Seat base dimensions

[Tom Millward]

Does anyone have any dimensions for the driver and gunner seat bases? I need to make some new ones before the weekend, but my Carrier is en route to the event already and I forgot to measure the seats.

It looks like it will be raining all weekend, so I want to get my waterproof seats installed. There are canvas ones fixed to the seat bases at the moment, but I want to keep my bum dry this weekend!

Cheers,

Tom

[Petr Brezina]

Hi Tom, is this any good?
Please note these are from my carrier and i believe you have Mk.I*.

[Tom Millward]

That’s great, thanks you Petr. You’re right, I do have a Mk1*, but I imagine the seat bases are the same?

[Petr Brezina]

Not exactly but I believe that dimensions of seat base are +- the same.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Tom, what dimensions do you need? I have a Mk.1* 20' away from me.

[Lynn Eades]

Seat frames?, or do you mean the cushions? As far as I know, they are not fixed to the bases? Normally you could just take them out. What about putting them in plastic bags?

[Tom Millward]

Hello gents, I now have some correct water proof seat cushions, but the webbing cushions that came with the Carrier are fixed onto the base. I thought I’d make some new bases and take the cushions and bases up to the Carrier at the weekend, and keep my bum dry over the weekend event. Hence I’m looking for the dimensions of the plywood seat base for the Mk1*, width height and thickness.

Cheers.

[Ron Pier]

Tom. No help for your immediate problem. But have you got the wrong bases/cushions? I thought they are the loose D shaped Rexene covered cushions, which just lift out and are by nature of the material, fairly water proof. Ron

[Tom Millward]

Hi Ron,

I’ve just had a set of repro seat covers (from Kevin Powles) filled with foam and am keen to use them. Previously the seats on my Carrier were made from foam and canvas stapled to the seat. But in wet weather they soak up the water and I get a wet back side! It’s due to rain all weekend at the event I’m going to, hence I wanted to use my waterproof seats and keep my backside dry.

[Lynn Eades]

Ron, mine are the same as yours. They came from England. When I brought them home, I was concerned. They had been in plastic bags which I scrapped to pack them. They made my luggage stink. They soon came right though. Ben H. obtained them for me. I picked them up on my trip to W&P 2014.
Btw Tom, I believe the rounded end goes to the front.

[Ron Pier]

I would agree with that Lynn, "round edge to the front" In this old picture I have them the wrong way!!! (I met you that year at W&P)

Tom Why do you need to make new seat bases? The bases are metal and the cushions just sit inside them. How can the canvas be stapled to the seat? Perhaps I'm misinterpreting something? Ron

[stephen crowhurst]

Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons, my seats have no signs of ever having metal welded in them but had a plywood base, and at the back of the frame are two metal brackets that help the ply stay in place. (I have made the ones in mine). Both seats have on the front edge two lift the dot fixings and the cushions have corresponding straps along the flat edge to fix in place.
More confusion

[Petr Brezina]

Thats interesting!

[Ron Pier]

Well that intrigued me and as I was working from memory, I just went and took a look. Mine does indeed also have a wooden insert and the two lift the dot fasteners. However my cushions have no corresponding LtD straps?

So now begs the question, which way round should the cushions be? I originally put mine with the curved edge to the rear, but after seeing numerous pictures and line drawings showing the curve as the front....I changed them round.

Ron??

PS. I've just scanned this from a parts book. Same cushions as mine...No straps.

[stephen crowhurst]

Here is another members cushion with the same straps on so not just mine.

[Ron Pier]

Here's my drivers seat. Ron

[stephen crowhurst]

Yes Ron, like mine with two lift the dot fixings at the front and none at the back even though my cushion has three fixing straps on it.

[Harlé Sylvain]

Hello
I will maybe say something stupid, but would it be possible they use the same size of cushion than the CMP truck, they have three straps.
cheers
Sylvain

[Ron Pier]

It's a minor thing, but another conundrum that I'd like an answer to.....Just for interest sake.......Michael R??

Ron

PS. Typing together there Sylvain......Good point and something I didn't know about.

[Harlé Sylvain]

hello
here is a picture found in LWD prts shop, the desyn looks similar
cheers

[Michael R.]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

It's a minor thing, but another conundrum that I'd like an answer to.....Just for interest sake.......Michael R??
Ron

Hello Ron!
If I recall correctly: we have “covered” this previously?

See: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...01&postcount=1

Material: open top universal carriers used water-resistant material. Not canvas.

CMP seat frames are larger, are rounded at the back, their material is canvas.
Soggy Bottom when used in a open top carrier, eh, Tom M? ��


The square seat design for driver and gunner has both a full spring frame as well as a horsehair cushion. That seat frame fits under the seat frame extension tabs at the rear. The seat cover has dedicated slots to allow the seat frame tabs to pass through. No strap with Lift-the-Dot snaps were found on the back. There are two straps with Lift-the-Dot snaps on the forward edge, their male counterparts are fixed in the seat frame.

.
.

[Ron Pier]

Thankyou Michael. I'm happy that I have the D shaped cushions as in the illustration, and as such I should turn my cushions round to comply with it. Ron

PS annoyingly, anything that I scan doesn't download as a picture on here. ???

[Ron Pier]

Not to be beaten, I just photographed the bloody computer screen, which came out in a pretty shade of pink!! Ron

[Lynn Eades]

So as I don't quite follow.
I assume "no straps" is from a MkI, MkI* and the MkII, MkII* had straps with lift the dots?
Have I got that right?
I cant say I recall seeing any seat bases here with Lift The Dot screws on them. All our Carriers were earlier production (including the Dagenham built MkIIIw, sept 41 to Mar 42 T84xxx)
Those cushion that Ron P. and I (and a few others) use were NOS, but post war production. As per Rons photo, they are completely filled with felt and are possibly Rexene, but more like Vinyl than the Original 1940 seat backs that I have.

[Ron Pier]

Lynn if it's any indication, the illustration I posted looks like the same cushions we have (no straps) and captioned for the MK1* and MK2*. Ron

[Mike Gurr]

I can confirm my Canadian No2 MK2*Carrier built 1944 has the sprung seat cushions on both drivers and gunners seats which fit exactly as Micheal R says. Unfortunately I have to use the thinner pad cushion on the drivers seat or I can't get in !! Not built for 6' drivers.