The "How to" (mods and repairs) Thread

[RichMan]

Question: i saw the "How To" on making knee lifts, the thin ones. But has anyone done the thick block ones like those on Smith/BHG pads? Where can i get that kind of foam? You know, the kind you'll find in a blocker, in the 2" thickness.

I looked at the local reno warehouse and nothing.

[tankus]

i still dont completely get how 2 make knee lifts, and ive looked at three walk through examples..lol...is there a specific name for this foam you are using? and how do you attach them? the one link 2 a thread that looks 2 explain everything well visually, the pics dont work on! im definately going 2 make some of my own, as soon as i know exactly what im doing

[RichMan]

Here's what i came up with Tank...i'm trying to find 2" thick white foam type just like you'd find in a blocker board or those outside pant cheaters. It's a firm foam, but can still dent in with pressure from the thumb, but not enough to remain such and regains it's shape. I don't know how the heck you call it, but when i find out, i'll post it.

Anyways, i measured one of my current thin knee lifts on my Eagles and drew a make-up that i can use as a tracer. Mind you i can also just remove one and use that as well. Then i'll sew over some nylon covering and make wholes to lace-in.

One important thing i thought of is, that when sewing the nylon casing, you need to favor the lace-in flap to one side as to have the flap flush to the extension attached to the pad.

I'll try and draw something in PS to show this. Don't expect a Devinci draft though , my pen won't work on my pc and the mouse sucks for doing such things

[Mr. D]

I'm working on some knee lifts using those gardening knee pads that you can buy from any store that carries gardening stuff. They're foam pads about 10"x14" that you kneel(sp?) on when you're gardening. The thickness is around an inch and you can get them with one side that has a 1/4" layer of much harder foam.

[tankus]

cool. thanks!

[Evoq]

C&A mods, kidney area
Vaughn Velocity C/A
pics of knee stack mod, Smith-like thigh board attachment.
Knee stacks and Thigh board system

for knee stack making, here are the steps I took and materials I used.
WARNING: Im counting on your pads previously having a tie in for knee stacks, like all modern pads do.
WARNING: Please read through before attempting

Materials: Paper, pencil, xacto knife, foam, duct tape, lace, thread puller (optional),

