General Discussion Triathlon Talk » The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover... Rss Feed  
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2011-09-28 4:10 PM

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Subject: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

I'm cheap...and I like to tinker.  Okay, now that that's out of the way we can get down to business.

In preparation for IMAZ this year, I decided I wanted to run a wheel cover in the rear.   I'm on a severely limited budget, and since I wanted to get new tires as well, a WB cover would have been a stretch.   I started reading old threads on here about making your own and figured I'd give it a try.

Lucky for me, here in SoCal, a quick search led me to a place in Anaheim called Industrial Plastic Supply.  Not only did they have .040 thickness ABS sheets, they can also cut to size.   Odd sizes are more expensive, but after measuring my 30mm deep training wheels, I figured out a disc with a diameter of 23" would be perfect.  The best part?  It was cheap.   Like $13 a piece cheap.  So I placed an order with Miguel (great guy) and the next day they were ready for pick up.

So lets get started. 
Here is a list of things you'll need.
ABS discs
ABS Cement
Sharp cutting tool
Straight edge
Sandpaper
Painters tape

Here's the discs after I picked them up:



Next step is to cut your center hole.  This depends of your hub, but I found that 1.5" worked well on both sides of my wheel.   I used a hole saw in my drill, but you could use anything really.


This shows you why you have to dish the disc properly to make it fit the dish of the wheel.


At this point you need to cut a straight radius from the center out to the edge.  This stuff is really easy to cut.  Just use a sharp edge to score it a few times, and it will snap cleanly.



With the radius cut, it will automatically overlap and lay perfectly flat when you put it on the wheel.  At this point I suppose you could just tape it as is, but that wouldn't look very great IMO.


At this point I taped the overlap down and used the raised edge as a guide to cut the other side of the pie shaped piece.  On the non drive side, this piece is quite a bit larger than the drive side because of the greater dish.


Here it is all taped up and ready to be bonded back together.  I put the tape on the outside surface so it would keep the cement from bleeding through.



I used another scrap piece of ABS to make two strips that would be used to make a stronger joint. 


This is the cement I used.  It's used for ABS plumbing and it's main ingredient in MEK which basically melts the two pieces a bit and then bonds them together permanently.


I scuffed up both surfaces with sandpaper to get a good bond.  Then I bent the seam backwards to open it up and smeared a good amount over the gap.  Then I popped it back the right way and put a good amount of cement on the back of my support strip, and laid it down.   A good way to get a better bond with this stuff is to wiggle the pieces back and forth on each other.   Then you just hold it in place for 30 seconds or so, then leave it for 2 hours to dry completely


All glued up and taped till dry:


Here is a shot of the seam.  For my first try it looks pretty good I think.   I plan on putting some graphics on this when I'm all done, so no biggie.


Drive side taped down.   I was thinking of buying some nylon post screws, but I think this looks cleaner and seems to be a rock solid hold.  Used 4 small pieces to hold it in place, then used one continuous piece to secure it.



I used some packing tape on the inside to help secure it.  Don't think its really needed though.


Cut a hole for the valve.   I'll probably get a crack pipe so I dont have to make the hole bigger for my floor pump.  (C02 head fits here no problem)


On the bike.   There are absolutely no dips or distortion of any kind.




There you go.    I just did this today, so I'll report back after some training and I get the graphics on there.  Hope that helps somebody.



Edited by jackson61802 2011-09-28 4:18 PM


2011-09-28 4:28 PM
in reply to: #3704175

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

Pretty cool.

But I still rather pay $100 for a custom built cover by people who know exactly what they are doing.  Seeing first hand how my cover is installed, I can see how much precision is required.  It's not rocket science, but it's not something I would want to do myself.  Especially because I've seen what happens when a cover is not properly installed and fails.  In a TT race, there was a guy who's cover started coming off and was hitting his seat/chain stays.  He had to pull over, and physically rip his cover off with his hands just so he could finish.

