Upholstering the Octagon Poker Table Rail

Upholstering the Octagon Poker Table Rail

With your first upholstery project already completed, you’re more than ready to tackle this octagon rail.  There are a few more steps than there was when upholstering the playing surface, but it’s still a farily simple task.

Having already assembled the wood part of our rail (Figure 4-1), the next order of business is getting some foam attached.  Use the rest of your spray adhesive to spray down the top of the wood (Piece D) and lay it on top of your 1″ foam (Figure 4-2).

Now, rather than trimming the foam flush with the wood, you want to leave a 1″ overhang in the inside of the rail and a 3″ overhang on the outside.  This will allow the foam to wrap around the wood and pad your rail all the way around.  With the extra foam cut away, lay our vinyl, good side down, on a flat surface and place the padded rail on top foam side down (Figure 4-3).

The outside of the rail will be upholstered in much the same way as the playing surface was. You will pull tight and stable on each side, alternating sides until the outside is all stapled.  You can then cut off the excess vinyl.  This is where the rail differs from the playing surface.  You’re going to cut from corner to corner is a star pattern to give the vinyl enough give to allow the vinyl to wrap on the inside of the rail (Figure 4-4).  Be sure not to cut the vinyl all the way to the wood.  Leave a few inches of vinyl to wrap.

With the star pattern cut, begin to wrap the inner side of the octagon rail.  Make sure to be careful around the corners as you don’t want the vinyl to rip and leave exposed foam or wood.  When you have the vinyl all stapled, and have checked to be sure the finish is smooth and wrinkle free, go ahead and cut the excess vinyl away (Figure 4-5).  A cross section of the completed poker table rail has been provided in Figure 4-6.

This was the final individual component to complete.  Now you’re ready to start putting things together.  Move on to Step Six – Assembly.