New seats

[BruceGibson]

Thank you, Dave! I'll look forward to that.

Are you making your own seat pans, using existing, or ordering from someplace?

Or, all of the above?

[Guest]

Bruce,

Approximately 90% of my seats are made for Sucker Punch Sallys located in Miamitown, Ohio and Scottsdale, Arizona. They have a special "oldschool" look that they are after, so they provide me with their favorite seat pan; which is a West Eagle. It is a very heavy gauge steel pan and provides a solid base for the seat. Without a doubt the best mounting hardware in the business is made for this pan by Fabricator Kevin in Clinton Township, Michigan. It is 3/16" stainless steel with bronze bearings for a solid, "no wobble" mount.

Dave Theobald

[BruceGibson]

Thanks, Dave!

I've got a few bazillion more questions but I'll try and parcel them out a few here, and a few there!

I appreciate your willingness to share!

[Guest]

Bruce,

I'm willing to share anything I know. If you are reluctant to put a bunch of questions on the site you can always email me at (deleted email because of the spam bots) Johanna~ I'll try to help any way I can.

Dave

Edited February 10, 2007 by Johanna

[Johanna]

Oh please oh please post on the board...that way we all learn!

Johanna

[BruceGibson]

More, Dave, more! :fire:

[Guest]

Hey Bruce,

I'm still working on that order, I shipped 6 seats last week. Hope to ship a few more this month. But in the mean time, feel free to ask any questions you may have.

The enclosed project has a suede split insert. The idea came from western saddle photographs that I found the "the journal".

Dave Theobald

Edited February 19, 2007 by David

[BruceGibson]

Beautiful!

Heck, David, the bottoms look at good as the tops! Are those pop rivets under there?

What weight leather are you using? And do you use the same weight for the bottom and the top? Do you cut your own lace, and what type lace do you use? I would think that Indian Tan/Alum (yellow center) would work real well, but if I knew what I was talking about, I wouldn't have all these questions!

The inserts look great. If you haven't seen his work already, Jeremiah Watt does some beautiful seat inserts on his saddles. He also uses exotics on the inserts in some cases, and it looks good. If it's still posted, he had a stingray insert on one that came out beautiful. His website is www.jeremiahwatt.com.

Does Sucker Punch Sally's sell the seat pans?

See...told ya I had a bazillion questions. And I'm not even warmed up yet!

As always, thank you for sharing the awesome pictures, and your knowledge.

[Guest]

Hey Bruce,

Yes, those are pop rivets on the bottom. That is the standard way that seat are constructed.....If you buy a pre made West Eagle seat, it will have that same rivet pattern holding it together. Sucker Punch sells the West Eagle seat pans as do other places such as Fabricator Kevin. They run about $50-$60 for the pan with no mounting hardware. The price depends on the source and quantity....I usually get them by the dozen.

The leather is 6 oz Live Oak which I have been getting from Tandy; but I am now experimenting with Hermann Oak leather which seems to be much softer and more pliable. This can be good and bad....good in that it tools nicely and bad it that it may tend to wrinkle more when lacing it down. The verdict is still out on that; but I sure like the way the Hermann leather tools.

The lace is Tandy's 3/16" 55006-03 natural calfskin lace. It is very inconsistant in quality so if you know of a good source for 2-3 oz 3/16" lace please let me know. The Tandy lace may be nice and thick or so thin it is unusable; I've also been sent entire rolls that are dry rotted. They are always nice and willing to replace it but it can be a pain and worse a delay in finishing a project. The Tandy lace is not very prone to stretching which is good. The more the lace stretches the thinner/weaker it gets.

I checked out www.jeremiahwatt.com what a beautiful saddle on his home page. I couldn't get the other links to work; but I'll try later to see if the problem was in my computer.

As for my decorated seat bottoms; Most seat manufacturers cover the bottom of their seats with a heavy felt that is just glued on. This is true of manufactured and custom seats. The problem with the felt is that it shreds or rots in a year or less....(my experience) So, I like to do some work on the back of the seat. At first I just put the initials SPS on the backs.....the shop owner loved it so the backs became more and more elaborate....I guess it is now a bit of a trademark of mine. My wife says it has gotten out of hand....

As far as exotic inserts instead of the suede splits, I have been afraid that the exotics are too fragile for a bike seat....Bikers are not know as the most sensative guys when it comes to the treatment of their "ride". Watch 'em do burnouts sometime..... Laying rubber until the tire catches fire and blows out.....Not sure that guy is going to be happy with the durability of a beautiful alligator hide insert in his seat.

Keep the questions coming, I'll be happy to answer to the best of my ability.

Here is the seat back on the Praying hands seat.

Dave

Edited February 20, 2007 by David

[dsenette]

like i've said once or twice here...i don't know squat about leather...but i know one or two things about bike seats...and decorations of any kind on the underside...is well...almost unheard of...it shows a true dedication to your craft...and utmost respect for the product you are creating...spending extra time on a portion of the product that is "rarely" seen deffinitely adds to the value....really nice stuff!