Seat Cover Repair: How-To DIY A primer

[650Skull]

Great write up DB. Missed this, now bookmarked.

 

[Jan_P]

I never really finished this How-To, so I'll resume now.

View attachment 243318
The Loctite Vinyl Fabric & Plastic Repair Flexible Adhesive is critical, and it is what actually makes the repair. The Black Permatex Silicone is mostly cosmetic, it doesn't add a lot of strength to the repair.
Ideally, the Loctite actually dissolves the surface of the existing vinyl seat and the surface of the backing material, resulting in a very strong "welded" repair.

I tested several vinyl and fabric repairs and adhesives, as well as several different backing materials.

View attachment 243319View attachment 243320
I've used Plasti Dip VLP Vinyl Repair 61Z09. It works just as well as the Loctite, probably because it's exactly the same. But 3X the cost, and harder to find.
I've never used GEAR AID Aquaseal FD Flexible Repair Adhesive, but it looks promising. Again, probably the same stuff as the Loctite at 3X the cost and harder to find.

There are several other products that have "vinyl cement" or "vinyl adhesive" on their labels but the Loctite works and is cheap and I would keep away from anything else. I've tried PVC cement -- seems like a logical choice since it dissolves PVC, but no, it doesn't really work on vinyl.
I've tried various fabric adhesives from fabric and crafts stores -- they are a definite "no." E6000 -- no. Flex-Seal -- no. Flex-Glue -- no. Gorilla Fabric Glue -- no.

Onward to the backing material.
The Walmart Flannel-Backed Vinyl that I listed back in post # 6 won out over everything else that I tested. It's vinyl -- so the Loctite will melt its surface.
If you go all the way back to the first few pics that I posted in this thread, I was using a blue backing material. That was rip-stop nylon, readily and cheaply available from any fabric store. It works okay, and is slick, and thus very easy to position under the torn seat vinyl. The Loctite sticks to it well, but doesn't really dissolve it.

Please
How thick is that Flannel / Vinyl material At the moment I can have problem finding it -- nearby to buy over the counter
As with the Loctite glue but .That I can find

Fabric shops are fewer here because the Finished products from Asia are so Cheap .And the fashion changes.People are more into buy and next year throw it away and buy new. Yes poor quality ..But still doing so ..
Not that I am into sewing so I know where the shops are.

I have the sewing machines mostly because I serviced them so I could stitch a vinyl layer to a flannel fabric.
Or Cotton that can be thinner.
I even have saved a Nylon Shirt that was more in fashion in the 60 ies I can rip apart.
The sewing bonds strongly with Polyester thread . Some glue it will work
Or other fabric.
An old shirt or something
I have industrial machines but most other households have a standard sewing machine and I suppose it is doable on them also.

I also have the lining material used for Lining in leather jackets and so In house ..Dont know if that is Nylon .If the glue will solve it .But that can be tested when I get the Glue

 

[DogBunny]

How thick is that Flannel / Vinyl material

I don't know, and I don't really know how to measure it.
THE VINYL LAYER IS VERY THIN, and thus very flexible -- it is not stiff-ish like the seat vinyl is.
The flannel layer is also relatively thin.

I could stitch a vinyl layer to a flannel fabric.

The flannel isn't as important as the vinyl, which the Loctite will dissolve, is. The flannel can be helpful in smoothing out un-even foam. However, the flannel can also be a negative -- creating a visible level change.

I even have saved a Nylon Shirt

In my experience the Loctite won't dissolve nylon, but it does adhere to it very well, so nylon can be tried. The rip-stop nylon that I use is very, very thin,

But that can be tested when I get the Glue

Yes, test different fabrics before you make the actual repair.

 

[Wingedwheel]

Great write up and something to try but has anyone made a repair to the top of the seat? Seems that if it was stabilized it should work but it is a lot higher wear area.

 

[Mikey]

Yes. It is a remarkable product. It's what the professionals use.
It was created for car interiors. It can be used on almost any interior car surface. Vinyls, plastics, fabrics, even rugs. It comes in lots of colors, and can be used to change the color of any of the materials I listed. It is excellent as a color-changer -- a thin coat will give great coverage, even when applying a light color over a dark one.
For a really permanent repair, you are supposed to use a SEM cleaning product, and then a SEM prep product, but the SEM Color Coat does a good job by itself, just using soap or alcohol as a cleaner.
There are lots of different forum users and YouTubers who have done entire motorcycle seats with it. It may need touching up after a couple of years.

One thing I really like about SEM Color Coat is how user-friendly it is. It is almost impossible to screw up the application. It has tremendous resistance to sagging. It looks good whether applied thickly or thinly or unevenly. It dries within minutes.

It is essential to my seat repair method. The Black RTV Silicone is not robust, and requires the SEM as a protective coating.
SEM color coat is not a filling agent. It will not fill in or smooth-over pinholes or blemishes. You need to make sure that your seat repair is exactly like you want it before you use it. After the RTV application cures, I spend a lot of time fine-tuning with a variety of tiny spatulas and tools, adding tiny dabs of RTV to correct gaps and imperfections. I'll get into that in a future post.

