The Upholstery Forum

Here are the pics of the trike seat. Everything is aluminum. The base angles up on the side so isn’t flat across. I’m assuming the tuck where the base and the back meet has a piece sewn there and riveted to the frame to hold down. Where the pleats are its looks like the original person sculpted the foam to recess the pleats. I feel like the pleats are then glued down. Like in my other post I think a lot of glue was used vs rivets. I use the weldwood landau glue. This should hold. With the base being angling up. \___/ like this. I feel I’ll just order the foam and bevel the edges as the top of the foam is flat across. What are others thoughts on how they would approach this?

To me it looks like they just glued the cover to the foam to give it that shape. The pest way in my opinion to get a more defined look would be to cut the foam in 2 sections. Sew listing to the seam around the pleats. Install the cover over the center cection of foam and come up with a way to attach the listing to the frame. Then install the second piece of foam and finish installing the cover. The lising on that seam will pull the cover down in between the raised and lowered section of foam and really make it pop nicely!

However this is more work. What ever you decide to do Im sure it will look nicer than that one in the picture.

@John I agree with what you are saying. I was thinking along the same lines with the listing. Not only do I feel more defined, but more durable and longer lasting than just glue. Looks like they used 1/4” foam for the pleats also. I should have asked if I could have used 1/2”. I never think 1/4” is enough to really define it. It’s there, but it’s not. With the foam in 2 pieces are you meaning something like...make the shape of the seat and cut a U out for the pleats area. The seat foam being 4” thick for example. The u shape you cut out for the pleats use 3” or cut an inch off the foam sinking it in. You would then sandwich your listing between the 2. Or second thought is gluing the pleats like original. Making the seat base out of 3” all around.Gue the pleats down and use 1”foam with a U cut out and slip that in making the outside thicker?

Don't know if this would help but When I worked in a implement dealership the tractors had a metal pan but still had a plywood liner to staple to and such that was anchored to pan with screws

@Cody,

I really like that project you have and would love to do that one. Once you have the cover off can you post a picture of what the foam looks like under the insert. I am curious if they just bored some of that foam out to make it hollow.

@Cody
What is your vinyl plan for this? I am thinking a 1.5mm outdoor vinyl for sure.

@BigRig unfortunately I’m not able to cut these apart. I could only take measurements and pics. The only seats he got in the purchase of the company are on sold units. I think if I could take them apart and see how they were assembled it would be simple and I’m probably over thinking it. But I do believe they just cut or ground out were the insert goes. Like they beveled it to a 45 degree angle. It’s not the smoothest but not the worst either.

I’m using Mobern in a black biscayne pattern. He went that route as it’s their marine vinyl and he figured boats see a lot of sun and water. I agreed with him and said trikes will too. I’d have to double check the thickness of it.

@Cody
I just got sent an alert from ebay for a carbon fiber seat gel pad replacement. You should check it out!

@BigRig eould it be possible to post a link? I did a google search for carbon fiber gel seat replacement and got a lot of carbon fiber and gel insert stuff but not together. If I had to guess I would say a heated gel seat?

@cody, I will go back to my email and check.

@Cody Sorry for the late reply.
So what I would do is cut the shape of the entire seat out of 3" foam. Then draw the middle pleat section out on the foam. Cut the foam on this line. Now glue the outside U shape you just cut to either 1" or 1/2" depending on how much difference you want. Now glue the middle foam to seat base. Place the seat cover on then pull tight and attach the listing you sewed on the seam around the pleats to the seat base. Now install the u foam section and then finish installing the cover.

I also agree 1/4" foam on pleats look too flat.

Cool project!

Okay, so not everything always works out as we’d hope. This seat is beating me. Not just a little either. I got all the foam work done. Used scrap material and made a cover, minus the sew foam. (Didn’t realize how little I had left on hand.) It seemed to be fitting nicely. So I take that practice one apart after making my alignment marks so they’d be there for patterning. Now everything goes wonky. Nothing fits, and I can’t get the wrinkles out of the corners of the pleated area. I did as @John said and I was also thinking. Cut the U and then put the negative foam around it. Added listing, glued the pleats to the foam and also riveted the listing. That worked great. So I stretch it, and it was horrible. In the pic the material is laying loose on the seat. The area my fingers are framing is where the wrinkles stay. I just saw a bench seat done similarly by the recovery room. No wrinkles and was amazing with the recessed pleats. What am I doing wrong?!? About to throw in the towel. That’s one thing with me, I can have one project go swimmingly and the next will be complete opposite and fight me. I find I have little consistency.

Hey @Cody , I'm no pro by any means so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt. Looking at the top collar, the material looks like it is being pulled from the boxing down to the insert in direction towards your hand so to me I think you have pulled too much of collar into the corner and there is too much material there.

@Bondo497 I just want to clarify what you’re saying to make sure we’re on the same page. I think you’re saying I have too much material sewn into the radius of the pleat panel and the wrinkles are running out from there? This could make sense. That’s the one area I forgot to make alignment marks and free handed it. I tried to get it to we’re my inside and outside radius corresponded together. But may have gotten off somewhere.

@Cody
Yes we are on the same page.

@Cody
Can you put those two seats side by side and take a picture for us. Don't worry man about things going bad, broke my lamp and my flashlight yesterday morning from frustration sprayed my super glue and doddled laying fabric to foam and the instant vinyl seen foam each jumped at each other and BAM stuck together. Not a HOPE of lifting and repositioning ha ha

@Cody at what point did you make your patterns? should have done the patterns when your completely done with the foam. It looks possible like there is a pattern problem or sewing problem. It looks like there is too much material in those corners. Don't worry though the beautiful thing about vinyl is its cheep and its ok if you mess up. Before you start over try one thing, Steam the living Shit out of the cover. Pull and stretch the seams when they are hot and see if you can get the cover to lay down flat. Steam can really make a world of difference.

@Bondo497 great observation man, Love the proper use of terminology. You must have watched the seat terminology video!

@John
I did. I figured I better get educated if I'm going to keep up with the caliber of folks on this forum

@Bondo497 ,

Very helpful to us man! @Cody, steaming the Shit out of this chair almost got it to an acceptable appearance. You should have seen it before!