[ShovelJockey]

I need to make a seat for my chop. I am good friends with the guys at the county roads department. They give me all of the old or damaged road signs. These signs are made of aluminum. I cant tell you what the alloy is, but it is of medium hardness and welds incredibly well.

The old sign:

Rough draft:

Annealing the pan:

I dont have an english wheel or planishing hammer, so I make do with what Ive got to smooth up the shaping hammer marks. Here is the cap off of an oxygen bottle

After the edges were trimmed to shape, here is the final pan. Now work can begin on making brackets for it. Its not perfect, but I am pretty happy with it. Besides, its truly hand formed.

 

[ckunsman89]

very cool. I like the idea, you wouldn't mind if I borrowed it for my own build as well, would you?

 

[ShovelJockey]

very cool. I like the idea, you wouldn't mind if I borrowed it for my own build as well, would you?

Haha. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

I dont care at all. I havent done anything groundbreaking, just showing a different way to do it is all.

 

[Danny F.]

Ah.. finally.. a homemade seatpan that doesn't look as if it was "homemade"..

What is it in the last year or so, that you only see pieces of cutout sheetmetal and just rolled upwards at the rear and then call it a seat... no shapes or argonomic forms in them anymore whatsoever..
I know they are cheap to make.. but they look cheap also..

(just my 0.2 cents of course)

 

[ShovelJockey]

I am with you Danny. There is no life to those things. The test of my bike is fabricated the seat should be as well

 

[Rob Axel]

Like this ...think I may give it a shot .... kinda funny though, I cut mine out of a old sign also.

 

[FlameThrower]

Nice job... you have a future as an old-school blacksmith (lol)!

 

[Troy Fab]

Nice job.

 

[ShovelJockey]

Thanks for the compliments guys. Its a long way from finished. Forming it was the easy part. it took roughly 2 hours to get it to that stage. Getting it to fit and building the framework will be the hard part.

 

[selectedgrub]

Great work man.
I too don't have fancy forming tools.
Can't even afford a real anvil.
I got this cobblers anvil it is sweet for forming, 3 sided alot of great angles.
Just chuck it in the vice.
Best 5notes I've ever spent.

 

[HD48FL]

Very creative, nice job!

 

[hogster]

a seat should look like an inside=out ass,to be truly ergonomic like a p-pad right ...

 

[Okie Pete]

Looks great.

 

[Ironhead-Slim]

I dig it! If you could shape it the way you did but then paint the sign back on it after would be kinda cool. I like that you're putting real effort into the fabrication.

 

[ShovelJockey]

 

[steel horse rider]

looks good

 

[ShovelJockey]

I was asked to show a better detailed shot of the mounts and profile. Here they are.

 

[FattyC]

Is the hammer bag homemade? If not, where did you get it from and what are the dimensions?

 

[ShovelJockey]

Things are coming along nicely.

 

[ShovelJockey]

I had a friend of mine tool the leather with the bike's name in it. He did an awesome job!! Check out his work http://bigjohnsshop.blogspot.com/

One of a kind seat for my hand built bike. Kindof the icing on the cake.

Just a few minor details to work over, but she is ready for summer!