Padded inlaid seat

[steve mason]

here is how I put in an inlaid padded seat.

- the seat is fit and shaped final and allowed to dry

-the inlaid pattern has already been laid out, then the cut out or plug is cut with a straight knife

-the inlay leather is fit over the plug (which is on the ground seat) and the edge is shaped with a tickler, then the seat is put over the top fo the plug and inlay leather and spiked into place and I run a bouncer around the edge of the inlay to get a nice crisp edge flush with the seat

-the foam is cut large and set on the ground seat, then the seat is spiked into place and I mark out the foam just a little smaller to account for the thickness of the inlay leather

-the foam is then glued to the shaped inlay leather, I usually turn the plug upside down and and them put the grain side of the inlay against it to support it while gluing.

-then I french edge the bottom side of the seat about 1/2" to 3/4" to account for the thickness of the inlay leather

-the seat is stitch marked and the hole edge is slicked

-the inlay with the foam already glued in place is now glued to the seat

-then I stitch with my machine and trim and french edge the inlay leather smooth

-then the seat is glued to the ground seat the same as you would glue in a seat without an inlay

this is how I have done inlays for a lot of years now, like I said before I came up with this method from trial and error. If any of you have some tips to improve this method I sure would like to hear them.

[RyanCope]

Steve,

That is pretty much how I have done it for a long time. However, it recently occurred to me that I was being foolish not to put something between the pad and the ground seat.

I wondered to myself which choice words I would mutter under my breath the first time someone brought in a saddle to be repaired which would require me to take out the seat. Also, people have a tendancy to want to lift that seat jockey and look under there, possibly damaging the integrity of the foam. Now you guys have got me second guessing myself. If you put a very thin peice of leather under the foam does it really affect the shape enough for it to be an issue? I'm not sure. But hey, now I've got something new to keep me up at night! Thanks.

Ryan Cope

[Bob]

I personnally like Jim's idea of putting 2 oz belt lining leather under the foam. I got so excited about it last night I didn't sleep either .... Now what I will do is use the draw down to preshape the lining leather against the ground seat, then glue the foam to it first, with the seat in place... of course... then glue the inlay leather on top the foam, while the seat is in place.... then take out the seat and glue the inlay leather again the edges of the foam. then glue the seat to the padded inlay and sew it up. being sure to skive the lining leather before this all starts. I like this idea because the foam never seems to be the same shape when it's all done. With a lining leather under it. It can't change shape. And for the same reason as many of you suggested before. How can one ever lift that seat off for repairs without having to replace the inlaid seat as well? I think a liner is needed for that reason.

I've learned to NEVER be "hard and fast" about anything in this trade. There's always something to learn. Thanks Jim for those ideas. Greg and Steve also had some good ideas too. I'm gonna be thinking about this awhile.

I will say this one thing, and I invite feedback from all of you. I'm not sure chrome tan leathe is the end all for inlaid seats. Why? Because I think that the edge of the seat leather should not be edged and undercut with a french edger at 45 degrees. The foam only slightly thicker than the seat. Gives me a tighter fit with no spaces for dirt, twigs and leaves to gather in the crack where the inlay and seat meet. Veg tan leather will allow me to fit the leather and glue it BEST to the foam, taking shape much better than chrome tan will allow. Please bring feedback on this issue.

It's the same here as it is for many of us, learned by ossmowsis , how to do it wrong a 100 different ways. For so long, this industry has been tight lipped about how to do things. That we have to learn by trial 'n error...

Edited March 19, 2008 by Bob

[greg gomersall]

Bob we are not cutting a 45 with the french edger. We are completely removing a 1/2" wide strip of the skirting the same thickness as the inlay material so after sewing the seat is the same thickness as it was before we started. Ryan I glue the foam to the seat and then glue the seat to the groundseat. Greg

[Bob]

Bob we are not cutting a 45 with the french edger. We are completely removing a 1/2" wide strip of the skirting the same thickness as the inlay material so after sewing the seat is the same thickness as it was before we started. Ryan I glue the foam to the seat and then glue the seat to the groundseat. Greg

Greg, I understand exactly what you mean.

