This idea may be better executed by a 3d printer, but I don't have one and can't afford one. So I'm thinking of options. Here's what I'm looking for. Remember the ads for memory foam mattresses where they would push down on the mattress with their hand and you could see the imprint of the hand, but it would slowly revert to normal foam? I'm looking for something like that, but that doesn't go back to normal. I want it to keep the imprinted shape...permanently. And I'd like it to be lightweight and strong and available in about a one square foot block maybe a couple of inches think. Oh, and of course fairly inexpensive.

I'm not even sure how to begin googling for something like this, but i'm sure someone here will know. Modeling foam is about the closest I'm come up with, but it's not quite right.

Sounds a bit like the expandable foam packing products.

[www.youtube.com]

Maybe make your own Sugru and mix it with pre-expanded foam pellets (bean bag fill).

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In tha 360. MRF User Map

Why not use plaster of paris?

Or, would that be too heavy?

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2021 03:13PM by rgG.

I wonder if this type of stuff would take a permanent impression.

[www.amazon.com]

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Athens, OH

Floral foam? It does crush.

I've heard of custom shoe molds (I think for orthotics) that also sound like what you want to do.

Thank you, all. Interesting ideas. I suppose if what I wanted to do could be done easily, it would be done already. Maybe I should be a bit more specific, as there may be other ideas I'm not thinking of. And yes, it's another first world problem.

I'm thinking of getting saddlebags for my motorcycle. There are a gazzilion types, models and sizes out there (and I've bought and returned several thanks to Amazon's easy return policy). The problem is less with the bags themselves than it is with the way I can mount them. There's not much room to work with and the main piece I would secure them to is a kind of short and curved piece of frame that is not uniform in size (see pic). I was hoping to create a sort of bracket custom sized to the frame that would not wiggle around and would stay in place at speed. I could then secure saddlebags to the custom bracket. That way they could be removed fairly easily if I so choose.

Securing with straps alone would allow the bags to flop around too much and could possibly hit the wheel when in motion. I also have the shocks and the turn signals in the way and limiting my space.



Interestingly, I remember when I was reading reviews of the bike, most all were very positive. But one of comments I remember was something along the lines of "It's a great bike, but you better like it as is, because there's aren't many accessories made for it."

True enough.

What comes to mind for me to make a "cast" of the area is covering everything with saran-wrap and blue tape, spraying on release agent (silicone mold release), and then spraying it with expanding foam polyurethane.
Just make bloody sure everything is covered with wrap, tape, and release agent because that foam @#$%& ain't coming off any other surface!

Once the urethane foam hardens, you have a mirror image.

I'm sure there's gotta be an easier way, but that's what come to mind for me most readily.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

Something to think about, which you probably already have: materials that would conform would also need to stand up to a fair amount of stress from vibration. Getting a good fit initially could get loose over time.

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Make a mold of expanding foam like Paul F. mentioned, and then fiberglass the resulting mold?

Yeah, the cast thing is what I was king of imagining. But perhaps a little more forgiving than Paul's multi-step process. My patience has grown shorter as the years grow longer. Basically, if there's a way to screw something up, I'll often find it. I don't care what the bracket ends up looking like, but if the chrome or paint on the bike gets messed up, I'll be bummed.

As for the stress over time due to vibration, I was wondering if some kind of rubberized coating on the inside of the cast would help.

If those things archipirata linked to were about five times bigger and ten tines thicker, that might work, too.

I even thought about something like these brackets fastened to a rigid frame or plate might work. Then attach the bags to the frame/plate.





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2021 04:58PM by wurm.

How much clearance is there under the seat tail/above the fender? Maybe attach a plate directly to the fender (bolts hidden under the seat tail), or attach the plate directly to the underside of the seat tail.

Rather than expanding foam, you could just melt a big candle or similar hunk of wax. Or homemade Play-Doh (the flour-salt-water stuff). Or anything else that hardens somewhat and can easily be removed from the metal afterwards. Then you can use that as the mold for something harder, whether plaster of paris to shape metal around; or fiberglass or Bondo or whatever.

[www.amazon.com]

Just now getting a chance to follow up again, thanks.

I don't think there's enough clearance between bottom of the seat and fender beneath. Not even sure there'd be enough for "throw over bags" to span across the fender, but if so that may still be an option.

Yeah, the whole candle/wax/play-doh to make a cast option is similar to Paul F's idea, but it's way work work than I want to deal with for what could be messy looking results if i'd attempt it.

And those moldable plastic sheets are just too thin.

But I do appreciate the thoughts.

I'd start with a contour gauge:

[www.google.com]

And a block of something like wood, polycarbonate, etc. with slots or holes that would accept something like hose clamps or zip ties to cinch down to the bike.

Get enough bags of this and you can mold the entire bike:
[www.amazon.com]

You can mold it as thick as you want.