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Thanks, Zoo! I'm getting anxious to really wring out the new cushion with a good ride. It seems unlikely that I'll hit it right on the first try, but I can always hope. That's a way off, though.

your definatly an inspiration.

Thanks Aggroton! Here's an experimental cushion on a painted, sanded, not buffed tailpiece. The seat pan is exposed for now, but will be wrapped with the cushion when i get to it.

When does the champane color go on? That will look sweet when your done.

Well...after I finish my first try at upholstery, get satisfied with the black finish coat, fix a couple of rough areas on the back of the seating area, where it meets the tailpiece. I'm anxious to see that, too. Right now I'm taking a perspective break...Looking at the shrinking list of things left to do, and prioritizing for the best finish result. Today the steering went out on my truck , so I have a few other things to take care of...fortunately only mailboxes and the truck were damaged...but a lot of mailboxes all close together.

did you read up on how to do upholstery or are you just diving in...i want to do something similar to exactly what you did this winter when i tear the bike down. ive seen enough trading spaces to have an idea of whats going on...

That looks absolutely amazing and inspiring. Great job!

I made a pattern...First I shaped the 4" foam with a turkey knife. Then I used spray contact cement to cover it with 1/2" polyelofin (camping mat). I tested a few different configurations for firmness. Anyway, after the poly, I spray contact cemented a sheet of vinyl to the top and sides. Only the areas that will lay perfectly smoothge were covered (not the front underside, or the back panel, in otherwords. After contact cementing the vinyl in place, I trimmed it exactly to the foam shape.


This gave me a firm copy of the seat, and I layed it on the back of some vinyl and traced it while rolling the shape from side to side to mark the curved shapes at the front and back.

The front U-shaped panel was traced onto vinyl,

as was the back panel. I just plopped the seat form down and drew around it.



Leaving 1/2 inch around the edges of the front and back panels, cut them out. Leave 1/2 inch where the large top sheet will be sewed...leave 2" n the sides for adequate stapling area. Carefully find and mark the center of the front panel, back panel, and the front and back of the top piece. Usinf upholstery thread and a heavy needle, place the vinyl pieces together vinyl to vinyl, and sew them together . Make sudre your needle stays on your tracing lines for both pieces as you sew, as this causes the top piece to take on the curve of the front or back piece. I cut some relief cuts in 1/2 inch excess of the small pieces to allow them to curve around the edges as you sew.



Then you turn it inside out, and put it all together. Work the stitching around to make it smooth first. it may take considerable squeezing and pushing it around to straighten it, don't worry, it can be done! This was my first try, and I think I'm going to use it. I'll post some pics when it's on for good, but the test stretch looks pretty good for a test. More later.

Nice seat, lookin good.....BUT....

You lost the steering on your truck?!?!?!? What's with that dodo? I've lost the brakes, I've lost the engine, I've lost a driveshaft, I've lost the whole tranny at once, I've even lost a wheel or 2.... but I have never lost the steering. I think I would be a little more worked-up about it than you are. It would be an overwhelming issue in my life for a day or 2 if I did.

I would be holed-up in my garage with my bike, or more likely, out riding the snot out of it until I forgot about cranking on a wheel that don't connect to the rest of the truck. And be pretty poor company for a week or so, too boot.

I am a little rattled. We (Chris and I) were on a very winding, hilly road two mintes before this happened. We turned onto a street just after entering town, and were traveling perfectly straight. There was a bang, and the truck veered to the right. I thought my right front tire blew, until I had a loose wheel in my hands making no difference no matter how far left I turned it. I slammed the brakes and we left the road at over 30 mph, and got stopped in a yard with the truck about a foot off the road, looking like I parked it. We destroyed 8 mailboxes (not lots, I guess), and all the various posts. 6 of them were right next to each other for some duplexes accross the street, so I got 'er stopped pretty darn quick. Our total distance travelled off the road was only about 50 or 60 feet. There are usually cars parked there, and there is a 25 mph s curve abou 400 feet further ahead, so it really happened at the best possible spot. The drag link separated at the socket...kind of a freak thing. Garbage trucks do alot of turning, but this is pretty uncommon. I'm just glad God was watching over us, because two minutes earlier or 15 seconds later could have been pretty disasterous. Thanks for the sympathetic words. Alot of people don't really get it whn you say "I lost my steering." I guess they figure if you're standing there saying it, it wasn't that big a deal. Chris and I both fell asleep as soon as we got home almost. Pretty stressful, especially when you consider it could have happened with him hanging on the back, which he was only 5 or 6 minutes before.