I'm doing a repair like this right now
I take it the paint is not to slick on a motorcycle seat
Here's the paint I bought just a differen't shade of black ( maybe to glossy ? )
https://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.c...kzbnp0nMUDqv5dG0wbwuG1QjO1znaxkRoCWMAQAvD_BwE

 

[DogBunny]

SEM is not really slick, it's sort of very slightly rubbery.
Hard to say if it will too glossy, depends on what you are trying to match.

Here's a trick for changing the glossiness. You can buy acrylic varnishes at Michael's or Hobby Lobby or any art store. "Basics" is an economy line. It really works, so thin it with water to get the degree of matteness that you want. You can keep applying and experimenting until you get the finish you want. If you ever have the opposite problem (too dull) on anything at all that you are working on, then you buy the gloss varnish.

 

[Mikey]

I'm just going to spray the whole seat with it so it all looks the same ( just didn't want to have my ass sliding around )
I know I'll lose the faded Yamaha logo on the rear of the seat but I figure I'd rather have the whole seat look good and not worry about the logo
For the money I have in materials I can do a bunch of repairs
Side note I had a tube of the 100% sylicone caulking that was 3-4 years old ( 1/2 used up )
When I tried to use it , it came out fine out of the tube but wouldn't set up
I went to the local Menards and they said that can happen after a year or two
Oh well toss the old and buy new

 

[DogBunny]

I had a tube of the 100% sylicone caulking that was 3-4 years old ( 1/2 used up )
When I tried to use it , it came out fine out of the tube but wouldn't set up

Exact same thing happened to cheap-ass me. I spent a lot of time getting it perfect in a tricky place, and then I spent twice as much time removing it so that I could start over again with good 100% silicone.
Lesson learned.

 

[DogBunny]

I'm just going to spray the whole seat with it so it all looks the same

I suspect you will have to do a yearly touch-up application.

 

[Mikey]

With the size of the can of paint that shouldn't be a problem
Thanks for the info !!

 

[WideAWAKE]

View attachment 195992
Here are the essential supplies. I'll start going into the details of each in my next post.
All are readily available everywhere. My Walmart has all of them on the shelf, and their prices are the lowest. The fabric is sold by the yard in the fabric department, you can ask for just a half yard.

View attachment 195993
https://www.amazon.com/Paints-SEM15243-Satin-Black-Aerosol/dp/B00FMS8N0E
This is the one other essential supply. My Advance Auto has it on the shelf. I've used this product for years, and I've touted it before. Rust-Oleum and Dupli-Color make similar products that are much less expensive that you can try, but this is the original, time-proven vinyl paint, and I'm sticking with it. It has a multitude of uses.

I have used this many times, last was on my seat I built for my Lambretta. A few years with no touch ups, long rides in the rain, and put away wet.

It works great.

 

[Mailman]

for my Lambretta

I was just wandering if you still have that scooter.

 

[DogBunny]

I have used this many times, last was on my seat I built for my Lambretta. A few years with no touch ups, long rides in the rain, and put away wet.

It works great.

Wow, I just checked that link, the SEM has really gotten expensive. Result of covid inflation and/or the tariffs?
I swear by SEM, but I may have to experiment with the Dupli-Color vinyl and fabric spray paint next time I buy.

 

[Mikey]

well heres a few photos of my seat repair
I didn't take one before the repair just midway and finished project
I have 1 question how should I remove the clips holding the seat trim on
Pry up the clips a little or jus pull and twist the off ?
If I'm going to paint the seat it makes sense to me to remove the side trim and the center strap before painting

 

[RC4MAN]

I have a Vinyl Repair kit that I've used to fix smalls tears in seats, convertible tops and saddlebag coverings, came with a few colors of liquid rubber stuff, a small heating iron and a few swatches of embossed paper used with the iron to cure and make a textured surface. Remembered getting it in the auto section at Walmart maybe 18-20 years ago.
Oddly, I think it was made by Perma-Tex, but don't seem to see them available now

 

[DogBunny]

I use the straight end of a machinist's scribe to carefully pry the prongs or jaws of the clips upward. It's tedious, but you want to try to preserve the clips. Flatten them with a hammer before reinstalling.

That's a pretty good looking repair. Great idea of making your mold with a seam cast into it.
The SEM will NOT fill in the voids and pits, no matter how much you use. I spend time filling in the pits as best I can using RTV applied with a toothpick or some other tool.


https://www.amazon.com/TAURISH-12-P...12-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1
Actually, this is what I use, a clay modeling set. These tools have a lot of uses when you are doing fussy work. They make plastic sets that are very cheap.

 

[Mikey]

Thanks !!
I thought using brut force would nor turn out well
I may try and use a toothpick to fill in those tiny voids cause once it's painted it's done

 

[Melnic]

Just curious why not replace entire seat cover?

 

[DogBunny]

Just curious why not replace entire seat cover?

Two reasons.
In my examples in post 1,2,and 3, those are two different 1973 seats. 1973 seats are one-year only, and they don't make reproduction covers for them.

I have seen lots of reproduction covers, some were pretty good, but to a trained eye, they are pretty obviously not original. The cover is only original once. I'd replace a really bad cover, but I'd rather repair a nice original cover that only has a tear or two.

 

[Mikey]

Same here and it's woth a try whats the worst that could happen
You need a new seat cover