| Author | Message | ||
     Reepicheep |
I'm doing a low budget restoration / rat bike conversion for a 1978 KZ-400, and its been a lot of fun. This sunday was spent fabricating a seat pan out of some steel rod. It was the most ambitious fabrication I have tried to date. I love working with steel...  | ||
| Sifo |
Nice work! Is it going to get filled in with sheet metal? I really wish I had access to welding equipment again. Doing fabrication like that is great! | ||
| Reepicheep |
I'm trying to figure out what the next step should be now. Road thing suggested fiber glass, which would work well, but I've not messed with it before. Another mess to make in the garage.  I was also thinking of melting lexan over it, or even putting a heavy ballistic nylon layer between the foam and the lattice. It might not even need that, I am using a heavy closed cell foam (sleeping bag camping pad from Wal Mart). It's pretty stout and has "finished" surface, it might not extrude through anyway. The other problem I have is figuring out how to attach the cover. On modern bikes it's a heavy plastic that will take staples. I was thinking maybe eyelets and string and lacing it on underneath. But if I get the right material on there I could possibly solve two problems at once and have both a solid base and something I could staple too. Can you staple lexan? I'm assuming it would just break. | ||
| Sifo |
The difficulty with fiberglass is it will want to sag You could in theory stretch plastic like a garbage bag over the framework, taping it up on the bottom to keep it tight. Cover the plastic with a release agent then do a layer of glass. Once cured, take out the plastic and you can secure the glass pan to the framework with more glass on the bottom. Add enough layers of glass to get the strength you think you need. I would guess 2 or three layers would be fine depending on the weight of the cloth and your techniques. I'm not sure if glass will take staples though. Let me know if you want more tips on glassing. I've done a number of projects with it and have thought about many more. Lexan is what they make "bullet proof" windows from. Staples won't break it, but I'm not sure a staple will go in though. Lexan is expensive though, and might take some searching for it. The stuff you find at the hardware store most likely isn't Lexan BTW. I was thinking just tacking on sheet metal triangles though. It would be easy to do a second layer on the inside of the framework that you could rivet the seat cover to. I've seen rivets used on glass pans too BTW. Just make sure you don't drill through the top of your seat cover. It's slower than staples, but still effective. I think you might be disappointed with just putting foam over the framework. Anything beyond short hops you are likely to start feeling the pressure points. What ever you do, please post it up! I'm sure I'm not the only one interested in seeing how this goes. | ||
| Kmbuell |
Regular masking tape is a great release agent for resin. Get the shape you need with foamboard, cover everything with two layers of cheap beige masking tape and go. Use an air hose to pop the cured glass off the tape. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
What about a good quality marine ply? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Hmmm... I have the same topic on facebook and somebody suggested 3 layers of Burlap. That would solve the "extrude" problem but not give me a staple solution. But thin marine grade plywood would do the trick. And it would be easy to cut into the many shapes I will need to cover the whole thing. Hmmmm. I wonder how thin I can get it? Thanks Grumpy! I was also thinking about a thin cheap cutting board. I wonder if that would just heat up and "drape" over it. I have a scrap one I already cut pieces off of to make a chain rub (my wife got a nice hickory cutting board replacement as a result of that stunt...). Works great a rub block, but when I get on the gas it smells like onions.  | ||
| Sifo |
I've seen marine ply as thin as 1/32 of an inch from hobby shops. If I understand where this is going you don't really need marine ply, or even ply for that matter. Is this just for stapling the edges? If so it could be sealed with a single layer of glass cloth that staple would be able to penetrate. So many ways to skin cats... So many cats to skin... | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
My pleasure, I've used Plywood for so many different jobs, it's such versatile stuff and so strong & easy to work. That's why they made Mosquito's out of the stuff during the war. | ||
| Kenm123t |
Reep get a pair of panty hose streach over the frame use tape as a release on the frame sticky side out. Paint the panty hose with resin fiber glas or the West Epoxy system once its hard you have a seat pan to build up from adding more temporary wire form will allow you to have a seat pan with wings similar to a Corbin S1W seat. You can lace the cover on or you can form in a staple to wood strip or use button snaps. Another choice is to use Kyrodex and heat form the base I think you can staple it with a clinching stapler. Its use to make custom holsters and knife sheaths (Message edited by kenm123t on October 15, 2012) | ||
| 99savage |
Reepicheep Great looking work - We gott'a hang sometime Consider the possibility of putting down strips of veneer, - Stitch them to the frame you made, Bend temporary braces for the edges from wire lay some epoxy resin on then lay more strips over the first - etc - until you have about 3 layers Then epoxy the underside - | ||
| 99savage |
Thinking about this for an additional 15 seconds The pan can be harder than woodpecker lips - The upholstery is drawn around the edge & stapled on the other side. Make the pan anyway you want & epoxy wood around the edge - ON THE INSIDE | ||
| Reepicheep |
Thanks! It was a lot of fun. The big trick was just to go slow and really think through each step before I took it. The fiberglass with a wood stapling strip is probably the right option. I may play with some other stuff first though, just to experiment. I'll do some research on Kyrodex, thanks for the tip! | ||
| Kenm123t |
The plastic is cool since if you dont like the shape it can reworked repeatedly | ||
| Reepicheep |
Googling a little, it looks like sheet ABS is available and could work well. I may try and find that (stereo installers apparently keep it around). | ||
| Sifo |
All this advise and you find your own solution!? Sheesh! Post pictures!  | ||
| Reepicheep |
Sweet. Say what you will about Dayton, but it has a great selection of local parts houses... http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partn umber=265-948 In stock. I'll pick it up tomorrow, and get some in a few different thicknesses. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Looking at that, this may solve another problem as well. Getting that seat cover over those hinges would have been a PITA. This way, I can put the foam and seat cover right over the ABS base (perhaps a couple of layers of that 1/8" thick stuff linked above, meaning a full 1/4" of ABS). Then tie that to the latticework with cable ties. I probably need more support up at the very back of the seat though, that triangle is too narrow. It needs ears. |