Steps:
1. Trace around knee wing (outer knee flap thing usually covered in clarino or weave) on to paper.
2. Place paper over foam, and cut through the paper and the foam along your traced line made in step 1 above.
3. Take out the newly cut shape from the foam block/sheet, and put it in the desired area of the pad (knee wing area) so that this new knee stack(the foam shape you just cut out) is between the knee wing and your knee. In other words, do not put the knee stack on the outside of the knee wing.
4. Make sure the knee stack is a good fit, and all that you desire. If not, make a new one following steps 1 and 2 until you are satisfied.
5. Now that you are satisfied with the fit of your newly made knee stack, use it as a template to make more. Simply us it instead of the paper tracing you made in step 1 by:
i. Placing the knee stack over the foam block/sheet
ii. using a pen or pencil, tracing around the knee stack directly on to the foam block/sheet
6. Now cut out another knee stack from the traced line you made on the foam block/sheet in steps 5.i. and 5.ii.
7. Make as many knee stacks as you need by repeating the process from steps 5 and 6.
(OPTIONAL MOD A: If you would like to run your knee strap through your knee stacks, ala pro RBK knee set up, do the following:
i. casually fit unfinished knee stacks into place in pad
ii. select a desired distance that you would like your knee strap to come through your knee stack, and mark it off
iii. cut a slit in all the knee stacks at that desired distance
)
Recommended --> (OPTIONAL MOD B: If you would like a large block instead of multiple layers or "stacks", duct tape them together, though I would recommend having knee blocks be no more than an inch in thickness. To accomplish this, do the following:
i. Take an amount of knee stacks so that together, they amount to 1 inch of total thickness
ii. From "top" to "bottom", wrap around the knee stacks in the same fashion as a person would tape a wrist(over, under, over, under etc...). By "top" and "bottom", imagine the knee stacks already in your pad, the "top" of the knee stack being closer to the top of your pad, the thigh, and the bottom of your knee stack being closer to the bottom of your pad, the toe. Make sure to leave an inch of non taped knee stack where they are going to be fastened to the pad (the inside), for reasons discussed later.
iii. After wrapping the knee stack in tape like you would a wrist(over, under over, under, etc...), put a strip of tape around the perimeter of the knee stacks, so that it conceals the spaces, however small, in between the stacks, making it appear at one block.
)
8. Now that you have the thickness you desire, its time to attach them to the pads. I'm counting on your pads previously having a tie in for the knee stacks.
9. To attach the knee stacks/blocks to your pads, first line them up in your pad, and mark off on the knee stack where your knee stack tab (the tie in) has holes.
10. Take the a regular wood pencil or cheap pen (no frills) and punch it through the marked spots on your knee stack/block; the place on your knee stack/block coinciding with your pad's tie in tab holes. The reason I ask you to use a regular wood pencil or cheap pen is due to the fact they may break, and without any rubber finger grips, they're easier to slide through.
11. Get that lace, and tie a double knot at the end that isnt stiff; the frayed end. If neither end is frayed, use either one.
12. K, this is where it gets a little tricky...Keep in mind that when lacing in the knee stacks/blocks, your pad's knee stack tab should always be on top of all the knee stacks/blocks. In other words, in order of appearance, it should go: knee stack tab, knee stacks/blocks, knee wing. So, that being said....we move on.
13. Line up the knee stacks/blocks in the pad so that the knee tabs holes line up with those marked off on the knee stacks/blocks. As outlined in 12, be sure to have the knee tab on top of the knee stacks/blocks. You may need to use a thread puller for the following steps.
14. Weave the lace DOWN through the first hole (on either side) of your knee stack tab, and through all your knee stacks/blocks.
15. Once you go through the last knee stack/block, make your way up through the next hole to the top.
16. repeat steps 14 and 15 until you reach the other side.
17. Once at the end, tie another double knot so the knee stacks/blocks are snugly fit in.
(OPTION MOD A: Weave knee strap through hole in knee stacks/blocks made previously, if youve taped over them, shame on you. Just feel around where until you find a "soft spot", which is usually where your knee strap hole is under the duct tape, and punch through with that cheap pen/pencil. Widen that hole with the xacto knife, but be careful just to make the hole in the tape just as large as the knee strap hole in the knee stack/block)

YOURE DONE
I use duct tape instead of fabric as its lets the knee rotate easier, weighs less, and is easier to apply, you can find it in many colors, bonus if you have silver pads though. The foam I bought was like the same as the foam bought for the matrix C&A posted earlier here, from walmart. Home deport carries colors (red, green, blue, yellow), walmart carries dark grey. duct tape bought at canadian tire, or home depot.

[beezer34]

evoq your work is very clean. awesome mods too. i have never seen such good DIY craftsmanship.

[tankus]

Originally Posted by Evoq

C&A mods, kidney area
Vaughn Velocity C/A
pics of knee stack mod, Smith-like thigh board attachment.
Knee stacks and Thigh board system

for knee stack making, here are the steps I took and materials I used.
WARNING: Im counting on your pads previously having a tie in for knee stacks, like all modern pads do.
WARNING: Please read through before attempting

Materials: Paper, pencil, xacto knife, foam, duct tape, lace, thread puller (optional),

