953/1054 Seat Bottom Project

[Lane Ranger 11,395]

A lot of folks with 953/1054 and 1054-A Wheel Horse tractors have original seat frames and would like to preserve the original look but need new seat covers.   

 

 

 

The covers are often sold on EBAY and a few members have been selling them.    I thought I would post a tutorial on how to make an original seat bottom.   The cover I have is a remake of an original that was placed on an original seat bottom.   The bottom piece was made of layered Luan Birch plywood from what I could tell.    We kept the original seat bottom and had a new cover made for it when we bought the 1054 several years ago.   With age , rain, setting outside etc the water finally destroyed the integrity of the glued layers in the seat bottom paneling.

 

 

 

What I did was make up four seat bottom panels recently (and four backs and repainted frames which I will do another posting on later) with new and better quality materials than originally sued by Wheel Horse.

 

First, I bought a half inch good quality plywood (not pressboard, or thinner materials in my opinion-they won't last).   I cut the plywood with a pattern taken from the original seat that had curved corners but was 17 1/2 wide by 13 inches.   I used a handheld sander to smooth all the edges (for the vinyl cover to go over easy and not tear, etc).  

 

 

Second,  the "sides" of the bottom plywood seat are 2 x 4's cut or split at a 45 degree angle to form the valley for your bottom to sit on the foam/cover.    I used Hardwood purchased from a local hardwood supplier and had a neighbor split, sand and round the edges of the side pieces.   The side pieces are 12 1/2 inches long and  1 1/2 inches high on the high side.   I attached them to the bottom with # 8 1 1/4 inch Star Drive all purpose wood screws using an electric drill.   This made it easy to install these angled pieces (especially eight of them on the four seat bottoms I made).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirdly, I than cut a 5 and 1 1/2 inch Luan Plywood ( 1/4 inch) support piece that I glued to the bottom with Monkey Glue (although I think Elmer's Wood Glue would work fine).  This support piece was on the original seat and helped keep the bottom in place and ride between the two steel frame arms that are attached to the 953/1054 fenders.

 

 

 

 

 

I used a polyurethane on all the wood pieces and coated them three or four times to assist in repelling water and to seal the wood good. This is especially important on the plywood seat bottom and the 1/4 inch support piece.

 

 

The cover was placed top down on a flat surface with padding underneath to prevent damage.   I placed a soft foam piece cut to size of the cover in the inside of the cover.   I then cut a hard foam (a special dense foam that a friend gave me from an airplane seat project) in the inside of the two side pieces.  Just between the beginning edges of the side pieces.   

 

 

I slowly pulled up the edges and corners of the cover over the frame and foam pieces to see how it all fit -making sure not to tear or overly stretch the vinyl cover.    The fit was fine and I then began to slowly staple ( take the time and money to get STAINLESS STEEL STAPLES) the seat cover on the edges and then the corners.

 

 

 

 

 

I think the job ended up nice and pretty close to original.

 

 

Here are some more photos with some measurements  placed on the wood with black magic marker  FYI:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2013 by Lane Ranger

[1054josh 25]

Very interesting I have made some repos from a seat that I had and the wood wedges weren't in mine the foam padding was cut to form the wedge. But my seat was on a 953 so I wonder if 1054 were changed at some point

[Lane Ranger 11,395]

Josh:  I AM SURE THE WOODEN SIDE PIECES WERE IN THE ORIGINAL 953 AND 1054 WHEEL HORSE TRACTOR SEATS.

[groundhog47 347]

That is a really neat job, really like the little side bolsters, ooh comfort! Like that Strohs box also, Have a great day every day!

[AMC RULES 37,196]

Seat turned out great Lane.  

[KC9KAS 4,744]

Good looking seat.....considering you went through that case of Strohs!

 

I used to run around with a couple of guys that were 2 years older than me, and they had connections, so I drank a lot of Strohs back in the early 70's!

[Lane Ranger 11,395]

• I drank more than a lot !!  A case was a start...

[Duckthumper 6]

Is anyone still selling the covers for this seat?  I am in desperate need!

[WHX?? 51,732]

Yeah I do believe so Duck...check the vendors section as I do believe ther was a guy ther that is making repros. I think it was Dave @Fun Engineer???

[Fun Engineer 859]

I can put you in touch with a guy that still sells covers but they are for the smaller tractors. Check out my vendor section Michigan Wheel Horse for style and pictures. I believe Terry Wolfs contact info is in there also.