Cockpit Cushions - Again

[Inquisitor]

I admire your tenacity in getting cushions done. I would have just found an upholsterer.

Hahaa yeah...I thought about it.

We are stuck in quarantine with all non-essential businesses closed, with an 8pm to 5am curfew, and it's cold as $%$% out there, so cushions it is!

Plus, I somehow enjoy it. It's like building a shed, only it's cushions, but with a similar feeling of success when you're done. (I'm not giving up my man-card!)

I also admire your experimentation, can-do attitude! And I can fully understand the cabin-fever problem. I'm looking at DIY as to save upholsterer cost, but with your materials bill, I'd be concerned (about my skill level) screwing it up.

With ten pant hemming's in forty years (I'm an expert... right? ) I want to try making mine with the knee rise https://www.sailrite.com/knee-rise-cushion-tutorial. With our horizontal (not angled like lawn chair) bottoms, I always feel like I'm sliding into the floor. I'm hoping this will keep my butt in the seat.

I'm hoping my samples come in soon to see if the sewing machine is up to the task and obviously to pick color and materials. Besides the three grades of Olefin, I also have some of the polyurethane based fake leather coming. One is suppose to look like Emu skin... marketing https://www.discounteddesignerfabrics.c ... her-vinyl/

[NiceAft]

Starscream,

I said I would have taken the easy way out, and just hired an upholsterer. You then added insult to injury by comparing that choice of mine, to building a shed.

Do you read tea leaves As it turns out, I do need a shed , and to avoid building one myself, I ordered one that someone else is going to build. You pegged it brother

[Starscream]

I may have just found the most economical new cockpit cushion construction method.

Magic Erasers!



Now I'm re-thinking everything. New foam and a dry-clean. Hmmmm...

[NiceAft]

How did that concept come about?

[Starscream]

Lol. My wife. She knows these things.

[Russ]

Lol. My wife. She knows these things.

Better keep her around. She knows things.

[Starscream]

The idea of new cockpit cushions is officially delayed, for me, probably by several years.

I tried a few combinations of cleaning products, all using the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser as the scrubber, with a general purpose spray cleaner as lube. I couldn't be more impressed with the Magic Eraser. It's like....magic!

Here are some before and afters. The two cushions on the left were just Erasered with cleaning spray, on the far right was erasered with cleaning spray then bleach wiped, and the winner is second from the right: Erasered with cleaning spray then scrubbed with Bathroom Scrubbing Bubbles!


I left one little circle of the pre-clean condition on the cushion second from the left, for reference.

They look better than they did when I bought the boat 11 years ago. I'm going to replace the foam, dry-clean the vinyl casings, spray the vinyl with 303 Aerospace protectant, and they should be good to go for many more years. I may add a "welcome mat" flap, in sunbrella with a velcro strip to protect the surface during boarding, instead of fighting with everyone to pull back the cushion.

The vinyl is in remarkably good condition for being almost 20 years old. I know MacGregor has been criticized for minimizing costs, but they didn't cheap out on the vinyl material of the cushions. I don't know how many double-rubs the material is rated for but I am impressed.

[Inquisitor]

No doubt! (about buying/making new) They look new from here.

[Starscream]

Found out some stuff about vinyl, a little late.

First, you can't dry-clean vinyl. The dry cleaning chemical will shrink the vinyl.

Second, you are NOT supposed to use magic erasers on vinyl. It removes the top protective layer. I suppose, in my case, it did more good than harm because I was ready to scrap them. But don't use them just for a casual clean on good cushions.

Apparently if one does use magic erasers, the top protective layer can be replaced using 303 aerospace protectant, but it will need to be at least a yearly application, if not more.

I read it on the internet, so it must be true.

[Russ]

Apparently if one does use magic erasers, the top protective layer. An be replaced using 303 aerospace protectant, but it will need to be at least a yearly application, if not more.

I read it on the internet, so it must be true.

303 is amazing stuff. I learned about this for cleaning/maintaining hot tub covers.

[NiceAft]

303 is amazing stuff

Along with protection on the cockpit cushions, I use it to protect the Sunbrella upholstery on our patio furniture. It is a quality product.

[kmclemore]

303 is amazing stuff

Along with protection on the cockpit cushions, I use it to protect the Sunbrella upholstery on our patio furniture. It is a quality product.

Yep, we use it on the covers for our powerboat up at the lake house. Works VERY well to repel water and preserve the color, too.