Rebuilding my seat...

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12bcruzin

12bcruzin

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I have a 48 Schwinn girls bike and the springer seat is nothing more than a rusty pan. I am making a Rat Bike out of it and looking for tips, material suppliers and any other help with doing the job myself. I am not restoring the seat, just recovering the pan with foam and leather...David
 
Rat Rod said:
Firewalker's your man....and reasonably priced too!
Click to expand...
I hear ya and in the end will probably go that route...but it is a rat rod bike, I have done everything else and shouldn't I try to do it myself if I can? So again, post if you can answer my original request for materials, tips, etc...otherwise thanks just the same...
 
Got an old leather jacket laying around?

Cut it apart and use the material for the seat...yeah, I've done that.
 
Or a boot?
boot_seat.jpg
 
12bcruzin said:
I have a 48 Schwinn girls bike and the springer seat is nothing more than a rusty pan. I am making a Rat Bike out of it and looking for tips, material suppliers and any other help with doing the job myself. I am not restoring the seat, just recovering the pan with foam and leather...David
Click to expand...

this is what I use and how I did it...don't know how long it lasts...it's only been on the bike for 2 months. i'll take photos of the next seat I do (this weekend if I get the pan back from the sand-blaster!)

latex gloves (or similar non-latex versions)
1 can 3M 77 adhesive spray (3M also makes a super-headliner adhesive that might work)
foam pad (i use upholstery foam...thickness and density up to you!)
Vinyl (you pick the color!)
rubber-tipped woodworker's clamps
contact cement

*Seat pan needs to be CLEAN!!!
*Cut foam to fit seat pan (i go slightly smaller...it spreads some when the vinyl is put on)
*Rough-cut the vinyl (i usually leave it large enough to cover the top of the seat w/foam and the bottom...i trim when done...or as i go)
*Follow directions on 3M can and attach foam to seat pan (something about spray it on, let tack...i don't have the can here)
*Let adhesive dry!
*Spray top of foam with the 3M adhesive...attach vinyl to top of foam

I start at the back of the seat (straight-ish edge...long...easy to work on!)
*Spray the adhesive along the bottom edge of seat pan
Vinyl needs to be pulled slightly taunt (compress the foam a little...this is where a picture is worth 1000 words!).
is the clamps to hold vinyl...the more the better, but leave room because you'll be going around the entire seat!
*I then do the front/nose of the seat...this is a hard area with the curves...the idea is the same as the rear, but there is usually some tucking/folding/trimming to do (also, this is where the contact cement might get used later!)
*do each side the same way...
*after the spray is dry (again, I don't have the can here) check the vinyl...any that is pulling up, just cement it, clamp it & let it dry.

I've done 3 seats this way, but had to change the technique a little on each given the different shapes of the seat pans

do a "dry run" with the foam, vinyl & clamps BEFORE using the glue...it gives you an idea of how to fold and if anything needs trimming before you start
 
Thank you very much new_dharma, that is more what I was asking for. I want to do mine in leather and even thought about making a plywood base and bolting through the original pan vs attaching the material to the pan directly...also looking for online suppliers for leather and quality dense foam in small (12"x12" pieces vs 4'x8'). I asked an upholstery supplier but they only sold material in large pieces...thanks again for the helpful reply...David
 
just another tidbit of info, most furniture stores will part with their discontinued fabric samples if your nice to em (includes leather)
 

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