Pauly Report post Posted March 3, 2008 Hi there! I'd love to make myself a seat for my cruiser bicycle but I'm a bit daunted by the task and not sure where to begin. Wallets and belts are one thing, this seems harder. I was planning on covering the existing fabric seat. If someone could give a quick rundown on how they'd tackle it, when to mold, when to tool, how to attach to seat etc. I'd be most appreciative. Thanks. Pauly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RockyWolf Report post Posted March 3, 2008 (edited) Hi there! I'd love to make myself a seat for my cruiser bicycle but I'm a bit daunted by the task and not sure where to begin. Wallets and belts are one thing, this seems harder. I was planning on covering the existing fabric seat. If someone could give a quick rundown on how they'd tackle it, when to mold, when to tool, how to attach to seat etc. I'd be most appreciative. Thanks. Pauly Hello there if you could post a photo of the seat as it is now so we could have a little looky and form a plan of attack !! and post anything that comes into your mind like style, tooling, colour, Designs that you like artwork you like or things you dislike should help us to help you...and welcome along to the forum by the way tell us a little about yourself.. David Wolf Edited March 3, 2008 by RockyWolf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChaChi Report post Posted March 3, 2008 I did this one for my daughter. Kinda rough, but I wanted it to look like a 3 year old's tricycle, not one of my motorcycle seats. If you have a good seat to start with, just remove the factory cover without destroying it and use it as a template. You'll have to disassemble it of course. Install it the same was it was attached before. If it's a metal seat pan, rivet it. If it's plastic or fiberglass, staple it. You can even cover the bottom in speaker cabinet carpet to finish up the bottom nicely. I'm starting on a seat today for a friend's son. He saved up his money and bought a way cool OLD schwinn sting ray and wants the seat done in leather. I try to get some pics throughout the process for you. Cha-Chi Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomSwede Report post Posted March 3, 2008 (edited) I did this one for my daughter. Kinda rough, but I wanted it to look like a 3 year old's tricycle, not one of my motorcycle seats. If you have a good seat to start with, just remove the factory cover without destroying it and use it as a template. You'll have to disassemble it of course. Install it the same was it was attached before. If it's a metal seat pan, rivet it. If it's plastic or fiberglass, staple it. You can even cover the bottom in speaker cabinet carpet to finish up the bottom nicely. I'm starting on a seat today for a friend's son. He saved up his money and bought a way cool OLD schwinn sting ray and wants the seat done in leather. I try to get some pics throughout the process for you. Cha-Chi I just love it! Your daughter must have the coolest bike on the block! Tom Edited March 3, 2008 by TomSwede Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChaChi Report post Posted March 3, 2008 Yeah, she's got ape hangers on it now. We passed an exercise bike in the trash and she saw the handlebars sticking up from the pile. We turned around and took the whole bike just for the bars. I've got a picture somewhere of her throwing out the little biker wave to a dude riding in to a little party we were having last year and another of her little trike parked in a spot in line of about 60 other choppers at the party with the bars turned the same way as everyone else's scoot. I'll try to find em. She digs her trike. I just love it! Your daughter must have the coolest bike on the block!Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pauly Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Hi there! I'd love to make myself a seat for my cruiser bicycle but I'm a bit daunted by the task and not sure where to begin. Wallets and belts are one thing, this seems harder. I was planning on covering the existing fabric seat. If someone could give a quick rundown on how they'd tackle it, when to mold, when to tool, how to attach to seat etc. I'd be most appreciative. Thanks. Pauly Excuse my clumsyness I'm still working out how to use this chat site...computers easy to use only when you know what your doin'. I've tried to upload a couple of picks of my beloved pushy. You can just see the seat, when I've got a minute in the daylight I'll photograph the seat properly. I've made grips one says 'love' the other 'hate' just like the finger tattoos only doesn't hurt as much. I do a lot of drawing, always have and leatherwork has given me a practical means of getting my stuff out in peoples daily lives. I like old etchings especially by Durer (spooky stuff) scrimshaw and tattoo. I'm thinking Tiki mask and jungle foliage for my seat in tan to match the grips. