Seat rebuild

[Snaphappy]

I've got my hands on a gel pad and a sheepskin saddle cover both from the horsey part of fleabay, the sheepskin has a fabric back so straps are going on to that and pose no problem,
But I want to put the gelpad under the seat vinyl is this a job I could do meself or should I be looking for an upholsterer
Looking at the seat from outside I'm fairly confident I could re staple the cover back on but what am to expect once the cover is off and could I get half inch of foam cut away meself??
Any tipps

[Mervinh]

only way to find out is try i reckon!! buy yourself a seconhand seat on the cheap off fleabay and do it too that one if ya can find one
Merv

[chalky4]

Use an electric carving knife to cut away foam

[Kev W]

Not a problem, just need a heavy duty staple gun with staples of approx 8mm much longer and they will go through the plastic in places.
I have just re-covered my XL seat with a layer of neoprene to 'iron' out the split then vinyl and it looks okay. The hardest thing was making sure the vinyl was stretched enough before stapling and getting a tidy finish under the seat. I say go for it just mind the staples!!

[blue skies]

Have a look at this recent thread. Whealie has some pics explaination of what to do. I haven't tried it but looks easy enough

Gel Pad Inserts

[Snaphappy]

The saddle cover turned out to be a wool knit and not still on the skin but I’ll try it out, if its no good I can sell it on as it fits the dero seat without having to cut anything away, I’ve added a strap and that’s all the work I had so its not worth writing about.
For the gel pad I wanted to cut away a bit of the seat and fit it permanently under the cover. So armed with a small screwdriver and a pair of pliers I pulled the staples out from the front end of the cover and pulled it back, I was expecting foam to be layered up but I found one lump of precast foam, I only had a Stanley knife, good tip on using an electric carving knife, but we aint got one and I wernt buying one, so I set the blade to cut slits about half an inch deep, marked with a pen roughly where I was going to remove foam and sliced through every inch or so and then started to skin the seat when I was finished it looked like a dogs dinner what a mess, I had gone deeper in some places and missed other bits out…rollox.
Now I had seen on telly when they make custom seats they use a carving knife and then sand the foam down with an electric file, well I aint got one them either so I used a lump of 80 grade sandpaper and started to rub, first off all the big bits that I’d missed came off then the foam bits started to get smaller… now I’m no craftsman but the finish aint bad.
I opened up the gel pad and threw away the material leaving what looks like pigs skin with a mesh backing. I cut away the bits that hung over with scissors and stretched the cover back over. I left the seat in the sun for a coffee break to let the cover warm up and be pliable, then tacked it back down.
The insert is visible through the cover but I’m not that bothered, as long it helps.
My test run was not that far but it is a load better, I sit slightly lower and the seat has a comfier feel.
Next week we’re off around the Harz mountains and hopefully the week after a day trip to Colditz then TheLongestDay ………..cant wait


Here's the pics ( how do you upload them as a slideshow???)

Here

[chalky4]

Nice job and good write up