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View Full Version : Correct Helm Seat for 1967 16



Nat Bozarth
08-07-2002, 04:35 PM
Sorry guys, I could have included this yesterday. Would Bilt-Rite know about a correct replacement helm seat? Or just cushions and upolstery.

Thanx Again

Forrest
08-08-2002, 09:10 AM
They, well at least John Harmon, would know what is the correct seat; however, he does not have the parts to build it. If you supply the parts minus the foam and the covering material, Bilt-Rite has the patterns. The original 16 chair from back then is built in two major pieces - a back and a bottom made of curved plywood held together by two custom bent aluminum angle brackets. The angle brackets usually corrode out, especially in salt water. For that reason, I had a fab shop in Norfolk, VA make the same brackets in stainless-steel to replace mine. The second problem is the curved plywood bottom and back that rots out in a few years of being wet. John told me that he company the supplied these back and bottom parts quit making them long ago and that's when Donzi change to the wrap-around bucket in the 16, but all is not lost! If you still have any piece of the original bottom or back, you can use what's left as a form to build another. What! There is nothing left of the seat bottom or back? Never fear, all you have to do is to find something with nearly the same curvature as the seat back and bottom. I think a 55 gallon drum is close. Now go up to your friendly wood specialty store and ask the guy for some 1/8" pine veneer. A 4'x 8' sheat ought to do it. What, no wood specialty store near you? Then go to Home Depot and buy an 1/8" wood "door skin". Cut the 1/8" thick veneer into two-foot squares. These pieces make up the plys for the curved plywood that you will be making. The idea is to bend each ply around the form then glue and clamp. Make sure that you have lots of clamps and block of wood. You want no gaps. Use good glue, too - like West System epoxy. This job is a pain, but it helps to have a helper and lots of latex gloves. Make the ply wood 1/2" to 5/8" thick. Once it's all set up, it time to cut it into shape. This is where the original seat back and bottom will come in handy as a pattern. Without the original to use as a pattern, maybe someone with an original 16 seat can send you the dimensions or a rough tracing. The bottom and the back comes together with miter. That miter can be carefully done with a grinder. It doesn't have to be a perfect miter since upholstery covers all the edges. One other thing that you will need is some aluminum trim for where the smooth non-cushioned back part of the seat-back material will come together with the rolled and pleated cushioned front side. The trim that you find at West Marine and elsewhere is a little too stiff to form around the curved edges and tends to kink. The original trim here is the same that you will find under you dash on your 16. People have been know to rob the trim from there and replace it with the stiffer trim from West maine since bend undert he dash is not as severe as on the seat. John tells me that the trim Donzi supplied back then was purchased at a kitchen counter-top supply company back when kitchen counter tops had aluminum trim. That exact stuff is non-existent today - unless you can rob it from an old house kitchen that has not been remodeled yet. Once you have all of that, send it all to Bilt-Rite. John did a superb job with mine. Good luck!

Forrest
08-08-2002, 09:13 AM
Nat - Turks and Caicos Islands - I guess that I should have looked prior to posting. There may not be a Home Depot or West Marine there. What a fine place to run Classic Donzi!