Knee-Pad Idea

[MisterCinders]

As I finish up the paint work on my other tank with my hammered in kneed dents, I am revisiting the idea of faux pads.

Despite my diligent yet ham-handed sanding, I could never get a clean finish within the concave dents. So I want to veil my poor workmanship in that region.

I suppose some custom shaped black pads would work, but I've no idea where to get those. As an alternative, I am considering using some spray in textured bed liner.

Basically, tape off the knee-dents, spray on a few coats of the bed liner. BAM! Faux knee pads.

The texture and dark color will hide the rough surface finish.

Thoughts?

[salty_monk]

If it'll stick & you can get a nice edge it will work... You must be able to but some appropriate rubber & cut your own though...

[tkent02]

I don't know if it will work very well, but be sure to take pictures for us when you find out!

[Scudder]

I ordered small knee pads off ebay, and used them on my cafe bike. They worked well, and look nice. I also used truck bed liner to paint a bobber I used to have. I can vouch for truck bed liner's ability to cover up small cosmetic problems. It works well.

Scudder

[jeffasaurus2]

Cut a couple of pads out of rabbit pelts!?

[elrico]

Look at TechSpec.com Textured heavy duty real rubber stock material kits available,you cut/design your own pattern for tank pads.Put some on the 83 GS.Feel nice on the knees and inner thigh,offer good contact to tank.much like the pad material like on my old 1969 Triumph bike tank.

[pete]

As I finish up the paint work on my other tank with my hammered in kneed dents, I am revisiting the idea of faux pads.

Despite my diligent yet ham-handed sanding, I could never get a clean finish within the concave dents. So I want to veil my poor workmanship in that region.

I suppose some custom shaped black pads would work, but I've no idea where to get those. As an alternative, I am considering using some spray in textured bed liner.

Basically, tape off the knee-dents, spray on a few coats of the bed liner. BAM! Faux knee pads.

The texture and dark color will hide the rough surface finish.

Thoughts?

I had a go at making some for my 450 out of some neoprene. This is as far as I got before abandoning them as it just wasn't neat enough as I obviously just don't have the right tools or technique:



I'd still really like some but I don't know that I'll succeed with this original plan.

Look at TechSpec.com Textured heavy duty real rubber stock material kits available,you cut/design your own pattern for tank pads.Put some on the 83 GS.Feel nice on the knees and inner thigh,offer good contact to tank.much like the pad material like on my old 1969 Triumph bike tank.

That seems to be a dodgy domain that links to some random searches. I tried Googling "Textured heavy duty real rubber stock" but got some latex based results that I really would prefer not to go into

Do you have a link at all and some details on how you did the ones for your GS?

[elrico]

Please try http://www.techspec-usa.com They are also called :"Gripster Tank Pads'

[MAJikMARCer]

I had a go at making some for my 450 out of some neoprene. This is as far as I got before abandoning them as it just wasn't neat enough as I obviously just don't have the right tools or technique

Good call. I cannot imagine that neoprene, especially with the inlay cuts would hold up more than a season of riding, if that. The fabric would start to peel away from the rubber and the rubber itself isnt that durable (the reason the fabric is on there in the first place.

You could always use on of the 3D tools out there to make the pads in as a reverse relef from a site like: http://www.ponoko.com/make-and-sell/materials and then pour some latex. Not sure about other rubber compounds that could me molded from home, but Ponoko does have Delrin as one of their materials which is supposed to be more temperature resistant so maybe you could get a more durable rubber poured. That's beyond my experience.

I've considered this possibility for a number of custom parts. My 3D modeling skills are a bit rusty but with good measurements small bits should be doable. Many of these fabricators have restrictive size limits though.

[pete]

Please try http://www.techspec-usa.com They are also called :"Gripster Tank Pads'

Ouch, $US50 for a pair of sheets makes that a little expensive for me, but it does look like a good product so I can understand why you went for it.

Good call. I cannot imagine that neoprene, especially with the inlay cuts would hold up more than a season of riding, if that. The fabric would start to peel away from the rubber and the rubber itself isnt that durable (the reason the fabric is on there in the first place.

You could always use on of the 3D tools out there to make the pads in as a reverse relef from a site like: http://www.ponoko.com/make-and-sell/materials and then pour some latex. Not sure about other rubber compounds that could me molded from home, but Ponoko does have Delrin as one of their materials which is supposed to be more temperature resistant so maybe you could get a more durable rubber poured. That's beyond my experience.

I've considered this possibility for a number of custom parts. My 3D modeling skills are a bit rusty but with good measurements small bits should be doable. Many of these fabricators have restrictive size limits though.

Thanks for the link, that looks very interesting and I'll have to play around and see if I can come up with something suitable.

I like how they show what the engraving will look like, and silicone rubber with medium raster looks the goods to me, and without looking too far it looks like it wouldn't be that expensive either, but I'll keep looking.

[MAJikMARCer]

You could also just try some silicon rubber sheets instead of neoprene. That vendor only has smooth, but I bet with some additional Googling there are some vendors with textured silicon.

[pete]

You could also just try some silicon rubber sheets instead of neoprene. That vendor only has smooth, but I bet with some additional Googling there are some vendors with textured silicon.

Yes I think silicone rubber would be the way to go for this, and I will definitely Google some more now you've given me this idea... I always thought I'd have to buy the material and engrave it myself but that Ponoko site tells me it could be so much easier! Thanks

And sorry for the threadjack Mister Cinders...

[elrico]

Yes a bit $$$ but you will get so much material..I have extra after doing GS tank,will do another tank(small dual sport).I can only say you will not have any let down with material quality.The 2 sheets that you get is alot of materal,in some cases you can do 2 tanks depending on project size.Anyhow rubber kneepads work great when braking hard and other things,I got em more for that than anything else actually.Glad at least web page was found.Good luck guys and gals!

[pete]

Yes a bit $$$ but you will get so much material..I have extra after doing GS tank,will do another tank(small dual sport).I can only say you will not have any let down with material quality.The 2 sheets that you get is alot of materal,in some cases you can do 2 tanks depending on project size.Anyhow rubber kneepads work great when braking hard and other things,I got em more for that than anything else actually.Glad at least web page was found.Good luck guys and gals!

Yeah if you look at it that way it's not so bad, glad they work for you

If I do this though I really would like a design on the knee pad that's specific to my bike rather than just a pattern though... I'll see how I go...

[MisterCinders]

Sanding and prepping the tank now. Pop quiz -

Pad spray under clear?
Pad spray over clear?
Pad spray without clear?

Clear will be that 2k urethane stuff. Rattlecan epoxy clear.

TIA