DIY Seat/Upholstery Reconditoning

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:chillpill: man, its not like this crap was second nature to ya. Think the first set came out, awesome. :cheers:
Thx man, I got alot of time into these and just want them to come out right... Too much time invested to have em lookin anything but factory. Been really busy with work, Im hoping to get back into it mid week.
 
Vinyl

Where did you find the UV stable Vinyl
I did my StarCraft a few years back , The job was done with a very Heavy automotive vinyl and looked fantastic , However in one season it was cracking looking 20 years old . I was told that Automotive vinyl is not automatically UV Stable
 
I had noticed some marine grade vinyl awhile back on ebay that was not to bad priced, The guy would also send you vinyl samples to choose your color from. I am about to pickup a 97 Seadoo Speedster and plan to redo the seats in it so I would also like to know where you picked up your vinyl @.
 
Who did you order your fabric from?? Im about to do my seats.
Yours look great, I hope mine trun out that nice
 
I have some samples coming from a seller named Dady10 on ebay, once they get here I will pass along the quality of the material its supposed to be a marine grade vinyl, the guy has a nice feedback and been around awhile so it may be worth something $12.95 for a piece 54" x 36".
 
Try these guys for 4-way stretch vinyl.

I found 4-way for $10 per yard, that is 54 x 36.
Try ball2ufall interior fabrics (www.bal;2ufall.com)
service. Had mine shipped to Florida and picked it up when I went down on vacation last week.
:)
 
Midterms are kicking my ass, but I can see some light...Will sew the last backrest cover today and post pics. The old pieces are curved from being on the seat so long and its not easy to trace 100% correctly, and I think that is where my problem stemmed from. Will find out soon.
As for those asking where I get material, its from
http://www.rochfordsupply.com/product_listing.asp_Q_CatID_E_419_A_SubCatID_E_489

but I believe another member found the same thing for $8 less a yard.
Check the above posts.
 
I think so. Their web site has the colour samples. I ordered the yellow for my speedster and it's exact to the colour that I was expecting. I think it's alled maided by Allsports 4-way Stretch company.
I ordered the white as well and plan on doing my bottom seats this weekend.
Shipping was cheep as well.
 
backrest part 2

I made two marks on the large main piece of the backrest where the flaps need to fit through the frame, mocked up the pieces as they would come together during sewing as best I could, then got an idea of where to start sewing the upper and lower pieces that get stitched to the main piece. It is very important that the flaps are in the right place, the best thing to do is lay the large piece on the foam as it will sit once installed, then eye up where the through hole in the seat frame is. You will need to pull back the foam a bit. Take a sharpie and mark the back of the vinyl to locate the top and bottom of the frame through holes.(pic 1) This is where you need to locate the flaps. I started sewing here to hide the starting stitch. If you traced the material well, (also very important), things line up well on both sides. Pic 2 is a backrest that used inadequately traced pieces, and didnt line up with the frame through hole, also I got pissed and hurried through stapling. Looks Ok but not up to my standards. The pic that is not stapled is the one I traced better, the flaps are where they need to be, and it fits much better. I have to trim material off the top where the seat turns horizontal, but once I staple the cover, it should look close to factory.
 

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If anyone needs complete backrests, let me know. I have gotten to the point where they are coming out well enough that I am comfortable making them for others. Post me of PM. They dont take very long for me to make anymore, and I another member found a cheaper place to get the material. I ordered more material for the armrests yesterday, should be a half days worth of work once I get it.
 
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I dont mean to sound negative or anything...... Did you guys notice where it says this stuff is weather resistant for 1000 hours? whats the deal with that? 1000 hrs only is = 41.6 days?
 
I cant make assumptions on how this material was tested, but when testing mufflers, car parts, etc.. they use a constant salt spray to test corrosion resistance. I am thinking this means 1000 hours of constant exposure to whatever they were testing for. I am going to call right now and see what the supplier says...
I talked to them, they no longer carry the 4 way stretch vinyl, can only get the two way in stock. Back to the pricey stuff.
 
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What would I be looking at for complete refurb'd bottom seats through you? Needs new vinyl and foam... I know shipping sucks, but I think if separated to 3 parts it would pack into a "normal" box...
I could also throw in my old backrests free for you to use for parts (replaced completely)...
 
What would I be looking at for complete refurb'd bottom seats through you? Needs new vinyl and foam... I know shipping sucks, but I think if separated to 3 parts it would pack into a "normal" box...
I could also throw in my old backrests free for you to use for parts (replaced completely)...
Do you mean the entire bottom section, or just the three small cushions? The entire thing is so pricey to ship, you wouldn't be saving any $$ over an upholstery shop. It doesnt come apart, its one solid piece, but if you only need the small ones, I will check foam prices and get back to you...
Keith
 
Today I briefly worked on the arm rests. Very important to remember the left is a mirror image of the right, so if you trace out on side, YOU CANNOT USE THE SAME PATTERN FOR THE OTHER. Ask me how I know. Simply lay down the new vinyl color side down, and the new cut out face up. Now you have a right and left side.
 

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Do you mean the entire bottom section, or just the three small cushions? The entire thing doesnt come apart, its one solid piece.

Ugh... The small cushions are the worst part, but there's not much point in only doing part of it...
I re-did the back by just buying a complete seat from here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370140933341 (for half the price they have it for now).

I went with Sportster Blue instead of purple for the bolsters... Silver for the backs though, just like in that auction...
 
krc nice job I may have to do it your way but I'm curious....

I called my dealer and since the back three cushions are ripped at the top from a hail storm he said they can sell me the covers for $73 each. But he did warn me they've seen certain boats that the original vinyl is glued to the foam inside therefore making it impossible to put the new cover on. Does anyone know if I'll have this problem with my 01 Sportster LE?

Also I presume just to remove the rear cushions its the 3 screws in the fibreglass about 6 inches above the gas tank.

:cheers: n happy boating
 
krc nice job I may have to do it your way but I'm curious....

I called my dealer and since the back three cushions are ripped at the top from a hail storm he said they can sell me the covers for $73 each. But he did warn me they've seen certain boats that the original vinyl is glued to the foam inside therefore making it impossible to put the new cover on. Does anyone know if I'll have this problem with my 01 Sportster LE?
Not sure at all about the glue, I will say I cant imagine the foam being impossible to take off. Might require some effort or cutting though. Try contacting someine that has your same boat. That model I dont know...
Vilord found a great price on the rear portion....
Also I presume just to remove the rear cushions its the 3 screws in the fibreglass about 6 inches above the gas tank.
Yep, dont forget the two screws int he armrest area as well.
 
Ugh... The small cushions are the worst part, but there's not much point in only doing part of it...
I re-did the back by just buying a complete seat from here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370140933341 (for half the price they have it for now).

I went with Sportster Blue instead of purple for the bolsters... Silver for the backs though, just like in that auction...
If you can get a quote to ship to 33321, let me know if the shipping cost is too much. IF not lets go from there
Keith
 
The last thing to do was finish the middle arm rests. I tried to do it with a single large piece, but the vinyl wrinkled really bad. Instead, I traced out a center section and two side pieces, it came out much better. Here is a pick with half way through stapling.
 

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