Tip for putting holes in your new carpet

[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.

 

[Chuck-75]

tks for the tip. (no pun intended) Ive got to install mine later this summer.

So you just heated up the bolt and slid it through ?

 

[norvalwilhelm]

tks for the tip. (no pun intended) Ive got to install mine later this summer.

So you just heated up the bolt and slid it through ?

Using the scriber to mark the spot I just bring the hot bolt down from the top into the carpet. It melt quickly right through leaving a perfect round sealed hole. No mess, just a little white smoke but again a perfect hole.

 

[ßill]

Good idea, How about using a wood burning tool or soldering iron? Seems like either would be easer to work with than a bolt vice grips and torch. Thanks for the idea

 

[norvalwilhelm]

Good idea, How about using a wood burning tool or soldering iron? Seems like either would be easer to work with than a bolt vice grips and torch. Thanks for the idea

A soldering iron works great but test a scrap piece of carpet first. Heating a bolt held by a vise grip is not hard, YOu can burn 3 holes before needing to reheat the bolt. No need for speed, the bolt stays hot for a long time, take you time, be accurate and the hole will be perfect.
The wood burning tool would work also but I don't have one.

 

[Paranoid]

That'll come in handy for me.

 

[69MnyPit]

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.

Do you use the same size bolt as goes in the threaded holes or smaller?... larger? Great tip! I'll be doing the same this spring!

 

[norvalwilhelm]

Do you use the same size bolt as goes in the threaded holes or smaller?... larger? Great tip! I'll be doing the same this spring!

I never thought about it. If you use the same size and want the hole a little bigger just wiggle it side to side, It is very controlable, It melts in nicely, doesn't catch fire and gives you a second or two to move the hole slightly or make it a bit bigger by rocking the bolt.
The bolts are 5/16 inch and I used a 3/8th bolt.
Use Carb studs, 1 3/4 long instead of bolts, Install the studs with a little loctite in the floor or put them partly through the floor and use a lock nut on the underside.
This really makes installing the seats easy. Just slide them over the studs and start the nuts.
The floor is 5/16 coarse and use the fine ones for holding the seats.
The studs are easy to install, get them from any supply house. about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 and future installing the seats is far easier

 

[mkapp7879]

Aren't the forward seat bolts and the mounting flange usually covered by a flap cut into the carpet instead of a hole poked through the carpet? Seem to remember that on mine.
Mike