How to make a leather seat

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Emilio
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How to make a leather seat

Post by Emilio »

Hey everyone, I would like to share with you on how I made my leather seat for my custom 1/8 scale sprint car which the same methods can be used for any scale you may have. The original seat I made was not good enough or looked proper so I decided to make one that fit the bill.The photos show the steps I took and it will take roughly 2 to 3 hours to complete, at least that's what it took me. You will need to start with the shape and look you want to achive then go to town!

The materials I used are inexpensive and I purchased all at the craft store, you will need balsa wood which is very easy to work and comes in a pack with all shapes and sizes, fabric glue, a sharp blade of your choice and soft leather or fabric of your choice.

Hope you find this tutorial useful and I hope to see other creations from other members!
Attachments
seat2.jpg
seat3.jpg
seat4.jpg
seat5.jpg
seat6.jpg
seat7.jpg
Last edited by Emilio on May 18th, 2014, 7:36 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Emilio
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Re: How to make a leather seat

Post by Emilio »

The rest of the steps.
Attachments
seat8.jpg
seat9.jpg
seat10.jpg
seat11.jpg
seat12.jpg
seat13.jpg
seat14.jpg
Al Gibson (QSL)
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Re: How to make a leather seat

Post by Al Gibson (QSL) »

Awesome

Just what we need, tips on how to do things. Nice work. Al
gearhed
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Re: How to make a leather seat

Post by gearhed »

That is really neat project. Never thought about skipping the foam. I guess the 1/8 scale person won't mind. Looks great installed, I may have to use that method for a dragster seat.
tekne10
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Re: How to make a leather seat

Post by tekne10 »

great tip, thanks for sharing!
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Emilio
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Re: How to make a leather seat

Post by Emilio »

You're welcome everyone, the sky is the limit to what you can do as far as seats go, I like the balsa wood and I highly recommend. Once you stack and glue your pieces together it is very easy to sculpt your foundation (think slingshot seat ) I'll be making a set for my 1934 with reference photos from the net. I also recommend soft fabrics for best results and the best kind of fabric glue, see what works for you though, most fabrics will work. You'll be surprised how strong the balsa is once wrapped in fabric.
fuzzymuff
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Re: How to make a leather seat

Post by fuzzymuff »

Hi.
A great source of very thin leather can be found at flea markets. Look for some old leather ladies gloves. You will find the leather very soft and thin and also very easy to work.

Graham
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Emilio
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Re: How to make a leather seat

Post by Emilio »

Yes totally agree with the glove leather, possibly the one to use for best results.
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