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Topic: Seat Foam |
Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 16 Dec 2023 10:37 am |
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I've spent a lot of time searching the forum and I've come up with general info but I just can't bring myself to push the 'buy' button of any of the sites I'm shopping at.
I made a mistake once and bought some 'extra-firm' stuff that was soft and useless junk.
I'm now looking at some 1" memory foam from Wings & Wheels, a source that had been recommended here (I was going to layer two pieces) but I'm not 100% positive it's what I want and they are going to charge me $25 shipping on a $42, 18" square order. And I'm looking at some green stuff at Foam Factory but it's in 82" lengths.
So ------ can anyone give me a specific link to a specific product that they use and recommend? Nothing that I can find on the forum gets me closer than 'you want something like....'
I want seriously firm foam that will not bottom out but will treat my butt like the king that it is.
Anyone? |
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Scott Swartz
From:
St. Louis, MO
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Posted 16 Dec 2023 1:36 pm
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I just recovered my GFI seat with the wings and wheels blue medium in 1 inch, and it does not bottom out like the old foam did. I am very happy with it. For 2 inch I would have done the 1 inch pink soft plus 1 inch blue.
_________________
Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 16 Dec 2023 2:21 pm
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Interesting, Scott. I took it as a given that firmer was better, firmest was bestest. Hmm....
Thanks! |
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TRAP TRULY
From:
Mobile , AL
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Wayne Brown
From:
Bassano, Alberta, Canada
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Posted 17 Dec 2023 2:52 am seat
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Jon PM sent
_________________
Owner Out West Music,Seats,Parts and accessories
www.outwestcountry.ca |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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John Swain
From:
Winchester, Va
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Posted 17 Dec 2023 7:20 am
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| Jon, I like the hard foam Joe Naylor used on his SteelSeats . I bought a piece from him a few years ago. I'd check with him. JS |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 17 Dec 2023 7:45 am
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| Thanks John. In my forum searches he stated more than once that he would not sell foam so I'd crossed that off my list of options. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2023 8:15 am
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John I was in Cabela's boating dept and they had a very large selection of Seats that looked to me like they could be used as a pak-a-seat replacement cushon with back.
Also in the packing dept at work they have some very stiff 3" packing/shipping foam that looked like a good Steel cushion replacement possibility. Maybe contact a packaging company for a foam supply. |
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Bobby D. Jones
From:
West Virginia, USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2023 1:02 pm
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| There is a site on line called FOAMORDER, They have so many foams you can get lost, Trying to figure out what foam it takes to cover a seat. |
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Scott Swartz
From:
St. Louis, MO
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Posted 17 Dec 2023 5:22 pm
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The W&W page gives some info on how to combine foams:
"Wings & Wheels energy absorbing foams are ideal for construction of seat pads since these form to shape with body temperature and weights and become form-fitting reducing pressure points. Depending on the seat thickness (even 1″ thick will make an amazing difference in seating comfort over bare seats and sailplane cockpit floors) an ideal seat cushion would be made of 3 densities combined as an example, a green bottom layer, blue middle and pink top layer in any combination and thickness. These foams like most other types should also be covered in fabric, vinyl or leather covering material to preserve the foam and keep it dry and clean."
Also here is another source for the aircraft foam I saved off the forum years ago.
https://seatfoam.com/
Also on the shipping, heres an idea. I went in on a shipment with my drummer, who needed to recover a couple drum stools, that made the shipping more reasonable for everyone.
_________________
Scott Swartz
Steeltronics - Steel Guitar Pickups
www.steeltronics.com |
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Roy Peterman
From:
Muncy Valley, Pennsylvania
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Posted 18 Dec 2023 3:36 am
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| Jon, I ordered an exercise knee pad on Amazon and used it for a seat build. 2 1/2" thick and very firm. And under 30 bucks shipped. It was 19" x 15". I cut it down to size on my band saw. Just a thought. You can find it under "ProsourceFit Exercise Balance Pad". |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 18 Dec 2023 3:53 am
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I went ahead and ordered from W & W on Saturday -- time mattered a bit and I wanted to get this project moving.
But for posterity, I'm happy for an informative thread for future searches. Some past threads spent more energy on why we-all are stupid for not using the right stuff without actually helping anyone find the right stuff.
By all means, if you have good ideas or good sources, keep 'em coming. |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 19 Dec 2023 10:07 am
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I seem to recall that there was thread/topic post on this not too long ago.
Have you searched the forum topic titles for "foam"? |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 19 Dec 2023 10:30 am
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| ajm wrote: |
I seem to recall that there was thread/topic post on this not too long ago.
Have you searched the forum topic titles for "foam"? |
That's barely worth responding to. |
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ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 20 Dec 2023 12:29 pm
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| Jon: Sorry for trying to help. |
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Matthew Walton
From:
Fort Worth, Texas
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Posted 20 Dec 2023 2:24 pm
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Jon, what firmness levels did you end up ordering?
I went through this recently and decided upon 1" medium Confor on top of 1" firm Confor.
I am 6' 2", 275 lbs (yes, working on making that number smaller), and if I had a do-over... I'd probably go for 2" of firm. Medium+Firm is still a HUGE improvement over the old foam, but especially in Texas in the summer, it's just a little more flexible than I'd like and can feel the foam bottoming out on an outdoor gig.
_________________
If something I wrote can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, I meant the other one.
1981 MSA "The Universal" 9/5 | 2009 MSA S-12 SuperSlide | Peavey Nashville 112 |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 20 Dec 2023 2:36 pm
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Matthew -- I'm glad you wrote that. Until now nobody has attempted to quantify or describe the firmness language and your post helps me a lot (although it's too late -- it's on its way).
