TECH: Bench Seat Build

A couple guys wanted to see the seat finished, so here it is (and I see in the second pic my kick panel came unclipped)

 

I don't know how many of you guy's realize that Cory is only 22 years old, he has an incredible amount of talent and is one hell of a nice young man.

BB

 

Very Impressive!.......another excellent tech thread!

 

I am building a similar seat for my RPU...what thickness/density foam did you use?

The seat looks great...and I love the well detailed 40 dash!

Neal

 

very nice ,good job.......................dave

 

Neal - there's about 3 inches where you sit and almost 4 inches at the bolsters. It doesn't seem like much, but you can't come close to compressing the foam enough to feel the frame underneath. I don't know if you noticed on the build of the frame, but the wood panels for both the bottom and back are cut out too. There's a nylon webbing stretched across those openings to give the seat a spring quality.

The bottom is a combination of high density and medium density foam, and the back is only medium density. The seat is really comfortable, and it sits nice going down the road.

 

Sure wish the pictures wouldsow up!! I'd like to do this.

 

This thread is over a year old, the pictures have probably been moved never to return.....you could email the poster.

 

I'l like to see the pictures as well.

 

Sorry guys, the photos used to be posted on my website that I've since let go. I'll try to get them back up tonight.

 

Here's a copy and paste with the photos now:

I used 3/4" 11 gauge square tube for the framework. I don't have a tubing bender, so I made a series of 10 cuts with my chop saw to make the radiused corners. I made a jig to follow so every radius was identical.




Here's the bottom frame almost done



I wanted to make the back lean forward to make use of some storage space behing the seat, so I began on the hinge. It's a pretty simple single pivot setup that bolts the the back framework. Here's the start of it:

 

I also wanted to make the bottom riser look decent, so I decided to make a sheet metal skirt to cover the frame. I use some 20 gauge since it's not structural. I thought it might look cool to roll an inset panel, so I marked out some lines and ran the pieces through my bead roller with a step die.






Here's one side wrapped up:



I finished up the back framework:



The next two pics are of the wood. I used 3/4" birch plywood. For the back, I drilled and tapped the tubing and countersunk some flathead bolts into the wood. I wanted the bottom cushion to be removeable (mainly to get to the fasteners that bolt the seat down) so I drilled and installed some T-nuts in the wood. I then took some 1/4-20 bolts and turned the heads done making a pin that threaded into the T-nuts. I then drilled corresponding holes in the bottom framework so that the bottom wood is located by 6 pins. The cutouts will have a nylon material stretched arcross to provide a spring quality for the seat.




I also decided to dress up the pieces that connect the seat back to the bottom by making a sheet metal cover for them:



And here's a shot of the seat back leaning forward:



The seat is now at the upholsters getting finished. They'll stretch the nylon webbing across the cutouts and pad the the wood with a high density foam. Total, I had about $90 in steel (with 12' left over) and $30 in wood. I'll post some pictures of the seat once I get it back from being wrapped.




Just incase you wanted to know, the seat is 41" wide and the seat back is about 26" tall.

 

^That's a nice lookin seat

 

Hey, It looks great. Good job! Thanks for putting the pics back up, It definately deserves another run!

 

Nice tech, i need to build a rear bench too. I have no problem making the frame, but the sheetmetal covers w/ the Roll bead are out of question....wish i had more tools!

 

Thanks for the info. I am saving this as I am going to build me a seat for the 35 3 window

 

Hey nice job, and a great interior job!

 

Nice interior and the seat is really simple and clean - has it been comfortable?

 

That's really nice, but is it me, or are only half the pix showing up? I get red X's every other pic.

 

TomT - I thought it was very comfortable. With the high density foam and cutouts with the webbing stretched across, it rode nice.

I've since sold the vehicle.

 

very nice work.

Ago

 

Thanks for re-posting the pictures. That is some very nice work
Bill

 

I am only getting about half the pics too, but I am seeing enough to know whats going on, some good fab work there!

 

Odd i can only see red ****x's ???

 

Thanks for the repost, just what I needed to get pointed in the right direction!