Newest seat

[David]

I create a top leather with all the holes punched and a bottom leather with just two holes punched on the centerline at the front and rear of the leather.

Then I tie the front to the rear using only those two holes on the centerline and with the pan and padding sandwiched in between. Now I can pull the two leathers together and mark the rear leather for all the other holes.

It is a slow but effective method.

Dave

[chainftw]

I create a top leather with all the holes punched and a bottom leather with just two holes punched on the centerline at the front and rear of the leather.

Then I tie the front to the rear using only those two holes on the centerline and with the pan and padding sandwiched in between. Now I can pull the two leathers together and mark the rear leather for all the other holes.

It is a slow but effective method.

Dave

thanks for all your help Dave, Chain

[David]

My customer just sent me a couple shots of his bike at the Easyriders Bike Show in Sacramento this past weekend.

Dave

[Bree]

The seat is scrumptious. Nuf said.

[Sasquatch]

Nice to see it on the final project. Did the customer mention how he did at the show?

[TroyS]

Perfect ending to a perfect project! Thanks for your insight and guidance Dave! You are an inspiration...

[David]

Perfect ending to a perfect project! Thanks for your insight and guidance Dave! You are an inspiration...

Thanks Troy,

I always love it when a customer sends pics of his bike to me. Not too many do it so it is a real pleasant surprise. I'm also not sure how he did at the show, but I like how the tan seat makes the whole bike pop! If that seat were black, I think the entire bike would be pretty ho hum.

Dave Theobald

[ETW Grumpy]

That's really a work of art. Thanks for sharing it step by step. What font did you use?

[Amaral]

Glad you like the finish MadMax, it is a combination of medium brown, saddle tan and sheridan paste antiquing. I like the color and hope the customer does too.

That is Leather Balm with atom wax that I use. I've never had it pull up like you describe. The only thing I have noticed is that it has a tendency to turn to a whitish powder after a year or so on a bike. Some saddle soap and a scrubbing with a toothbrush followed by Aussie cream seem to do the trick and freshen the seat up.

I used Lexol on the seat prior to antiquing and really like the even finish it gives to the project. I didn't get any antiquing splotches as can sometimes happen.

Thanks for taking a look at the project.

Dave Theobald

Dave,

I dig this topic, and I'd like to ask you a question.

On the seat I was working on, I finish the toling, and use the following products (in this order): Hi-Lite Stain Saddle Tan; Saddle Tan Gel Antique; Mink Oil, Fiebing's Leather Balm with Atom Wax.

What I notice is that the mink oil really darkened the entire project, turning uselles all the high lights doned.

My questions are:

1) Do lexol has the same effect (darkening the leather)?

2) The Atom wax doesn´t really waterproof the leather, I will try Pecard´s Leather Dressing. Is it a good choice?

Thanks for all the help that you can offer.

[David]

Dave,

I dig this topic, and I'd like to ask you a question.

On the seat I was working on, I finish the toling, and use the following products (in this order): Hi-Lite Stain Saddle Tan; Saddle Tan Gel Antique; Mink Oil, Fiebing's Leather Balm with Atom Wax.

What I notice is that the mink oil really darkened the entire project, turning uselles all the high lights doned.

My questions are:

1) Do lexol has the same effect (darkening the leather)?

2) The Atom wax doesn´t really waterproof the leather, I will try Pecard´s Leather Dressing. Is it a good choice?

Thanks for all the help that you can offer.

Amaral,

Any kind of oil will darken leather. Mink oil, neetsfoot oil, or Lexol they will all darken the leather.

As far as water PROOFING.... I don't think anything makes the leather impervious to water. Except for NeatLac, but I hate that stuff. It can crack and peal off. All of the products you mentioned are better than nothing. Pecards is as good as any, I use Aussie Conditioner which is very similar to Pecards.

As far as you staining products that you mention, I can't speak to them, most are the EcoFlow stuff that Tandy makes and I don't use it.

Hope this helps.

Dave Theobald