Attempt at seats based on a sprung pan

[azrider]

I ordered a seat pan, not because I want to put it on my bike, but just because I wanted to try making one. This site will do that to you...

The first picture will be done with brown lace. It was my second attempt tooling this design, which I modified out of a Tony Laier pattern. This is the one I will lace first.

The second picture are my screw ups from the first attempt. I cut out the places I messed up, and will be inlaying some black leather with a texture background stamp. I had slipped with the knife when cutting it out, but I don't think its too noticible. (I am ordering two more pans this week.)

I plan on using three rivets to attach the back to the pan, then using the mexican basket weave to lace them together. I am not sure if I should use the basketweave or double loop to cover the edges on the cut outs on the bottom. I am planning on one or two layers of exersize mat for padding, depending on what fits.

Any tips or suggestions from the pros on here?

[David]

AZ,

You need to do a couple of things, first even out the hole spacing on your top and bottom leathers. The irregular hole pattern will give you an irregular lacing on the edge.

That is a large seat pan. On my smaller pans I have 21 rivets holding the back leather on the pan. I'm afraid that only three will cause puckering of the leather when you begin to pull the lace tight.

I won't comment on the tooling.

Dave

[azrider]

Thank you for the reply, David. I figured out how to walk a wing divider to get better spacing on the holes after most of them were already punched. I really struggle with the spacing of holes, and getting them even. If I can start to get the holes even that will help my lacing a lot.

I didn't realize the lacing will cause the bottom piece to pucker. I think you had mentioned before that you don't use any glue either. When I got this pan originally, I was trying to figure out how to attach the leather. I may get a drill press so I can get the pan drilled easier, because my hand drill is going to struggle to make that many holes in metal this thick.

It is a learning process for me. This whole seat is practice for designing the layout, lacing, and assembly. I am hoping to learn enough from it that anything I do in the future will look better.

[Roger]

for sure you need to even out the edges and the lacing holes. it will really improve the finished product.

i don't rivet the bottom at all on those type of seats. i glue the bottom in place with barge cement and have had no issues

[azrider]

Here's the finished seat. It is my second motorcycle seat, and the first one using this type of pan. I put it together, and learned a lot from it. I won't be putting together the other one, my pattern is off by about a half inch, so the lacing folded under the back of the pan more than I wanted. I am also going to spend a lot of time on the next seat getting the holes completely even, because that will make things look quite a bit better. I am not totally happy with the way it came out, but I think I learned enough that my next one will be much better.

Critques welcome.