[DrewC]

1. new foam to burlap covered springs - did anyone build up the edge wire with cotton? 2. gluing the foam to the buralp - should the front portion be "pushed" down and held in place for glue to dry? 3. Has anyone used seat covers from PUI? Should I have special pieces of fabric with wire for hog rings(under side of cover) to foam and to wire on springs? 4. Should I cover from front bottom to back?

 

[7T2SS]

Ok Drew...After reading your post..let me see if I can help. I have recovered bucket seats before but I usually make a new pattern from the old one, if it's intact.I havn't had alot of experience with aftermarket covers but I do know that they seem to make them so one size fits all.
As far as the cotton goes..what are you trying to accomplish by this?
Also I see no prob with glueing the foam down in the front.
Sometimes there is a piece called a "listing" that is made from a muslin type fabric that the wire slides though and then hog rings on to the seat frame.
I would try and get the cover as harm as possible..ie set out in the sun or use a blow dryer..(be careful with a blow dryed as not to scorch or melt the vinyl cover)
If I remember your buckets should have "listing" pieces on the seat and back, where the center meets the sides that need to be hog ringed to the frame also. Do this first and then work back while pulling any wrinkles out..and if I know ready made covers you will have some! I like to work front to back usually putting a hog ring up front and them pull to the back and tack a ring in the back to stretch the cover and then work the sides A little heat will help. I use a commercial steamer but you may be able to use small steamer that is sold to steam wrinkles out of clothes...I've even used a spray bottle with water in it and some heat
Let me know if this helps..
Later,
7T2SS

 

[DrewC]

Thanks for the info. I called PUI and was told that the piece of material with the wire was not used after 1970. The seat cover just sat in place. Does that sound right to you? I was thinking of og ringing the foam through the grove/space in the foam as wellas gluing it to the burlap. As for the cotton around the edges, it just adds to protect against protruding wire.

 

[7T2SS]

The fact that the seat cover just "sits in place" doesn't make sense to me.I would try to find a way to attach it to the bottom of the seat frame so it doesn't ride up later. Now..there were some seats that had small spring type clips to attach the cover with..these snapped on the edge of the frame underneath at about 4" appart..maybe this is what you have?
Go ahead and ring and glue the foam if you want but just gluing it should be fine.
Also as far as the cotton to stop the edgewire from wareing though..as a better cure..get a piece of carpet jute padding and ring it to the edgewire.. its much more durable. You can usually find scraps in any trash container at a local carpet shop.
Hope this helps...
Later, 7T2SS
Oh..as an afterthought...I have a friend up here that has a 72 Elky with buckets and he has aftermarket covers on them...I will see if I can contact his and take a look at what he has...

 

[Olle]

The foam shouldn't have to be glued to the burlap, once you got your cover on and hog ringed it's won't go anywhere. And you shouldn't really need any cotton around the wire, the foam comes down around this, doesn't it?

When I reupholstered my -69 bench, I didn't do anything to the burlap or the foam, it was still in good shape. The burlap was already hog ringed in a few places though. I put a heavy (1/4") felt between the burlap and the foam (the "bun") and hog ringed it around the perimeter of the seat. Then I replaced the top cotton pad with 1/2" foam (spray glued to the old foam). Got the material from a local upholstery shop.

Don't know if the buckets are built the same way, but I hope you paid attention when you took them apart

I used PUI covers, and they look pretty good (there's still a pic somewhere in this forum). I found it easier to hog ring the back first, then turn it upside down and press the frame and the springs down with my knee while stretching it around the bottom of the frame. Again, don't know exactly how the buckets are made, I have seen seats with hooks punched out in the frame, but mine were hog ringed. If the covers don't have the channel for the wire, maybe it's just stretched around the front part of the frame? Note that the covers don't come with wires, you have to reuse the old ones. Look at them and see if there's a channel sewn into them, and compare to your old covers.

 

[DrewC]

Olle, thanks! I cleared this up with a PUI rep. I do have the channel for the wire. I will also start from the back as you mention. Did you have any issues with the material ripping back there when you stretched it in place?

 

[Olle]

That channel looks wery weak, but as the hog rings are attached to the wire and not directly to the fabric, it won't rip. The wire will distribute the tension evenly, as long as you use enough hog rings in there to keep the wire straight. There should be something on the frames (like holes or hooks) to determine the spacing, and your old covers are also great to use for reference. Just try to get the hog rings as close to the wire as possible, if you "bunch up" a lot of that channel material while attaching the hog ring, it might tear when you stretch it.

The channels are much stronger than you would think when you see them, and I was afraid to rip them too first time I did a seat. Haven't had any problems with that though, my covers are tight and stretched as sweat pants on Roseanne Barr, and it seems to hold up just fine.

 

[DrewC]

Nice analogy! Now, every time I sit in the seat, I'll think of Roseanne!

 

[Olle]

Originally posted by DrewC:
Nice analogy! Now, every time I sit in the seat, I'll think of Roseanne!

Hope it won't make it too traumatic to drive it Let us know how the seats turn out!