Making a seat

[ola_martin]

Has anyone here made their own seat?
I have a couple of bikes that doesn't have a OEM seat, and I don't want to be using something that doesn't fit the frame...

I made one for my Cheney XT this winter, using a fiberglass YZ125C base, wich I cut apart and removed/added fiberglass to make it follow the frame.
Then used a foam for the same bike, and added on and grinded off foam where it needed, then taped the whole seat tight with duct-tape, glued on a 3mm layer of stiffer foam to hide the tape. Then glued a soft wolly 4mm layer to the back of the cover to straighten things a bit more.

A lot of work, but turned out good.


I'm now starting on a seat for my Cheney XL, found that a RM125-78 foam looks about right.

Thinking of making a new base in alloy, but I probably need to modify the foam a bit here also.
So any tips on how to make a modded foam look good will be very welcome!!
 

[mainline]

The upholsterer who I've used to make seats for me in the past glues (with spray adhesive I think) layers of foam on top of one another then shapes them roughly with an electric carving knife before sanding them to shape with an orbital sander (air powered)

[Rod Rocket]

I moulded a new seat foam, I mocked up the old seat pan with styrene and clay and made a fiber glass mould and cast flexable foam seat from the mould. Then I did some final shaping with a angle grinder with a flap disk fitted it worked well and removed the excess foam with ease I also tried a belt sander seams any form of sander will do the job but you need to approach this task with care I found with the grinder using a wiping motion worked quite well and blended the foam easily.
Regards Rod.

[Mike52]

cast flexable foam
Regards Rod.

Where did you buy the foam stuff Rod and was it any good.
Cheers

[Rod Rocket]

Hi ola_martin,
This is from a previous post
Hi maimline & MICK-DE,
I test rode the bike with a piece of fabric as cover to check shape before we cover it with gripper vinyl and it feels good even the gear change has a better feel with the way my foot sits on the peg due to the changed angle to my knee's. The product I used was flexable polyurathane foam 130Kg per M/3 there are various densitys in this foam I chose the highest density.
 The supplier is Barnes  Products Pty Ltd
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[ola_martin]

Thanks guys!

[grouty]

I have just had the CCM foam replaced. The upholsterer uses foam in layers, but where you want it a little stiffer he stretches and glues on a layer of muslin. Works a treat, I now have a seat that won't let my arse hit the fibreglass base !
The shaping is done as above.
The Cheney is looking good 

[ola_martin]

Thanks, but please explain to me what muslin is......??

[David Lahey]

muslin is a type of lightweight woven fabric
one thing about the electric carving knife is that be prepared to buy another one after you have shaped a seat foam. I only got one foam cutting session out of my wife's electric knife and it was worn out. Maybe there is some sort of lube I should have used between the blades?