Clear deck grips cost so much. Is it just plastic?

[scottnorby]

Btw
Surfco has waxmat in semi clear now
Its better because clear looks dirty too fast
The clear/white washes off With soap and water to be titanium white/clear again
Clear/white is just cloudy white

All the photos of our boards have a logo or two you cam see thru the waxmat

We vacuum a 1/8” aerospace vinyl like smooth foam on our boards
This kind of skin is also used the wall paneling in Current the space station

Combined with the waxmat your feet sink in 1/8” so its even grippier So for us waxmat is even more of a solution than we anticipated

Www.spacesticklab.com

[chibern]

Just saw this recently and seems promising and reasonably priced... https://surf-systems.com/what-is-gryptalite/

[BalsaMichel]

I´ve started to try 3D-printing deck grip patches. This test sample is 100x100mm, 0.5mm thick base made of flexible TPU, weight approx. 8g. Tear-resistance is already really good with 3 cross-printed base layers, UV light and salt-water should be no problem. Plan is to print this directly on 3M adhesion tape later.

I will try to print this with clear TPU but I doubt this will come out "ultra-clear". TPU is of course much heavier than EVA foam so this will only work with very thin patches on small boards; maybe not a good solution for SUPs . But if it works it will give a lot of freedom in design, for example if I want to add a small tail kicker.

Regards
Micha

[TomW]

I´ve started to try 3D-printing deck grip patches. This test sample is 100x100mm, 0.5mm thick base made of flexible TPU, weight approx. 8g. Tear-resistance is already really good with 3 cross-printed base layers, UV light and salt-water should be no problem. Plan is to print this directly on 3M adhesion tape later.

I will try to print this with clear TPU but I doubt this will come out "ultra-clear". TPU is of course much heavier than EVA foam so this will only work with very thin patches on small boards; maybe not a good solution for SUPs . But if it works it will give a lot of freedom in design, for example if I want to add a small tail kicker.

Regards
Micha

Test Pad TPU black 0_5mm.jpg

Interesting idea. Could print thin tpu without any bumps. It has a rough texture out of the printer. Make them in hex shape...

[BalsaMichel]

Interesting idea. Could print thin tpu without any bumps. It has a rough texture out of the printer. Make them in hex shape...

I think you are right, the 2mm bumps on the first one are much too aggressive. Next try was 0.5mm base with a 0.15mm micro-structure. This one is is much better from my point of view. So optimum for me would be somewhere between microstructure and just printed surface without any structure. Weight is 9.5g so one patch costs me 0.76 Euro material plus adhesive tape of course. Used adhesive tape is 3M 467MP.

Currently I´m running some tests in the shower tub.

Micha

[TomW]

Interesting idea. Could print thin tpu without any bumps. It has a rough texture out of the printer. Make them in hex shape...

I think you are right, the 2mm bumps on the first one are much too aggressive. Next try was 0.5mm base with a 0.15mm micro-structure. This one is is much better from my point of view. So optimum for me would be somewhere between microstructure and just printed surface without any structure. Weight is 9.5g so one patch costs me 0.76 Euro material plus adhesive tape of course. Used adhesive tape is 3M 467MP.

Currently I´m running some tests in the shower tub.

Micha


2020-11-08 11.58.57.jpg

Great work. Let me know how it goes. Ive been thinking of getting a fdm printer for home for years. I have one at work. So i looked online and just bought a Creality with some TPU and other rigid materials. Really cheap, like a high en toaster...Need it for other stuff anyway.

Where did you get the adhesive. Im in Europe.

[TomW]

The 3m stuff costs more than a pad!
Edit. Found some at a reasonable price.

[BalsaMichel]

The 3m stuff costs more than a pad!

I have bought 1.5 m² or so on ebay Germany/Europe some years ago. Can´t remember the price but I think it was cheap because it was no top quality. Cut was just a bit out of angles.

EDIT: Maybe the 3M tape is the reason why the commercial deck grips are so expensive, just a guess

EDIT 2: More common for deckpads seems to be 3M 300LSE

Micha

[TomW]

The 3m stuff costs more than a pad!

I have bought 1.5 m² or so on ebay Germany/Europe some years ago. Can´t remember the price but I think it was cheap because it was no top quality. Cut was just a bit out of angles.

EDIT: Maybe the 3M tape is the reason why the commercial deck grips are so expensive, just a guess

EDIT 2: More common for deckpads seems to be 3M 300LSE

Micha

Did some reading about 3M adhesives, looked at data sheets. There's no significant difference between the 2, 300LSE and 467mp. From what i can tell, the 467mp can take higher temperature. Both have same water immersion test, uv properties.

I wonder mostly how well the tpu will stick to it.

[nixmatters]

Anyone tried these 2?

https://www.tesa.com/en/consumer/tesa-a ... rooms.html

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/non-slip- ... R-p-169758