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What Kind of Foam for Jackal Seat Fix?

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Semper-guzzi:
Didn't happen unless there are pics.

sidecarnutz:
I did seats for years. A large disk sander and 24 grit pad are terrific for shaping seat foam. Don't worry about electric carving knives. A old hack saw blade will work fine.

Staplers are problematic. Most don't have a nozzle to allow you to get the staple down into the pan. Many years ago I spent $200 on a professional German made upholstery stapler. Built like a Glock and just as tough. Still using it almost 20 years later.

A firm well shaped base of foam covered with a thinner layer of soft padding makes a comfortable seat. Most gel pads are too small to work well. I have had better luck starting with large sheets of gel and shaping them to cover an entire seating area. Then you are fully suspended by it. No edges of different material that'll dig you and cause discomfort after some hours.

Pasta Hog:

--- Quote from: Semper-guzzi on January 15, 2015, 10:19:31 PM ---Didn't happen unless there are pics.
--- End quote ---

You really don't want pictures of this. I would pay money to have them destroyed.


--- Quote ---A firm well shaped base of foam covered with a thinner layer of soft padding makes a comfortable seat.
--- End quote ---

Unfortunately I now have a mushy layer of foam topped with hard rebond foam, so I have it backward. It was easier than replacing the bottom foam. It's not optimal, but now I can ride the bike without feeling like I've been permanently injured.

sidecarnutz:
IME here is my opinion on Jackal seats. I have rebuilt dozens of them over the years.
They are rounded and too soft. No support for your ass cheeks. That is a recipe for a sore ass after a short time. Its like sitting on a log.
I add a wedge of firm foam on each side to support the ass cheeks better and then blend that in to a semi bucket shape with a blade and a disk sander. Cover the whole thing with a 1/2" layer of soft foam to smooth it. (Note that glue lines between layers of foam CAN show through a cover later. So neatness counts!  ;-T)

The rear seat is too damned small for most adults. All you can do there is add a high density wedge to either side to widen it a bit for better comfort/support. Then a soft 1/2" layer over it. The strike your centerline and tailor the covers.

On covers I like to fold under and double stitch the side seams. Top center seams get a second layer and triple stitched. neat and structurally sound that way. Keep seams away from contact areas with the body. Think "Princess and the pea". You will feel those contact points hours later!

BTW, 3M 77 is a pretty weak contact cement IMO. But it is convenient. I get big 5 gal. cans of DAP upholstery cement. Its about $100 for 5 gal. Not cheap. But awesome cement. You can repair boots with it. I apply it with a paint sprayer. Not unusual to shoot a whole quart during a seat project. This DAP cement is only available from wholesalers to the tradesmen customers. You won't find it retail. The DAP glue in hardware stores is junk. It is like corn syrup! Don't waste money on that. Take a pickle jar to a upholstery shop and see if they'll sell you some of the good stuff.

I'm not actively seeking any business anymore since my supply chain is very sketchy. Health issues too. But I have had 19 years experience building seats and I'll be happy to share any advice I can give.

Chuck in Indiana:
The Jackal seat that Rich did for me changed from a 45 minute torture rack to an all day all nighter..  ;-T

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