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How to Make Sheet Seat Pans

The seat pan for a motorcycle is typically a piece of metal that is formed to a curved or bucket shape of the seat. Steel or sheet metal is typically used to make the sheet pan. Making a sheet seat pan requires using tools you can find in a metal fabrication shop. However, you can also form a sheet seat pan by hand, if you don't have access to a local metal fabrication shop.

Things You'll Need

Pencil
Paper
Scissors
12-gauge sheet metal
Felt-tip marker
Tin snips
Angle grinder
Metal cutting disc
Abrasive disc
Mallet bag
Metal roller

Instructions

- 1
  Draw the design of the seat on a piece of paper. Use an existing seat and trace around it to get the shape you are looking for. Cut out the design from the paper with the scissors.
- 2
  Place the cut-out design onto a piece of 12-gauge sheet metal. Trace around the design using the felt-tip marker to make an outline. Cut out the outline from the sheet metal with the tin snips or using the angle grinder with a metal cutting disc.
- 3
  Smooth any rough edges on the metal by using an abrasive disc with the angle grinder. Set the seat pan face down on the mallet bag.
- 4
  Hammer the seat pan with a mallet to make a curve or "bucket" shape. Smooth the seat pan by running it through a metal roller to remove all of the hammer marks.

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