TroyS

That is a dayum fine seat! Very clean and looks like it deserves a Harley! Can't wait to see what it looks like on the bike! Be sure and post pictures! So? Was the seat making experience enough to make you want to do another?

I'm really not sure what to say other than I feel your pain. You are all in our thoughts and prayers. I am truly sorry for your loss... May GOD watch over you and comfort you...

That looks killer!

Dave, the seat is fantastic as always ... I'm glad this one isn't black... I'm really digging the swivel knife bird....

OMG ! That looks INSANE !! Let's do it!

I think it's Awesome! I love the color combination and really like the way the buckle is put together... Keep up the great work!

If I remember correctly, it's about 7/8 leather .... but it can be done with ANY leather! The results may not be as good on 10/12 as it would on 3/4 but it can be done! I never thought of that... Hmmmmm, I wonder how I can shove a motorcycle seat in one of those bags? HAHAH Most of my projects are large. Besides, when I wet-form leather for seats, the pieces are molded in stages then pieced together. When I did this experiment, I thought I would be using the vac method regularly, but in all honesty, those were the last 2 pieces I've vac'd... Now I mold a piece, move it to the shelf to dry, mold another piece, move it to the shelf to dry, etc... sometimes 8 or 10 pieces drying at once....

That is a very nice looking seat! I noticed the mounting hardware missing too but I think I read in your other post that you were not going to be using it to ride, just to practice. Fantastic Job!

Thank You! I rivet them in place. This was a re-cover of a "Drag Specialties" seat so I just used the holes that were already drilled in the pan. Some people use a pneumatic stapler to attach to plastic but I prefer rivets. I also like to add decorative finish washers under my rivets to give more surface area for the rivet to bite into the leather.

That looks outstanding! One small suggestion... If you plan to lace the seat together, you may want to give yourself a little more leather between the holes and the edges so you don't pull the lace through the leather or distort the edge when you tug on the lace. Even if you're careful lacing, those thin spots are the first place a blowout occurs after a few hundred miles of riding around the state showing it off... Other than that, that's a dayum fine job!

I used Banwell's idea, but kicked it up a notch. I connected an air conditioning Evacuation Vacuum to piece of #40 (heavy wall) PVC pipe, then mounted the pipe to a laminated countertop with a pinhole in the middle. I lay my object on the countertop over the pinhole then put double sided tape on the countertop around the object. I then place a piece of heavy clear plastic over the object and press it onto the tape. Now that my oject is under the plastic sheet, I turn on the vac and wait about 10 minutes. It quickly draws all of the air out and sucks the leather around your object. The nice thing about the AC Vacuum is it also removes moisture from the leather also. After about 10 minutes, turn off the vacuum, carefully remove the plastic, being careful not to shift your object and let it dry overnight. The next day, you'll have perfect shaped piece of leather that won't lose it's shape. It works on almost ANY object with awesome results. I did an old gun and a saddlebag lid from my motorcycle. Here's the results ... This was done about 7 months ago and has been sitting on a shelf in my shop and still has NOT lost any shape!

Thank You Sir!

Dave, I really enjoy seeing your work! It's inspirational! That's a great looking seat and as far as the sparrows go, I'm not a big fan of them, however, your CARVING of them is exceptional! Fantastic detail and clarity. Where do get your kangaroo lace? I'm looking for some 1/4" or 3/16" Black.... about 50 ft or so... Any help is greatly appreciated!

I like the mouse pad and am especially interested in your burnishers! Those are sweet!

Just like riding a bike... once you learn to ride, you never forget .... VERY NICE!! Welcome Back!!

Not much else can be said other than WOW! It's spectacular Marlon.

Thank Ya Bree! I like the simple things.... Thanks Luke! As difficult as that braid looks, it's simple once I found the rhythm... My next venture is to tackle a 2 tone Mexican Round Edge Braid! I just got a shipment of seat pans in yesterday and look forward to the task... Thanks Dave! I posted the original post a while back... just finished it up... Thanks Tex! Yeah, I used Blockout from your local Tandy store... I only applied one coat to the letters and then antiqued it with Black Antique Gel. Once it dried, I applied several coats of Coal Black to the rest of the seat, sealed it with Satin Sheen and added a final coat of Atom Wax...

A few more showing the braided seam and the laced edge .... I really need to work on my picture takin' ...

Well, as promised, Here's the Final Results... Whatcha Think??

Well, I'll say you're off to a great start! Your lines are nice and clean and straight! You're gonna love it here! Welcome!

Fantastic Job!

Perfect ending to a perfect project! Thanks for your insight and guidance Dave! You are an inspiration...

Sweet Belt Bree! It's amazing how few people know what kind of work goes into a project. Most people look at that as just a belt. I look at it as a work of art! Great Job!

Welcome to the Forum Cowboy Don! Glad to see you found our little piece of heaven on the web! You're gonna find some of the most talented, patient, informative and HELPFUL people you've ever met right here! You're gonna see lots of things from lots of people and dozens of techniques from different artists and leathercrafters and you're gonna wonder how they did it. Well, simply "Ask and ye shall receive"! I personally, have NEVER met such a diverse group of talent that was willing to bend over backwards to help someone the way these folks do! They'll help you develop your skills or answer any questions you can think of. I'm honored to be part of this group and glad to have you aboard!

Incredible! Absolutely breathtaking! I played competition 8-Ball ("8-Ball Break" Champion) and was a team captain for about 11 years and never saw ANYTHING that commanded my attention the way this does! Outstanding workmanship!