covering a Huckster roof

[jeep44]

I have the roof covering material, padding, and plenty of Hide'm. My roof is about 9 feet long. Does anyone who has done this job before have any tips to help me keep from making a mess of the job?

 

[Joe K]

Best suggestion is to use "tarp clips" about every 8 inches around the perimeter of the roof.

See https://www.amazon.com/Homax-5304-Locking-4-Pack-Carded/dp/B000PIGKSI/?tag=atomicindus08-20 for what I mean.

Then you save up milk jugs and use these partially filled with water. You can start with the jugs nearly empty, and then go around and top off the jugs a little at a time to increase the tension.

Once you have the roof placed and weighted, let it sit in the sun for a half a day before fastening it down.

Joe K

 

[Mike V. Florida]

Best suggestion is to use "tarp clips" about every 8 inches around the perimeter of the roof.

See https://www.amazon.com/Homax-5304-Locking-4-Pack-Carded/dp/B000PIGKSI/?tag=atomicindus08-20 for what I mean.

Then you save up milk jugs and use these partially filled with water. You can start with the jugs nearly empty, and then go around and top off the jugs a little at a time to increase the tension.

Once you have the roof placed and weighted, let it sit in the sun for a half a day before fastening it down.

Joe K

I like that!

 

[pgerhardt]

X2 on doing it on a hot sunny day!!

 

[jrelliott]

Take it down to Phoenix, AZ and leave in the sun for a few hours with the milk jugs. Top will definitely stretch and be flexabile if you could touch it. Do as Joe K. says to put tension all the way around and let it get good and warm. I put the top on my '28 after setting in the sun for a while with lots of tension all the way around and it turned out good.

 

[modela@aol.com]

Years ago I waited for the hottest day in July. This July's weather seems perfect for the job.....

Borrowed my wife's quilt batting as the pad underneath.

 

[jeep44]

That's a set of great pics-My huckster looks almost exactly the same in design. I knew I had to get the covering tight, but I guess my question is, what then? how did you tack it down? start at the front? at the rear? one side first? I really don't have a good idea how to proceed, and I'd like to learn how others did it, so I can hopefully avoid screwing this top up.

 

[modela@aol.com]

I am attaching the instructions from Jay Cramer at Wagon Works. My tip is to first use a staple gun and hit the extreme ends, then find the middle of those two points, then bisect the middle of that distance and keep doing this so on & on. Makes for a nice straight edge with no waves.... Some have said that the material can be doubled up on itself also at this stage and then cut off the extra material. Do this first before going back to use the hidem welt. The hidem welt will cover up this stapled edge and you can then repeat the bisecting of the line process this time with the wood tacks in the hidem welt. The instructions attached also show that you can fabricate a fixture for the spacing. He suggests a helper to help doing this but I did it alone and it worked out great.... It goes quickly. You just have to just jump in and do it....

I sold this Woody a couple of year back and missed it greatly. I don't know if I had more fun building it or driving it. It got more interest at gas stop than my other Model A cars and was always an instant photo opp for the civilians. I missed the usefulness of having a truck so much that I just added a 1929 CCPU to the collection

 

[jeep44]

Thank You! This is just what I needed!