Seat back attachment

rbrandenstein · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:00 am

I am finishing my seating panels so I can move the build to the upholsterer. I am looking for advice on attaching the seats. The panels look like this:

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I am using gravity to hold things in place as in this diagram:

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The blocking should keep the seats from sliding forward. The 45 degree blocks on the seat back hold the panel in place. My worry is that trailering and/or rough water will pop off the panels of any unoccupied seats.

Does anyone have experience with this? Should I add latches or some form of positive attachment that keeps everything in place? As always, the advice and suggestions of this community is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Bill Edmundson · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:04 am

Bob,

I bolted mine thru to a frame member. I put barrel nuts or T-nuts in the frame so I can remove them from the outside.

Bill

ttownshaw · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:38 am

My seats are held on with velcro.

Bill Edmundson · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 10:49 am

My cushions have tabs with snaps. Where I can't do that I have automotive velcro.

Bill

Bruce Dow · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:36 am

I bent some brackets that are screwed to the seat back. They hook under the deck frame right behind the seat, and then the bottom of the seat back swings down and stays in place against a stop block by friction.

There is a small handle to pull the bottom of the seat back forward for removal.

(with this way, the seat bottom goes on before the seat back - different from the picture you posted, where the seat back appears to go in before the seat bottom)

Iggy · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:47 am

I've used bolts with embedded T-Nuts in the plywood.
I've also used velcro on some 'removable' seats where I can put stuff I don't need all that often under my front seat bottoms.

vupilot · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:57 pm

My seat bottom sits on like your diagram with just blocking to hold it from sliding forward. The seat back is held with velcro at the top against the frame and at the bottom I just installed a layer of 3/8" mahogany to the back of the seat box which raises up 1" above the seatbox as a lip to keep the bottom of the seat back from kicking out. You might just be able to see the extra piece for that lip in this photo https://picasaweb.google.com/vupilot/Ch ... 9129386562

I havent had any problems at all with trailering up to 80mph and in strong winds with just Velcro, gravity and those blocks holding the seat bases and backs in place. The Velcro is some 2.5" wide super heavy duty stuff adhered and stapled in place on the seatback frames. It takes a susprising bit of muscle to unstick those seat backs.

Here is a tip worth what you paid for it. Give your wood for your seats plenty of clearance for the upholstery to be added and not be too snug. I wish I had 1/4" more clearance on everything. I probably started with just under 3/8" clearance before I dropped it off at the upholstery shop.

trisailor · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 8:17 pm

here's the system I used on my Gentry. The top support on my set back is different that the one you devised, but your angled wood block system would complement the arrangement well. Undo the two knobs, lift up the seat bottom an inch and a half, slide it forward, lift it out of the boat. Lift out the seat back. all done in less than a minute.

Andy Garrett · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 9:39 pm

I've actually been wondering about this myself, and I like your plan. The 45* blocks are quite clever.

I think I'll add a loop or two of heavy duty elastic shock cord to the bottom of the plywood seat back. I'll stretch the loop over a notch or hook added to the lower members then set the seat in place. The tension should hold it there snuggly, but keep it very easy to remove when desired.

rbrandenstein · **Posted:** Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:28 am

Thanks for the ideas.

My seat back goes on first, then the bottoms. So, the bottom panels keep the back panel from swinging forward. However, it won't stop vertical movement, like a bump.

Velcro on the back and frames would definitely hold it and be pretty easy to attach. I'd just add a nylon strap at the bottom of the seat back panel to give me something to pull on to free it up.

Depending on how the upholstery is done, I think I could also add a couple of screws into the frame at the bottom of the back panel.

Glen-L.com

Seat back attachment

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