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[Stiffchick]

Hi! It’s been along time! I haven’t been doing much upholstery work. Mostly piece work for a regular customer and embroidery stuff. Neighbor wants to sell his go cart and wanted to spruce up the seats lol. I offered to do it because I want to try at some things like this. There is enough of it where a pattern is no problem. The problem is, I have never seen a go cart before and had a few questions for some of you that might have.
The bottom definelty had a board but as I clean and examined I’m not sure the back of the seat had a board. The back foam and board (if it had one) is missing.
If I’m putting it together right, it looks like the back of the seat had a flap and pocket similar to a envelope cover for a pillow (if that makes sense) the bottom cover went 80% up and a top piece came down about 20% (hopefully the photos will explain) I don’t see any area where the back cover was stapled to any kind of board. Just seems like foam was slipped in the envelope.

2nd question. These corners are rounded, not box. (Where bent knees would rest) I have always done box covers. If I do rounded, do I have to round the foam or will the cover compress it to the correct shape? Anyone see an issue with just doing box covers like I’m used too? Too uncomfortable?

3 anyone know what these nut things are called that go in the wood to receive a bolt to hold the seat to the go cart frame?

I think that is good for now. I have a few other questions but I’m not far along to worry about those. Thank you for any thoughts or insight you can offer for the bench go car seat

[Stiffchick]

Few more photos

[Stiffchick]

Sorry to post again. The more I google and look at it, I don’t think this seat was original to the cart, but I’m going to make a mock up out of olyfun and see. The pocket that is supposed to go over the back of the frame seems to be too small for this particular cart. The bottom seat fits fine, but the top back is about 4 inches overall too small. May just get to make whatever I want lol. After watching some videos that’s what it seems like others do for go carts.

[BigRig]

@Stiffchick ,

I really think the back would have a board for a back rest. I am afraid you are going to have to round those corners, square corners are not going to fit into the round cover very well.

[Stiffchick]

Thank you, I haven’t had a chance to check it out too much more. Race is in town this weekend and we have been out there both days. (I’m lollygagging this morning, hubby already left and I’m going to have to hike out to our spot lol) I’m going to get some cardboard and trace the seat frame later tonight or tomorrow. I see why a board on the back would be necessary, but the metal frame has a back too, so I wasn’t sure. I found a ton of yerf dog go karts on YouTube, but none I have seen, yet, show the inside of the seat part lol. Even when buying a new one online they don’t say anything about the board.

[Wduffy]

Hi - I was a high school automotive shop teacher and we refurbished many karts over the years. Almost universally the seat back was plywood cut to match the contour of the steel seat tubing. The nuts in the wood are called t-nuts. While not necessarily we would send it over to the wood shop to be sanded and lacquered. We then glued 1 to 2 inch foam to it. Make sure you have already installed the t-nuts. I would recommend using stainless steel. Some people cut the foam to size before they glue it, others after. The easiest way to finish it is to just wrap it in vinyl, pulling it tight and staple to the back of the plywood. It will have a nice rounded look at the edge. It is fast, simple and requires no sewing. If you want to step to the next level experiment and see if your home machine is up to the task. We had two juki walking foot commercial machines in our Uphostery area. Good luck.

W. Duffy

[Stiffchick]

Awesome! Thank you so much. That helps a lot! (I loved shop class In high school, I took wood and basic metal ) I do have a Juki 1541-s but have only used it once for pet beds lol. I want to try to do the cushion cover on it. The other box covers (with zippers) I used to sew were done on a “home light industrial” babylock straight stitch with walking foot (it’s supposed to be a quilting machine but it’s strong) and the thick seams really pushed the limit of that, it’s why I got the Juki, but then I moved too far from the customer we were sewing for. Now all the sewing we do for customers can be done on our serger. But I want to get back into trying upholstery and purses and make them with the Juki.

[John]

Im not sure about question 1. Question 2, if you just need a miled rounded corner the foam will conform to the shape of the cover. If yo need a bigger radius then you will have to sand the curve in to the foam.

The wood nuts are called T-nuts. You can get them at most hardware stores. I suggest using stainless.

[Stiffchick]

Thank you for all the great info so far. I had to run to Phoenix today to drop off an order and I hit up the quilt show since I was there and when I lived in Mesa it was my favorite thing to do all year (I love all the fabric and notions)

It was a long day with 7-8 hours of driving (I tend to keep pace with the truckers vs the cars doing 90, plus I hit Phoenix rush hour on my way back west)

I started drawing out my plans based on the existing materials I have. (Don’t double check my math I know my numbers don’t total lol)

I think I’m just going to do a boxed cover, I don’t want to mess with the rounded corners.

For the vinyl, it has a slight 2 way stretch, would that go left to right on the seat or front to back? Trying to figure out how to lay out my cuts for the panels after I have had some sleep. For RV cushions my fabric didn’t have a stretch (or direction) and I just went with WOF left to right.
Thank you again

[BigRig]

Left to right is what I always do but my vinyl is a little more in the 4 way department.

[6inarow]

Hey Stiffchick please post up your progress on this I would like to follow along

[John]

@Stiffchick Theoretically you want to position the least amount of stretch in the direction of your longest seam. But this is just in a perfect world. I rarely worry about the stretch direction unless I need to use the extra stretch in my favor when covering super complex shaped pieces.

[Stiffchick]

Hey Stiffchick please post up your progress on this I would like to follow along

Thanks for the information everyone!
I’m still working on it, slowly. Our production stuff takes top priority so I have to find time and ambition between that lol.
I got my panels cut, tried a practice panel for diamond stitching. I don’t like the thread or the size of my diamonds (1 inch) so I’m in the process of trying to buy different thread online. I haven’t looked anywhere but Amazon and the pickin’s are slim.
I had bought this thread in the photo for a different project. The guy at the shop said that’s what I want for top stitching, but it’s really thick.
I think I’d like something a little thinner.

I will definitely keep posting in this thread as I keep going

One question I can’t find the answer to, I’m sure you would know;
I’m using 1/4 inch foam with skrim for the back of my white diamond stitched panels. And will piece them with red panels with no diamond stitching. Do the red panels also need to be backed with the 1/4 foam just to lay right?
Rough lay out I’m looking at in photo
Might embroider top center red panel, I haven’t decided that yet one way or the other.

[John]

I would recommend getting using Amman serabond. It comes in all sizes and collors. The 277 you are using is for what people call baseball stitching. I would try 207 size.
You can get serra bond fro a company called bry-tech out of Florida. There are other places that carry it to but bry-tech has pretty good prices

For the 1/4" foam I would use it on the red pieces as well so that there will not a a height difference when the cover is installed.