what material would you recommend?

now that I have started with aluminum I would like to make a gas, brake, and clutch pedal for my car. I have seen many styles out of just aluminum but I would like to have a little more grip to the pedal and wondered if there was a plastic/rubber material that you have used and could recommend? I only need to inlay it around the edge and a couple small spots in the middle.

I’d check on [www.smooth-on.com] they’ve got all sorts of two part plastics and rubbers that could be used for overmolding

what is overmolding? I was thinking something similar to HDPE but with a little more grip that could be machined into shape. I looked at that site and I have no idea what all those products are. I was surprised to find vids showing a cnc router cutting rubber for a gasket and forgot I have a piece of 1/8" rubber for this. I can't seem to find any info on bits/speeds or feeds for it though and wondered if anyone had tried it? I figured it would be a total mess. I need clean edges so I am thinking it might be time to find a friend with a laser cutter to do it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/18/2019 12:14AM by cuervo.

I think I misunderstood what you were going for -- I was thinking like the rubber grip on the handle of a power tool -- those are made by casting rubber around plastic parts.

Cutting rubber with an endmill is going to be tricky unless it is pretty hard. The rubber on the bottom of the handibot is an adhesive backed sheet of neoprene that I cut with a donek dragknife -- that process is OK ... but it is really tough to get super precise detail with that tool.

I have done milling on flexible vinyl sheets -- they have a "rubbery" grippy feel to them, but the material is hard enough that it can be cut.

You might have the most luck if you choose a hard rubber -- cover the back of it with carpet tape, then stick it to the table before cutting it. The sheet is going to want to lift up as soon as you cut it and if it gets pulled up into the collet on the router, it'll make a big mess.

oh I see what you mean now. The grip would be good but I am not sure it would last. The rubber on the bottom is similar to what I was thinking and found in my garage for another project. I am trying to find someone with a laser cutter to help out. Do those machines use v-carve as well to where it would not be a big deal to give them the file design for them to cut?

I think you would just need to supply an .svg (vector) file -- those can be exported from VCarve easily.