Steps:
1. Trace around knee wing (outer knee flap thing usually covered in clarino or weave) on to paper.
2. Place paper over foam, and cut through the paper and the foam along your traced line made in step 1 above.
3. Take out the newly cut shape from the foam block/sheet, and put it in the desired area of the pad (knee wing area) so that this new knee stack(the foam shape you just cut out) is between the knee wing and your knee. In other words, do not put the knee stack on the outside of the knee wing.
4. Make sure the knee stack is a good fit, and all that you desire. If not, make a new one following steps 1 and 2 until you are satisfied.
5. Now that you are satisfied with the fit of your newly made knee stack, use it as a template to make more. Simply us it instead of the paper tracing you made in step 1 by:
i. Placing the knee stack over the foam block/sheet
ii. using a pen or pencil, tracing around the knee stack directly on to the foam block/sheet
6. Now cut out another knee stack from the traced line you made on the foam block/sheet in steps 5.i. and 5.ii.
7. Make as many knee stacks as you need by repeating the process from steps 5 and 6.
(OPTIONAL MOD A: If you would like to run your knee strap through your knee stacks, ala pro RBK knee set up, do the following:
i. casually fit unfinished knee stacks into place in pad
ii. select a desired distance that you would like your knee strap to come through your knee stack, and mark it off
iii. cut a slit in all the knee stacks at that desired distance
)
Recommended --> (OPTIONAL MOD B: If you would like a large block instead of multiple layers or "stacks", duct tape them together, though I would recommend having knee blocks be no more than an inch in thickness. To accomplish this, do the following:
i. Take an amount of knee stacks so that together, they amount to 1 inch of total thickness
ii. From "top" to "bottom", wrap around the knee stacks in the same fashion as a person would tape a wrist(over, under, over, under etc...). By "top" and "bottom", imagine the knee stacks already in your pad, the "top" of the knee stack being closer to the top of your pad, the thigh, and the bottom of your knee stack being closer to the bottom of your pad, the toe. Make sure to leave an inch of non taped knee stack where they are going to be fastened to the pad (the inside), for reasons discussed later.
iii. After wrapping the knee stack in tape like you would a wrist(over, under over, under, etc...), put a strip of tape around the perimeter of the knee stacks, so that it conceals the spaces, however small, in between the stacks, making it appear at one block.
)
8. Now that you have the thickness you desire, its time to attach them to the pads. I'm counting on your pads previously having a tie in for the knee stacks.
9. To attach the knee stacks/blocks to your pads, first line them up in your pad, and mark off on the knee stack where your knee stack tab (the tie in) has holes.
10. Take the a regular wood pencil or cheap pen (no frills) and punch it through the marked spots on your knee stack/block; the place on your knee stack/block coinciding with your pad's tie in tab holes. The reason I ask you to use a regular wood pencil or cheap pen is due to the fact they may break, and without any rubber finger grips, they're easier to slide through.
11. Get that lace, and tie a double knot at the end that isnt stiff; the frayed end. If neither end is frayed, use either one.
12. K, this is where it gets a little tricky...Keep in mind that when lacing in the knee stacks/blocks, your pad's knee stack tab should always be on top of all the knee stacks/blocks. In other words, in order of appearance, it should go: knee stack tab, knee stacks/blocks, knee wing. So, that being said....we move on.
13. Line up the knee stacks/blocks in the pad so that the knee tabs holes line up with those marked off on the knee stacks/blocks. As outlined in 12, be sure to have the knee tab on top of the knee stacks/blocks. You may need to use a thread puller for the following steps.
14. Weave the lace DOWN through the first hole (on either side) of your knee stack tab, and through all your knee stacks/blocks.
15. Once you go through the last knee stack/block, make your way up through the next hole to the top.
16. repeat steps 14 and 15 until you reach the other side.
17. Once at the end, tie another double knot so the knee stacks/blocks are snugly fit in.
(OPTION MOD A: Weave knee strap through hole in knee stacks/blocks made previously, if youve taped over them, shame on you. Just feel around where until you find a "soft spot", which is usually where your knee strap hole is under the duct tape, and punch through with that cheap pen/pencil. Widen that hole with the xacto knife, but be careful just to make the hole in the tape just as large as the knee strap hole in the knee stack/block)

YOURE DONE
I use duct tape instead of fabric as its lets the knee rotate easier, weighs less, and is easier to apply, you can find it in many colors, bonus if you have silver pads though. The foam I bought was like the same as the foam bought for the matrix C&A posted earlier here, from walmart. Home deport carries colors (red, green, blue, yellow), walmart carries dark grey. duct tape bought at canadian tire, or home depot.

hey, awesome post, thanks! what would i ask for if i was looking for that foam in a department store or somethin? and what if your pads dont have a tie in? im looking at mine, and they dont seem 2...is there an alternative method 2 attaching them? i'll show you what im workin with
sorry about all the questions....and thank you!

