Pontoon Seat Repair?

[81 Checkmate]

The pontoon seats are getting in bad shape, Just the burgundy color. I pulled some of the seats to get some estimates and the first one i recieved was $ 600.00 to replace the burgundy vinyl only. The foam is in good shape also. I dont know if this guy was in the ballpark or hit a home run?

Attached are some pics. Can i try and fix these myself? Or am i outa the ballpark? Or do i bite the bullet and have
them done by the pro.



Items are as follows

2- long bench seats Aprox - 55" long each
1- Short bench seat Aprox - 30" long
3- Back deck pieces Apox - 8' long total

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

Check this out...
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=536567&highlight=upholstery

I know this guy...When he started he couldn't even spell Sewing Machine. Heck he thought a Pontoon was some kind of a song!!!!! But...as you can see, he's come a LOOOOOOOOOOONG way since then. If HE can do it, ANYBODY can!!

In all seriousness, a good heavy duty sewing machine, some YouTube video searches and some practice and I think most "Handy" guys can learn to do their own upholstery work.

P.S. A walking foot machine sure makes life easier when it comes to doing this. But they ARE pricey.

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

81 Checkmate,

I think the $600 sounds a little pricey for just the burgundy...does that entail removal from seat bases/foam and then re-stapled?

I went the veada.com for my vinyl and prices were good, service was great!

They have complete benches ready to go, colors can be customized:
(2) 55" Benches = $578
(1) 30" (actual size 26" or 36") Bench = $189
(3) 8' Total I put total packages...

I think for the $ it may be cheaper to replace than recover?

IMO, I'd pull the trigger and get all new vinyl as once you have it out it will be cheaper in the long run (bigger expense initially, however!)
You can totally pull all the staples and take the vinyl to the upholsterer for just skins and then restaple (I'd recommend a pneumatic stapler as opposed to the swingline T50...that many staples will make your hands cramp...bad! Use stainless, obviously?

 

[bajaunderground]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

I meant to add after your checkmate restore sewing your own vinyl is pretty easy...I sewed mine (never used a machine, nor ever did upholstery! So easy a caveman can do it!

WOG is spot on, his vinyl work is top notch and the link he provided will inspire!

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

Thanks Wood for the encouragement, I have been following that thread and I just might give it a try. I could try on the short bench seat first and see what happens. I do have access to a machine. Don?t know if it?s a pedal model.

I can?t justify the $ 600 when I almost do everything else myself.

Thanks!

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

the Price is not that far off base, you have to consider to replace the burgandy strip, the entire cover has to be removed, seam needs to be ripped (which takes a lot of time to do without damaging the other vinyl) then the sewing and reinstallation of the cover. However, like wood said you could do this by yourself, figure 200 bucks for a decent enough sewing machine to get by, 75 bucks for vinyl and thread, 15 bucks worth of broken needles ( you will break alot when you first start) then about 40 hours worth of seam ripping and resewing. That being said, his price wasn't far off, but if your willing to take it on, I know that the folks here can get you through it!

 

[scottn83]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

I agree with wog and baja. I bought an old singer and also used veada.com for my seats and vinyl. I had never sewed a stitch either. even if you go all new seats veada is great with customer service along with there great prices. I bought the bench and two helm seats but recovered everything else i recovered my self

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

Thanks all for the advice!

Judge nice thread and full of useful info. Nice finish job and you could mount that set up in your living room and lounge right there. Fun in the shade??..
Also nice work Eric?. Sweet looking ride?.

Ill have to put the Checkmate on hold for a bit to get this fixed first. Between the Yard work for the wife and softball for my daughter and....... all the boat stuff, Whooooo!!!!! Ill never get on the water........

Ok did some investigation last night with the small bench seat. I disassemble it and? man you are right lasta staples, you would need a zillion to put it back together.
So from just a half hour of work to take it apart I can see why the $600 quote was not that far off.
You are right Judge it will defiantly be a pain to take apart the stitching just to replace the Burgundy strip. So what I am going to do is just take the cover with me and get a quote on repairing the covers only, then assemble to the bases myself.

When I took it apart there was a two piece foam set up, the front cushion is separate from the back.

Here are some pics from last night!

