DIY Backseat/Sundeck (85sn2001)

Powaman · Outlaw Joined: 04 Jul 2004 Posts: 170 City: escanaba

Ya I think pointblank was just saying what everyone else was thinking, the poster obviously had hsi wife in the pic for something:P

85sn2001 · Outlaw Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal

Yeah she held the lids open since she was the only other person on the boat. Also it was her stipulation to have a place to layout on in being able to get the boat in the first place. Now can we move on. Rolling Eyes

I really need advice on vinyl work or a good upholstery person in the sac area. If someone has Diy-ed seat cushions and can give some tips, I might try it myself.

Should have pics from the weekend of everything carpeted and reinstalled. Trying to get everything done before Sat has been a pain

vette74 · Posted: May 26, 2005 12:18 pm Post subject:

Here is a previous thread for a vinyl project. I hope it helps

http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=22478&highlight=

daytona955 · Newbie Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 33 City: Flowery Branch

Just saw this install. nice work. What did you use to cut the plastic? Does it need a specific blade? Where did you find the plastics?

85sn2001 · Outlaw Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal

Tap plastics for the HDPE. I think now it is like $200 for a 4x8 sheet. I just used a table saw with a regular wood blade. The edges are really sharp though so I bought a grinding attachment for my roto zip and rounded the edges.

AndyDeeJay · Outlaw Joined: 20 Jul 2004 Posts: 239 City: Belfast

I have done the entire boat with new vinyl. Never used a sewing machine before in my life.

If you are going to have a go yourself this might help-

Don't go to an upholsterer for vinyl, glue or foam they will charge 5 times more than a textile supplier. I bought a sheet of foam for £50 from upholstery place and payed £15 for the same foam from a supplier - you have been warned.

Use nylon thread - it is strong.

Use marine, commercial grade vinyl - it comes uv and antifungal protected. The cheep stuff is sh1t and you will have to do it again in 2 years.

Use an electric carving knife to cut foam. you can cut alond a metal ruler just like drawing a line with a felt tip pen and it comes out real neet.

Use spay adhesive to glue foam onto boards.

For seats use seat foam
For seat back use back foam

If you use back foam on a seat it will collapse down to the board when you sit on it.
If you use seat foam on the seat back it will be like leaning against concrete!

Use stainless steel staples, they wont rust - an air stapler is real useful - I wouldn't want to have put in 2000 staples by hand!!!

you can see some of my work here - http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=40946

Good luck

Liquid*Force*Rider · Posted: Jul 05, 2005 12:30 pm Post subject:

Looks good, Nice Job.

slappie · Criminal Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 55

How do I see pictures in this forum?

Is it some sort of setting I'm missing on my computer?

I don't even get a red X icon or anything.

slappie · Criminal Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 55

How do I see pictures in this forum?

Is it some sort of setting I'm missing on my computer?

I don't even get a red X icon or anything.

85sn2001 · Outlaw Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal

AndyDeeJay - WOW that looks incredible. Did you do the vinyl by using the old vinyl as a template? I have to make everything from scratch. I have no templates to go by so I'm wondering if it will be harder or not?

I used 1.5 inch foam for the sundeck lids but you can feel the bottom if you stick your thumb into it. The foam is used for chair seats so I thought it would work.

Do you have a picture of the different foams? Did you wrap the foam in any plastic for waterproofing?

Did you do anything to hide the staples on the back side of the seat base?

I am pretty confident I can do this myself but I'm sure I will have a lot of questions if you don't mind. Your boat turned out great

AndyDeeJay · Outlaw Joined: 20 Jul 2004 Posts: 239 City: Belfast

Thank you 85sn2001, - I am very pleased with my boat - I couldnt afford a new X2 so I tried to pimp my ride as best and cost effectivly as possible. I will take some new photos to describe some of the answers.

