Grille Cloth Installation Instructions

These instructions can also be downloaded as a 35K Adobe PDF file: grille_tips.pdf

Introductory notes

Cotton and rayon are made from a natural sources and consequently they are very responsive to moisture. You can use this property to help you do a good job. By gluing down a slightly moist cloth, it will then shrink to form a nice tight fit.

Because polyester is made from plastic it is not moisture sensitive and, therefore, should stay in place without using any special measures.

Installation steps:

1. Iron. If you plan to use spray starch, then skip this step and go directly to step 2. If you wish to skip step 2 (spray starch), then use a household iron set for "permanent press with steam" for a wrinkle-free cloth. If you don't use steam, don't expect to get any wrinkles out. Then go to step 3

2a. Spray Starch - optional, but recommended. This stuff is really great for two reasons: 1) it gives some stability to the material and 2) it dulls the shine. In most cases you may not need to do anything else. If you use this, do not additionally wet the cloth with steam. Set the iron for regular heat and iron it out. If the cloth is too wet, it will stick to the iron. Experiment on a scrap piece first to get the hang of it. or 2b. Sprits. To insure that your cloth is nice and tight when you are done, first wet it slightly with water using a spritzer before application. When the cloth dries it will shrink slightly and this will insure that it stays nice and tight.

3. Stretch. A great way to stretch the cloth before mounting is to use an embroidery hoop of appropriate size before mounting to the cabinet (or more commonly to the cardboard backing). Leave the hoop intact until the glue is dry and then remove. These hoops are available in plastic or wood and can be obtained at any craft shop. Wooden hoops sell for 50 cents each and come as large as 12 inches in diameter while plastic ones are around $4 and only are available up to 10 inches in diameter.

4. Glue. Spray adhesive works great for me. I use an industrial strength product made by Camie-Campbell, Inc. 9225 Watson Industrial Park, St. Louis, MO 63126. Phone (314) 968-3222. An 18 oz. can of #300 all-purpose adhesive costs about $8. This stuff is difficult to get so you probably want to try some alternatives such as those made by the 3M Company from you local hardware. I find these a bit watery, so be careful. Caution! Please wait until they get tacky before applying the cloth. Failure to do so will cause permanent discoloration of the cloth.

NOTE: When poking holes through the cloth, first use an awl or a nail to spread the fabric. DO NOT use a screw or drill bit because this tends to grab the fibers and pull them out.

Need a backing board?

If your cardboard mounting board is hopelessly crumbling then go to an arts and crafts supply house and ask for illustration board. This is a thick very stiff quality paperboard material that works wonders for this application. It comes in approx. 2 ft.x 3 ft. sizes and costs between $3 to $4.

Optional Aging Tips (if needed or desired)

Here are two methods, in order of my preference, that may help you to alter the look of the cloth beyond what spray starch will do and perhaps make it look more weathered and worn. Obviously, if you want to do this you should do this prior to installation.

Method #1: Use a strong solution of black coffee or tea or a mixture of both. It may appear that you are going to ruin a good grille cloth, I assure you that will not happen. The rayon/polyester will not take too readily to dyes and stains and once your cloth has dried out it will look much improved over the original. The shine will have been reduced and it will have a slight brown dullness to it. Whether you leave it in for 20 minutes or 8 hours, the effect is more or less the same. Rinse in warm water after removal to wash out the coffee smell.

Method #2: Use a very diluted solution of shoe dye. I use Fiebings because it is soluble in alcohol. I start with a bottle of light brown, which costs around $3, and dilute a small amount (somewhere between a thimble or a shot glass) in a ratio of 1 dye to 3 or more alcohol. You may want to start out very weak and work backwards to be sure not to ruin your cloth. The shoe dye is very potent and will permanently dye anything it touches including your hands, so be sure to use gloves. At a ratio of about 1:6 it approaches the mildness of the coffee/tea method.

Acknowledgements to all of the many collectors and restorers who helped make thiese instructions possible.