here’s how it turned out after the panel was recreated with shiny marine vinyl upholstery:
