silkfatblues Report post Posted September 6, 2011 more than 60 year old seat (the owner said so...) some fresh paint and plenty of rust... don't know what this is... more rust and something hairy trying to get the rust off... first layer of some special kind of rubbery spunge (don't know how to explain in english) here I put 2 more layers of spunge and that rubber type of thing... don't have the photo of the inside but it is like sandwich with two thiner layers (water resistant) on the outside and one 1" softer spunge in the middle... nice peice of cow shoulder (vegetabile) pfaff 335 sewing machine painted and polished edges, nice round and slicky... lacquered and polished all over... a days work but should last for another 50 years cheers, Silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pellegrino Report post Posted September 17, 2011 nice work.....silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted September 27, 2011 thanx pellegrino! another seat from me... cheers, Silvio Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McJeep Report post Posted September 29, 2011 A day's work? I'd be weeks! LOL Question: I don't see any anchor points etc for forming the top to the foam? How do you do that?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted October 3, 2011 A day's work? I'd be weeks! LOL Question: I don't see any anchor points etc for forming the top to the foam? How do you do that?? I make the top piece of leather larger than the bottom one, get it wet in a warm water (put some glue on the edges and try not to get that wet), bond the upper and lower part just enough to keep in place during hand pressing the shape... at first I was a bit scared that leather wouldn't agree for that kind of action but after a hour of sweat and tooth crunching it turned just fine, looks to me like the top of the dr. martens boot... then I dried the top leather (took it of and dried the inside part also), glued it even better, cut the extra edges, sew it on an old pfaff machine, did the edges, lacquered it, polished and that is it... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McJeep Report post Posted October 3, 2011 Nice Thanks much Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted October 3, 2011 no problem!! btw. I baught a new camera so there will be a short movie next time I make a seat... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McJeep Report post Posted October 3, 2011 (edited) excellent - look forward to it Edited October 3, 2011 by McJeep Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted October 10, 2011 another one from me... I made this one almost two years ago... still looks cool to me... the one above is the first seat I ever made and this was the second one... the plate and taking mesures... one layer of thin rubbery spunge, one layer of softer spunge and again thin and dense rubbery stuff (not sure how to call it) the cool thing is when you use the neophrene glue on the edges (you must make the middle spunge thicker and softer and SMALLER) the air gets stuck in the mid part... I like it like that, the whole seat looks thin but is much more confortable than it looks... (the driver said so) engraving before glueing... stamp of my workshop hidden from the eyes of public... (I just didnt want someone to sit on my logo ) softening the edge part with water and shaping it to the plate... graphic (from a bikers arm actualy) graphic transfered to the main peice of nice cow shoulder... few pictures missing... simplest way not to use the sewing machine :D finitoooo!!! nice contrast with green in the back... cheers, Silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted October 25, 2011 another bike, another seat... average seat but the bike is awsome Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McJeep Report post Posted October 25, 2011 Not sure if it's the picture or your technique but your graphics seem to have smooth rounded edges to them - do you carve the design and then stamp etc, or is your work all done with stamps? Either way, it's a great look - just curious about your technique I really have to do some playing around and teach myself to form leather - haven't tried it yet at all - looking forward to it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted October 25, 2011 tnx mcJeep!! the roundness is a result of puting some rubbery spunge (very hard) under leather (between the leather and anvil)... that gives a slight roundness and 3d... after stamping that peice of spunge was remuved... in fact I used it only under the leathers and the skellet... the seat is now about a year old, I saw it today and it kept the shape very well... cheers, Silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McJeep Report post Posted October 25, 2011 (edited) Nope, I was referring to the tooling itself - the edges of the lettering etc seem to have a nice round (as opposed to a sharp swivel blade carved edge) almost rolled edge to them Edited October 25, 2011 by McJeep Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted October 27, 2011 not sure realy... most of my stuff is pure improvisation, I never read a single leathercraft book so it is all on first strike and very impulsive in my head :brainbleach: :D this one was laser engraved... I am very lucky to meet people with such bikes... you just cant go vrong with this... ok, maybe someone can... this is a repair that I did before: and after: I wasnt to happy with result cause the engraved (the original) leather was to hard and thick... that is why the guy that made it couldnt shape it right... the owner was unhappy couse the seat was hard and it gave him but pain i guess... for me it was as much work as making a new seat but the owner wanted this engraved leather peice to remain as it was... in the end he was very pleased and ordered a side bag also... cheers, Silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted December 10, 2011 another seat for HD... cheers, silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted December 20, 2011 An improvisation from last night... I ran out of spunge so I finished it this morning... it's a birthday prezent to a friend... seat - uncut seat - cut seat polished and lacquered... cheers, silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randypants Report post Posted December 21, 2011 Beautiful seat! quick question. the bottom piece of leather(the red piece), is it the same size as the top(black)? or did you cut out all the inserts, then stitch them on? An improvisation from last night... I ran out of spunge so I finished it this morning... it's a birthday prezent to a friend... seat - uncut seat - cut seat polished and lacquered... cheers, silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted December 21, 2011 Beautiful seat! quick question. the bottom piece of leather(the red piece), is it the same size as the top(black)? or did you cut out all the inserts, then stitch them on? Thanx!! on the third picture you can see the bottom peice of leather... that is how Iglued it, then came the stitches and I cut around the stitches about 1 cm all around... so, red piece is still in one piece ) but cut so it is easyer to shape the seat... cheers, Silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
