42 wla help or info on solo seat base

[walla43]

In Australia. I'm restoring my dad's 42 WLA. Currently trying to seek any information on the seat pan that I have, that has been with this bike from day one. The seat has three holes, on each side, all lower than the others that go all around the perimeter of the base. These holes, I assume, were for the three studs that were put on each side for protection of the leather seat. These holes have been cut or ground half way through. So I'm trying to find out if my Dad, (long deceased) had done this, or the saddler, (long gone) who had recovered this seat years ago, or whether Harley Davidson had this seat cut off, maybe a change of design or trying to save metal, (war years)?
I'm sure there is a lot of you blokes over there who might be able to help me with this? I'm trying to bring this bike back to original and there is nothing in Bruce Palmer's book that can help me, other than photos of new or covered seats. I'm not sure if I have to weld metal strips on each side and taper them off to blend back into the lines of the seat?
Appreciate any help, Anyone?
Cheers Dave Hayes. Mem# 27613

[Jerry Wieland]

Dave I have owned a few WLA seats over the years but never a bare pan but I suspect that either your pan has been trimmed or someone drilled some extra holes. I do not believe HD would ever have had the holes that big and close to the edge. Jerry

[T. Cotten]

Dave!

The extra rivets on my "wall-hanger" are 1" between centers.

....Cotten

[walla43]

Thanks Jerry. I agree with you, I'm sure the pan has been ground off. I have found a photo of a military pan showing these extra holes. The photo was on the net, from Oldtimer Garage? Thanks again Jerry. Cheers Dave

[walla43]

That's good to know Cotton. I have measured what's left of these holes in my pan and your right. I got roughly the same measurement. These holes seem countersunk or dimpled inwards, compared to the others on the pan. Thanks for the info though. It's been helpful. Dave

[T. Cotten]

Dave!

How seats are made eludes me, but my example suggests the holes were punched after the rest of the seat was assembled.
The layers of leather would allow the metal to pucker.

....Cotten

[walla43]

Yeah, you could be right Cotton. Buggered if I know how their made either mate, but I'd thought "pressed" into a mould somehow, and then trimmed around the edges to clean it up to a finished shape? (I'm guessing though)
Thanks again mate. I think I will have it recovered the way it is, as I have seen photos on the seats of these military wla's and some show the stitching dip below the three exposed protection studs on each side edge and others like your photos, where the stitching goes around the bottom fairly straight, passed the three protection rivets or studs? The old perished leather part of the seat, where my old man had it recovered years ago looked like yours, only the saddler didn't put any of the three protection studs on either side on the finished saddle, but left it plain. Thank you!

[T. Cotten]

As I went to hang it back on the wall, Dave,..

I realized I forgot to post how the three "protection" studs were star-riveted beneath.

....Cotten

[walla43]

I think you may have it Cotton. I compared where your protection star rivets are located in relation to the rivets that hold the leather strip on the underside of the seat and those holes on mine would go very close to where yours are located. I'm convinced I have to weld a strip back onto mine and re drill or punch the three holes again. You can see two of the star rivets are close to the back rivets with one in between and I think those on mine would be very close to what you have there?
Thanks a million mate. Cheers Dave

[T. Cotten]

My seat repair experience didn't include this, Dave!

But if the seat and binding strip must be in place first, the chance of hitting those holes blind is marginal.
Particularly if they were 'eye-balled' in the first place.

(I can't swear whether yours was ground off, or they just missed.)

You might want to weld and anneal all six holes, so you can put your own in without conflict.

....Cotten

[walla43]

Hi Cotton,
Yeah I guess your right. That would be the best way to re do- it. It would give me the original seat shape and no chance of missing the three holes each side. A bloke here that
I have brought parts from, has suggested the same thing. He says these seats were originally copied from the civilian models and were modified to suit the army WLA's during manufacture over the war years? Apparently he has seen some of these pans similar to mine where, (HD) have cut the pans to the shape suited for the WLA's and the three rivets have been a hit and a miss in some cases.
Cheers mate and thank you. Dave

[walla43]

Thanks for all your input Cotten. I guess I have it sorted now. At least I don't think the old man had cut or ground any off the seat pan. But I will fix it so as the three protection rivets either side will go through the metal pan after it is re-covered. Have a great Christmas and thanks to all you blokes for the photos, help and advice. We'll talk again. Cheers Dave. ( I keep spelling your name with an 'e', but this computer changes it to an 'o'. Sorry about that last time.)