I don't know if it was a home made cover or not...but it just shows that these things can fail if you don't fasten them down properly, or if they are not fit to your wheel properly.  For $87 extra, I think it's worth the piece of mind for me.

Just my 2 cents.

2011-09-28 4:48 PM
in reply to: #3704175

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
Nice work!  Impressive!
2011-09-28 4:55 PM
in reply to: #3704204

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

msteiner - 2011-09-28 3:48 PM Nice work!  Impressive!

 

X2 !! Looks super clean!

2011-09-28 5:13 PM
in reply to: #3704175

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

That is very cool!  I envy anyone who has that type of talent.  I'd glue my eyelids together, and the wheel to my hair.

Great job!



Edited by Left Brain 2011-09-28 5:13 PM
2011-09-28 5:59 PM
in reply to: #3704222

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
looks fantastic. how does it ride?



2011-09-28 6:15 PM
in reply to: #3704193

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
tri808 - 2011-09-28 4:28 PM

Pretty cool.

But I still rather pay $100 for a custom built cover by people who know exactly what they are doing.  Seeing first hand how my cover is installed, I can see how much precision is required.  It's not rocket science, but it's not something I would want to do myself.  Especially because I've seen what happens when a cover is not properly installed and fails.  In a TT race, there was a guy who's cover started coming off and was hitting his seat/chain stays.  He had to pull over, and physically rip his cover off with his hands just so he could finish.

I don't know if it was a home made cover or not...but it just shows that these things can fail if you don't fasten them down properly, or if they are not fit to your wheel properly.  For $87 extra, I think it's worth the piece of mind for me.

Just my 2 cents.

X2 -  I know it is theoretically cheaper to DIY but .... I have found that the money I spend on the materials, tools, and bandages, doesn't save me anything when I end up doing more damage to my possesions than the original problem.

But, I hope this works well for the OP.  Maybe you can create some competition for WB.

2011-09-28 6:47 PM
in reply to: #3704175

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

Jacks--cool. noone would know the difference with exception of plastic fasteners. Now you just need some wind-tunnel data. Ha!
Use some of that talent on the drawer handle about to fall off..sorry, couldn't resist at least one fun poke.

Doc
2011-09-28 7:03 PM
in reply to: #3704266

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

lol, you guys are funny.

 

You're right about one thing:   this isn't rocket science.  The only difference between this and WB covers is that theirs is (probably) vacuum molded to get the dish.  Same material, same fit.  Mine was measured and cut based on my actual wheel that I had on hand.  It fits like a glove. I've seen plenty of threads with people having WB covers that fit like cr@p.  As for not using the fasteners, there are lots ad lots of long-time cyclists and triathletes on another site that have never used the fasteners that WB provides...in fact you can order them without the holes.  I actually planned for mine to have the maximum tape-able surface on the rim so I don't have a worry in the world about it coming loose.  I'd be willing to be that in Tri808's example of one coming off, regardless of that person DIY'ng or buying a cover, the failure had to do with user error.

 

NewClydesdale - 2011-09-28 6:15 PM
tri808 - 2011-09-28 4:28 PM

Pretty cool.

But I still rather pay $100 for a custom built cover by people who know exactly what they are doing.  Seeing first hand how my cover is installed, I can see how much precision is required.  It's not rocket science, but it's not something I would want to do myself.  Especially because I've seen what happens when a cover is not properly installed and fails.  In a TT race, there was a guy who's cover started coming off and was hitting his seat/chain stays.  He had to pull over, and physically rip his cover off with his hands just so he could finish.

I don't know if it was a home made cover or not...but it just shows that these things can fail if you don't fasten them down properly, or if they are not fit to your wheel properly.  For $87 extra, I think it's worth the piece of mind for me.

Just my 2 cents.

X2 -  I know it is theoretically cheaper to DIY but .... I have found that the money I spend on the materials, tools, and bandages, doesn't save me anything when I end up doing more damage to my possesions than the original problem.

