norvalwilhelm

I installed new carpets last week and last night decided to install the seats. It required 4 holes per seat and 2 for the seat belts.
Cutting holes in carpet is next to impossible, well doing a good job that is.
So burn them in.
I start from under the car. I poke a sharp scriber up through the bolt holes into the car, I then go inside with another scriber and push it down from the top verifying that I am in the center of the hole.
I took a 3/8th bolt, clamped my vise grips around the head then used a propane torch, a normal soldering torch and heated the bolt threaded area red hot.
Touch it to the carpet and it will burn/melt a nice hole in the carpet and seal the edges.
Works really well, smokes slightly but the hole is perfect and no chance of a thread running.
I also burn through jute backing the same way.

Stick

That's what we did when we installed the carpet in my '57 Chevy rebuild. Worked great.

plaidside

When I did mine I put wide masking tape where the hole would go. Then I marked the location of the holes on the tape and used a gasket hole punch to make a perfect hole. For any small holes for screws I used a leather hole punch that looks like a pair of pliers and has a wheel with different size holes on it.

Hitch

These tips are very timely.. Thanks guys... Any other carpet tips are greatly appreciated... Dave..

skids

I have a tent repair kit from the army that has punches for installing grommets in canvas. These punches work excellent.

norvalwilhelm

That seems harder. You are taking a hammer and hitting the floor with the hole punch. Try a scrap piece of carpet with something hot and see how easy it is to burn a nice hole and the edge is melted to prevent fraying.
Small holes only require a sharp awl/scriper bushed through the carpet.'
Any time you cut holes you are risking starting a run especially in loop. Burning prevents this and really it is so easy to do.

Red64

This is once again great info on the forum just when I need it. Any tricks for edges to keep them from running. One of the many problems with my old carpet was loop runs coming from cuts.

Thanks
Pat

LouieM

Clever.....very clever

plaidside

That seems harder. You are taking a hammer and hitting the floor with the hole punch. Try a scrap piece of carpet with something hot and see how easy it is to burn a nice hole and the edge is melted to prevent fraying.

I don't hit the floor. I use a piece of 2 x 4 under the carpet and it make a perfect hole. As far as the leather punch, it also makes a perfect hole so the carpet doesn't get raveled up in the screw.
Just another option.