Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntster
I will be placing my order soon and I want a discount dammit! 
Seriously I would be very interested in getting myself some. I would probably just attach them to my pad covers.
Nice work though, glad to see all that schooling was good for something.  |
How's 75 cents off
?
Attaching them to the pad covers would be a very cool idea. You could come up with a more permanent and robust way to attach them, given that the covers are cheaper than a full set of pads.
And let's be honest... I'm still as dumb as a brick (and half as attractive!).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Law Goalie
That's some mighty fine work - best slide plates I've ever seen.
Few questions about the process of ordering the plastic, even though the McMaster website is top-notch:
1) Did the company give you any hassle about the small order? What were the shipping charges?
2) Why 1/16" thickness? Does it feel too thick or too thin in retrospect? Could you go down to 0.5" or 0.4" safely?
3) Why *not* the UHMWPE with adhesive backing already applied?
4) Can you weigh a 6x6" (roughly) piece of your plastic?
5) Is this stuff sufficiently light and impact-resistant for a blocker board?
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Thank you! That's some high praise
1) No hassle at all. Shipping was $4, but I'm also in Southeastern Pennsylvania, which a strong arm's stone's throw from their warehouse.
2) I used the 1/16" thickness because that's what avatarkava suggested. I thought about going a little thicker at first, but I'm glad I didn't! If anything, I would like to, at some point, try something a little bit thinner, which would put me into a film rather than a sheet. That may be more cost-prohibitive at this point, but definitely worth thinking about later on (something like this:
http://www.mcmaster.com/itm/find.ASP...ring=86255K71).
One very good quality of the 1/16" is that it has some degree of rigidity, which I believe helps the sliding quality of the pad. Theoretically, it's the same downward force no matter what the material is. I don't know the exact frictional properties of the UHMWPE, but if the contact area between it and the floor were to become too small, it may take away from the desired slipping effect. By having it be a little more rigid, the contact area remains more constant and larger. A thinner film that may deform and create a higher pressure impact on a smaller region could possibly create too high of a friction factor and make the plate stick a little bit. While I don't think it would be
that noticeable, I do think it may reduce the efficacy of the whole design (especially in the knee/knee wing area).
3) As far as the self-adhesive product goes, I wanted something that I could adhere to the pad and play around with as I pleased. If I messed up or wanted to make changes after adhering it to the pad, I'm likely SOL. Also, when using the heat gun, there's a good chance that I could damage the adhesive through prolonged heating. Not knowing much about the products with which I was working, I wanted to keep it relatively simple. If the glue is capable of withstanding high temps, however, it may definitely speed up the process if you're willing to take away the removable aspect.
4) I can shortly. I'll take a piece to the lab at school. I can say that the added weight has not been noticed whatsoever.
5) I would assume it's light enough. As far as impact resistance, I don't know. Judging by what's in my blocker now, it may be a very similar material. McMaster does offer a Premium UHMWPE that's slightly less friction-inducing and also more impact resistant. I'm assuming that somewhere in between 1/8" and 1/4" would likely work very well in a blocker, but I am no expert.
One issue I'd worry about would be its rigidity. If it's too stiff, would it make paddle-down hard? The temperatures of both ice and roller rinks are well within its tolerance, so if it's not already being used, it would definitely make for an interesting experiment.
Hope that helps! Off to get 4 hours of sleep
EDIT: Okay, a little less than four...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dare Devil 33
Slide plates are realy looking great. I was wondering do you guys think it would work on asphalt? Because that's where i play the majority of my games on, and that's where i practise on.
I love the way i'm able to move when playing indoors, would this get me closer to that when playing outdoors?
Tom
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If the asphalt isn't very rough, it may. I'd be more worried about the adhesive holding the plastic to the pad than the actual durability of the product at that point. One important note about these is that they're designed for indoor play on Sportcourt/Icecourt surfaces. Still, perhaps using Boss302's double-sided adhesive and a slightly thicker sheet, you should be able to make something work. Just remember that it'll be harder to form a thicker sheet, so keep it within reason (I'd try not to exceed 1/8").
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