wolvenstien Report post Posted January 12, 2008 I took the original cover off my sissy bar back rest and used the cushion to make a template to cut the leather out with. Well... I cut the leather, tooled it, and laced the rear panel to the gusset and went to fit the cushion into the piece I had finished to get it ready to lace the front to it and the cushion is way too big for it now. I thought that if I cut the back and front the same size as the cushion and the gusset the same width, that it would fit... not the case... I didnt want to cut it larger for fear of cutting ti too large and it being "baggy". Any suggestions? Wet it and force it to fit? I will get pix in the morning.... to show how I put it together and what I am talking about. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drac Report post Posted January 12, 2008 sounds like you forgot to add a seam allowance. I've done that when I've been in a hurry/working too late/working too long/ not focusing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolvenstien Report post Posted January 13, 2008 OK, Yeah drac, I think you are right... I just have no clue how to cut this now.... I was expecting the edges to come together at a 90 but that isnt the case... i think if it stayed at a 90 it would have worked... Here are the pix... What do ya'll think? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luke Hatley Report post Posted January 13, 2008 (edited) WOLVIE... WHY NOT TRIM THE FOAM TO FIT. ALSO IN THE UPHOLSTRY BUSINESS THERE ARE TOOLS THAT COMPRESS THE FOAM THAT IS PUT INTO CHAIR AND SOFA CUSHIONS Edited January 13, 2008 by Luke Hatley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolvenstien Report post Posted January 13, 2008 See the first and second pic? thats the "pan" for the cushion... it wont fit... I cant cut it down... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin King Report post Posted January 13, 2008 Soak the !@##$% outa the leather, and spray some silicone on the foam and force fit that sumbish. It'll go. KK Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolvenstien Report post Posted January 13, 2008 I am kind of scares about wet stretching it over the pan and cushion... scared it will warp and screw up the tooling.... Are these possible results of doing that? Where do you get spray silicone? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beaverslayer Report post Posted January 13, 2008 Wolvie, I hate to be the one to tell ya...but...Damned shame to have to cut all that lace out. I'm pretty sure what you're going to have to do is, start over and add 2/2" to 3/4" to the overall dimenssions to make up for the lace seams. Ven if you were to soak the @#*%! out of it, the chance of the basket weave getting screwed up is very good, and when it comes time to lace the front to the back, you're going to have problems. The only other way I can think of to rectify it without having to scrap the leather, is to use a basic "X" cross lacing as you see on a lot of Beezas seats. That will give you much more room for the corners to actually become rounded. One other thing, the person riding on the back is going to feel that lacing digging into thier back all the time. Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drac Report post Posted January 13, 2008 trying the wetting and stretching WILL screw up the tooling, so that method's out. starting over from scratch and adding about 1/2" to the overall size on every piece is really your only way to go unless you use the "X" stitching. although fair warning, your rider will still feel that digging in too, just not as much. and the "X" stitching has the possiblity of small gaps which would suck if riding in the rain. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jordan Report post Posted January 13, 2008 I really hate when that happens, just to throw a little stress breaker atcha you could always trade your bike in for a smaller one it might fit then. I'm sorry just couldn't resist, I feel for ya. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JRedding Report post Posted January 13, 2008 I think you're screwed dude, around here we nail stuff like that to the wall for a while just to make sure it sinks in and doesn't happen again. Thank god for having to paint once in a while or my wall would look like "don't let this happen to you" for a cow. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCOUTER Report post Posted January 13, 2008 Wolvie, I HATE doing things over! I am the type that would spend twice as much time adapting everything else to fit! I don't understand why you can't cut the pan/foam to fit the NEW Cover? What is the pan made of? When you have to improvise you call it "CUSTOM" Nice lacing! (cut the pan!) Good Luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolvenstien Report post Posted January 13, 2008 I hate doing stuff twice too.... the pan is stainless steel, and I have nothing to cut it down and getting a smaller bike is out of the question... I think I have an idea that Beave gave me without giving me.... I will work on it today and see if it works out some.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beaverslayer Report post Posted January 13, 2008 Hey Wolvie, glad I could help without helping..LOL Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolvenstien Report post Posted January 13, 2008 Hey Wolvie, glad I could help without helping..LOLKen well... what I thought of was from what you mentioned about how Beeze does the X lacing... but I screded it up too.... Back to the drawing board.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beaverslayer Report post Posted January 13, 2008 I feel for ya Wolvie, I do hope that you can get it all worked out. By the way, I thought you were going to go with a Dragon design on your seats? Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David Report post Posted January 13, 2008 (edited) I dont know if you allowed for this, but, when you use the cushion for the pattern and then punch holes and lace it together your NEW cushion size is measured to the inside of the holes. To make the cushion fit, you would have to enlarge your pattern by the distance from the inside of the holes to the edge of the leather. for example if your cushion is 15" square and you use 1/8" dia. holes that are 1/8" from the edge of the leather your pattern should be enlarged by 1/4" on all sides or 15 1/2" square. Edited January 13, 2008 by David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolvenstien Report post Posted January 14, 2008 I feel for ya Wolvie, I do hope that you can get it all worked out.By the way, I thought you were going to go with a Dragon design on your seats? Ken I could not get anyone to hlp me with any type of design, and I saw either David or Beezes seat that was "elegantly simple" with basket weave tooling on the upper and lower of the seating area, and it looked nice, so since I could not get any help getting a scene that would bring all four pieces together, when I saw his seat I decided to go with something like that. It was posted on the 2007 board, and I dotn remember whose seat it was but I refered to it as "elegantly simple". I dont know if you allowed for this, but, when you use the cushion for the pattern and then punch holes and lace it together your NEW cushion size is measured to the inside of the holes. To make the cushion fit, you would have to enlarge your pattern by the distance from the inside of the holes to the edge of the leather. for example if your cushion is 15" square and you use 1/8" dia. holes that are 1/8" from the edge of the leather your pattern should be enlarged by 1/4" on all sides or 15 1/2" square. David, no I did not take this into account, and thank you for giving me the formula to figure it by... maybe now when i restart on it tomorrow I will get it to work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katfrye Report post Posted January 14, 2008 I took the original cover off my sissy bar back rest and used the cushion to make a template to cut the leather out with. Well... I cut the leather, tooled it, and laced the rear panel to the gusset and went to fit the cushion into the piece I had finished to get it ready to lace the front to it and the cushion is way too big for it now. I thought that if I cut the back and front the same size as the cushion and the gusset the same width, that it would fit... not the case... I didnt want to cut it larger for fear of cutting ti too large and it being "baggy". Any suggestions? Wet it and force it to fit? I will get pix in the morning.... to show how I put it together and what I am talking about. I think you need to unlace/sew and add leather. If it were me, I would buy some muslin, make a prototype/pattern before adding anything. You can use 'steam-a-seam' instead of sewing, you iron the seams & they can be pulled apart when you want to make final pattern. Kat Frye Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin King Report post Posted January 14, 2008 So...if your gonna havta start over might as well try the soak and stretch idea. Matter of fact, when i make a seat i always soak it and have not ever had a problem with the tooling coming out. KK Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gremlin Report post Posted January 14, 2008 If you are comfortable doing an edgebraid rather than a double or triple loop, you can still butt the edges together and lace it. It will take the suctioncup type lip away and leave it a lot flatter making it more comfortable for the passenger as well as possibly giving you the size you need. Google mexican edge braid and you'll come up with the instructions. I'd post them but I'm at work right now and don't have access the the image file. Good luck. Looks like you've spent a lot of time stamping and it would be a shame to have to start over. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolvenstien Report post Posted January 14, 2008 Gremlin, doing a google for "mexican edge braid" only gives me a broken link to leatherworker, and to a post by a gremlin here: http://jockeyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16056 The pic of the seat shows what appears to be mexican basketweave as I know it, which is the same as what I used above on the sissy pad cover. Is this what you were referring to? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gremlin Report post Posted January 14, 2008 Opps - my mistake. Yes, what you have is a mexican basket weave which is the same as the edge braid (depending on who you talk to). I didn't look close enough to your pics. So, instead of lacing the pieces side by side put them edge to edge and lace them flat. Don't let the top go over the bottom piece. Give that a try on a couple pieces of scrap first and see it that will work for you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beaverslayer Report post Posted January 15, 2008 Wolvie, this has been bothering me all weekend, and I think I have a simple solution to your problem. First, glue the edges of the front panel to the edges of the side panel together using a good contact cement. Second, glue a strip of leather ( I use Pigskin) to the back of the panels. The corners will be a bit hard to do, but it can be done. Third, repunch the holes through the stripping. Fourth, start your lacing on the second hole from your starting point. And glue the tail down as shown. Then lace back into the first hole on the backside, and back to the front. Fifth, on the front, cross over and lace into the second hole on the left side as shown. Sixth, then lace from the back to the front again, the same as you did on the left side. Seven, cross over the lacing and lace into the third hole, back a hole on the backside, then through to the front. Eight, This is what I mean by lacing back a hole on the backside. Nine, this is how you do a joint with this style of lacing. Run the lace under one of the loops a few spaces back and cut off. Start your new lace from under your last loop on the opposite side. As shown. Ten, pull your lace through to the front, as you would have normally. Eleven, the finished front lace. Twelve, the finished back lace. You should be able to moisten the lace when it comes time to wrap it around the foam, this will not effect it in any way. As I said, the corners will be a bit of a bitch, but it can be done. Good luck, I hope this helps you save that seat. Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hidemechanic Report post Posted January 15, 2008 Finish that one for another bike, and make yourself a new one. You'll fab a new back that someone can use. GHackett Jordan, No way is Wolv gonna sell his Maggie and drive a smaller bike under the sissy bar pad. He'd wanta attach a auxilery fuel can to replace the pad before he'd wanta waste a perfectly good screemer. ROFLMAO. GH Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
