Puffy motorcycle seat tutorial

[wolvenstien]

Ok, I know this is probably a stretch and asking allot, but I would like to see how you puffy seat guys (beeze) make your patterns for your seats.

I have a seat that looks like this with the factory cover:

And here is what it looks like uncovered:

What my problem is, is the contours of the foam seat. I took the original vinyl cover, cut it up on the seams, and it is too stretched to give me a good pattern, and i have tried the covering it with plastic then covering it with duct tape to make a cover, draw out my seams and cut it up method.... it is too contoured to make a pattern from. I cant get my head around the contour part of it. This is pretty much what i need explained and shown to me.

Thanks

[Roger]

well....

you just gotta go for it!

i cut the top the way i want it shaped then cut the side in one piece. i make sure i have way more than i need to wrap the sides and wet the side to get it to conform. this one should be pretty easy.

some of the more extreem/complex seats require me to install the cover and let it sit till near dry or dry and rewet it,drill out some rivets and pull some more but, this one should cover rather easy.

i don't get krazy with making patternz...

[wolvenstien]

thats my main issue when "just going for it".... I get puckers and wrinkles.... I am wasting too much leather on this project.

[Roger]

thats my main issue when "just going for it".... I get puckers and wrinkles.... I am wasting too much leather on this project.

you just need to pull them out as best you can. make sure it's good and wet then let it dry and see what you get. like i said... some times you have to go back a second time after the leather takes a set. rewet it, take out the pop rivets and pull on it some more.

i generally start at the bend (i'll call it) the widest point where the seat curves up at the back. then i work my way forward then back. i get the easy parts out of the way first and the hardest areas last. that way the water can work on the harder areas longer. don't forget to keep it good and wet during the whole precess

[wolvenstien]

now I am confused....

Are you talking about using one single piece to cover the seat?

Because the way i want to do it is with several sections, one on the seat area, two to make the sides, and one across the back, all laced together. I cant get the leather cut right so it fits right, and cant get my head wrapped around wetting and stretching the leather if I cant get it cut right to begin with.

The way I am looking at doing this is to pattern the leather pieces, finish them, lace them together, and put over the seat and roll under and fasten to the plastic pan. I dont understand about the wet stretching of the leather if it is already finished, and laced. I dont see you being able to wet stretch it once it is finished and laced together.

the lines in the pics below ate where I want the lace seams to be.

[Roger]

because of the way i am covering seats, i finish them after installing the cover.

i got away from using multiple pieces for the sides. i like the cleaner look of no seams.

i would guess the area you are having the most problems in would be the back. it takes a lot of pulling and stretching to get that area to lay right.

[wolvenstien]

Beeze, Isnt that two pieces on that seat with a seam going around the seat?

If it is just one piece, when did you do the lacing? before or after you stretched it?

The parts I am having the most issue with are the sides.... around the contours.

[Roger]

the top is one piece and the side is one piece. it is stitched together before hand

[Scary Leatherworks]

Wolvenstein, here is a picture of whinewine's seat he posted awhile ago. (sorry for always using your pic WW) this pic helped me see how the seat is constructed.

the pattern for the top is laced to the sides (although its only one piece) if this were unlaced the side piece would have a hole in it the same shape as the top piece it would just be a little smaller for overlapping and lacing.

As to wet forming most of the seat guys as far as I can tell dye/stain and seal their seats after they are on the seat.

So it's laced together then you have to wet the sides so it can be formed and stretched around the curves

here is some more pics of the cover i'm doing for this seat

I used two pieces for my sides but it could have been just one

for making patterns for the templates I used construction paper and some heavy fabric. I have read on here to use felt or the clear plastic sheets for overhead projectors. you shouldn't have to make so many pieces. Just have to follow Beeza's instructions and wet! wet! wet! unfortunately it's mostly trial and error for our first few seats.

hope this helps

Scott

[barra]

You can make your patterns by covering the segments in material/paper and stick pins in it to hold it in place. Draw out your shapes on the pattern material. Depending on the leather you are using the seams are joined using a boot seam. It is just a little more professional looking than a plain or top seam. When you cut out the leather ensure you have also factored in your seam allowance. Sometimes a flexible curve is handy to get the angles of the dangles. These are sold in most places that sell household sewing supplies eg the haberdashery section of Walmart might even have them.

Barra

[wolvenstien]

Ok, Beeza, You tooled the seat and attached it to the sides.... is the part under the seat cut away or is there two layers of leather there? Did stretching the seat after it was tooled hurt it any?

Can I cut a whole piece, wet it, allow it to dry a bit, and stretch it over the whole thing, tacking it down underneath, then remove it and tool it and add an additional piece over the seat area? Or should all this be done before stretching?

[wolvenstien]

No one?

Anyone?

[Roger]

sorry man! i didn't get the email notification on this one for some reason.

the center is cut out and i try not wet my tooling. i try to just wet the side

i don't see any reason why you could not stretch a whole piece then remove it and do what you want to do.

some pics from the tutorial i did

[wolvenstien]

Cool. Then thats what i will do....

I have it stretched over the seat... I couldnt get the back part to stretch since I stretched everything in that direction I guess, so i cut it and put in a seem.... worked out because I had to put in a hole for the back rest. Now to just figure out what i want to tool into the seat....

I see from the pix you added, you cut out the area of the seat, and put the other in over the hole over lapping. Do you think there would be a problem if I did not cut out the area, but left it and then put the tooled piece over it?

Edited June 13, 2008 by wolvenstien

[Roger]

Cool. Then thats what i will do....

I have it stretched over the seat... I couldnt get the back part to stretch since I stretched everything in that direction I guess, so i cut it and put in a seem.... worked out because I had to put in a hole for the back rest. Now to just figure out what i want to tool into the seat....

that's fine. remember that you can re-wet it and do some more pulling plus it will shrink up some more

I see from the pix you added, you cut out the area of the seat, and put the other in over the hole over lapping. Do you think there would be a problem if I did not cut out the area, but left it and then put the tooled piece over it?

no closeup. the top just overlaps the side and yes, you can see the edge through the lacing