[Evoq]

No problem with all the questions, Ill do my best.....

Those pads appear to have a knee lock, knee wing, and a knee cradle, but no knee tab. What I would do( and what I have done) is to get a belt hole puncher, which is similar to a 1-hole-punch, and make some holes in your knee cradle, so the knee cradle acts as a knee tab as well. I wouldnt try this with the knee wing, as theres a higher propensity for wear, and the knee stacks will slip out of place when butterflying unless attached directly under the knee. So give that a go; just punch holes in the knee cradle, and use it as a knee tab for fastening your knee stacks/blocks.

You can ask for sheets of foam, gym foam, puzzle foam, or knee support foam. Im sure someone will get what your talking about. The sheets that I get, about 3x3 feet, have a puzzle pattern around them, and are used in gyms, and for knee support on hard surfaces. good luck yo..

im currently working on a home made sliding toe bridge... we'll see how it goes.

ps. Thanks for the comments Beezer, I appreciate it!

pps. thanks to Rayzilla for making this topic, I think its my new fav..

[RichMan]

Can the Smith pads owners please measure the thickness of the knee lift for me?

I'm gonna work on making my own.

Thx
Rich

[Mr. D]

After getting hurt one to many times with my pathetic old c/a I ordered a new vaughn v2. Unfortunalty it's still on order so I decided to mod my old one so I would get hurt less.

I went to the local hardware/garden store and bought 4 gardening pads and a tube of adhesive. I cut the pads into small rectangles to match the ones on my c/a. I also cut out the profile of the floaters and glued the pads behind them.

The extra weight is minimal, the cost was minimal ($30), the added protection is fantastic, and of course the "ghetto effect" is WAY up there. It should be rather embarassing when I go to Demo-Day with this monstrosity!



I added 3 larger pads to the bottom which extend the total length of the chest.

[Reinhold]

Originally Posted by tankus

hey, awesome post, thanks! what would i ask for if i was looking for that foam in a department store or somethin? and what if your pads dont have a tie in? im looking at mine, and they dont seem 2...is there an alternative method 2 attaching them? i'll show you what im workin with
sorry about all the questions....and thank you!

The hole punch thing works good... but then you end up with rope or lace up against the side of your knee... which could rub or be realy realy iritating...

there are a couple other ways to go about this... I'll post what I did on my old *Brand Pro Series when I get home... basicaly used the cord that holds the padding in place on the inside to do a loop arround to hold my home made stacks in... the alternative would be geting an awl with a curved needle and sewing in a holder for the pieces being inserted

[fleury]

Originally Posted by Mr. D

It should be rather embarassing when I go to Demo-Day with this monstrosity!

I can't wait!

[Mr. D]

I guess I could smack the Vaughn rep. after showing him what I have to put up with while his company takes 12 weeks to get me my new one

[jaques trapp]

Hey funny I come across this tread and noticed someone asking about adding foam to the boot channel to lift the pad. I just did this to my set of Demons. They were custom ordered for some other dude who bailed on the bill so I was able to grab em up for $750 xmas before last. They fit great but they had an abnormally long boot (10"). I found that it didnt take long for wear to start to show on the inner corners of the boot due to its square toe and extra inch or two overhang. Also Brian's owners may notice that the boot comes off the shin section at a 90 degree angle. This I found put rebounds off the boot straight right back into play instead of out towards the corners. I'm 6'2" and my pads fit like a 36" +2" to the thighrise and +2" to the boot. With their sharp boot angle and deep boot channel they really dont fit all that big for a 40" pad.

ANYWAYS... adding foam seemed like the solution to all these problems. I added a 1" thick 6" X 6" piece of high density closed cell foam I bought from an upholstery shop for $5 total to the bottom of each pad. This changed the boot angle noticibly which also cut down the overhang at the toes. It shallowed out the boot channel and lifted my pad prob an inch and a half. It was a VERY cheap and easy mod that had GREAT results. I simply punched two pairs of holes through each foam block and laced them through the 2 rows of stiching that run through the boot channel. I'll snap a few pics and post em on here for anyone interested in doing this.

Ced