Bench Seats, Having them Reupholstered

[Advanced Design]

What a mess! What were those straps? Something for lawn furniture?

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Danmcg

Wow someone spent a lot of time and effort to cobble that together.

I thought the same thing!!

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

What a mess! What were those straps? Something for lawn furniture?

They are leather straps, actually dry rotted leather straps. LOL!!

[TKCR]

Picked up a decent seat for restoration. Starting to strip it down. The seat had a fairly new Saddle Blanket on it.

[pitterpat]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Picked up a decent seat for restoration. Starting to strip it down. The seat had a fairly new Saddle Blanket on it.

Hate those damn Saddle Blankets! Everytime I see a vehicle with those I think "that seat is a goner"!

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by pitterpat

Hate those damn Saddle Blankets! Everytime I see a vehicle with those I think "that seat is a goner"!

Nope, not a total goner. The original cover is worn, but everything else is fine. It always pays to look under the blanket.

[Mathew21]

Looks great! I can't wait to pick it up.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Mathew21

Looks great! I can't wait to pick it up.

Can't wait for you to see it in person and to meet you in person.

[Mathew21]

Originally Posted by TKCR

Can't wait for you to see it in person and to meet you in person.

It was great meeting you today. The seat looks like brand new! More importantly to me it feels like brand new when I sit on it. No more leaning towards the door.

Thank again!

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Mathew21

It was great meeting you today. The seat looks like brand new! More importantly to me it feels like brand new when I sit on it. No more leaning towards the door.

Thank again!

It was nice meeting you also. And I’m happy to hear you really like your "new" restored seat. And this is why you were leaning towards the door, broken springs.
Pics are:
#1 Broken Springs
#2 Your original core seat
#3 Restored Seat
#4 & #5 Restored frame, tracks, hardware and springs. With New foam!!

[farmall]

TKCR. You should develop a seat cover for our trucks made out of Carhart type black or tan, heavy cotton canvas. It would need to be pre shrunk so we can remove and wash with a non generic, specific fit, easy installation , and hardware that outlast the fabric.
I would give $200+ for something like that.

[hatzie]

Black oxide may be faster and more durable than paint for parts like springs.
The industrial process name is Oxide passivization.
It's similar to Bluing and Parkerizing on firearms. You're using a chemically produced oxide of Iron to provide corrosion protection.

Caswell sells kits that work well.

This guy uses dirty motor oil as a final step. I use clean motor oil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwC9-dx9XLo

I've used black oxide on threaded hardware and washers, Zinc plating with Chromium yellowing on carburetor bodies to mimic the original cadmium plating, and electroless copper and nickel on machine tool handwheels.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by hatzie

Black oxide may be faster and more durable than paint for parts like springs.
The industrial process name is Oxide passivization.
It's similar to Bluing and Parkerizing on firearms. You're using a chemically produced oxide of Iron to provide corrosion protection.

I've used black oxide on threaded hardware and washers, Zinc plating with Chromium yellowing on carburetor bodies to mimic the original cadmium plating, and electroless copper and nickel on machine tool handwheels.

That’s awesome, thanks for the video. I will certainly look into that. Now for a question when using this. Can I still sandblast everything, especially the bolts, and still use this process? A tumbler just doesn’t get all the rust and gunk out of the threads of the bolts, like sandblasting does. When I paint, this is what I’m using
https://www.vhtpaint.com/specialty/v...-weather-paint

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by TKCR

That’s awesome, thanks for the video. I will certainly look into that. Now for a question when using this. Can I still sandblast everything, especially the bolts, and still use this process? A tumbler just doesn’t get all the rust and gunk out of the threads of the bolts, like sandblasting does.

UPDATESo I went to the Caswell website and found the answer to that question:
How to achieve professional results in minutes:- Thoroughly clean the part to be blackened by either sandblasting, wire brushing, wire wool abrasive cleaning, or by scrubbing in 'VIM' or 'COMET' household abrasive cleaner. Make sure you have removed all rust, paint, oil and grease.

[Danmcg]

Nice work as usual TK!
If you are ever in the Syracuse NY area, I got a couple seat cores that you can take home with ya.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Danmcg

Nice work as usual TK!
If you are ever in the Syracuse NY area, I got a couple seat cores that you can take home with ya.

Thank you, I will try and remember that

[TKCR]

Saddle Tan Vinyl Deluxe is completed. 81-87 bench seat using the original foam. Frame, tracks and hardware have been restored also.

[TKCR]

Worked on some seat tracks today. Sandblasted & repainted 3 sets of tracks. These things are what takes me the longest to do. Took almost most of the day, just to get 3 sets done. See the Before & After? Rusty to looking new again, and they will slide like new too.

[flashed]

Do you do just new seat covers ? I need one for a 79 Big 10 Bonanza , Red Vinyl with plaid inserts .

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by flashed

Do you do just new seat covers ? I need one for a 79 Big 10 Bonanza , Red Vinyl with plaid inserts .

Normally no. All the covers are used on my seats that I build.

[flashed]

I understand , my seat is very nice and comfy , just not my style .

[allengator]

will a 81-87 seat bolt into a 73-80 truck?
specifically a 1980?
I like the 81+ seat upholstery better!

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by allengator

will a 81-87 seat bolt into a 73-80 truck?
specifically a 1980?
I like the 81+ seat upholstery better!

Yes, all the 73-87 seats will bolt up to any of the 73-87 cabs. What you can’t do is switch the tracks amongst the seat frames. The tracks are specific to the frames. And they are:
73-76
77-80
81-87
So another words, you can’t take 81-87 tracks and bolt it to a 77-80 seat frame. But again, all the seats bolt to the cab floor, no matter what the year of seat.

[TKCR]

Looks like a decent seat core, correct? This is going to be a perfect example of bad repairs from someone. A lot of CORRECT repairs are needed on this seat, to make her whole again and ready for Restoration.
First, the seat gets stripped down to reveal all the problems that need addressed.
2nd common broken springs.
3rd seat back rail broken.
4th close up of the seat rail break. This will be welded back together.
Last pic, this was a poor attempt at repairing a broken grid. The grids are not repairable, it’s best just to replace them, which this one will be. All the broken springs will be replaced with new springs also. Once all the repairs are made, the seat frame-tracks and hardware will be restored. Then it will be ready to be rebuilt, and be as good as new!

[Danmcg]

Thanks for all your posts TK, I've learned a lot about seat repair from you.

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Danmcg

Thanks for all your posts TK, I've learned a lot about seat repair from you.