Looks like I got lucky. I ordered exactly what you ordered. But I weigh around 165. So it sounds like I may have stumbled into 'just right'. I can't imagine there being such thing as too firm (for a mattress, sure, but for a butt cushion?) so I came so close to getting the 2" of firm but at the last second I softened up a hair.
Thanks for the post.
I'll report. |
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Wayne Brown
From:
Bassano, Alberta, Canada
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 21 Dec 2023 6:42 am Re: seat foam
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| Wayne Brown wrote: |
| This video explains the difference....... |
Thanks Wayne. For all the time I spent browsing and comparing, I never stumbled on that video. I've already got the W & W stuff coming but as I've said above, I hope this thread can serve as an archived unified source for info.
I'm redoing a seat that I 'inherited' that was too soft. I did the job last year using some awful fabric shop/hobby shop foam that is labeled extra firm but that bottoms out if you lay your bar down on it (I'm lying but.....)
It's one of those plush looking seats with a high crown that compresses down to nothing. I'll be glad to get the seat in the rotation.
My #1 seat is an old W. C. Edgar Stealseat that is as solid and firm as day 1. Really really good. I can't imagine needing to redo it in this lifetime.
But he is never forthcoming about what he used, in the number of forum threads that can be found where he mentions using special, unnamed stuff.
But it looks like the W & W or the stuff in the video will do the job well. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 21 Dec 2023 8:48 am
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Late to the party, a lot of stuff going on lately. Since it hasn't been linked here - this is the main discussion I've seen on replacing seat foam - https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=286794 - from 2015.
W.C. notes the following:
| W. C. Edgar wrote: |
| The only seat that will NOT bottom out (under 250 pounds) is the www.steelseat.com seat. I designed these seats when I started the company about 2000. Don't use just any foam, the stuff I used was 1 1/2" thick and called something like 140# foam which meant it took something like 140 pounds per square inch to compress it some certain amount and I got it directly from the pouring plant that manufactured it and NO you can't buy it at a craft store or a Wal-Mart. When I started the business I went through and tested over 15 different tension's of the same thickness of foam. ... |
I was pondering making a seat myself at the time, and the link that came up for me on 140# high-compression foam was this one in NJ - https://www.foamcenter.com/products/high-compression-foam-pro140 - I never did the project, but may yet. I'd probably use 1-1/2"-2" foam of this general type. They have a checkbox for them to cut to shape, I imagine cutting this stuff is a total PITA. This foam is not cheap, but if I make or reconfigure a seat for my tall frame, it has to be as good or better than my very good and comfortable drum thrones. The foam in my thrones is heavy-duty to the max. I can detect zero discomfort or permanent compression in my old one in 24 years. |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 28 Dec 2023 1:42 pm
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so, how'd it go?......
The seat started out with one of those crowned cushions with a vinyl cover -- round-topped rather than flat, but it instantly deflated and bottomed out when you sat. Not at all what I want or like.
I replaced the foam last year with two layers of (too-soft, it turned out) foam and covered it with a new piece of vinyl. IMO vinyl is the wrong material for how I want the seat to feel. This replacement job was a waste of time.
That brings me to today.
Two layers of 1" memory foam. Bottom layer is firm green. Top layer is medium blue. The cover is suede-like synthetic.
I have never messed with this foam material before, never had a memory foam mattress or anything. Freaky stuff in your hands.
Cuts easily. I use a long, sharp kitchen slicing knife (not serrated) and make many multiple passes against a straight-edge. Very smooth cut.
When you sit, the first impression is that you are sitting on an unpadded wooden bench, it's that firm. Not harsh but startling. Then you realize that you are very slowly sinking. Somehow it is hard and soft at the same time. In spite of the sinking, you never feel that you have bottomed out. It is austere but not uncomfortable. The extreme opposite of plush.
When you get up it instantly returns. No butt cheek impression.
I just spent 30 minutes of shedding time and I know it will work well. It will take me more time to decide if it's perfect for me -- it may be!
No regrets.
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 28 Dec 2023 3:19 pm
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| Thanks Jon. Good to know the results. I have a couple old seats that need foam. Once my Carpal tunnel hand surgery heals, I will get on it. |
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Posted 5 Feb 2024 7:06 am
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| John Swain wrote: |
| Jon, I like the hard foam Joe Naylor used on his SteelSeats . I bought a piece from him a few years ago. I'd check with him. JS |
IT's what I did too ... I got 3 pieces from him had an upholsterer put it in my pretty new Steelers Choice which I barely used since buying it because it just felt too soft and I was always bottoming out on it, and I'm not even a Moose. Since installing it in my Steelers Choice I use that seat ALL THE TIME. For me it was a huge improvement.
_________________
Dale Rottacker, Steelinatune™
*2021 MSA Legend, "Jolly Rancher" D10 10x9
*2021 Rittenberry, "The Concord" D10 9x9
*1977 Blue Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom 8x6
https://msapedalsteels.com
http://rittenberrysteelguitars.com
https://www.telonics.com/index.php
https://www.p2pamps.com
https://www.quilterlabs.com |
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Willie Sims
From:
PADUCAH, KY, USA
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Posted 11 Mar 2024 10:48 am
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| AUTOMOBILE UPHOLSTERY SHOP;S ALWAYES HAVE SCRAPS OF SEAT FOAM YOU CAN BUY IN ANY SIZE,CHEAP |
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