Ideas For Jet Ski Seat

[jojo]

So how is this done with one piece of vinyl, no sewing? I've stripped the old vinyl off, and I haven't tried to cover it yet, but it seems nearly impossible to get it wrinkle free everywhere. Can you just use muscle and heat to get the job done? I will be using marine vinyl.

I'm reluctant to seam it, because it would seem like more opportunities for water to get in.

http://postimage.org/image/u4h4nlj0d/

[Mike]

Many here eho have done ski seat use allsport 4 way stacy vinyl.

[JDUpholstery]

Recently did a golf cart seat, 1 piece of vinyl heated and stretched using contact cement to hug the curves...it is annoying your first time, so practice with some scrap vinyl in your shop...also be careful not to overheat your vinyl



Had a ton of curves to mold to on that

[Grebo]

Heat & patience Jojo.
What JD said sounds good, may be you could get it in a big plastic bag & vac all the air out ?

Suzi

[Mojo]

Two words for you JoJo

ALL SPORT

It was made for jet ski and snowmobile seats and has a 4 way bias. Expensive but amazing stuff.

Chris

[jojo]

Aw crap. I already had ordered plain old marine vinyl. Will it still be possible? Also, would you use glue on the curvy inside parts of the foam?

[Mojo]

JoJo:

You can still get regular marine vinyl to work, just takes more time to get a clean job.

Mike and June are the experts on this so I will let them answer the glue question. I used All Sport on a boat interior once and was amazed at how nice it was to pull into place without wrinkles. I didn't use glue on that project.

Chris

[forsailbyowner]

I can tell you how it was made. It was heated and sucked into a mold with vacuum and the foam was injected into the mold. My brother designs and sets up the machinery.

[JDUpholstery]

When I did the golf cart seat, I used standard marine vinyl, first I put a layer of 1/8" foam down over the old injection molded seat to hide any cracks/blemishes (impossible to remove the foam without tearing it up) then glued my vinyl to that to hug any curves in the seat...once that was done I heated edges and glued them down as I pulled it tight...

[Darren Henry]

I am totally amazed that you did that without using a four way stretch like All sport. The foam had to have been as hard as concrete, and your wife was probably hiding just behind you with a fire extinguisher as you heated it that much.

Hat's off to you JD. I don't think I could have done that. 

[zanepurcell]

this is a pretty good video that incorporates a box size to make it easier to install and look professional, and miamicorp has some black stretch vinyl that is in the $15 a yard range making it less expensive than the color allsport

http://www.sailrite.com/How-to-Recover-a-Motorcycle-Seat-Using-Stretch-Vinyl-Fabric

Zane

[scarab29]

Ive thought about this many times. I have seen what they call a " hot box "  , kinda like a oven for vinyl. Basically a box with a couple heat lamps inside and a tray to lay the material on and slide it in the box , turn on the lamps and heat it up in one sheet.  Anyone ever do this?

[jojo]

Zane, I was trying to make the cover all one piece instead of sewing one, but I will have to resort to making a pattern after all. No amount of patience or pulling it going to get one piece around all of these curves, combined with a 6 inch deep seat back.  This video is ok, but I prefer to use clear plastic to make patterns.

[Peppy]

It looks to me like you need seams and maybe a stretcher. Personally I hate trying to glue the vinyl to the inside curve. Usually ends in tears for me. I like having shape in the vinyl or a stretcher to pull it down. Like forsail says its heat molded/injected, you can't do the same thing without the forms. Allsport is really awesome but its not a miracle fabric, it won't magically lay on an inside curve.

As for the hot box, I've made something like that but with a milk crate and a steamer. Worked pretty good until the steam melted the milk crate.

[jojo]

Peppy, I got it all sewn together and forgot about a stretcher! But the molded foam is all one piece, so I can't do that anyway, but I think I'll do like in the video and pull every few inches through holes in the foam with string.