Making a Replacement Backrest for your Wheel Horse

[Lane Ranger 11,645]

My sister has made a couple backrests (plywood board and upholstery also) for my old Wheel Horses.    She has used 3/8 plywood but I have seen other folks use  different types of materials.   Glued chipboard is not a good materials to use as the  embedded three prong threaded 1/4 x 20 clips ( I guess they call these T nuts)  that go into the seat back to secure the two screws will often come loose or work out.

 

 

 

 

I am posting pictures of two of the backrests my sister made for me .   The measurements on these drawings is what she used to sew up the materials for the seatback.

 

I will note that I took a picture  (last picture in this set)  of one of the early seatbacks and found it to be one inch wider -so you can take that in consideration if you want to when making.

 

This posting may help some of you wanting to have a seat back made or reupholstered. 

 

 

Edited May 24, 2017 by Lane Ranger

[BOB ELLISON 2,981]

Thank you Lane for the info on making seats for these tractors. You were the inspiration for me to make the seat for my 1054 that I haven't gotten around to assemble yet. I got a lot of good information and decided to get a heavy duty sewing machine to sew my seat and back. With everything we do to these great old tractors we need someone to show us we can do it if inspired by someone that's done it before. It's always the little things that discourages people not to try. I think mine came out really good after you posted your seat. I plan on making a new seat for my lawn ranger and these plans will come in handy I love the back rest.

[Lane Ranger 11,645]

Very Nice work Bob!      Somewhere on Red Square there is another posting about making the 1054/953 seats.  The internal wood pieces that were used on those seats and pattern I did  three or four years ago!

 

 

Here is the link:

 

 

Edited May 24, 2017 by Lane Ranger

[BOB ELLISON 2,981]

That very post is what I used to make the seat and back.

[RedRanger 1,470]

Good info!  I also have an early 60's original backrest on my 702/852.  The wood dry rotted and last fall I cracked it in half moving the tractor around my garage.  I'm hoping I can open it up and make a new wood insert for it while re-using the factory cover to keep the retro look.  Been trying to figure out if I should use plywood or a board?  I'm guessing true plywood is the way to go.

[Lane Ranger 11,645]

I think they even steamed some of those early backrests that had plywood to make a little bit of of bend on the ends.   Round the edges and sand if using your old  cover.

[RedRanger 1,470]

21 minutes ago, Lane Ranger said:

I think they even steamed some of those early backrests that had plywood to make a little bit of of bend on the ends.   Round the edges and sand if using your old  cover.

I haven't tried to disassemble yet, but yes, it does look to be curved.

[BOB ELLISON 2,981]

REDRANGER you will find the old original seat covers are very dry and will cracks if you try to remove it. Mine was so dry rotted it fell apart in my hand so making a pattern from it was impossible. Good luck on that.

[Ed Kennell 43,380]

Thanks for the info.  Those are some great looking upholstery jobs.    I know it's a completely different assembly process, but if you don't mind @Lane Ranger, I'll add some pictures of the seats I have rebuilt.

The seat back on my C-101 was broken off and not with the tractor, so I made a pattern from another seat and fabbed a new back.  Mrs K does the sewing.

 

The Commando 8 seat back was broken off, so I just had to weld it back to the bottom and make new cushions.  I have found the back cushion with the WH Logo is usually OK, so I just add new cording and side panels.

 

[Lane Ranger 11,645]

Ed:   A very good addition to this post.   That two piece seat looks great.   My sister  is doing a project like that right now.  We are trying to save a WH horsehead logo on the back of the two piece black seat and  redo the vinyl on the sides.

 

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by Lane Ranger

[953 nut 62,628]

1 hour ago, Lane Ranger said:

 We are trying to save a WH horsehead logo on the back of the two piece black seat and  redo the vinyl on the sides.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,785]

Glued chipboard is not a good materials to use as the  embedded three prong threaded 1/4 x 20 clips ( I guess they call these T nuts)  that go into the seat back to secure the two screws will often come loose or work out.

 

Don't know how they could come out. The nut goes into the wood on the front of the panel and the bolt goes into the nut from the rear. There are different types of T-nuts

 

1/4"

http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=40361&cat=3,43576,61994,40361

 

5/16"

http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=61645&cat=3,43576,61995,61645

 

Garry

[Lane Ranger 11,645]

Garry:   The chipboard will some times come apart  when or if it gets wet, prongs  eat into chipboard but not enough to hold, and/or   not aligned properly,  

[Sarge 3,470]

The correct plywood is either marine cabinet grade or fine cabinet grade - look for material that has more than 5 layers , 7 layer cabinet grade can take being steam bent and is far stronger . If you can find a cabinet shop locally - those guys will have small leftover/drops around you can get for a song - the stuff in full size sheets is quite expensive .

 

Mrs. K isn't messing about - that Pfaff is one heck of a heavy duty machine for the newer generation types . Nice looking work on the seats folks , upholstery work is an art and takes a lot of time to get it right .

 

Sarge

[RedRanger 1,470]

For anyone wondering what the inside of the original backrests looks like....  

 

I've made a new plywood insert, transferred the T nuts, reapplied the factory foam and put it back together.

My cover split on the backside under the metal bracket so I think we can sew the bottom back together and with some staples and duct tape, I can make it work.  99% of the cover damage will be hidden behind the back brace.

 

[Lane Ranger 11,645]

Thanks for posting these backrest photos Red Ranger!  Great details!

[DBlackston 323]

Does anyone have dimensions for the metal portion of these backrests?

[8ntruck 8,259]

Nice thread. 

 

We picked up an upolstery machine last year.  Haven't had time to play with it yet, but Pack Rat, the AC B110, and Big Nasty, the '72 C10, and some bent wood 1940's era couches all need upolstery work. 

 

Got some black and white coarse houndstooth pattern material I'm planning for the contrast panels on Big Nasty's bench seat.  Ought to be interesting.

[Lane Ranger 11,645]

6 hours ago, DBlackston said:

Does anyone have dimensions for the metal portion of these backrests?

 

 

I do not but I believe the L shaped metal backrest bracket dimensions are on Red Square somewhere!  I recall someone making their own.   

The bracket on the bottom of the L. goes on top the metal seat spring on Roundheads.  Two holes to accomodate. the seat spring  carriage bolt holes.

 

The trick part is the back rest portion.

 

Two bolt holes on the top of the L bracket at a diagonal.   This to strenfenhen the backrest board or metal plate (depending on what material you choose to use in you actual backrest.

 

I used good , multi layer plywood -no chipboard.  But I have seen metal used too.    Foarm to cushion and you can still sometimes find the ribbed vinyl like they used in the 1964 , 1865 Chevys that recreates the original look.

 

 

[702854boy 333]

Would the dimensions for the foam for the plywood back also work work the seats with a metal back?

[Lane Ranger 11,645]

Just now, 702854boy said:

Would the dimensions for the foam for the plywood back also work work the seats with a metal back?

 

i think they are similar but the metal back is press formed and has a lip around the edges.  I think the foam size has to be bigger to cover that with the outside covering -so thr vinyl wont fray or rip on the edges!