Prewar Mesinger Seat Fabric Preservation

[dave429]

I just bought a prewar Schwinn DX and it came with what I think is the original saddle. Due to age the fabric or top coating is starting to crumble. Is there anything I can coat it with to slow down the deteriorating on it? I was thinking like a wax or is there something I can spray on it? I like the way it looks so would prefer to not have it recovered. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[1817cent]

I use Johnson's paste wax on mine but yours looks a bit further gone than mine so not sure if it would help.

 

[dasberger]

post #34

Has anybody recovered a seat in original oilcloth? | Bicycle Restoration Tips

This is a old rough cut diagram ill use to demonstrate the process.Here is the latex applied, Since I got a mirrored hotplate my cure time will be a we bit faster. Just got to be careful lol Here is the 1st applied oil mixture

thecabe.com

 

[dave429]

@dasberger thanks for the info. Never would have thought to use linseed oil but it makes sense!

 

[dave429]

@1817cent
Thanks for the info!

 

[dasberger]

No worries... here's another one. I ended up recovering mine with leather but all these techniques seem to work. Good luck!

How to treat a seat with an oilcloth cover? | Bicycle Restoration Tips

I have this Persons seat with a cover I believe to be oilcloth. It has many cracks. Will it hold up if I ride on it? I used some leather dressing on it to keep it from drying out further. Is there something better for treating oilcloth? Anyone have any suggestions?

thecabe.com

 

[dave429]

@dasberger another great link! I had searched for forums related to but nothing came up that was recent. Thanks again!

 

[dave429]

Anybody have any other tips?

 

[C M Gerlach]

kiwi shoe products......super easy .

 

[SirMike1983]

Keep the saddle out of direct sunlight and away from very dry sources of air such as forced air heat or air conditioners. The cover is cloth with a spray-on treatment applied over it. In the early years it was a nitrocellulose based spray and the proprietary name was "Fabrikoid". Other treatment probably existed in terms of the contents of the spray. It's not truly the old, 19th century type "oil cloth", and it's certainly not leather.

Be careful about putting linseed oil or anything flammable on it - remember that linseed oil rags can spontaneously combust in warm environments. You don't want the same to become of the cloth covering on the saddle.

My recommendation is leave it as-is, keep it out of the direct sunlight and keep it away from dry air heat and a/c. If you want to ride the bike, replace it with a "rider saddle" and save the original.