Well, I have been doing some research to make a seat. I want to have a seat that might be used to do some mock ups. I want to do some mock ups to help me better determine space requirements. This is something that could probably be done on the computer, but I have a hands on personality. Besides, building the seat at this stage just means one less thing to build later.
I think I have found a pretty good method for using plywood as the seat material. The process is pretty straight forward. You shape three pieces of plywood to the given contour of the seat and fasten 2x4 in between the three shaped pieces of plywood as a form. The 2x4 run the length and up the sides of the plywood with the 4" sides perpendicular to the plywood/ horizontal. Once the form is built you can make your seat.
You use two or more sheets of plywood to make the seat. Sound like 1/4" plywood was the choice of many builders. You glue the two or more sheets of plywood together and fasten them to the mold with clamps/ straps. Use spare material to place in between the seat and the fastening method of your choice to not scar the seat surface. Make sure the plywood being formed is larger then your desired seat; you will later trim the seat to size.
Let the seat sit an appropriate amount of time for the glue to harden, usually twenty-four hours. You wouldn't want to remove the seat to early and waist all your work.
I am thinking I might make a fiberglass or Kevlar seat later on, Kevlar is just laying around. I might try and put a backseat for my wife or one son to ride with me. I might have to get creative on how to work that out. I am figuring a few extra pounds for a seat wouldn't break me. Besides, the seat can always be made removable.
Forum: http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=35802&highlight=plywood+seat
Showing posts with label seat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seat. Show all posts
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Seat-Fiberglass?
Well, I last spoke about possible methods for making the fairing. I am trying to throw out any ideas that come to mind. Nothing is dumb, some ideas are just better.
Fore instance, far north, might have been Canada, head people for an electric company were trying to find ways to remove ice from the overhead power lines in the middle of the wilderness. Everyone threw out ideas from adding heater to melt the ice, to having bears scratch their back on the poles, which would shake the ice from the wires. They played with the idea of bears scratching their backs on the poles and said what would make a bear itch their backs on power poles. They figured they could hang meat or find something that attracted the bears. Once they thought of how to get the bears to scratch their backs on the poles they tried to figure how do we get the stuff to the poles?
The first thought was to use dog sled, then snow mobiles, then finally someone says we could use helicopters. How would we get the helicopters close enough to the wires to fasten the item to the poles. They discovered the turbulence from flying helicopters over the power lines would shake the ice from the power lines. This was an exercise we used in a management class I took at the local community college and apologize for any inaccuracies.
Now to the point, I think a fiberglass seat could be built similar to this persons: http://buckybikes.blogspot.com/2008/04/seat-building-finished.html
He made a plaster shape of his own back and use that as a mold for the seat. Very cool! I think that building a wooden seat out of thin sheets of plywood and gluing them together could make a decent seat as well, if the shape is right. I think I will post on bent riders to see what a lot of the builders on their forum are doing.
Fore instance, far north, might have been Canada, head people for an electric company were trying to find ways to remove ice from the overhead power lines in the middle of the wilderness. Everyone threw out ideas from adding heater to melt the ice, to having bears scratch their back on the poles, which would shake the ice from the wires. They played with the idea of bears scratching their backs on the poles and said what would make a bear itch their backs on power poles. They figured they could hang meat or find something that attracted the bears. Once they thought of how to get the bears to scratch their backs on the poles they tried to figure how do we get the stuff to the poles?
The first thought was to use dog sled, then snow mobiles, then finally someone says we could use helicopters. How would we get the helicopters close enough to the wires to fasten the item to the poles. They discovered the turbulence from flying helicopters over the power lines would shake the ice from the power lines. This was an exercise we used in a management class I took at the local community college and apologize for any inaccuracies.
Now to the point, I think a fiberglass seat could be built similar to this persons: http://buckybikes.blogspot.com/2008/04/seat-building-finished.html
He made a plaster shape of his own back and use that as a mold for the seat. Very cool! I think that building a wooden seat out of thin sheets of plywood and gluing them together could make a decent seat as well, if the shape is right. I think I will post on bent riders to see what a lot of the builders on their forum are doing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
