# Cheap cruiser seat idea.... Whaddya think?



## rick whitehurst (Jul 27, 2017)

I have these seats I can't use, you know, the new big bulky ugly ones that look pretty bad. This particular seat has a pretty nice undercarriage but the padding looks awful.  So I pulled off the cover....






These Micargi seats are 20 bucks new on ebay... This one was on a bike I bought a few years ago.


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## rick whitehurst (Jul 27, 2017)

Then I got out a serrated kitchen knife....


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## rick whitehurst (Jul 27, 2017)

And started carving out a more acceptable vintage seat shape.... I got a coarse  60 sanding disc.... And shaped it just the way I think it should be....


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## rick whitehurst (Jul 27, 2017)

rick whitehurst said:


> And started carving out a more acceptable vintage seat shape.... I got a coarse  60 sanding disc.... And shaped it just the way I think it should be....
> 
> View attachment 651147
> 
> ...



Just a little more fine shaping and I will cover it with luxurious fine Corinthian leather perhaps.... How much do you suppose an upholstery shop would charge to cover this with leather?  When I was a kid it was about 30 bucks... Imitation leather was about 20.


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## GTs58 (Jul 27, 2017)

Cool idea! And a recover with fine Corinthian leather would be my preferred choice.


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## rick whitehurst (Jul 27, 2017)

GTs58 said:


> Cool idea! And a recover with fine Corinthian leather would be my preferred choice.  View attachment 651158



Ricardo Montalban is giving a thumbs up from his Córdoba.

The springs and undercarriage on these micargi seats are not bad looking, if only the springs were not so close together... Maybe I can figure a way to spread them apart a bit.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEST-DEAL-M...hash=item3ade34b66a:m:m7jHgDebLM0godeIgqx9Gwg


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## Andrew Gorman (Jul 28, 2017)

An electric carving knife does a great job on foam a flat shape like that should be pretty easy.  Contact cement should stick everything in place, or drill a bunch of holes for perimeter stitching.


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## rick whitehurst (Jul 28, 2017)

Andrew Gorman said:


> An electric carving knife does a great job on foam a flat shape like that should be pretty easy.  Contact cement should stick everything in place, or drill a bunch of holes for perimeter stitching.



Agreed an electric carving knife may have been better.   I have it all sanded down now into the shape I want. The cover on the plastic seat base was stapled, there is a leather guy in town who does custom motorcycle seats and saddlery. I may take it to him for a stitched look. I have tried to cover seats and always run into trouble at the nose of the seat. Too much material gathers there and I can't figure out where to cut some away for a good fit.  Are there any patterns for bicycle seat upholstery?  I'm about finished sanding the foam.


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## rick whitehurst (Jul 28, 2017)

Ready to cover now.


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## Cowboy in NC (Aug 1, 2017)

Oh My... Yes, I needs some of that CORITHIAN LEATHER...-----------Cowboy
Looks great !!!


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## rick whitehurst (Aug 1, 2017)

Someone uploaded this very fine pic of a buterro mesinger seat... Mine is going to strive to be a very cheap imitation I guess... After the fact, lol.


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## Muleman121 (Aug 1, 2017)

rick whitehurst said:


> Someone uploaded this very fine pic of a buterro mesinger seat... Mine is going to strive to be a very cheap imitation I guess... After the fact, lol.
> 
> View attachment 653882




Try a thin leather; keep it damp and use DuPont 77 spray adhesive under the pan. Try clothes pins to hold leather til adhesive sets up. After all is dry and set, wet the leather where clothes pins were to smooth out marks they left.  I've done a few this way and all are holding after a couple years.


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