This week I are mostly been making grommets

[WD Forte]

Whilst removing the side panels on the old thing I was reminded the few remaining grommets were hard and knackered
and some remnants held in with hot glue.


https://i.imgur.com/zTsDq3e.jpg

The only fully intact one was hard and cracking so just for the hell of it I decided to have a go at making some new ones
from silicone.
Well silicone with baking powder and carbon black to be precise
Baking power to accelerate the cure and carbon black for well... blackness.

Perhaps they are still available from say CMSNL, but I fancied having a go at some DIY ones anyway

Taking measurements from the last intact one, I milled out some 10mm cast acrylic I had knocking about
as a mould

( TIP: Cast acrylic chips out nicely in the mill, extruded acrylic is a friggin nightmare as it melts easily and can clog the bit)


https://i.imgur.com/vTfKx44.jpg

I decided to make the lower part of the mould out of a lump of pine and
two short peices of 10mm tube to help keep it registered
I couldn't be arsed to mill the pins to a taper so stepped them and later rounded them off with
sandpaper


https://i.imgur.com/u1xILJd.jpg

I used linseed oil on the wood cos I had some anyway and thought it might act as a mould release


https://i.imgur.com/KcY6Xip.jpg

Right, time to give it a go.
I donned the old marigolds and mixed up the jollop and squeegee'd it in to the mould
It went off in about an hour, ( more baking powder quicker curing BTW)


https://i.imgur.com/aTQ1qqb.jpg

They didnt stick to the perspex much or the wood at all and were relatively easy to remove


https://i.imgur.com/klvc7YS.jpg

the pics flatter, they're from test 1
I didn't get in all the underneath corners so it was a partial success
next I tried filling the low section first then fitting it to the jig but found this tended to lift the
silcione as it was pressed down and cause voids

borrux!

later I used just the acrylic part and filled it with silcone then used a pencil dipped in linseed oil
to form the tapered hole
This caused a slight swelling on top due to the displaced silcone but that didn't bother me
as the upper and lower 'lips' were perfectly formed.

I'd stopped taking pic by now but machined out the perspex so the lower lip was fatter and wider
and the upper one was wider as well
Silicone is softer than rubber and if too thin would push up out of the side panel too easily
fattening them up a bit solved this

Anyway I now have a complete set of side panel wubbers

https://i.imgur.com/wBmZtnc.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/UcbgahV.jpg
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bikers smell of wee

[ride_to_die]

Excellent work
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I'm not here for a long time, I'm here for a good time.

[davethekwak]

Nice one.
Some may (will) say why go to all that bother. Some just don't understand the fun to be had trying stuff
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ZX6R G2 (1999) & ZX6R F2 (1996). I like ZX6!

[WD Forte]

Just as an update.
I examined the diy silicone grommets today and there's no sign of deterioration or cracking since when made and fitted in May 2017.
If anything they're slightly stiffer which if anything is an improvement
as they felt a wee bit on the soft side when first made.
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[Easy-X]

A gold star for a thread resurrection that was worth reading for a change
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[WD Forte]

Thanks
I did wonder if adding the cornflour and carbon black powder would make it degrade or crumble, but I've tugged it about and it looks and feels fine.
Its handy to know if you need to make boots, grommets, whatever
with thick layers of acetoxy silicone and have it cure throughout quickly.
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[Islander]

You do know you could have bought them for pennies locally, don't you?

[UnknownStuntm...]

[pepperami]

Whatever happened to Islander???
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[WD Forte]

It's currently putting the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again

https://imgur.com/u3rtrH1.jpg
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bikers smell of wee