3 Wheeler Seat
It was decided to build the seat for the vehicle rather than buy a second hand one. This was mainly due to size constraints and DP's eagerness to build it. The frame for the seat was made out of electrical conduit piping donated by the college. This was easy to work with because it could be bent to the required shape by using a pipe bender.
The individual tubes were bent and tacked together to provide the frame. Once happy with the shape the whole frame was welded together. A base plate was also welded in place. This needed to be rigid instead of using strapping because the seat may be used to in and out of the vehicle. Once cooled, the frame was painted in silver Hammerite paint.
Support strapping was then riveted on to provide sideways support between the metal framing. An aluminum back plate was also riveted on to provide back support. A dense blue foam was sewn to the strapping to provide a good support and soft foam was glued to that to provide comfort. A slightly denser chip foam was used for the base just in case the seat is used to enter and exit the vehicle.
It was decided to use leatherette vinyl for the covering. This would provide a relatively waterproof and durable cover and is far easier to machine than leather. Patterns were firstly made using thick brown paper. This is easily cut smaller or made larger by sticking bits on before it is cut out in the vinyl. When happy with the shape in the paper it was transferred to the vinyl. An extra 10mm was added to the border to allow for the seam. The Cover was made in 2 parts. The headrest, back and sides were made in one piece. The seat base was made as a separate item. The whole seat cover is removable incase of damage at a later date. It is secured underneath by shoelace style webbing. Other areas are held in place with industrial Velcro. The seat has been made adjustable by mounting it on rails. This allows 3 different seat positions depending on leg length. The back is not reclining but the seat angle was agreed by all team members.
