seat recovering

[crustyrider]

ok so I have this old seat and it needs a neww cover...as some of you guys say at SLOIII it was'nt all that good as a matter of fact it sucked eggs. so today I set out to rectify that and here is some pictures. I'm ok with the results being the firsst seat I've ever redone so it didn't turn out that bad. I think the next one I will need to open the "ears" up on it a bit more so that I have a better lay across the front of the seat. theis whole "seat project took me about an hour and, I don't know maybe it shows but like I said I'm happy with the first attempt.


this is what I atarted with

this after I got it on. you can see where it wrinkles up a bit


the back end looks really good

its stapled down but thats what I was told to do

here it is on the bike

you not seeing things I painted it while I was working on the seat



so there it is. the hardest part like I said is the front of the seat. but the trick to getting it nice and taught is pull then staple air stapler is recommended. but be carefull you don't shoot it thru the seat ( i did with one staple) and have the leather warm...warm = pliable irt stretches better that way you can get a good tight fit

[drewl]

COPYCAT!!!
just kidding

Nice job.

[crustyrider]

COPYCAT!!!
just kidding

Nice job.

you are the all wise advisor, and besides I cant afford a new one .... Do they make a sargent seat for the old ones?

[drewl]

I don't think they go back farther then the 4th gen anymore.

I wonder if trimming around the top front and sewing on a flap to add an angle there would help with the wrinkling?

[vf700f]

Sargent does have a seat cover available here Sargent Cycle Products - Honda Sport Skinz its toward the bottom of the page.

[crustyrider]

yeah , the seaats a little out of my monetary reach right now. this one was the right price for the leather.... Free ...apreciate the link

[vejesse]

Is that leather? Could you wet the leather in those wrinkled areas and shrink it?

[crustyrider]

Is that leather? Could you wet the leather in those wrinkled areas and shrink it?

funny you say that yeah its leather, I was just thinking about trying thatI may do it on a scrap piece first tosee what kind of shrinkage it gets

[supertex]

Where did you start your piece? From the front or the back? I used to redo seat covers for the military and have redone my seat on the old 700. You could easily get those wrinkles out by the pattern being cut properly and moving from the back to the front, getting the wrinkles out as you move down. it also helps to pattern fit it then taking it off and using some spray glue to hold it down. Hope this helps. Oh I would be careful trying to shrink it, all kinds of things that could go wrong.

[crustyrider]

Where did you start your piece? From the front or the back? I used to redo seat covers for the military and have redone my seat on the old 700. You could easily get those wrinkles out by the pattern being cut properly and moving from the back to the front, getting the wrinkles out as you move down. it also helps to pattern fit it then taking it off and using some spray glue to hold it down. Hope this helps. Oh I would be careful trying to shrink it, all kinds of things that could go wrong.

I think hwere I went wrong was when I cut the "ears" out, I didn't get quite the angle right. It needed to be opened up. I rode a bit tiday and thewrinkles are kinda going away.. I started at the front so maybe should have gone from the back?

[supertex]

You could always pull the staples out ( which are exactly the way to to do it BTW ) then re-staple it starting at your problem area. I.E. start in the middle and work to each end. This will give you the ability to stretch where you need, and give you a nice tight middle. You'll find it's easier to stretch to the ends rather than the middle.

[crustyrider]

i'LL GIVE IT A SHOT

[supertex]

Crusty, if you can get me the material and a design you like I could make you a cover with stitching since your so close. I chopped up my seat so I'd need a model as well.

[Ghost]

Where did you start your piece? From the front or the back? I used to redo seat covers for the military and have redone my seat on the old 700. You could easily get those wrinkles out by the pattern being cut properly and moving from the back to the front, getting the wrinkles out as you move down. it also helps to pattern fit it then taking it off and using some spray glue to hold it down.

Crustmeister,

I recovered mine. I simply didnt like the lack of padding in it. So, I pulled the cover off, using mineral spirits to let the glue go as I pulled. applied the new padding. glued it. Then recovered. Back to front. Mine came out perfect. I'll take a pic tonight and post for ya. Tex is right. Pattern is everything. Leather is meant to stretch, not shrink. so go extra tight, and if done proplerly, it will stretch a little to a perfect fit.

[crustyrider]

yeah , I should have gone back to front.. The leather is actually stretching and shrinking as I let it st and as I sit on it... but I think I may have to redo it....It has a little tear in it ...(already) I think from when I was holding it down to sut the staple gun to it..