randypants Report post Posted December 22, 2011 Thanx!! on the third picture you can see the bottom peice of leather... that is how Iglued it, then came the stitches and I cut around the stitches about 1 cm all around... so, red piece is still in one piece ) but cut so it is easyer to shape the seat... cheers, Silk thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted February 7, 2012 this started with a sketch... started tooling the leather peice and somewhere along the line I searched the tube to find some usefull videos for tooling leather... soon find out that I was a total ignorant in this area... but it was too late... I do like what I did but after looking at some videos I realised it could be done more simple and less trouble... and the biggest problem was dying... my dyes are not water based so they stink like hell and give headache... that is not the only problem... this type of dyes are not ment for details, they tend to spill over edges... (it is more fluid and thin) in the end I am satisfied and the customer is too.. actualy he is ecstatic and I am too I'll be buying some new tools and dyes, now I know what to look for... cheers, silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iron Pounder Report post Posted February 8, 2012 another one from me... I made this one almost two years ago... still looks cool to me... the one above is the first seat I ever made and this was the second one... the plate and taking mesures... one layer of thin rubbery spunge, one layer of softer spunge and again thin and dense rubbery stuff (not sure how to call it) the cool thing is when you use the neophrene glue on the edges (you must make the middle spunge thicker and softer and SMALLER) the air gets stuck in the mid part... I like it like that, the whole seat looks thin but is much more confortable than it looks... (the driver said so) engraving before glueing... stamp of my workshop hidden from the eyes of public... (I just didnt want someone to sit on my logo ) softening the edge part with water and shaping it to the plate... graphic (from a bikers arm actualy) graphic transfered to the main peice of nice cow shoulder... few pictures missing... simplest way not to use the sewing machine :D finitoooo!!! nice contrast with green in the back... cheers, Silk Could you explain how you did the lettering on the seat? Did you use a swivel knife to cut them in? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted February 8, 2012 Could you explain how you did the lettering on the seat? Did you use a swivel knife to cut them in? hi, I didn't use swivel knife... I used a bone. A knife shaped and slightly curved peice of bone... It does not cut theleather, it just makes the line... I'll post picture if I find one... cheers, Silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iron Pounder Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Yep thought so but thought I was the only one that tooled leather that way. I tried to think of any other way a guy could get that look but should have known. It seems some think it's the wrong way to tool. In my mind it is the right way as it doesn't weaken the leather. How the right way can be the method the weakens (cut with swivel knife) the leather just seems odd to me. I wouldn't mind sharing ideas as your the only other person I know that tools the way I do. Guess that is what happens when your born left handed and they switch you over to right, I end up doing most everything in life a different way,lol. Love the seats and very nice work to get the foam to shape that nice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Yep thought so but thought I was the only one that tooled leather that way. I tried to think of any other way a guy could get that look but should have known. It seems some think it's the wrong way to tool. In my mind it is the right way as it doesn't weaken the leather. How the right way can be the method the weakens (cut with swivel knife) the leather just seems odd to me. I wouldn't mind sharing ideas as your the only other person I know that tools the way I do. Guess that is what happens when your born left handed and they switch you over to right, I end up doing most everything in life a different way,lol. Love the seats and very nice work to get the foam to shape that nice. I agree!! cutting the face of the leather feels so wrong to me sometimes... But this two seats that I have tooled that way are made by my ignorance and improvisation. I have never seen a single video untill few days ago when I finished this spartan seat and I wanted to learn some tricks... I wasn't much surprised by videos but I found few details of how to make it easyer to myself and realised I need to get those dyes, those thick and full color dyes... I will continue to use a bone for tooling, but if some details need cutting I have a swivel knife to... thanx for kind words, Best regards, Silvio Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silkfatblues Report post Posted April 5, 2012 A new sidebag for that Spartan bike... I would have done more details but it was a rush, the guy has to ramble, sunny days are here... The fire is done without any stencils, just a direct drawing on leather with a peice of bone... would be nicer if I used a stencil so I could corect some bits... but I like it as it is... cheers, Silk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
