TooManyHobbies Report post Posted February 3, 2012 Hey all.. I'm not a biker, but I am really diggin some of the styles in this genre. So, after browsing 40 some odd pages of this subforum. I had an idea. I want to do a leather saddle with matching tool bag and handles on my beach cruiser. I am just not sure how to go about it. I've seen lots of the WIP and tutorial threads, so I have some ideas. But wondering if you experts have any thoughts. I am a relative begginer, but have many of the tools I think I need to do this, and a shoulder of HO 6/7 oz vegtan begging for a project. Seat: The saddle I have on there now is triangle shaped as shown below. Its just vinyl over some foam stappled into the plastic seat pan (if you can call it that?) Option 1: Tool my design in leather cut to a shape closely approximating the vinyl already there. Staple or rivet that piece as I wet from to the saddle. Option 2: Try a laced version like many of the solo seats shown in this forum. Looks to be more difficult, and not sure if it would work as well with such a 3D saddle shape. I've never laced before either. Option 3: Something cool that you forum members suggest to me.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chancey77 Report post Posted February 3, 2012 Cut a top and tool it, then cut a strap for the sides to lace the sides to the top cut a bottom that is about 2" and rivet it to the bottom of the seat...easy as pie:) Make a copy of the top (with the leather up side don so the good top is facing down:)and take the wing divider and spread it 2" and trace the outside and cut out the middle. You can tool the heck out of the top,side and bottom:) That is how I would do it and have done many, many times for bicycles. You may have to shape the foam a bit to make it a lot more flat or add some for the sides... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted February 3, 2012 Wow Chancey, that sounds like you're fighting off sleep right now I'm having troubles picturing what you described. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scary Leatherworks Report post Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) OK so here goes. my feeble attempt to describe what I'd do. cut out a "top" illustrated in yellow. make it so it's not quite to the edge of the seat. tool design and punch holes for lacing around a 1/4" from tops edge and spaced for type of lacing. next cut a strip wide enough to go from the top and wrap under the bottom with enough to staple/rivet to the pan (looks like around 3-4" wide) and make the strip (the side) long enough to go around the seat and make the seam either in the front or back your preference. (red) it's a bit tricky to get the side lined up with the tops holes but I usually make a few holes at the seam end and start lacing and make more holes as I go. if you make the side this way it's much easier to wet form because the side is already mostly shaped to the contour. that deep contour at seat back and horn is hard to form otherwise. don't laugh at my crummy sketch oh and I find if you make a top and lace a side when you have to wet from you only have to wet the side leaving the tooled top dry and undisturbed Edited February 4, 2012 by Scary Leatherworks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chancey77 Report post Posted February 4, 2012 (edited) Yayou got it...I would suggest one more thing...Make the wholes in the side strip first, then wrap and form it to the sides then place you top on and using a stylus or pencil mark how the whole are going to be on the top fro the sides...if you can get what I m saying....CBRTRSHR is right I am exhausted...I hope I am helping more than f'n you up right now...hahahah 1. Meassure sides pieces.. 2.Make your holes every 5mm 3.Wet Form The sides 4 Place carved top and Mark where the wholes are going to line up 5.Now that you piece is wet formed you can still figure out a creative way to tool it K.I.S.S..... Ya I need coffee:)hahaha more later in what one might call understandable words and complete sentences... OMG! OK... Hopefully you haven't taken off he old vinyl yet.... Take an ink pad and wipe it on the top really well then, on a heavy card stock press the seat down on the paper, this should give you a very good outline for the top! THAT IS THE SECRET TO FIGURING OUT THE TOP PIECE! It will save you a lot of heartache trying to figure it out! Then on the edge of the bottom do the same for the bottom piece. Measure 2" around the outline to the inside and cut out the middle, this way you don't have to keep wet forming the sides around the bottom! So you have a top , a bottom , and a side that wraps around, you may even cut the side in 2 pieces to help make it a little easier! You just have to disassemble the bottom of the seat so you can make the mark, take off the post and springs...if possible! Are you pickin' up what I'm puttin' down? You should still be able to tool the sides even with a wet form, after you put it all together, just do a little more work to make the stamps/knife work come back to life! OK carry on:) Edited February 4, 2012 by chancey77 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TooManyHobbies Report post Posted February 6, 2012 Thanks for all the replies. I'll admit I didn't quite follow all of the suggestions. So, let me consolidate my thoughts on what I took from the suggestions. 1. Trace top section, and cut out. Tool design. 2. Cut strap with about 3-4" of overhang. 3. Lace together sections of strap and top. 4. Attach whole thing to saddle wetting the sides, wet forming as I go. (Would you suggest Rivets or Staples?) Is that about right? What type of lace would you reccomend. I gather that Roo lace is best, but also pricey. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chancey77 Report post Posted February 6, 2012 If you make a bottom piece like I said and lace it to the sides, you won't even need to rivet it. Top Sides Bottom 2-21/2" wide Lace all together with 1/4" lace Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
