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  1. #1
    Contributing Member glenn cooper's Avatar
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    Default Bead Seat Primer

    Took a few pics along the way in case anyone can benefit from the info.

    Tape up the cockpit so that the bag won't catch on anything and tear.
    If your cockpit does not have interior panels, make some out of cardboard so that the beads won't expand out into any voids.

    Make a "dry run" with vacum on the bag, and kinda play with things for a bit, moving beads around, varying the amount of vacum, etc...

    Mixing/kneading of goo and beads: I don't have a pic, but get a large, clen area to lay it out and add the bucket of goo down into the bag, insert vacum tube and seal it up. Get to kneading, it takes a while...

    Get the beads all into the center of the bag horizontally and vertically, and lay into the chassis. With all your gear on, get into the car and start wiggling around, scooping beads around and out of the way to another area. From previous dry runs w/o bag, you know basically where you want to end up height wise, knees bent, back angle, etc...
    Apply vacum and get to molding and smoothing things out. You do not want to end up with any folds or voids. Keep working the bag, you can pull on it pretty hard. Work loose parts of the bag along to combine into one fold. Kind of like drops rolling off the hood of the car and growing as they merge together with other drops...

    Pull up on the back to get a visual, remember, no folds. The fewer folds, the stronger/longer lasting your seat will be.

    After several hours of vacum, a few more hours and it's cured. At this point it's time to pop out of the mold. In my RFR chassis it was possible to get it all out in one shot. Lots of tugging, some tweaking, and "Poit", out it came. Many chassis will not allow a one piece removal, so you might end up cutting off one or both "wings". DO NOT cut the seat straight down the spine into 2 parts.

    At this point you will be doing many trial installs and start trimming. You want to end up with a snug fit, but something that is easy to remove semi quickly.

    Once the trimming is done, it's time to locate harness attachment points. Take measurements in the chassis from known parts like chassis tubes, etc...
    Transfer these measurements to the seat so you know where to cut out the tunnels. Use a long screw driver to punch through the seat, to get a rough idea of the angles involved.

    Make the cutouts large enough to get you fingers/hand into the hole to pull out the belts as you install.

    Trail fit for the 75th or 6th time, with all gear, helmet, HNR, head surround clipped in, etc... to ensure you are ready to begin the next step.

    Bust out the gaffer tape and have an assistant start taping on interior of the holes, and L, R, and top edges.
    Then start with a strip right down the middle, and alternate from the left to the right, spreading out wider and wider, climbing the sides.

    Keep it neat and sano, and if possible have a friend who is bead seat proficient help. This is my 2nd and my bud's 3rd.

    Do the first race weekend w/ the tape job, make any changes with knife. hammer handle, fist, etc, re-tape and when it's all good, get it upholstered in nomex fabric.
    Last edited by glenn cooper; 05.05.12 at 2:44 PM.

  2. #2
    Contributing Member tjcezar's Avatar
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    Default

    I will be doing a bead seat in the near future. thanks for the pics. any suggestions?
    Better to have raced for a day...
    than been a spectator for life!

  3. #3
    Contributing Member DanW's Avatar
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    Default Well done!

    Nice looking job Coop!

    When I did mine, I found it was necessary to have help.

    Mix a small amount of dye in the epoxy so you can tell all the beads are coated.

    Shop vac works well, so does an old refrigerator compressor hooked up to the suction line, not as noisy, but the oil vapor smells, so plumb the discharge outside.
    “Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty.” -Peter Egan

  4. #4
    Contributing Member Rick Kirchner's Avatar
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    Default

    After curing I carefully pulled the bag off and painted a layer of epoxy over the surface. You can also fill in any voids with a paste of beads and some epoxy. After that cures, I do the same thing on the back. Then the seat is pretty strong. I put a layer of 120 kevlar on the back and the inside of the bottom where you frequently step in. Then I cover it in Nomex.