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

for the staples, get one of these from harbor freight http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-professional-staple-remover-66732.html I use it a lot and once you master the technique, removing staples is fast

 

[74bayliner]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?


Good Luck with this stitch... i am not professional in fact i am newb to this upholstery thing. but on my practice stiches i cant seem to get this stitch to work for me (colored in red) maybe its the type of machine i have since its not heavy duty or heavy strength.. Good luck. i will be closely following your thread and hopefully learn something so take pictures and video if you can

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

on that stitch you need to cut relief slits in the vinyl that follows the curve, then just keep the edges lined up while following the curved piece, without the relief cuts your vinyl will bunch up and not feed right under the presser foot

 

[74bayliner]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

Well there you go.. One piece of information that will help many! thank you

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

This shows how to sew some pretty tight curves...from my boat seats.
http://youtu.be/6HXw8l3M6GY

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

Thanks Wood for the clip. Nice work going on + many extras. Is that you in the video?

Ok went to another upholstery shop and had him look at my seats. He said $60 per hr + Material and had all kinds of material to choose from or I could get my own. He also said if I were to take them apart it would be cheaper.

Quoted me like this with me taking apart,
1- Small bench seat ? 1 yard + 1 hr
2- Long bench seats ? 2 yards each + 2 hrs each
3- Back deck cushions ? 1 yard each + 1 hr each
$15 per yard at 8 yards = $120 - This is $15 per yard, could spend up to $85 per yard.
$60 per hr at 5 hrs = $300
Total of $420 ? so the first guy at $600 was on the money + he takes apart and puts back together.

He did say with a 2001 boat that you could contact the boat manufacture and see if they had replacement seats or just the replacement covers.

I did a lot of research last night I couldn?t find much on a Fisher pontoon Boat. It looks like they do not have a website specifically for Fisher, that they build boats for dealers only. Don?t know if anyone has info for this or not.

So not sure what I am going to do as of yet. Thinking - get the small bench fixed for $100 and then at the end of summer pull all the seats/sun deck and try to do them myself over the winter. Doing it this way i wont be rushed + i can do alot more research....... Summer is approaching fast and would like to get other stuff done??.. One would be the Mate! The deck/interior and motor back in.

And go BOATING WITH MY OTHER SKI BOAT AND JET SKI??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

yeah, it really seems like a lot of money when you look at recovering, from the layman standpoint, it looks easy, copy and sew....but when you get down to it, the time and materials add up quickly, that is not a bad price, now just imagine if you were replacing more than just the burgandy!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

I vote for doing em yourself. I enjoy it and so does Judge. When/IF I retire I'm gunna hang my shingle and do some upholstery work. Heck I may move to Ark-EE-Saw and throw in with Judge and his new business.
Yep, that's the Old Dumb Okie in the video. I look as bad as I sound too!!!!

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

Yea Judge you are right...... The hand that feeds the mouth... A Craftsman should be paid for his/her experience. I know been welding for the last 25 years and wouldn't expect anything less.

I am goimg to read,read and do more reading on this subject and i think i can do it myself this winter. Get some material and do some practice runs and all. I realy think that with all the help you guy's have given and will give, the more hands on you do the better the product is going to be!

So be prepaired this fall/winter when this thread starts going again,becouse i know that i will be asking more questions????

Again thanks for everyones help. I couldn't do anything ( The Right Way) with out the help from iboats

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

Wood - I was wondering if you would own up to it......

Had to google to see exactly what and okie was. One thing going for ya.... your hands dont look like an old fart!! :facepalm:

Old farts Rule..........

 

[JDA1975]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

I vote for doing em yourself. I enjoy it and so does Judge. When/IF I retire I'm gunna hang my shingle and do some upholstery work. Heck I may move to Ark-EE-Saw and throw in with Judge and his new business.
Yep, that's the Old Dumb Okie in the video. I look as bad as I sound too!!!!

retire already then! have an ad for a helper out there, but surprisingly, considering the so called lack of jobs, I have gotten little interest so far and really needed someone 2 weeks ago lol!

the question is not whether he looks like an old fart but whether he smells like one!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Pontoon Seat Repair?

ROFLMAO!!!! Oh yeah, I DOOOOO smell like one Too!!!!!