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pauly Report post Posted March 4, 2008 I did this one for my daughter. Kinda rough, but I wanted it to look like a 3 year old's tricycle, not one of my motorcycle seats. If you have a good seat to start with, just remove the factory cover without destroying it and use it as a template. You'll have to disassemble it of course. Install it the same was it was attached before. If it's a metal seat pan, rivet it. If it's plastic or fiberglass, staple it. You can even cover the bottom in speaker cabinet carpet to finish up the bottom nicely. I'm starting on a seat today for a friend's son. He saved up his money and bought a way cool OLD schwinn sting ray and wants the seat done in leather. I try to get some pics throughout the process for you. Cha-Chi If I can do one half as good as that I'd be wrapped -Pauly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RockyWolf Report post Posted March 4, 2008 (edited) Hi thanks for the photos now your project is starting to build in your mind... you say Tiki mask and jungle foliage for the seat in tan to match the grips. Nice one !! now the next stage drew this out on paper full size using the size of the top of your seat as a guide and see what it looks like paper and pencil is cheaper and a good project need good planing to make it look right ... now you say your sewing is not very good. I suggest you get up to speed in the areas that you need to build your skills on by working some leather projects start on little things first that use stitching also at the same time use some of the Tiki Art from your seat pattern so you get used to working this in Leather little steps at a time then when you are ready use the old seat as your main pattern for your first seat project to make things easy for yourself that is ... I would make a cardboard template from your old seat to keep as from this you can mess around modifying and playing around to make more custom jobs at a later date as this I find is the best way to learn by getting your hands on the tools and leather and just enjoy seeing what if I adjust this or do this how would that look when it's on the bike... Looking forward to seeing your seat coming together Pauly I also like the look of your bike by the way... Something I haven't got the time to build Yet below Edited March 4, 2008 by RockyWolf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pauly Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Hi thanks for the photos now your project is starting to build in your mind... you say Tiki mask and jungle foliage for the seat in tan to match the grips. Nice one !! now the next stage drew this out on paper full size using the size of the top of your seat as a guide and see what it looks like paper and pencil is cheaper and a good project need good planing to make it look right ... now you say your sewing is not very good. I suggest you get up to speed in the areas that you need to build your skills on by working some leather projects start on little things first that use stitching also at the same time use some of the Tiki Art from your seat pattern so you get used to working this in Leather little steps at a time then when you are ready use the old seat as your main pattern for your first seat project to make things easy for yourself that is ... I would make a cardboard template from your old seat to keep as from this you can mess around modifying and playing around to make more custom jobs at a later date as this I find is the best way to learn by getting your hands on the tools and leather and just enjoy seeing what if I adjust this or do this how would that look when it's on the bike... Looking forward to seeing your seat coming together Pauly I also like the look of your bike by the way... Something I haven't got the time to build Yet below Thanks heaps, man that bike looks great. imagine getting it up the hill with a 60kg person next to you, you'd have to get them to get out and push. I just got to wait for my insomnia to kick in and I'll launch into my seat. My stitching and tooling skills are OK, this is about my 30th. project which is not very much and everything else has been wallets & belts so I'm new to molding and making anything 3D. Being self taught I've got a long way to go but I seem to manage to churn stuff out. Now I just got to wreck a perfectly good seat -what fun- like the phoenix it'll rise from the ashes either that or crash and burn. Thanks again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spider Report post Posted March 4, 2008 Both the tricycle and the sidecar bike are awesome. Great stuff man... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RockyWolf Report post Posted March 4, 2008 (edited) Your more than welcome to any help I can give Pauly... then it's a go just play around with your patterns and rip that seat apart there are some more links at http://bikerodnkustom4.homestead.com/sidecar.html scroll down the page though and you will find loads more I visited the site quite a few times without seeing the other bikes that are on the site.. ...good luck with your seat man... and what you do with that 60kg person is make some tack up and let them pull the bike along and shout mushhhh Edited March 4, 2008 by RockyWolf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
