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Been thinking about what it would take to make some good sliders/protectors. Specifically exhaust protector(s) and frame sliders.
I've been looking at R&G exhaust protectors and sliders for my bikes, and the costs add up for what is essentially some plastic, bolts & bushings. Then I got to thinking I could get a block of polyoxymethylene and tool it, throw in a pipe clamp & high-temp rubber and I've got a perfectly good exhaust protector.
Something like this:
It seems like there are two candidate materials that are both accessible & affordable (I don't have a lab here, so no custom plastic blends for now...)
Delrin (polyoxymethylene)
Pros: tough, reasonably accessible, easy to machine, available in blocks
Cons: expensive, might get soft @ 200F (potential problem for exhaust protector)
ABS plastic
Pros: Cheaper than Delrin, widely available, easy to machine
Cons: Mostly available in sheets/beads f/ injection molding but not blocks, quality among types could be questionable
Fabrication:
Basically three options: hand tooling, injection molding & 3D printing. Hand tooling is the logical first step. Injection molding would be great for reproducing consistently + much less manual labor. 3d printing would be an ideal option, but the concern is materials, and of course cost.
Anybody tinker with this idea before? I'm thinking street use, but if a solid product comes out of it then who knows.
The big question now is on materials: what plastic is affordable, tough, easy to tool, isn't too strong or too weak/brittle. Next question is on high-temp rubber, specifically for exhaust applications to prevent melting and provide padding.
Shot in the dark, but thought I'd see what you all thought.
Thanks,
Gabe
(edit; cool, and this is post #100)
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Originally Posted by Tricky Mike
