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You have done enough 'purse shopping' to know what will look best with your 'outfit'. Now the real question is, will your purse match your shoes? ( custom grips from the material to match the seat?)
:grin:
 
@metalchewy do you factor texture seating grip, or are you going with what looks best?

Awesome work!

My wife likes the finer grain one.

Factoring in what will work best. The three spots are on the edges, were good candidate spots for the first cuts on the piece..

All three don't have a slick finish. So they will all have similar grip.

The finer grain one is the most firm and the thinnest , but with the use of beeswax under coating that would be broken in, in no time

After testing grain, it looks like stretchability will also have some bearing on the selection.

The finding here is that the lower skirt areas all have more stretch. In some places up to 1-1/2" for the length of the seat. This will be better used on padded saddle, or shoulder strap for a guitar or rifle sling type applications.

The neck and fine grain have very little stretch, and will probably be better suited for the off road type seat.
You have done enough 'purse shopping' to know what will look best with your 'outfit'. Now the real question is, will your purse match your shoes? ( custom grips from the material to match the seat?)
:grin:
Accessories to go with the shoes will include a crossbar pad, and a ring around the down tube where the fork barely clears.

When I put the blue and black grips on the bars, I thought the blue was too light in shade at first but I think they match well, so I will keep them. Less wear on the hands in rough terrain with this style grip.

I usually like a bar pad on the top bar, but with the tank it makes it difficult. Also, the way the frame fits my size, I don't think I will end up with too many bruises on the knee from the frame in the rocky stuff.
 
I am glad I haven't cut anything yet. Need to do more with the pattern. The MTB style for the last seat I did was a narrower pattern. Will thin these patterns accordingly.
20211203_085950.jpg
 
Got waaaay sidetracked yesterday. One of my dreams, ever since I started home brewing in the 90s I wanted a single tap kegerator... This fell into my lap.
20211204_111410.jpg

Got a 2 tower perlick back bar for a really good price. My plans will be to put a 4 wide rail on one tower for my hombrew and have a regular keg on the other side.
20211204_111445.jpg

It will take some work and rewiring, but for the price, I rolled it home from the estate sale down the street on furniture dollies right onto my back porch.
20211204_111449.jpg

Rust removal from the galvanized insides and ceramic paint will be applied.
20211204_135836.jpg


Hopefully by the end of the month can say: Beer on tap at Tom's!! Come on down!
 
I went hald as wide on the pattern


20211205_083549.jpg


Used some Taylor's chalk to mark out the cut
20211205_083605.jpg

Really good shears are well worth the money. The red ones lasted 7 ot so years. They are loose and have nicks in the cutting edge. The blue will last for way longer.
20211205_083755.jpg

Keep the straight up, nibble as I work around the pattern, keeping it straight up.
20211205_121437.jpg

Edges came out great.
20211205_122739.jpg

For this style a rivet splitting punch makes it easiest.
20211205_122920.jpg

I have used a Chisel before in the absence of a splitter.

20211205_122940.jpg

Tried making edges for the side bends. Look good.
20211205_124136.jpg

20211205_125144.jpg

Sidnt seem to stick. After it us shaped will see if the grooves helped.
Set each rivet firmly with 2 or three whacks.

20211205_130741.jpg

Used a screwdriver to stretch fit it to the bold.
20211205_130757.jpg

20211205_130805.jpg

Put some tension on it to start to shape the back and front.
20211205_133405.jpg

Used the Dremel with a sanding wheel to thin the front and back leather. Then a basting brush to get it wet.
20211205_143006.jpg

Clothespins.while the back dries, and an old riding glove thumb for the front.
20211205_143012.jpg

Will work the sides after it dries
 

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I went hald as wide on the pattern


View attachment 180215

Used some Taylor's chalk to mark out the cut
View attachment 180216
Really food shears are well worth the money. The red ones lasted 7 ot so years. They are loose and have nicks in the cutting edge. The blue will last for way longer.
View attachment 180217
Keep the straight up, nibble as I work around the pattern, keeping it straight up.
View attachment 180218
Edges came out great.
View attachment 180219
For this style a rivet splitting punch makes it easiest.
View attachment 180220
I have used a Chisel before in the absence of a splitter.

View attachment 180221
Tried making edges for the side bends. Look good.
View attachment 180222
View attachment 180223
Sidnt seem to stick. After it us shaped will see if the grooves helped.
Set each rivet firmly with 2 or three whacks.

View attachment 180224
Used a screwdriver to stretch fit it to the bold.
View attachment 180225
View attachment 180226
Put some tension on it to start to shape the back and front.
View attachment 180227
Used the Dremel with a sanding wheel to thin the front and back leather. Then a basting brush to get it wet.
View attachment 180229
Clothespins.while the back dries, and an old riding glove thumb for the front.
View attachment 180230
Will work the sides after it dries
Woah, when you mentioned seat restoration earlier in the BO, I was thinking something more amateur. My folks were leather-workers. Recognized your rotary punch right away, looked for my dad's. They had a Singer made around the war. I can still see all the Barge glue containers.

Observing you, it's starting to come back. Too busy having fun with friends out riding. Wish I invested time into the art... was more into mechanics.
You've got a good handle on this build. I like it all!

We'll, If I ever get out to the Vegas area we could ride, BBQ and perhaps shoot together.
 
Woah, when you mentioned seat restoration earlier in the BO, I was thinking something more amateur. My folks were leather-workers. Recognized your rotary punch right away, looked for my dad's. They had a Singer made around the war. I can still see all the Barge glue containers.

Observing you, it's starting to come back. Too busy having fun with friends out riding. Wish I invested time into the art... was more into mechanics.
You've got a good handle on this build. I like it all!

We'll, If I ever get out to the Vegas area we could ride, BBQ and perhaps shoot together.
BBQ and smoker are hit at least once a week here...

I still consider myself as amateurish. Maybe hobbyist. No where near master at a lot of skills. All of my leather skills come from when I was 12-13 and worked thru the LeatherWork merit badge...

Self taught on a lot of things. Sewing skills from Jr. High and Friend or Family taught on other related things.
20211205_191801.jpg

My singer is a 50s model. I use a NECCHI for lot of my sewing, but the singer comes out for the heaviest stuff.
20211205_191808.jpg

I picked up an embroiderer machine a few years ago and learned how to digitize stitches as well. Read, plan. design and act...
20211205_191830.jpg
 
So to get the patterns right, I took the other seat apart a few days ago. As I was grinding out the rivets, I thought I would be able to just put it back together, and I could.
20211206_123042.jpg

The leather was cut diagonally across the grain when I did this seat 4 or so years ago.

Over time it stretched crooked and weird off center. So I cut some fine grain pieces for when I put it back together.
20211206_123131.jpg

New leather is Twice as thick, so will either need to thin them at the mount or get longer rivets.
 

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