how to make pillion pad without wrinkles

[TinyL]

Can any of you give me some help with a puzzling question. How can a pattern be made to reduce or eliminate the gathers when doing the sides of a pillion pad? I can't wrap my mind around the problem and come up with a solution. The top will have a separate piece that will be laced to the sides. I can see having gathers underneath where the rivets would go, but how do make it smooth all around the sides and not have excess leather?

Thanks for your help.

TinyL

[azrider]

I am not any kind of expert, but I just finished making a pylon pad and seat. Mine has wrinkles in it. One thing I ended up changing in the middle of construction is building the leather like a box, with seams at the corners. Originally, I had one piece for the top, and one for the sides, and was going to wet form the sides to the seat. I tried this and was not happy with the results. I cut out the excess leather on the corners and put in seams, and that took in a lot of the wrinkles, but i had already tried to wet form the seat, so the wrinkles were set in the leather by then. I think if you started with a box type construction you could reduce many of the wrinkles.

[TinyL]

I am not any kind of expert, but I just finished making a pylon pad and seat. Mine has wrinkles in it. One thing I ended up changing in the middle of construction is building the leather like a box, with seams at the corners. Originally, I had one piece for the top, and one for the sides, and was going to wet form the sides to the seat. I tried this and was not happy with the results. I cut out the excess leather on the corners and put in seams, and that took in a lot of the wrinkles, but i had already tried to wet form the seat, so the wrinkles were set in the leather by then. I think if you started with a box type construction you could reduce many of the wrinkles.

Thanks azrider. I figured I would need seams somewhere. Do you think you could get away with one on top and one on bottoms or is four better in the corners?

[azrider]

Do you think you could get away with one on top and one on bottoms or is four better in the corners?

When I tried to make mine with no seams, I ended up with huge folds of leather on the corners. It looked like I had tried to wrap a box for a gift. Another member suggested the box method as a way to avoid wrinkles. When I put the seat together the second time, I did not need to wet mold it. I am having a hard time visualizing what you mean with one on top and one on bottom.

[TinyL]

"one on top and one on bottom"

what i meant but couldn't explain properly because it was early in the morning and i was waiting for the coffee to brew, was having one seam on the side piece at what would be considered the top of the pillion and then one opposite it on the side piece that is considered the bottom of the pillion. Or maybe I should say two seams on the side pieces instead of four seams at the corners. I'm not sure if that's a better or worse description. let me know if my convoluted explanation is ok

[rdb]

How about saying "a two piece gusset"....lol

[TinyL]

or a two piece gusset

[Ian]

Here's a post I made about making a p-pad. I do one seam on the front and one on the back

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...p;hl=quicky+pad

Edited March 28, 2009 by Ian

[TinyL]

Here's a post I made about making a p-pad. I do one seam on the front and one on the back

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...p;hl=quicky+pad

Thanks for the thread Ian. The light bulb just clicked on. So the process would be the same except I could lace the seams instead of sewing. Did you use regular suction cups or are they special? I have an opportunity to make another sample pillion, but my husband suggested trying to make one like this so it might have the chance to sell, besides being just a showpiece. I guess the other trick is going with a thinner oz. on the sides as well. I appreciate your help. This will help avoid mistakes especially the way you also showed how to attach the cups. That was a sticking point between myself and hubby. He read on other forums about just drilling a hole and shoving the nipple in there. ( haha. I said nipple.) But that didn't sound too sturdy to me.

Thanks again!

Chris

[Ian]

Chris, those are just the regular suction cups

Edited March 28, 2009 by Ian

[TinyL]

Thanks Ian. Where can you get that plastic that you used? I promise that's the last question! I appreciate your time.

Chris

[Ian]

Thanks Ian. Where can you get that plastic that you used? I promise that's the last question! I appreciate your time.

Chris

You can find suppliers online - a search for ABS should do the trick. I have a local plastics supplier that I buy from

[azrider]

Thank you for the pictures Ian, I could not visulize what the two seams would look like. TinyL, are you going to do pictures as you build this?

[TinyL]

I can try. I'll tell hubby to take pictures. You know how you get sucked into a project and ignore everything else? That's me.