Tying a spring, particularly in the context of upholstery and furniture making, refers to the process of securing individual coil springs to each other and to the furniture frame using sturdy twine or cord. This technique provides stability, distributes weight evenly, and creates durable support for seating surfaces. It's a crucial step in traditional spring upholstery.
Why Tie Upholstery Springs?
Securing springs by tying them offers several key benefits:
- Enhanced Stability: Tying prevents springs from shifting or leaning, maintaining their vertical position.
- Improved Support: The tied structure distributes weight evenly across the frame and other springs.
- Increased Durability: Tying reduces wear and tear on individual springs and the frame, extending the furniture's lifespan.
- Consistent Feel: Ensures a uniform level of firmness and resilience across the seating area.
Essential Materials
To tie upholstery springs effectively, you typically need:
- Upholstery Twine: Strong, waxed linen or synthetic cord specifically designed for spring tying.
- Upholstery Needles: Long, heavy-duty needles for passing the twine through padding and securing knots.
- Springs: The coil springs already installed in the furniture frame.
- Tacks or Staples: To anchor the twine to the frame.
The Process of Tying Springs
While the specific pattern can vary (e.g., 8-way tie, 4-way tie), the general principle involves running twine across the springs and securing it with knots.
Here's a simplified breakdown incorporating the method mentioned in the reference:
- Anchor the Twine: Begin by securing the end of the upholstery twine to the furniture frame near the first spring, usually with a tack or staple.
- Run the Twine: Guide the twine across the top of the first spring, making sure it crosses at a key point, often near the center.
- Tie the First Knot: Secure the twine to the spring with a specific upholstery knot (like a slipknot or a series of half hitches) at the crossing point.
- Continue Across: As described in the reference, continue across the spring and tie the same knot on the far side. This secures the spring at two points along one direction of the twine.
- Repeat the Step: This same step will be repeated across all springs. Until you reach the other side of the furniture frame along this row or line of tying. You tie the knot on the near side (as you move across) and then the knot on the far side of each spring.
- Anchor the Twine: Secure the twine to the frame at the end of the line.
- Repeat for Other Directions: Repeat the entire process, running twine in other directions (e.g., perpendicular to the first lines, and often diagonally) across the springs, tying knots at each intersection point on each spring. This multi-directional tying creates the strong, interconnected web.
By systematically tying knots across and between springs, a stable and supportive foundation is created, which is essential for high-quality upholstered furniture. The technique requires practice to ensure consistent tension and secure knots.
