Topic: how have you covered your seat ?

[aussie]

Gidday all, a long time looker and stealer of all your great ideas tricks and tips .And i would like to thank everybody here for helping me get my 550 cafe racer where it is today.

I am getting towards the end of the project now and am struggling with ideas to cover the seat foam. I have a fibreglass rear tailpiece ( much like the Benji fibreglass jobs)  i have cut the foam to  shape, now i just need to cover it with vinyl. A normal bike seat base is plastic and the vinyl can be stretched over then simply stappled with a heavy duty staple gun to the plastic base.

I would like the seat to be seperate from the fibreglass tail section . ( i hope that makes sense ). I have seen funjimmys seat but unshore of how he trimmed it or what he used, i have also seen where some guys use press studs onto the fibreglass , but im not real keen on that look . So im looking for ideas of what to use to make a base for the foam and mabe something that you could staple to. I dont know i have scratched my head for a few days over this one,maybe its just because i am coming to end of the built .

Any help would be really appreciated.

cheers wayne

[KB02]

Why not use a thin piece of plywood?

You can put the foam on the plywood and them stapple the vinal on the underside of the ply. Then just use whatever means you need to to bolt the plywood onto the seat base.

[Grumpol]

G`day aussie
Go with ply like kb02 said, go to your local mitre ten or bunnings etc and get some "T nuts" with matching thread bolts, you can staple the vinyl to the ply and use the bolts to secure the ply to the seat base. Fully removable so if anything happens you can replace it.
If you want to go with leather instead try these guys
http://www.niftynotions.com.au/store/
their off-cuts are more than enough to do a seat or two and dont cost much, no affiliation etc lol

[FunJimmy]

Wayne

My seat was sent out to an upholstery shop for finishing. These guys cut, fit and did all sewing prior to fastening the vinyl on the seat. Looks like they glued the vinyl cover to the fiberglass seat pan. The cover wraps around and under the pan for a clean finish. I can’t think of an alternate method of fastening the cover other than double face tape.

Jimmy

[aussie]

Howdy grumpol i have considered ply, but my ducktail section isnt flat and tapers up.So i would need something that could be shaped to suit the contour of the fibreglass.

Im trying to track down some plastic suppliers,my thoughts are if i could find a sheet of plastic that could be heated with a heatgun.Then shaped that would be perfect.

[aussie]

Wayne

My seat was sent out to an upholstery shop for finishing. These guys cut, fit and did all sewing prior to fastening the vinyl on the seat. Looks like they glued the vinyl cover to the fiberglass seat pan. The cover wraps around and under the pan for a clean finish. I can’t think of an alternate method of fastening the cover other than double face tape.

Jimmy

Thanks for that mate , i did have a good look at your close up photos and thought yours was seperate.  Very nice bike you built there

[Grumpol]

Aussie
Do you have any fibreglass know how?
You could do a seat base easily with f`glass, completely cover the seat with masking tape, then rub the tape thoroughly with a candle. You can lay a couple of layers of mat on this and when its cured peel it off and you have a perfect fit to your seat base. Build your seat on this and you are done.
This is the simple version but its about all you need to do.

[aussie]

Aussie
Do you have any fibreglass know how?
You could do a seat base easily with f`glass, completely cover the seat with masking tape, then rub the tape thoroughly with a candle. You can lay a couple of layers of mat on this and when its cured peel it off and you have a perfect fit to your seat base. Build your seat on this and you are done.
This is the simple version but its about all you need to do.

Mate i can make anything out of alloy or steel, but when it comes to fibreglass im shiyte.

[FunJimmy]

Wayne

Get yourself a piece of ABS plastic. This type of plastic can easily be heated in the oven or with a heat gun. If you choose to heat in the oven do it while the significant other is out buying shoes!

Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert precut piece of ABS plastic on cookie sheet (protect cookie sheet with aluminum foil or be prepared to sleep in the garage) and heat until soft. Do not over heat! You want the plastic to be malleable but not overly soft.

Wearing good gloves remove ABS sheet from oven and drape over seat section. Cool heated ABS with damp cloth. When completely cool, trim to finished shape and upholster.

FJ

[aussie]

Wayne

Get yourself a piece of ABS plastic. This type of plastic can easily be heated in the oven or with a heat gun. If you choose to heat in the oven do it while the significant other is out buying shoes!

Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert precut piece of ABS plastic on cookie sheet (protect cookie sheet with aluminum foil or be prepared to sleep in the garage) and heat until soft. Do not over heat! You want the plastic to be malleable but not overly soft.

Wearing good gloves remove ABS sheet from oven and drape over seat section. Cool heated ABS with damp cloth. When completely cool, trim to finished shape and upholster.

FJ

Aughhh theres the perfect solution, knew i would find the answer here. So i take it that ,ABS plastic doesnt retain its memory, and any heat from the motor or sitting in the sun for a few hours wont alter the shape. ( keep in mind, in South Australia 30- 40 degrees isnt uncomman).

Funjimmy would you consider making another one of those carbon fibre rear guards and sending to Australia ?.

Cheers mate and thanks for your help

[Grumpol]

Where in SA are you mate?
Theres a few of us now (four i think) could make for a get together............

[aussie]

Where in SA are you mate?
Theres a few of us now (four i think) could make for a get together............

Tea Tree Gully mate, just near the Gully pub

[Grumpol]

I`m in elizabeth myself, struggling with carbs lol.
If you want a few lessons in glassing just say the word and i`ll give you the A-Z on making your own parts