Hey upholstery peoples! I need a little help. Building some bottom seat cushions for my bucket seats (sort of bomber style). They will need need to be slightly contoured at the front for leg support/comfort, so it must be shapable. I'm trying to figure out what the CORRECT foam should be that won't break down after a month of bouncing around? The foam will probably only be an 1-1/2" where my rear will be and then increase for a support bolster towards the front; maybe 2-1/2". There will be stuffed rolls over the top of that, so really the foam will be just for support. Am I looking for a firm-extra firm type foam?? Any help would be appreciated. Didn't see much doing a search. Thanks!
The green foam is the most dense. I think for your application it might be one way to go. You can shape the foam with an electric carving knife. You could also build layers of foam to make the basic shape to feel good to sit on and fit the seat.
That sounds like the ticket! Is there an actual name for this stuff?? I've done several internet searches and come up with a large array of foam products, and haven't run across this stuff specifically yet. Is it a Polyurethane foam??
Another foam that I see once in awhile is the composite looking foam (or whatever the hell it's called) that looks like it's made of several different type of foam pressed together and is mostly gray in color. Is that similar, better, worse, or just different than the green stuff mentioned above?
Go to a Craft store like JoAnn Fabrics, they have many different types of foams available in sheets. They will also have the Burlap and what ever you need to cover and attach. Tough part is walking in with the wife or GF into a craft sewing store
There are some excellent threads on this topic on the hotrodders.com forum. The moderator for the interiors threads is very helpful.
Scooter, you try our upolstery social group? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=174
X2 Gilgonzales (sp?) seems to be a super guy you might want to pm him. I know I have seen guys use multi layers of different density so you have firm on the bottom for support but then a layer of softer stuff on top so it's not so firm that it is uncomfortable.
Yeah, I'm part of the group and searched first and didn't see what I was looking for, but figured I would post on the main board first in case anyone else might be interested and I thought it would be seen here first as well.
Yeah, been seeing tons on there, but just not sure exactly which one is the CORRECT one. Found some great deals on the rest of the materials needed, including the sew foam for the side bolsters. Just concerned mostly about the base foam since it will take the most abuse.
The other thing you might do is go talk to someone at a local upholstery shop/furniture manufacturer. It might cost a couple of bucks more to buy from compared to the internet them but they will have samples for you to feel and sit on and be able to help you make the right choice for the density needed.
Fully agree! There are quite a few places local that I can go to and definitely plan to before commiting to anything. I'm not sure if it will be cheaper per say, but educational for sure!
Thanks for the post Tman, this is where I get my material from. Reasonable. I tend to get foam from the forementioned Joann Fabrics or similar stores. I am not sure if the green is polyu or not. I always knew it as green foam.
Scooter, I went to a U-pick yard and pulled the foam from a Dodge Neon. The cushions are comfortable, and aren't attatched to the seat pan AT ALL, the upholstery holds 'em on. Utility knife is the only tool needed. Since the seat pans I built are flat, and the Neon pan is contoured, they get a little uncomfortable after an hour or so, but I'm not re-doing my seats just yet. No shaping foam needed other than trimming the back to fit the curve of my seat bucket. Use an elec. knife. Brian Oh, they cost 5 bucks.
I'm with flynbrian on this. I talked to a local upholsterer about this and he said the best source for good foam was old seats. Lots of choices and cheap.
Oh! Great! Thanks! Prices are good too! My chick goes to Joann's and a discount fabric place here that's got all that stuff too. I'll tag along next time and see what they have. Just figured anything they have wouldn't be appropriate for the wear and tare of automotive seats. Good point on the junk yard seats. Course ya' never know what's been spilled in those seats either.
And report back with your findings! BTW, you dont have an interior shot of that black 32 from the GNRS do you? Adding reference pics to my cork board!
Awww jeesh... Which one was that?? I will report back for sure. There will be "build pics" of the seat cushion construction on the master thread at some point.
If you are only having 1 1/2 for your ass, i would go with a gel pad.. nothing kill's a good ride like a numb ass...
Injected smallblock with rams horns, diamond pleated interior with many flanged holes...........Floyd Williams car. Found good pictures on a thread here and lost em!
It get another layer of stuffed rolls too, so a little more than that. Making it so more foam can be added if needed. I think I know which one you mean. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it was when I was having camera problems and the shots were terrible. Don't think I got interior pics either... Gonna have to go back and look.
Quick google search gave me what you're talking about... (build thread here: http://www.fastlanerodshop.com/williams.htm) And YEP! That's the car my camera was screwed up on.
Here's some more info and a place to buy: http://www.rochfordsupply.com/buyersguide_foam.asp The numbering system for polyurethane foam is very simple. The first two numbers describe the quality of the foam, and the second two numbers describe the density (ILD or indent load deflection) or firmness of the foam. The higher the first two numbers are, the better the foam quality is. The higher the second two numbers are, the greater the density of the foam, and the firmer the foam is. The first two numbers should be at least 22, with really high quality foam being 30 to 35. The second two numbers are as follows. 30 to 35 is medium, 40 to 55 is firm, 65 is extra firm, and 80 is hard. Back foam doesn't need to be really firm, or of very high quality because it gets very little wear. Seat foam, on the other hand should be higher quality and the density is a personal preference. 2235 would be good for back foam, and 3045 would be fine for seat foam. You can substitute a lower ILD foam for a higher one by making it thicker and wider and pulling it tighter. (BTW, the color of the foam does not mean anything, the only thing that matters is the numbering system).
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