  5. #5
    Classifieds Super License Rick Iverson's Avatar
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    Default

    Fellas;

    Anyone have a couple cups of beads I can buy, beg, borrow or steal? I cut my seat twice, and it is still too short.

    Iverson
    V/r

    Iverson

  6. #6
    Senior Member cooleyjb's Avatar
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    Default

    Nice looking seat Coop. I was thinking that the RFR would be a pretty nice and fairly easy chassis to pour a seat in when I saw yours at PRI.

    I think the only major thing I'd add to the writeup is to remind people that they have a lot of time. The 45 minutes to get the seat into the right shape often ends up being 15 minutes of rushing and 30 minutes of just sitting for the driver.

    Quote Originally Posted by tjcezar View Post
    I will be doing a bead seat in the near future. thanks for the pics. any suggestions?

    Use a hot knife to do the cutting and the low pressure pumps make things much easier to deal with. I rent them out to people as they are expensive enough that buying them for a single seat is bit much.

  7. #7
    Senior Member VehDyn's Avatar
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    Where do you get the stretchy Nomex fabric that you see on the really well made (read pro and/or people that know what they are doing) that make them look so cleanly done? I made my first in the Stohr and it has worked well. But the seating position is not quite right and I am fatter, so I will make a new one. The Kevlar is a good idea.

    Glenn, please post the photos of when it is totally completed with the Nomex covering.

    Thanks.
    Ken

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    Default access hole for sub belts

    I am just about ready to make a seat and install new belts in my Stohr.

    Glenn - I have a question regarding the installation of your sub belts.

    On my car, the lap and sub belts are mounted on the same bolts and both lap and sub belts are installed through the same hole cut in the seat; therefore when I get in the car, the subs are under my thighs - I am sitting on the subs.

    On your car, the subs access the seat through a different hole than your lap belts do; so you don't sit on your subs like I do.

    Is one installation method preferred?

    Thanks.

  9. #9
    Senior Member
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    Default Bead Seat

    Glenn, Thanks for the info....... Very useful for all.

    I, too, have a bead seat in my near future.

    Do you have an approximate ratio of beads to epoxy?

    A buddy and I have gathered beads, epoxy, bag, vacuum pump, etc., and made up a DIY kit of sorts..... We have some notes on how much epoxy we think we'll use......

    Are you happy with the look of the gaffers tape ? I was thinking about possibly gluing some psuedo suede or leather to the seat, but not sure if that will work?

    Thanks again for the post and info. Well done!

  10. #10
    Member Christopera's Avatar
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    I am going to cover my bead seat in the coming week. I'll try to get some pictures along the way and toss up here to finish the tutorial.

    Scott,

    How much did your DIY kit cost to assemble? Also, Nomex fabric is recommended over other materials for obvious reasons.

    VehDyn,

    Nomex fabric can be found on http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/. I'm sure it can be found elsewhere as well but this is where I purchased mine.

  11. #11
    Senior Member cooleyjb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by VehDyn View Post
    Where do you get the stretchy Nomex fabric that you see on the really well made (read pro and/or people that know what they are doing) that make them look so cleanly done? I made my first in the Stohr and it has worked well. But the seating position is not quite right and I am fatter, so I will make a new one. The Kevlar is a good idea.

    Glenn, please post the photos of when it is totally completed with the Nomex covering.

    Thanks.
    I have Nomex fabric on the shelf.

    Start in the center of the seat and work your way outwards using 3M spray adhesive. The more time you take the better it looks just like everything else.

    Depeding on how much you need to remove you can do a lot of sculpting with a hot knife.

  12. #12
    Contributing Member Rick Kirchner's Avatar
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  13. #13
    Senior Member 924RACR's Avatar
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    Default

    Excellent pics and tips, thanks Glenn and others! Looking forward to revving up to do this in my car... eventually...
    Vaughan Scott
    #77 ITB/HP Porsche 924
    #25 Hidari Firefly P2
    http://www.vaughanscott.com

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