Seam rollers

[Shorty]

Do you have a preference for seam rollers?

Like, do you prefer a standard four inch seam roller or do you like the four inch flex action one better ??

How about size?

What is the most common one used, the four inch or six inch??

Finally, do you have all three, or just one or two of these ?


Looking at prices at Bunnings, a major hardware shop down under, and a specialist supplier, I was surprised to find that the spec; shop was bout half price.

 

[Jack May]

Shorty,

I have a fixed 6" unit and wish it was smaller. I also am very careful on plush piles too as it can leave tractor marks if not careful.

I noticed in one of Steve's video clips that he he two. A 4' fixed I think and also a smaller maybe 2" wood smooth roller.

I need to get a few different types to compliment my existing tool kit.

John

 

[John Watson]

Seems to me that you guys down under would want lighter ones than us who are rite side up. After all you have to push up on them while we push down!!! Go Figure

rrrror

 

[Shorty]

Thank you Little John

We are used to doing push-ups down under,

whilst you guys are used to going down with Wooley people :wink:


Either way, it all seams good

C'ya soon mate :wink:

 

[harryhides]

Good grief, this thread sure got turned upside down.

:?

 

[Harry Myers]

Shorty brings up a excellent point. The metal star tractor should not be used on a seam at all if heat is applied. This can distort yarn. This spike or star tractor is great for glue downs, no heat involved. Also WHO is familiar with styles of nylon . You have tactese ,terasa and other soft nylons trying to compete with wool. Even with no heat they can distort those yarns. If an inspectors visually it could hold you liable. I like to use the star tractor on wool hand sewed seams when completed. Blending in fibers on repairs such as a glue gun repair. I use the flat roller this is a flat solid surface that unlike the metal tractor . Test to see what one you get better adhesion with. I guarantee 100% . I know because I certify carpet installers . This is the construction and longevity of a seam. Anyone could make a seam look good. The question is for how long. In my basic tool pictures . You will notice a blue tool. This is the seamer down now. That tool actually sucks glue through the backing also eliminating heat and moisture that can occur with a hot iron and and improper weight.

 

[harryhides]

It's too bad there aren't more ( a lot more ) conscientious installers, joiners or flooring mechanics like Harry, Marc and John.

Unfortunately, this picture is just the tip of the iceberg. If "they" ( typical installer - NOT Marc, John or Harry ) can't get it right in their own store, what chance does the average customer have ?

This picture is another very good reason for us to get into doing high quality carpet repair work,
I mean LOOK AT YOUR COMPETITION'S WORKMANSHIP !!

Can anyone say "seam sealer" ? aside from Shorty it seems.

Can anyone say "monopoly".



:idea:

 

[Jack May]

In my basic tool pictures . You will notice a blue tool. This is the seamer down now. That tool actually sucks glue through the backing also eliminating heat and moisture that can occur with a hot iron and and improper weight.

Care to elaborate on that tool, it's use/process etc Harry?

LOL Tony... it's like that to shut up complainers... look right here Ma'am, does your join look better than this? This is what some look like, just be glad it is better than what this one looks like :roll:

BIGGEST problem I come across bar none, is a lack of seam sealing on joins.

I'm going to one this afternoon with that exact problem. In this case, there is not enough width to trim 2-4 rows out and re stretch. Also, there is no tackless on the stairs at all... the client asked me if I can re stretch the stairs at all? I said it's not a matter of RE stretching, so much as stretching in the first place. I'll take a few photos and put it up later.

The problem is, the market has driven the laying into a subbie type situation where the layer is told how much per lineal meter or Yard or whatever you guys measure by to lay and if he's to take home a respectable pay at the end of the week, then he needs to get through XX number of jobs a day/week. Things like power stretching, seam sealing often get by passed to save time and then the time consuming areas like stair cases and doorways often get slapped together just so long as it looks half decent when he walks out the door... stuff the longevity of the installation

John

 

[Harry Myers]

Seamer Down Now

What this tool does is this. It allows for the seam to cool in 20 seconds. It is like a shop vac that sucks up the seam tape adhesive it allows for a better constructed seam. This tool also eliminates the use of the tractor. The tractors main reason is to get adhesion into the backing. This also helps pattern matching. In this case it is call spot welding . You can take your cool glide hit the button and after put seamer down now on it to dry quick and no use for stay nails . It is a great tool.

