Source for PTFE 1/2 round rod

[woytovich]

I am looking into a build that would include some 1/2 round PTFE rod. I would be using it as "slider" material to protect when leaning a truck up against a tree or rock.

1. I need a source for this stuff...

2. I would welcome any thoughts on this or other light weight material to use in this capacity.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Try the yellow pages. We've got a couple of platics suppliers locally - General plastics and Industrial Plastics & Paints.

From their yellow pages add:
They stock Engineering Plastics, like Nylon, Delrin, Acetal, PVC, Phenolic, PTFE, Low/High/Ultra High Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene and many other advanced engineering materials designed to meet demanding applications. They offer "Cut to Size" Services on sheet materials such as Plexiglas, Lexan, ABS, Coroplast, Sintra, Butcher Slab Blah, Blah, Blah

You should be able to find a supplier near you under "Plastics"

 

[FLATU8ER]

I see your location is in NY, but after 20yrs in Ag in Calif, I have seen afew growers in the area using a similar product on the inside of their bed shapers (a rototiller that covers several rows/beds as a prep for planting cotton). The idea is the same as what you are thinking. Check with a local farm equpt dealer. Good Luck. If I remember it was a product called UHM, and was sold in sq sheets with various thickness.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

I googled "new york plastics" and got a bunch of links. Most were industrial suppliers or just made display cases but there were some good leads listing a myriad of different types of products including rod stock.

Luck

 

[Bogo]

McMaster-Carr

Search there.

I didn't see half rounds, but I did see sheet and rounds. Sheets could be cut then bull-nosed. Rounds could be cut in half.

 

[woytovich]

McMaster-Carr

Search there.

I didn't see half rounds, but I did see sheet and rounds. Sheets could be cut then bull-nosed. Rounds could be cut in half.

3" rod is $89.61 per Ft..... guess I need to look elsewhere for a solution!

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Mcmaster Carr can sometimes be very much more expensive than a local supplier. I paid $12 a set for 20" ball bearing drawer slides locally that Mcmaster wanted $50 for. Calgary is 1.1 million people and we have at least three suppliers of plastics - NY state must have 100.

If you're looking for a plastic sliding surface go buy a 4x8' sheet of 1/8" "puck board" for $30 and shear it into strips - bond it to the friction area with contact cement or 3M double sided tape.

Hope I don't sound like a know it all - just suggesting options

edit: just re-read your first post - I was thinking drawers sorry - but you can get sheet in 1/2" thick and run it through a table saw, countersink bolt holes. Or try to source solid PVC (just like plastic plumbing pipe) it could be cheaper.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

I am looking into a build that would include some 1/2 round PTFE rod. I would be using it as "slider" material to protect when leaning a truck up against a tree or rock.

1. I need a source for this stuff...

2. I would welcome any thoughts on this or other light weight material to use in this capacity.

1. working on it

2. Are you putting this on your sliders or on the body at the belt line?

 

[Awl_TEQ]

Okay - some surfing results

A page showing the properties and plus/minuses of many types of plastics here - interesting stuff. You can read about the strengths of each type and you pick a link it will give you a price.

3" Nylon rod is $33/ft but if you can go smaller it gets cheaper - I believe you were going to cut it in half so really thats $16.50 ish - getting better

I didn't look at all of them

 

[woytovich]

Are you putting this on your sliders or on the body at the belt line?

Actually just above the rain gutter.... maybe over the rain gutter... maybe par of an exo skeleton-ish roof rack mounting system. I tend to get off camber and into trees at the roof more than I like (northeast forest wheeling)

 

[Bogo]

I'd just make a pair of steel rub rails. They could be smaller in profile and would better distribute any impacts. If well mounted to a well mounted roof rack they should do fine for light bumps. Bolting them to an interior roll cage would make em able to handle much harder bumps. If you go with steel rails, you can curve them in at the front and rear.

 

[woytovich]

I can curve the PTFE too... I am afraid steel would add too much weight.

I was considering building something that ties into the A, B C and D pillars just above the rain gutter with receivers for a roof rack. I want to be able to QUICKLY remove the rack for wheeling and EASILY mount it back. The sliders would pull double duty.

 

[Awl_TEQ]

I can curve the PTFE too... I am afraid steel would add too much weight.

I was considering building something that ties into the A, B C and D pillars just above the rain gutter with receivers for a roof rack. I want to be able to QUICKLY remove the rack for wheeling and EASILY mount it back. The sliders would pull double duty.

I like that idea. Would you use a plate on the body and bolt on ala defender 90. Whats your rig, I forgot to look - you may want to reinforce on the inside if using a plate - the rovers do.

edit: ah - 60 series (the 40 has no D pillar )

 

[woytovich]

I was considering a plate inside but I don't want to mess with taking out the headliner and then trying to put it back in. I might try to put a plate right over the headliner but I think there is air space between the liner and the roof that might make that tough to do without making a mess. Obviously this is still in the thinking stage... thanks for talking with me about it...

 

[Awl_TEQ]

I don't have a 60 here to look at. Would it get into the headliner?

Read this through slowly - I used a thousand words instead of a picture...

I was thinking the plate would be at the top of the pillars and formed with a bit of curve to fit snug and flush below the gutter. Then slash cut a tube and come off the plate up and slightly out to suit. Fish-mouth the top of these short tubes and run a length of tube front to back. Finish the ends of the full length tube with a curve and a cap. Get some 1/2" ID tube and drill down vertically through the long tube in like three spots and slide this smaller tube in and weld. Then build a rack that has six 1/2" pins that stick out the bottom. The 1/2" rack pins would go through your slider and you hitch pin them in.

Thats what I see. You may require a different driver download to follow my virtual reality.

If you put a plate inside it will act like a giant washer and help dissipate the load into the sheet metal of the body. To make it any stronger you'd have to run something down to the floor or frame - likely more than you want to do at the moment.

Thoughts?

 

[GLTHFJ60]

 

[Bogo]

You could bond the plates in place with auto body glue or 3M VHB tape. Some are made to go over paint, others you would need to strip the paint and then repaint after.

 

[woytovich]

Read this through slowly - I used a thousand words instead of a picture...

That's pretty much the idea. I was hoping to keep it low profile while, at the same time, making it stick out far enough to do some good against the trees.... this, I am afraid, is only something that will be able to happen when I am living in some alternate universe with a different set of laws governing the physical world.

Now you are pushing me to think more about this... I just might have to stand next to the 60 and do some planning.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Now you are pushing me to think more about this... I just might have to stand next to the 60 and do some planning.

Beer in hand mind you. Beer lubricates the creativity muscle.;p

 

[Awl_TEQ]

I have some 3M adhesive at work that the spec sheet says will hold 120 Lbs/sq in. so a 6"x6" plate would take 4300 Lbs. Not sure if thats shear or pull or even how accurate that really is. What effect a hot day would have I couldn't say. Personally I would rather use bolts. They don't need to be big if you use a few - like 1/4-20 x 3/4" bolt in six places per plate. You could even drill and tap the inner plate so you don't need nuts. A touch of silicone to seal the holes. Or use both adhesive and bolts - that way one person could assemble it .