Christian Bike Seat

[mulefool]

Boy, you've really got everything working for you, excellent composition and clean execution. Really nice. you know I don't know the first thing about motorcycles and I had no idea of the things folks did with the seats until I joined this board. There's some incredible work out there. Next time I see a bunch of those things parked at the local cafe, I'm gonna go over and check them out.

[wolvenstien]

gotta have a good saddle on your horse.... even if it is an iron one...

[Guest]

Hey all,

Finally done except for staining. The basketweave is structural on this seat....(it really does hold the thing together) This basketweave was down 3.5 hour from my usual so I guess my new patterns are paying off a bit.

Hope you have all enjoyed this. I did.

Take care,

Dave

[Guest]

This is the final....The customer wanted a near black seat to go on his black and silver Sucker Punch.

There you go guys and gals. That's it from beginning to end.

Hope you enjoyed the thread and hope that it didn't get to boring.

Dave

Edited June 26, 2007 by David

[wolvenstien]

please tell me that you took pix step by step as you finished her....

If not, please do so on your next project...

This turned out great... the customer should be floored!

[JohnD]

Beautiful seat and an excellent thread. Thanks for all the insight and info.

Also, Saw the Chop-off seat in person this weekend, awesome job, definitely a highlight of the bike.

[Roger]

very nice david! it's dark but not too dark.

[shirleyz]

Great thread David, and beautiful seat as always! Always admire your work. You are a great help to a lot of people, Kudos.

Your fan,

Shirley

[rdb]

Clean Carving work. Beautiful braiding. Well done.

Everytime I think about braiding, I look at all the holes to fill in, and go back to making a belt...lol

[Guest]

Thanks rdb,

Glad you like it. Braiding isn't as bad as you might think

Dave

[Amaral]

Ok now the front of the seat has its decorative lacing in place it is time to attach it to the seat pan and then start the final basketweave lacing.

When you begin to tie down the seat top; start in the middle of the seat at the front and back and tie down in both directions; it looks bad to start out, but as you continue, it will finally come together. Add a tie down on boths sides of the seat in front then both sides of the seat in the back.....I put a tie down in either every other hole or every third hole. Of course these are cut out as you get to them in your basketweave lacing.

This evening I start the basketweave that holds the whole thing together.

Dave Theobald

Dave,

I´d like to ask you a question about the patterns:

In the bottom one, how much you left off the seat pan?

And in the Top One, when you trace that, you go straight to the end of the padding and the beginning of the border of the seat pan?

Thanks for any information you can offer.

Edited March 26, 2009 by Amaral

[Amaral]

Dave,

I´d like to ask you a question about the patterns:

In the bottom one, how much you left off the seat pan?

And in the Top One, when you trace that, you go straight to the end of the padding and the beginning of the border of the seat pan?

Thanks for any information you can offer.

[McJeep]

Wow Dave, simply outstanding!

I might add that you probably aren't aware of just how big a service you are doing for this newbie when you post up a step by step like this. I'm always floored by your work and if I'm ever lucky enough to get to share some space with ya, choo gots mega cervesas coming my friend ;0)

Your braid has more over/under's than a normal round braid - how do you do that when not using a needle? (baffled)

Thanks again!

Rob

[Loydo50]

David,

Are you still doing the steps outlined below or have you found another technique. I am in the process of making my first seat and all of your post have been extremely helpful. Not to mention your craftsmanship is second to none!

"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

[David]

David,

Are you still doing the steps outlined below or have you found another technique. I am in the process of making my first seat and all of your post have been extremely helpful. Not to mention your craftsmanship is second to none!

"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

Yes still use this technique when starting a seat for a new pan.

Dave

[Loydo50]

Thank you very much David!

[billio8]

hello David complimneti for your exceptional work

I have a question ... How to take measures to cut the skin on the seat?

how do you do exactly match the front with the rear?

I use my system, but I do not know whether it is right, shaped sponge

covers it with nylon bag

covered it all with paper tape

to create the exact shape of the seat

and leather cutting them

is an exact operation??

thanks Billio8

Edited August 10, 2010 by billio8

[Bobby hdflame]

This is a great seat! Very well done.

Seeing this really makes me want to do more intricate leather work. I have been teaching myself how to upholster over the last year and spend a lot of time on an upholstery forum, which I help moderate. This site promises to be as helpful in learning how to do leather work!

If anyone wants to pick up some pointers doing upholstery, check out http://get-up-and-go.com/upholstery-forum/ There's a lot of helpful and talented people there, just Like I'm seeing here!

Outstanding job Dave! Thanks to everyone on here for taking the time to share "How To's" like this!

Bobby

[FHL FERG]

Great Seat and fantastic Write up David!

I tooke some cues from this for my current seat project. My seats have always been raw on the back side and just screwed to the pan. I really like what you did with the bottom panel and riveting etc.. I was in a position with my current project to make the change it's really looking good and starting to come together for me. Thank you so incredibly much for sharing your trade secrets.

Ferg

[Janne]

Awesome seat & tutorial, thanks David!

Another newbie here with dumb but simple question: I see you laced the undyed leathers together and applied dyes afterwards, any particular reason for doing things in that order?

One fellow Finn instructed me to always dye before lacing, and I understand the point there, so my other questions for you are: how did you apply the dye, and how did you manage to ensure the dye will go to all small spots between the laces? Is there any danger of undyed leather coming visible between the laces when the time passes by?

Sorry if these topics are covered somewhere, I haven't found any answers yet. The reason I ask is that I have a tank panel in the making which I have already laced, and I'm in doubt if I should start over by taking all lacing off and dye it first, or can I manage dyeing it now when it is already laced.

Thanks,

Janne

[WanderingStar]

Im general what weight do you use for your leather? I have a project to recover a seat with good leather and I wanted to get it right.

[David]

I use 7-8 oz. leather for my seats.

Dave Theobald

[bikermutt07]

Really beautiful work.