[crustyrider]

just cause I am post horing

[SLOVFR]

Heat helps out too to stretch it a bit where needed

[klee27x]

I think you stopped before finishing, maybe? Mine looked like that at first. But then I went around and pulled a staple here and there and stretched it some more. You particularly have to stretch and restretch it where it wraps around the tank, to get all the wrinkles out of the "valley." I found I was using the stapler head, itself, to get more leverage for the final stretching; I kinda held the vinyl up and I pressed down and in to grab the vinyl with the stapler and get that last stretch in before landing the staple. Hopefully, you still have enough excess material around the edges to get a decent grip for restapling. I started at the back, initially. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I also oriented the material with the lines on the backing running side-to-side, so there was more stretch front-to-back... I think. It ended up so tight that the vinyl wasn't even touching the seat for several inches next to the pillion bump until broken in, because I kept stretching the cover down and forward, down and forward under the ears.

Here's a pic. (I was actually taking a pic of my R/R, so a bit of the front is clipped, but it looks pretty much perfect, everywhere). It's hosted at Photobucket. You can click on it with the magifying glass to get a close-up of the (fake) grain.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...recover003.jpg

18.00 for the material (15.00 plus shipping)... it's marine upholstery grade vinyl, and I have enough left over to do it, again. Your leather cover looks great! I might try real leather next time.
3.00 for 6mm staples (short ones)
22.00 Stanley electric stapler gun (already had)

I wonder if trimming around the top front and sewing on a flap to add an angle there would help with the wrinkling?

I was worried about that. The original has a stitched seam. But I didn't have any problems with wrinkling, and I just stapled a small bit of material just over the edge, like Crusty did, then covered the staples with gaffer's tape to protect the tank.

[crustyrider]

I think you stopped before finishing. Mine looked like that at first. But then I went around and pulled a staple here and there and stretched it some more. You particularly have to stretch and restretch it where it wraps around the tank, to get all the wrinkles out of the "valley." I found I was using the stapler head, itself, to do the final stretching as I stapled. Hopefully, you still have enough excess material around the edges to get a decent grip for restapling. I started at the back, initially. I don't know if it makes a difference, but I also oriented the material with the lines on the backing running side-to-side, so there was more stretch front-to-back... I think.

Here's a pic. (I was actually taking a pic of my R/R, so a bit of the front is clipped, but it looks pretty much perfect, everywhere). It's hosted at Photobucket. You can click on it with the magifying glass to get a close-up of the grain.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...recover003.jpg

18.00 for the material (15.00 plus shipping)... it's marine upholstery grade vinyl, and I have enough left over to do it, again. This is actually much thicker and supple than the original cover... although the original cover was worn paper thin at this point!
3.00 for 6mm staples (short ones)
22.00 Stanley electric stapler gun (already had)

BTW, your old seat cover still looks NICE. Mine was 90% duct tape before I was brave enough to try this. :)

Thanks for the info...I may try again I still have a full half a hide left over

the old seat cover was one i cut and tried to fit it on but it didnt work...LOL

[klee27x]

Actually, looking at this pic, I don't see why you can't salvage this. Take a look. Sounds like Supertex and I are on the same page, here.

This small area was where I spent the last 20 minutes of time. Start at 1. Remove some staples. Stretch down and forward and restaple. Then go to 2. Down and forward. Then at 3, if your ears are cut to wide and thin, you'll just end up stretching more forward then down. I made the same mistake. Even if it started out the wrong shape you can bend it to your will. :). You'll have those wrinkles out in no time.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...x/bikeseat.jpg

the old seat cover was one i cut and tried to fit it on but it didnt work...LOL

Ahh, yeah, I figured that out after looking at it some more. It couldn't possibly be the old cover, lol. I did only the roughest cutting until after the seat was on. Basically, I just cut what got in the way, then did the real trimming as I went along.

[crustyrider]

Thanks Klee27X, I 'll give it a try....I looked at the picture you linked to.....and thought, dang I have a seat that looks just like that one and he had the same problem I did.
Thats what happens when you stay up all night writing a paper, then wake up early to proof read it....
Thanks again I'll try that manuver then repost some pictures.

Crusty

[iwantmore316]

here the post i did when i redid my seat has poics and all.
out with the old in with the new - VFRworld Photo Gallery

[crustyrider]

here the post i did when i redid my seat has poics and all.
out with the old in with the new - VFRworld Photo Gallery

nicely done....I like the dog giving you r work the "smell" of aprroval

you had the same issue with the wrinkling that i did.yours isnt as bad...did you use leather of nuagahide?

[iwantmore316]

paleather i pulled mine very tight and made lots of small cuts to get it close to being right. when in the sun it helps to get the wrinles out

[slowbird]

Hmmmm...I wouldn't mind recovering mine and maybe adding some padding under there.

What would you use for padding under the leather?

[klee27x]

Personally, I'd buy some high density polyurethane foam. If you just want to add some padding, I'd buy a thin sheet, like 1" or thinner, cut it out, and glue it on with polyurethane glue like Gorilla glue. Recover it before the glue starts to expand. For any detailed shaping, you need to buy/make a hot wire foam cutter.