Driver’s Seat Rebuild 84 SN 2001

Hi, I am rebuilding the driver's seat on my 1984 Ski Nautique 2001. The plywood is rotted and I have the seat upholstery and padding removed. Looks like the previous owner used regular staples that rusted badly and only used soffit staples to nail the plywood sides/back, and bottom together! No wonder it was falling apart! Anyway, I plan on using 1/2" exterior plywood and possibly coating with epoxy once it is together. What fasteners should I use to connect the pieces? Stainless screws? Seems like whatever I use will not be too strong a bind since it is being screwed into 1/2 plywood. Are there any other fasteners, like anchor bolts, that anyone recommends? Also, where can I buy a new seat sliding railing that matches the oem seat railing and about how much does one cost?? Mine is badly rusted, and one of the mounting bolts is rusted to a nub. Good news is that my fiberglass base is in great shape with no cracks! What do you recommend I use to coat the seat frame to extend its life? Help, advice is appreciated!

Thanks for the info and advice 8122pbrainard. The upholstery was redone by the original owner, and he used the non-ss staples. Sorry to hear that even CC didn't use SS staples on some of the boats. My seat frame is all plywood with no alumunum. I know about t-nuts, but don't think they will work in this case, since the screws will need to go in the ends of the plywood. Maybe I can use a piece of angled solid wood blocks to reinforce where the frame pieces are joined, then put the t-nut into the block...may not be able to fit the seat bottom and back cushions in though. Regarding the epoxy, if I coat the plywood with epoxy, then would I be able to staple into it when I attach the upholstery? Thanks again for the info and reply! Wesley

Wesman, Ok, now I understand that you what to screw into the EDGE of the ply to hold the "box" together. Glued triangular gussets in the corners are good but require clamping or nailing/stapling in place so the epoxy can set up and that can get involved. Here's a Method I have used on ply and end grain wood as well as reinforcing sloppy wood holes from repeated hardware removal. Pre Drill generous size pilot holes larger than the root dia. of the screw. #8's would be fine. (I use SS sheet metal screws because they have a aggresive and full length thread) Get some disposable plastic syringes sometimes sold as glue injectors. Using the epoxy you plan on using to coat the ply, don't add any fillers and using the syringe fill all your pilot holes. You may need to fill them a couple times because the epoxy really gets sucked into the wood around the pilot hole. After curing you will probably need to redrill the pilots holes again to remove excess epoxy. If the screw is difficult to drive in, drill a larger pilot hole. You do not what to put to much outward pressure on the hole and risk splitting the ply. Let the screw threads do the work. About 1" of screw engaugement into the edge of the ply is good so you will need 1 1/2" screws. You will end up with a VERY strong assemby.

Who's epoxy are you planning on using and have you used it before? One other tip; to extend the working time of the mixed epoxy, put it in a shallow pan like a pie plate rather than a cup. In a cup, all the heat generated from the curring epoxy is concentrated and it can get away from you. Also, mix small batches as it goes farther than you think. You can always mix more.

The epoxy coating shouln't prevent the staples from going in. You won't be putting on that thick of a coating. Be sure to get plenty on the edges though. It will really get sucked in.

Anyone have a picture to post of what these rails look like? Remember, I'm a old CC fan and not well informed on anything newer than a 80!!!

Yes, straight epoxy resin. Besides using it for laminating fiberglass,there are a whole bunch of fillers that you can add to it to thicken it for different purposes. West epoxy brand is probably the most popular and available at most marine supplys like West marine. It is however more expensive than others. You can do a search for Mas epoxy and do some reading. You will need a set of metering pumps that go into the tops of the part A&B containers so you will get the exact mixing ratio. They will be available from whoever you get the epoxy from. The stuff will not go bad with age so you can use it for other things. I would start with a quart of resin and the corresponding size of hardener. Oh, rolling on the coating on the ply is easier than brushing. A 3"or 4" roller and cover would be great for the seat base. Avoid the cheap foam covers at the hardware as they will far apart from the resin.

I just saw SS staples at Home Depot the other day. SS is softer than the regular ones so sometimes they don't like to go into the wood without bending so don't get ones any longer than you really need. 1/4" ?

The thin poly (I'm assuming foam) is somthing the upholstery or fabric shop would have.

Glad to here you salvaged your sliders. If you are just going to paint them, I love the "cold galvanizing" in a spray can for projects like the slider rails

Thanks for the wonderful advice everyone!

Well, I went shopping today and got all the parts needed to re-do my driver's seat frame:

1/2" plywood from Home Depot
West Marine Epoxy Resin to coat the plywood with some fiber filler to reinforce the joints

#8 SS sheet metal screws, flat head to join the plywood pieces, 1.5 inches long

poly filler from the local fabric store (I felt like a fish out of water in that store!)

stainless steel lock nuts and bolts to replace the rusted ones on the slide rail (I had to grind out the old ones)

spray primer and cold galvanizing paint for the rails after I sand off the rust

3/8" SS staples (fit the T50 Arrow Heavy Duty Staple Gun), from Home Depot

Wish me luck! I will post pics when done!

Wesley

Wesley, Did you get the metering pumps for the West epoxy? The mix ratio is critical with the West. With the Mas, they say it isn't and you can even "eye ball" it in measuring containers. I however like the pumps because you can mix up small (1 pump stroke) batches plus they aren't as messy. If you got the pumps, don't forget to purge the air out.

81, Nice job on the seat bases. I'm sure they will last allot longer than the OEM's!!

Wesley, I forgot to ask if you found the syringes. West offers them as one of their accesory items so if you found a well stocked store they would have them.

If you havent worked with epoxy before, I'm sure you will find it quite easy and actually fun to work with.

Wesley, I did warn you about the epoxy really getting sucked up in the holes!! The end result of this method is a joint that's allot stronger than any anchoring method.

The syringes can be reused. Let the epoxy cure and it will pop out with a little force.

Sounds like you're making good progress.