But, I hope this works well for the OP.  Maybe you can create some competition for WB.

2011-09-28 7:22 PM
in reply to: #3704175

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
Bump for future use.  Unless you want to make a set for me?

Edited by firegirlred 2011-09-28 7:23 PM
2011-09-28 7:30 PM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

You're probably right about user error being the cause of a cover coming off.

Nice job.  I'm not going to do it -- it's a $$$ for time issue for me -- but I love the idea, and the execution.  It looks first-rate.

The packing tape helps reduce the rattling, so I'd keep doing that.  And get some faster tires on those wheels!



2011-09-28 7:32 PM
in reply to: #3704348

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
Experior - 2011-09-28 7:30 PM

You're probably right about user error being the cause of a cover coming off.

Nice job.  I'm not going to do it -- it's a $$$ for time issue for me -- but I love the idea, and the execution.  It looks first-rate.

The packing tape helps reduce the rattling, so I'd keep doing that.  And get some faster tires on those wheels!

 

Yup....new tires and latex tubes for IMAZ!

2011-09-28 8:58 PM
in reply to: #3704175

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

Pretty sweet!  I have to agree.  I really don't like how my WB cover fits my particular rim.

I may try this just for S & G's.  Did you end up sanding the seam after glueing at all?  Is the surface of the plastic smooth?  It looks rough in that last picture, but figured it was just a bit grainy from the photo.

How much disc diameter did you lose on the non drive side when you cut out that pie piece?

Looks nice!



Edited by jgerbodegrant 2011-09-28 9:02 PM
2011-09-28 9:16 PM
in reply to: #3704175

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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
The ABS comes smooth on one side and "hair cell" on the other which is like a wrinkle texture. I put the hair cell on the outside because the smooth side picks up every little scratch and looks crappy. Didn't have to sand the joint at all...but I probably could for a slightly smoother seam.
2011-09-29 9:24 AM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
I chuckled at the picture of what looks like an exceedingly expensive bike (I know you can get 'em relatively cheaply on bonktown though) and then homemade disc covers. That was great. They look awesome, hope you get another mph faster!
2011-09-29 9:47 AM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
Very cool.


2011-09-29 9:51 AM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
What about the front now??  Will you go with Zipp 808's or a HED 3?
2011-09-29 10:00 AM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
Maybe a test ride on the trainer first before that big downhill..
2011-09-29 11:31 AM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
sevrdhed - 2011-09-29 9:24 AMI chuckled at the picture of what looks like an exceedingly expensive bike (I know you can get 'em relatively cheaply on bonktown though) and then homemade disc covers. That was great. They look awesome, hope you get another mph faster!
Bought the frame used and built it up myself with parts from ebay, ST, Pricepoint etc. Cost was around 1200.
2011-09-29 11:53 AM
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2011-09-29 11:58 AM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

If you were local and hosted a local class for $50-$100 (not including the materials, but you could sell those for a fee on top), I would have gladly signed on to learn to do that. 

 

Friggin' awesome. Best part is that you can actually get better making those and cut them as gifts for fellow triathletes - I'll bet you could even donate a pair in lieu of race entry for an AG prize at a local race!



2011-09-29 12:06 PM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...

Thanks for sharing a very cool project!!!

Love to hear how it rides.

2011-09-29 12:12 PM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
jackson61802 - 2011-09-28 7:03 PM

...in fact you can order them without the holes.  

Dam - wish I would have known that.  I use quality electrical tape only and it's fine.  I do hate taping over every one one of those $#%@! holes.

2011-09-29 1:38 PM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
The disc lays on the spokes and the edge ends up laying at about the midway point of my 30mm rim.
2012-01-20 3:00 PM
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Subject: RE: The step by step guide to making your own disc wheel cover...
Anyone in Denver want to try this?  I found a source for the sheet, but they only seel 4x8 sheets - $30.  I think that would make covers for 2-4 bikes.  If anyone wants to split the sheet, let me know.  I'd like to give it a shot.
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