I will say this one thing, and I invite feedback from all of you. I'm not sure chrome tan leather is the end all for inlaid seats. Why? Because I think that the top edge of the seat leather should not be edged at all, and instead undercut with a french edger at 45 degrees, this will leave a sharp edge on the top of the seat leather. This is a good thing in my mind. Not what you normally see done. I'm not refering to the undercut Greg mentioned, to allow for the thickness of the inlay. This undercut with a small french edger will only allow the foam and inlay to fit tight against the seat leather itself, with not space in between.

Using foam thats only slightly thicker than the seat. Gives me a tighter fit with no spaces for dirt, twigs and leaves to gather in the crack where the inlay and seat meet. Veg tan leather will allow me to fit the leather and glue it BEST to the foam, taking shape much better than chrome tan will allow. Please bring feedback on this issue.

Edited March 19, 2008 by Bob

[bigprairie]

Might as well brew another pot and add another related topic to Ryan's saddle. How does everybody do a padded inlaid seat? I have done one, and was having a heck of time finding the right foam. Most was too soft for what I was looking for, or my previous experience was that some broke down. Eventually that would leave a crater. I backed up and made a buildup of 3 layers of scrap chap leather, glued each layer and then edge sewed the pad. I used elephant for the seat, figuring two things. One was that it was durable, the other was that it came pre-wrinkled. I had watched a guy put in a padded seat who had done several. Demonstrations are doomed to failure, and his roo wrinkled. Mine came out pretty decent.

Since then talking to several guys, no two are alike. Some guys use a thin backer and sandwich the padding, others stitch the seat cover in and cement the seat and pad down to the ground seat. Some guys use foam, others use a chap buildup. All techniques, tips, tricks, and trivia are welcome here.

Bruce -

I have only done 1 inlaid seat, about 4 years ago - I formed a piece of tooling leather, about 8 0z. over a padding of shearling with the fleece cut to about 1/2 inch. The shearling was shaved around the edge about 1/2 inch and sewn in, fleece side up along with the inlay leather. Finished with oil and Australian wax and after four years doesn't seem to be any packing or movement of the fleece. I'm thinking about doing it again on the saddle I am currently working on.

Ron

[Bob]

This is a couple pictures of two different saddles near completion. Both inlaid seats, done differently. The first picture has the top edge of the seat rounder off with an edger. The second picture is undercut on 45 degree angle with a french edger and NOT edged on top, leaving the seat leather fit tight up against the padded inlay.

[kseidel]

I get my foam from MacMaster-Carr. It is a black quick recovery foam which is available in different thicknesses and in firmness ratings from 1 thru 10.

Greg, What is the foam that you use for your padded seats? I am getting low on stock and am in need of a new supplier. The Co. I used has gone out of business and I can't find the same material that I got from them. It sounds a lot like what you described. Keith

[greg gomersall]

Greg, What is the foam that you use for your padded seats? I am getting low on stock and am in need of a new supplier. The Co. I used has gone out of business and I can't find the same material that I got from them. It sounds a lot like what you described. Keith

Keith I'll get the part # for you when I am at the shop tomorrow and pm you. Greg

This is a couple pictures of two different saddles near completion. Both inlaid seats, done differently. The first picture has the top edge of the seat rounder off with an edger. The second picture is undercut on 45 degree angle with a french edger and NOT edged on top, leaving the seat leather fit tight up against the padded inlay.

Bob from the looks of the photo cutting an inside 45 on an inlay may create some sewing issues? Greg

[Bob]

I've been doing it this way for many years now. Haven't had too much troubles with stitching until I tried most recently to sew with a new (different) stitcher. Thanks for your comments.

Greg, I'd sure like to learn what you use for foam. Rumour has it that Ken in Calgary is selling some good foam that has no memory.

Edited March 22, 2008 by Bob