Anyone re-cover their own saddles?

[Ferrous (Fe)]

Just looking for a little guidance to see whether it's feasible for me (with NO previous experience doing anything like this) to recover a saddle or two that I have.

I know that there are folks that I could send the saddles to that are very capable of doing this for me, but ultimately I'm trying to keep this on the cheap as they are still functional but in need of some cosmetic help.

The saddles I have are an old original Flite that needs some refreshment as well as a Sella Italia Gel Flow SLR (w/ cutout) that has no leather left on one side and a hole starting on the other due to thigh rub.

Anyone attempt their own saddle re-covering, particularly anyone do one with a cutout?

Thanks in advance for any insight/guidance.

[Louis]

There have been some threads about this, and I believe at least one person on the forum offers the service. Recently there was a thread about somebody down in Australia who does this professionally. (can't remember any details)

Use the "Search" function and see if you can find anything.

[buldogge]

It's rather easy to accomplish a servicable re-cover. To nail the aesthetics is the hard part.

Small creases and folds can be an issue.

Complex shapes, especially near the nose can be difficult to keep smooth and finished looking (not bunched).

Take your time and don't sweat it.

You need ~1.2mm leather, some contact cement or Super 77 spray, and patience.

Another area of concern is losing foam while removing the original cover...proceed slowly and consider using a heat-gun or hairdryer to loosen the glue.

Lay the saddle upside down on the new leather and cut the GENERAL shape, oversized...Spray or spread the glue but avoid the last couple inches of material towards the edge. Start on center and using pressure conform the material to the saddle front to back and then side to side. Trim down to a close cut and apply glue again, to the saddle underside/edges and finish stretching and conforming over the lip and overall again and then trim final edge.

Also, remember that leather stretched greater in one direction then the other, consider that when choosing how to lay the hide.

-Mark in St. Louis

[Ferrous (Fe)]

Wow, Buldogge thanks much for your detailed instructions, sounds like you've done a few.

Where did you get the leather from? Local or order?

Thanks again!

It's rather easy to accomplish a servicable re-cover. To nail the aesthetics is the hard part.

Small creases and folds can be an issue.

Complex shapes, especially near the nose can be difficult to keep smooth and finished looking (not bunched).

Take your time and don't sweat it.

You need ~1.2mm leather, some contact cement or Super 77 spray, and patience.

Another area of concern is losing foam while removing the original cover...proceed slowly and consider using a heat-gun or hairdryer to loosen the glue.

Lay the saddle upside down on the new leather and cut the GENERAL shape, oversized...Spray or spread the glue but avoid the last couple inches of material towards the edge. Start on center and using pressure conform the material to the saddle front to back and then side to side. Trim down to a close cut and apply glue again, to the saddle underside/edges and finish stretching and conforming over the lip and overall again and then trim final edge.

Also, remember that leather stretched greater in one direction then the other, consider that when choosing how to lay the hide.

-Mark in St. Louis

[Louis]

Another area of concern is losing foam while removing the original cover...

I'm not sure how other folk's saddles go bad, but for me the typical failure mode is that the foam goes soft in the sit bone area and I get very sharp local pains. The covers themselves are fine (except perhaps a few scratches on the sides, from the inevitable falls) but the foam is bad. So in my case, to refurbish an older saddle I'd have to also change the foam, which may or may not be feasible.

Good luck with the project.

[guyintense]

I've recovered a bunch of saddles but I always use leather, pigskin being my favorite. I use Tandy's leather weld, it holds really well, stays flexible and allows you a little time to pull the leather into position. Contact cement not so much.

[Ferrous (Fe)]

I'm in the opposite boat, the saddles are still functional/comfortable and the padding is fine, it's just the thigh rub producing holes on either side of the nose of the saddle making them look trashy. It's just aesthetic snobbery on my part :)
I'm not sure how other folk's saddles go bad, but for me the typical failure mode is that the foam goes soft in the sit bone area and I get very sharp local pains. The covers themselves are fine (except perhaps a few scratches on the sides, from the inevitable falls) but the foam is bad. So in my case, to refurbish an older saddle I'd have to also change the foam, which may or may not be feasible.

Good luck with the project.

[Ferrous (Fe)]

Thanks for the tip on the "Tandy's Leather Weld." I've recovered a bunch of saddles but I always use leather, pigskin being my favorite. I use Tandy's leather weld, it holds really well, stays flexible and allows you a little time to pull the leather into position. Contact cement not so much.

[Peter P.]

You can get leather at many quality fabric stores. That's where I purchased mine. You can also check at furniture, auto, and marine upholstery shops. Bring your saddles with you and you might get lucky and be able to purchase a piece of scrap material on the cheap.

However, note that leather does come in various thicknesses and thicker leather will be more difficult to conform to a saddles' shape. When applying the material to the saddle, you'll want to work on the largest curves, along the sides, first. Then work on the back. Third, work on the tighter corners where the back meets the sides. Last, work on the nose. Working from the largest radius to the smallest should help hide the inevitable wrinkles and buckles you'll encounter.

Don't hesitate to consider vinyls or synthetic leathers if they're available from the same shops mentioned above. Many quality saddles are already made with such materials.

[buldogge]

Yeah...if you have a Tandy Leather near you, you can get everything you need and some quality adhesive.

There is a leather place here in STL that you can order from as well:
http://stleather.com/

Last saddle I did was an Avocet O2 Air 40R that I just wanted a color change on...I used some red goatskin from an Ebay seller/glove manufacturer out of Washington state. Make sure the leather is thick enough BUT still pliable/soft.

-Mark