i like the mods. that wood is cool too. cant remember seeing anything like that before.
+1 on all of the above
+1 on all of the above
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Pork Chop
XS400 Junkie
Hey mate, I used to make skateboard decks at school. I used to layer and clamp thin sheets of wood with epoxy and that just soaking and clamping would flatten out pretty quickly. I will be interested how this turns out.
Good luck.
Good luck.
crush1776
Injury Prone
If I were making a skateboard I would be inclined to agree with you, however, the seat will be bolted to the frame in perpetuity, so I don't think it will have much of a chance to flatten out. I considered putting some epoxy on it to "preserve the curve", but for economy's sake I'm going to try and get away with this first. I can always take my lazy butt to the metal place and pick up some sheetmetal and do it over, I was just working with what I had on hand when I "got the urge."
Thanks for the feedback, I'll update in a few days when I remove the clamps!
Thanks for the feedback, I'll update in a few days when I remove the clamps!
keep the wood and preserve it.
I think thats so different. just make sure the edge is showing
I think thats so different. just make sure the edge is showing
hardtailed77
Never Finished
Hell...I kinda like the wood too. lol I think it would look sweet with a small black ribbed seat on top of it, with enough room (maybe 3/4in. or so) left on all sides to showcase the wood.
crush1776
Injury Prone
Not on this one boys, This is the beginning of a brat style seat much like this one:
Maybe a tad thicker: my girl said she wants a nice thick seat with lots of cushion, I told her she already had one and that would be redundant!
Maybe a tad thicker: my girl said she wants a nice thick seat with lots of cushion, I told her she already had one and that would be redundant!
hardtailed77
Never Finished
^That's actually EXACTLY what I was trying to describe!! haha Sweet choice man! I can't wait to see it!
skillzman1
XS400 Junkie
Hahaha...how'd yer girl take that one!!?
crush1776
Injury Prone
A heck of alot better than any of my Ex's would have! That's part of what I really dig about her man, she's got a great sense of humor and isn't self conscious or anything.
skillzman1
XS400 Junkie
dip her in bronze then!!
haha ditto on wat skillz said. shes a keeper alright
crush1776
Injury Prone
OK so after reading about bending wood I may have to eat a bit of crow on this one, although I haven't released the clamps yet. I soaked the wood in hot water, but that may not have been enough. The pro woodworkers use steam to really penetrate the wood and then clamp it, or do the laminate method ala skateboard style as you suggested. Didn't mean to sound snideish, or maybe I did but I apologize for that. We'll know for sure tomorrow evening when I "release the hounds!"
crush1776
Injury Prone
Time to officially throw in the towel on this idea. My first incarnation held a slight bend, but not enough of a contour to match the rear frame loop:
So using the "get a bigger hammer" theory, I used a bucket of boiling water and soaked it for a longer period of time. This degraded the wood so that it began to delaminate, not a huge deal because the center layer is still thick enough, but it deteriorated as well and cracked a bit. I thought that switching grains may help, but that didn't work either.
Not to be outdone, I tried the skateboard laminate epoxy method with two layers of wood, but it did not provide enough of a curve for my purposes either.
So, saving an hour trip to the metal supply place turned into many hours of labor and several "mulligans" to no avail. Should have used steel in the first place!
I suppose I could slide the slightly curved laminated piece forward a bit and make it work, but I kinda like the idea of having the rear of the seat cushion kick up a bit, not just the rear frame loop.
Going to think on it a bit...
So using the "get a bigger hammer" theory, I used a bucket of boiling water and soaked it for a longer period of time. This degraded the wood so that it began to delaminate, not a huge deal because the center layer is still thick enough, but it deteriorated as well and cracked a bit. I thought that switching grains may help, but that didn't work either.
Not to be outdone, I tried the skateboard laminate epoxy method with two layers of wood, but it did not provide enough of a curve for my purposes either.
So, saving an hour trip to the metal supply place turned into many hours of labor and several "mulligans" to no avail. Should have used steel in the first place!
I suppose I could slide the slightly curved laminated piece forward a bit and make it work, but I kinda like the idea of having the rear of the seat cushion kick up a bit, not just the rear frame loop.
Going to think on it a bit...
skillzman1
XS400 Junkie
Yeah...I tried wood designs for the seat pan as well...just seemed kinda hoaky to me as a finished product...wood on a motorcycle with custom fabrication kinda seemed like people would view it as lazy.....but that could be just me...but then I am kinda lazy...so maybe I should revisit the idea!!!
crush1776
Injury Prone
Yeah, I wouldn't leave it exposed, was just trying to make a seat frame with the material I had on hand. Def a lesson learned for my stubborn A$$! Thing is, I still want to try and make it work, I guess I am just a glutton for punishment!
marmite69
XS400 Member
crush steam is the way forward make a small wooden box big anoth for the platform and use steam cleaner to genarate steam thats how they make chairs etc
crush1776
Injury Prone
OK, so may have blown my knee out snowboarding yesterday, but got sick of laying in bed today and hobbled out into the garage to tackle my seat situation:
Plate is aluminum, pad is $6 camping pad from Wal-Mart. Don't know if I'm going to run with this pad or not, just wanted to have something to mockup. I guess it depends on how economically I can get it upholstered.
Also, my new headlight arrived:
Plate is aluminum, pad is $6 camping pad from Wal-Mart. Don't know if I'm going to run with this pad or not, just wanted to have something to mockup. I guess it depends on how economically I can get it upholstered.
Also, my new headlight arrived:
nice headlight. (i got an illumination fetish) thats how i would do my seat if i wasnt running a solo. might do a P-pad. however...
love the headlamp and like the way this is shaping up.
You start off with an image in your mind and try to build it, but reality has a different idea and its sometimes for the best!
You start off with an image in your mind and try to build it, but reality has a different idea and its sometimes for the best!
