Seat repair ?

[Ed Kennell 39,228]

I picked up this TSC suspension seat for cheap.    Looks like it will clean up, but has one small tear.    Any ideas for repairing the hole?

 

[Handy Don 12,663]

3 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

I picked up this TSC suspension seat for cheap.    Looks like it will clean up, but has one small tear.    Any ideas for repairing the hole?

 

I don't have any (I won't bore you with the "vinyl repairs" that have failed) but I'll eagerly await someone who has some responding!

[Maxwell-8 4,359]

my 312 has a great looking oem seat but also one small rip. Looking forward to  good result as stitching would make things worse

[SPINJIM 1,981]

Car detailing shop that repairs car upholstery, but may cost as much as a new seat.   Otherwise, black duct tape.

    Jim

[JCM 9,636]

Just my    if you decide to use tape I recommend black Gorilla tape over regular black duct tape on a clean and dry seat. Gorilla seems to stay on the seat longer and the edges stay flat longer. Buys you some time until a permanent fix happens.

[JAinVA 4,629]

Black gorilla tape works good for a working seat.  I had a torn up seat on one of the $50.00  312-8s.  Cleaned and dried the seat, Using 3" wide tape and

a new seat cover, .That is a nice seat and I hope someone here can give some repair tip.

Edited February 18, 2021 by JAinVA

[Ed Kennell 39,228]

I'm thinking of mixing some black  JB Weld , working it under the edges and covering the hole.    Thoughts?

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Vinyl repairs can work on good vinyl that is still flexible and only tore because of something out of the ordinary or was cut.  Won't work on old brittle vinyl that is falling apart.  It's best to glue in some support behind the repair.  If you were to 2 step this with a backup and let dry, then glue down the tear, if that is a lip of the vinyl I'm seeing, and if you can tolerate seeing just the torn edge, you might have a long lasting repair.  If the edges still bother you then you could try one of the vinyl repair kits.  Glue and heat kits, your mileage will vary with your skill set.

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

What about some "liquid tape", I believe the Kubota seat that came on the 315-8 was patched with something very similar as it was very pliable but who ever applied it was no Picasso. (Bottom center next to shifter.)

[DennisThornton 4,769]

I've used a bit of Liquid Tape on extension cords but I've had it crack in a year or so.  I'd say no.  How long have you had the repaired seat?

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

I had it for almost 3 years no cracking, whatever it was it stayed very pliable even in cold weather.

[Ed Kennell 39,228]

I just bough it yesterday Dennis.     It was dirty, but the vinyl seems pretty pliable.  I just finished the JB repair.    I'll see what I have tomorrow  after it cures.    

 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

5 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

I just bough it yesterday Dennis.     It was dirty, but the vinyl seems pretty pliable.  I just finished the JB repair.    I'll see what I have tomorrow  after it cures.    

 

Oh man!  I thought you meant the JB Vinyl repair!

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

1 minute ago, DennisThornton said:

Oh man!  I thought you meant the JB Vinyl repair!

@Ed Kennell, that may be a bit to brittle for that application but I trust your engineering knowledge to pull this off.

[Ed Kennell 39,228]

Brittle was a concern Jeff, but this is what I had in stock and the repaired hole is very small and there should be no flexing in this area.   We shall see.

[Chestnut 315]

I'm also interested to find out if the brittle repair works. 

I've tried the black Gorilla tape and it split in about a year. That repair was in a high flex area and I don't think the cloth reinforced tape had enough stretch, or none at all.

The only successful similar repair I ever made wasn't on a seat but on a convertible top. The entire seam had let go at the rear bow. A piece of black Naugahyde glued across the gap with contact adhesive held for years. I just checked and the Naugas aren't extinct yet, but the home range has moved.

[Handy Don 12,663]

1 minute ago, Chestnut said:

Naugas aren't extinct yet, but the home range has moved.

Could be the subject of a Nova on PBS? 

 

[Ed Kennell 39,228]

23 minutes ago, Chestnut said:

Naugas aren't extinct yet, but the home range has moved.

 

I think I know where the little buggers moved to.

[Chestnut 315]

1 minute ago, Ed Kennell said:

 

I think I know where the little buggers moved to.

That might be them! 

[Chestnut 315]

After my first message I remembered the old waterbed repair kit. I didn't like that adhesive, but the clear vinyl patch material was pretty good. Along that line, has anyone tried pool repair, inflatable boat repair or even bounce house repair material on a seat? That bright blue pool parch might not meet the aesthetic test, but there are some clear or black patch kits along that line.

[Lee1977 6,873]

If the JB Weld don't work maybe try some Flex-Shield. Someone should try it, not much works on repairing these seats.

Edited February 18, 2021 by Lee1977

[Ed Kennell 39,228]

Flex-Shield  was my thought Lee.    But the JB is what I had in the shop.

[Lee1977 6,873]

I under stand completely, I have a good supply of JB Weld as it fixes so many things. Broke the trigger on my Weed Eater (Echo) about 15 years ago, piece of stiff wire and put it back together still holding.

 

 

[Handy Don 12,663]

22 hours ago, JAinVA said:

Black gorilla tape works good for a working seat

This has been my "temp" go to and, carefully applied, it has held up pretty well though I've only used it in places that don't get much friction.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

22 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

This has been my "temp" go to and, carefully applied, it has held up pretty well though I've only used it in places that don't get much friction.

It's a better duct tape for sure!.  I'd use it by trying to as best I could put a layer underneath the patch area extending as far as I could reach.  Then a top layer in the opposite direction.  Not show ready but I think that would hold up pretty well.