Where the roof lining has a joint over the doors and rear window requires a cover. I do not want to use hidem banding and prefer a flat gimp braid. The picture below shows an original piece which is 16mm wide and colour fawn with olive green,
Question: does anyone know where I can obtain something like this or similar? I have trewled the net and Ebay and yes there are many but not like this.

I would be pleased if you can help.

Thanks, Bryan.

Location: Staffordshire

I have it in the back of my mind that Malcolm Parker had some of this made up, may have been for the seats however.

Right up my street. This is the single edge pasting lace used extensively in the Austin Swallow saloon - 25 metres in fact! I know the MD of the firm who makes it locally to me. They have all the original patterns and colours which came in useful when I had some made up for Austin Swallow Register members. Interestingly, the original Jacquard loom still survives! The cost for a new order would be quite high and I would need to get some more orders to get a discount but I do have some used if you are interested.

Location: Derby

I would be interested in new if sufficient interest was shown Ray.

If it is for a Ruby, like this:



Bryan Purves has this in stock, and is correct for the Ruby, I am not sure if the design is different for other cars, but it is different to your image, but of course, that may be a replacement.

I would have thought any decent curtain or craft shop would have braidings of different types that you can choose from, just had a quick look on eBay, there is a stack of stuff coming up, must be something that is suitable?

Just had a quick look, over 15,000 listings came up, two for example:

here

here

Need to check the width of course!

Good luck!

Location: Saltdean, Brighton - had nice sunshine today!

No problem, Ruairidh. I will bear you in mind when I get another order. The normal retail price would be £22.50 + V.A.T per meter!!!

Fortunately I have been able to get a discount but a Swallow saloon will cost the thick end of £500. You can have whatever combination of colours suit your car and I was even able to get the two pattern colours reversed so the top half matched the roof lining and the bottom half matched the upholstery! As expected, take up has been slow with only a couple of orders (50 meters) delivered so far - but we live in hope!

The quality is fantastic and exactly the same as the original made in the twenties and thirties. Really, I ought to place an advert in the grey mag because it is the same braiding as used in the 12. I know this because when I was living in Wokingham back in the eighties, Bob Wyatt had some made up but the original firm went bust, I believe and the trail went cold. By a stroke of good fortune, the looms were saved. and moved from Nottingham to Derby

Location: Derby

Thank you Ray.

Incidentally, Ruairidh, there are two types of braiding used on Swallows. There is the single edge (called pasting lace) which goes all around the interior on flat surfaces and then there is the double edge which is used to make piping.
On my car I made a conscious decision to cover the piping to the bottom half of the door opening in leather because the fabric braiding gets a battering from my shoes despite my best efforts to avoid it.

As you probably know, this particular style of braiding is very rare as n.o.s. - I think I had the last of it from Paul Beck some years ago and some of that was not exactly correct for a Swallow.

I also still have a couple of silver plated repro (saloon) glove box vanity sets should anyone need one. £200 plus vat.

Location: Derby

Thanks again, all very useful.

To be clear I am keen to buy this braid for the RK Saloon, I don't think it or the vanity set are suitable for the 2-seater Swallow, unless you know different.

I would also be keen to add my name to the list, I will eventually needing some for my saloon once I get to it.

Location: New Zealand

Thank you Ruairidh, Ray and Gary, all worth thinking about.

Ray, yes, I would be interested subject to cost but on a 1930 RK saloon there is only about 4.1 metres used!

Thanks, Bryan.

Bryan I have replied to your email but I don't know if it got to you?

I will look through my materials store tomorrow and get back to you.

Location: Derby

You are correct, Ruairidh.I had forgotten you had the 2 seater. I need two Swallow saloon owners to make up minimum order of 50 meters. Then I can add smaller orders to it.

Location: Derby

Hello Ian. Have you got a Swallow saloon? Please let me have your email address so I can get back to you when I am in a position to place an order.

Location: Derby

Hi Ray I have sent you an email.
My saloon is an early 31 RM.

Edit; I have a friend who is restoring a similar car and will also be needing some.

Location: New Zealand

Gary,
And anyone else who can help please.
Whereabouts is this braid used/fitted on a Mk.I Ruby?

Geoff - A few more days and ALL Workshop machines will be working at last

^%*+^ 3 attempts at the CAPTCHA!

Location: South Norfolk - Next to Suffolk

The vintage Austin Register had some of that nice diagonal jacquard Braid in the first photo made in the U K . Some of it got sent here as Peter Fry used it to trim His 1925 Windsor saloon in recent years. My 27 top hat had the same. I dont remember my 35 Ruby having any braid though. Jim Stringer might be able to help out if any is still available. cheers Steve Hainsworth

Location: Wellington New Zealand

Gimp braid (and hidem piping, come to that)is not correct for Ruby models. The trimming is done in the same cloth as the headlining material, wrapped around a thin strip of wood covering the joins. Save your money!

