# Making bumpers & heat forming plastic sheet



## 440s-4ever

So today I was shopping around for front bumpers for a couple of my tamiya off roaders. They've got different front wheels and bodies and the original type bumpers just aren't cutting it. 

I've shopped different models of car for interchange, shopped the aftermarket race stuff, and found a few that might work but in the end I'm still spending ten bucks per car, and I need 3 bumpers. At this point the light bulb over my head clicked on.......

Anyone ever buy a sheet of ABS and make their own bumper? Or is ABS even the right material? Only a handful of bumpers are injected nylon composite, most look like ABS sheet that was cut and bent.

My garage is equipped to work in wood and metal, so making a form is no big deal. I'll use the oven to form it when she's not home :thumbsup:

Thoughts? Advice on material selection?


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## DJ1978

Shoot a note to KVRC on this forum. I know he has a material he makes a lot of stuff out of.


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## Butch

A lot of bumpers are made of Kydex.
Butch


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## KnR-Racing99

*I have tried ABS for body mounting and bumpers and it's way to brittle. Kydex is the way to go!!*


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## 440s-4ever

Thanks guys, it looks like kydex sheet isn't too badly priced. I've got an aftermarket bumper here from the 80s made out of some kind of sheet plastic, wonder if it's kydex? It's taken some punishment. 

Anyway, think I'm going to measure that bumper's thickness and work from there. 

If anyone's done this I'd like to hear your comments on thickness.

Thanks again guys


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## Mike Clark

440s-4ever said:


> So today I was shopping around for front bumpers for a couple of my tamiya off roaders. They've got different front wheels and bodies and the original type bumpers just aren't cutting it.
> 
> I've shopped different models of car for interchange, shopped the aftermarket race stuff, and found a few that might work but in the end I'm still spending ten bucks per car, and I need 3 bumpers. At this point the light bulb over my head clicked on.......
> 
> Anyone ever buy a sheet of ABS and make their own bumper? Or is ABS even the right material? Only a handful of bumpers are injected nylon composite, most look like ABS sheet that was cut and bent.
> 
> My garage is equipped to work in wood and metal, so making a form is no big deal. I'll use the oven to form it when she's not home :thumbsup:
> 
> Thoughts? Advice on material selection?



ABS should not be a choice because it will shatter on hard impact. After it is ABS "Plastic". The styrene content in ABS makes it moldable but that's about it.

Try Nylon! It was the bumper material of choice back in the day. ALL R/C cars came with one. The Nylon bumper should be almost indestructable on your car. It is what I would choose.


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## ta_man

440s-4ever said:


> Thanks guys, it looks like kydex sheet isn't too badly priced. I've got an aftermarket bumper here from the 80s made out of some kind of sheet plastic, wonder if it's kydex? It's taken some punishment.
> 
> Anyway, think I'm going to measure that bumper's thickness and work from there.
> 
> If anyone's done this I'd like to hear your comments on thickness.
> 
> Thanks again guys


Yes, I've done this. It is easy to bend when warmed with a heat gun and then stays in shape. Get 1/8" if you want bumpers that will absorb some shock or 3/16 for stiff ones. Get your Kydex from McMaster-Carr - they sell it for about 1/3 the cost of the sheets you get from Team Cobra. I've made bumpers for pan cars and a Slash converted to 1/8th late model.

BTW, Legends bumpers are made from Kydex and the take a lot of abuse. The BRP bumbers for the RC18T are made from 1/32" kydex (after all, it is a small car).


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## T Tom

It is hard to believe that there is anyone still making their own parts for RC cars nowadays.

Kydex will work for you.


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## TamiyaKing

I should try that stuff on my df-03 tamiya.


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## TJETDRAGRACER

*Clodbuster Bumper*

I made a clodbuster front piece that go's under the grill by heating up a piece of plastic. I just heated one end at a time and formed it to the body.
I got a little creative by making a nos bottle from a AA size battery / A dual battery set-up with two blocks of wood and a fuel cell from a plastic small box and also a tool box out of paint stir sticks. Inter cooler tubes running in to the hood scoop.


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