 

[steve g]

one thing I have found that using star roller right after you set the seam they will cover up and hide seam fitting problems like not being all the way together or overlap of the backings. these problem show up after the carpet is cleaned or vac'ed. so be careful when you use a star roller, I have never had any distortion problem using them, if you are using that much heat to cause an issue like this, chances are you are cooking the glue off the tape and using way too much heat and going too slow

 

[Harry Myers]

Steve it is not that the iron is high. The discrepancy here is what type of material is it. This depends on what fiber type to what temperature of the iron. Also to what type of weight you are using . A star tractor will indeed flaw your material. I only teach to protect the installer. Use a flat roller or even a paddle roller will be efficient.

 

[Shorty]

These are the tools I was referring to, and I forgot about the smooth ones (4" & 6".


Standard 4"

Flexible 4"

Standard 6"

Smooth 4"

Have a great week-end all.

Ooroo

:roll:

 

[Harry Myers]

Yes shorty and the metal ones in any form when used with heat can distort pile. Especially the new softer nylons. The smooth roller is the safest and best for getting glue into the backing.

 

[Shorty]

Thanks Harry, just looking at a site that is about 4 miles from where I will be doing a course in September.

Crikey, the prices in MN are about 1/3rd the best price down under :x

Thanks again. :wink:

 

[Stevea]

Hi John, (and Shorty)

Here is a partial clip showing the use of the tool Harry was talking about called the SDN or Seamer Down Now. It is a dual vacuum tool that pulls the adhesive up into the seam and also cools it quickly and you will not need to use a roller with it. It lays flat and works great in many uses for repairs such as seams as well as bonded inserts and so forth.

This is the finished part of seams we had to take apart, put Double Sided Kool Glide tape under the seams, we then sewed the seams by hand using a top hidden stitch method, re-enforced with glue gun and then finished off using the Kool Glide and SDN.

Here you are seeing where we are using the Kool Glide and SND in finishing the repair.


Hope this helps your question John.

SA

 

[Harry Myers]

Steve why is there no sound.

 

[Stevea]

Harry,

I just did not put any sound on it, sorry. I just wanted to put the SDN for John to see.

Hope all is well with you.

Steve

 

[Jack May]

Hey Steve,

thanks heaps for that. I've googled it and found the website and guess what it's only 110!!

Oh well, I have a plan because I already carry a transformer for my KG so hopefully it'll fit that too.

John

 

[Stevea]

Hi John,

Glad it helped, I have been using this for some time now and it is a great little tool.

Amazing tool to help put together seams that are in terrible shape.

Here is a carpet with a big piece of the seam cut out and makes it very unlikely to be able to put this together

Here is what it looks like with the curve piece out of the middle, notice the ends touch but there is about a 2 and 1/2 inch cut out in this seam

here is the piece of carpet put together without squaring the edges in any way, (you can see the piece sut out laying on top)

While one would not likely put this together without trimming the egdes, it does show how extreme a condition can be worked with if one has the right tools and thinks outside the normal way of doing something. I show this to others to help them learn, if they can put this together and make a decent seam, then if they prepare the seam correctly, they should have very good results.

This is also valuable for the guys that have to open carpet for a water damage, they can have the confidence they can put the carpet back together and make the seam work well.

It also works great even if the carpet is wet and also serves as a great spotting tool to draw up a stain into a towel.

If you get one I will be glad to share more.

SA

 

[Jack May]

One problem I come across with a lot of complaints is peaking seams.

WOuld this help or even eliminate that?

One of the biggest causes is running the seams the wrong way. Eg across a room with low angle light highlighting it :roll: all to save an extra 1/2 meter on the initial purchase and quote :?

I figure I don't have a lot of chance getting it better than the original unless I went for 6" tape but I don't have a 6" iron.

Would the SDN combined with a KG get them flatter?

John

 

[Stevea]

John, absolutely it will help. 6 inch tape really does not eliminate seam peaking. It is actually called stress realignment and is a natural event due to the way a seam is put together and then power stretched. The tape is trying to align with the secondary backing as it is stretched and it causes the primary, which is not glued to anything, to open up. Take a rubber band and cut it so that it lays flat. Then take a razor and in the middle slice it 1/2 the way down. As long as you do not stretch the rubber band the slice stays closed but as soon as you stretch it the slice will open and peak. The same occurs with carpet.

The Kool Glide alone helps to eliminate this somewhat, the SDN also helps and if you use hot melt to make the seam, you will bind the primary and secondary together and either lessen the seam peak or eliminate it.

With a conventional seam iron, it can distort the backings due to heat and cause a poor seam, visually, with the SDN it will cool that quickly and make it lay flat. With the Kool Glide, it works even better.

SA

 

[Harry Myers]

For seam peaking try the thermal seal method. John you can take your kool glide tape use the taylor micro tip . Run the bead of sealer down the middle of the tape , just like anyone would do a glue down job with solvent sealers. Or another way is to get the prcon slue tip for sealing edges. You have to seal both sides like using latex.