Hi Geoff

The braid is to cover fixings to the join to the headlining where the roof meets the vertical end panels.


This is supplied by Bryan Purves (author of The Source Book), he knows his stuff!

I have not fitted my braid yet!

Hope that helps.

Location: Saltdean, Brighton - had nice sunshine today!

Sorry to disagree, but if Bryan Purves advocates using braid to cover the join in a Ruby, he DOESN'T know his stuff! Back me up, someone?

Ed Lining

Location: Bristol

I am sure you are correct, Ed. The earlier A7s (not sure of dates) as has been stated uses 4.1 meters. Also, with all due respect to Mr Purves, in the opinion of an expert on Swallow coach building, who shall remain nameless, his source book is not historically correct in a number of particulars in this area also.

Location: Derby

I'll try to back you up, Ed. This photo shows the formed metal moldings around the window and over the door which are covered with vinyl. No need for gimp as the moldings cover where the headliner is fastened to the wood framing. The rear window is framed with a thin wood surround covered with headliner fabric. My MK1 Ruby still had the original upholstery when I acquired it and I duplicated it as seen here. Hope this helps!
Robert

Location: Washington State, USA

With apologies for departing from original, I have a possible correction to me previous posting; the rear window surround may been originally covered with vinyl. I think I may have decide it looked more "finished" when covered with headliner fabric. Robert

Location: Washington State, USA

Hi Robert

The gimp braid is to cover the join on the headlining, not the vinyl trim around the side windows, it goes along horizontally where the fabric on the roof meets the vertical linings on the side, I will post a photo tomorrow showing mine, which is unfinished, but it covers the fixings, originally pins, but I have used staples!

Location: Saltdean, Brighton - had nice sunshine today!

Now I understand. I may have deviated from original again. My car came with banding made of vinyl to cover the seam. Maybe it was the last car on Friday night and the trimmer ran out of braid! My upholsterer duplicated it using headliner material. I think it is referred to as Hydem banding or maybe "Hide 'em" banding! Here's what mine looks like.

Location: Washington State, USA

Hi Robert
You were correct in covering the trim panel around the rear window in the headlining material - it was never done in vinyl (or leathercloth as it would have been at the time). I suspect the hidem banding, either in vinyl or cloth, used to cover the join around the quarterpanel was a later repair/addition - I still think the original method was the headlining cloth wrapped over a thin and narrow strip of wood pinned over the join. As far as I am aware no braid material was used anywhere on any Ruby model. However, I don't wish to appear pedantic on this point, and will happily stand corrected if proved wrong!

I have always understood that the correct finish to the late Ruby (MK ll) is:-

The Rear window surround, trim above the rear window around to the back of the side windows (2 Pieces) and the upper trim of the side windows to the angle to the point where it meets the vertical cover of the trafficator area are all covered in head-lining fabric, as was the panel over the windscreen.
The Vertical cover of the trafficator area and the trim around the top of the door, along with the trim around the sunroof aperture are the same vinyl or leather as the door trims. This was how my ruby was before I restored it many years ago and how I have just replaced it (due to water ingress) If I could work out how to add a pic I would.

Re the pasting lace :-

I have just measured The Austin 12 Morgan bodied saloon and I find that I would need 39.4 meters? so that's a job that won't get done.

Cheers Bob

Location: South Bucks

Late in the day, and posted for information only, this is a sample of the pasting lace I removed from my 1933 RP when I restored (some say butchered the patinated original) interior many years back, when I didn't know better..





The braid is about 1/2" deep with a 3/8" border at the top which is tacked through to fix it in the car. If anyone knows of a source of such material, I would be very happy to hear of it..

Location: Cambridge

Morning Hugh ,

If you can find an upholsterer who does up antique furniture n they may be able to help .

Merv

Location: New Forest

Thanks for the tip, Merv..

Location: Cambridge

1930 RK Saloon

After a good search I chose the following Gimp Braid from: J A Milton Upholstery Supplies at www.jamiltonupholstery.co.uk Not cheap at £6.34 per meter but it was the best I could find. My RK saloon needed just 4 meters with 8 inches over! They do other colours including one with olive green.

Bryan.

Just done a google search for

Flanged Piping Cord

and I think this is the product you may be looking for !!

Merv

Location: New Forest

Hmm... just had a look on images on Google and I'm not sure. Flange Piping Cord looks a little like wing piping in profile (I think!) and the piece that remains visible is round, whereas the pasting lace/gimp braid is flat

Location: Cambridge

Hi Bryan
Have only just picked up this thread.
As I mentioned to you when you came to see me Rex Grogan of Midlands A7 Club found some of this on a market stall in Dublin and may still have some. Same colours and texture only his stripes went bottom left to top right ( and no it is the same if you turn it upside down) but, hey, who would notice that?

Location: Shropshire