I started over and scrapped the old vinyl - none of the cushions are similar to the original ones so I couldnt use them as templates. The back seat cushion used to be 1 piece and I cut it with an ordinary saw. Used 3" seat foam and glued the piece under the white vinyl with spray glue. The piece of foam under the grey vinyl at the front of each cushion is 3.5" (3" + 1/2" glued). The white material goes right down to the board inside and keeps the grey vinyl tight. The staples are still visable from behind but I will address this over the winter.

The back seat back (2" back foam) now incorporates the arm rests which used to run the length of the inside of the boat. The middle seat is totally new and its seat back is a copy of the 05 x2. It uses 2" and 1" back foam. The front seat back is new as is the cushion - they used to be one "L" shaped piece which hinged up on giant ugly hinges with two gas struts. I used new stainless hinges and one strut as only the seat back hinges now. Because this hinges up and the staples are visable, I have covered the staples with a 2" strip of vinyl wrapped around a piece of 1/4" string - ironically it is stapled but fewer and more neatly.

I did wrap the grey piece on the drivers masterview seat in polythene. the rest is just vinyl on top of bare foam. The vinyl is waterproof until you come to a seam and the sewing machine has had its way with a #16 needle. Unfortunatly, this lets the water in. All of the boards need to have a 1" or whatever hole every seating position so that the new vinly dosn't burst when someone sits down. This also lets any water drain right out.

I will get photos tomorrow hopefully

goodluck

gvb · Posted: Jul 07, 2005 4:33 pm Post subject:

Awesome job 85sn2001.

Can you take some more detailed pics? I am planning something like this as a winter project for my 89 ProStar 190. I would like a place to cover at least 600 lb's of permanently plumbed ballast, still be able to retain the same seating config (like you), and be able to open the engine compartment (the split seating config seems to allow this... pick up the middle part and set it on the sundeck while opening the engine compartment).

Did you angle the back rest, or is it straight up and down?

Thanks.

-gvb

Termi1 · Newbie Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 6 City: Raleigh

that is looking really good. Can't blame you for building your wife a place to lay out. I know you will enjoy that Smile

DrJ · Posted: Aug 28, 2005 9:22 am Post subject:

That a cool setup 85sn, what are the rough dimensions of the seating surfaces and the big box in back? I'm looking to do something similar to our 83 in the next few months.

85sn2001 · Outlaw Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal

Thanks gvb - Yeah I have pics coming. The backrest is angled back to make it more comfortable. I don't know the exact angle. I just did it by positioning the seatbases far enough back from the engine cover, I think 14", to comfortably put my feet down on the floor and still make the sundeck lids wide enough to lay on.

DrJ - the sundeck lids are 12" wide. The front of the base is 12" tall and the back is 10" tall. I think the seat bases are 12" wide as well. I don't know how tall the backrest is because I cut it to size after mounting the bases and sundeck lids.

The box in the middle is the width of the floor that pulls up to get to the exhaust. (if that makes any sense)

gvb · Posted: Sep 13, 2005 1:48 pm Post subject:

Cool... keep us updated!

-gvb

85sn2001 · Outlaw Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal

Sorry pics took so long, just had a baby so priorities changed a bit. This has been done since July. I knew I wouldn't get my money back out of payin for upholstery so I just used the existing cushions, cut them how I needed to fit, and started stapling. It's not the best looking but it works great.

700lbs fat sac fills up the whole back storage when full.

85sn2001 · Outlaw Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal

it is nice to be able to watch riders without straining you neck too

jjaszkow · Posted: Sep 06, 2006 7:38 am Post subject:

Great job. The finished pics look very nice.
How is the middle seat secured? Does it slide around on its own at all?

85sn2001 · Outlaw Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 114 City: Nor*Cal

Thanks. It is a tight fit with being wrapped in carpet and the cushions keeping it in place. It is not light when full of stuff either so it doesn't move around at all.

hco · Posted: Sep 06, 2006 7:10 pm Post subject:

Wow, your wife has big .