Dream mat in a Walbanker

[bundyjd]

Just wondering if anybody is running an 8" dream mat in their Walbanker, and if so how did you fill the gaps at the sides where the channel widens out towards the top?

I've seen the rubber bumpers fitted on straight sluices, but it looks a bit trickier with the tapered channel.

 

[yobskin]

Yeah that sounds tuff...

 

[limpalot]

Two strips of solid rubber with a tapper inwards, cut to fill the angle. could use timber or plastic also.
Cheers LL

 

[bundyjd]

Thanks LL, cutting the rubber or whatever down without a bandsaw doesn't look like a lot of fun

 

[limpalot]

Drill and screw it to a bench edge, cut with a jigsaw or angle grinder. hand saw.

 

[G0lddigg@]

hey mate, there's a few that have done the conversion hopefully someone will chime in but it wouldn't be that hard clark rubber has a plethora of rubber in every type of thickness width and shape. if i had the time id get your box shipped up here and do it for you but i'm buried.

 

[bundyjd]

hey mate, there's a few that have done the conversion hopefully someone will chime in but it wouldn't be that hard clark rubber has a plethora of rubber in every type of thickness width and shape. if i had the time id get your box shipped up here and do it for you but i'm buried.

Thanks, I'm sure I'll figure something out once I have the right sized rubber. I usually read about a really neat way of doing something a few hours after I have finished a job..... :lol:

 

[PT73]

I agree with Limpalot. Jigsaw it. Reasonably simple, although I have not cut a dream mat, I use this trick often to get straight cuts on a whole range of materials...

1. Mark your taper lines on the reverse of the mat with a marker.
2. Get hold of a solid bit of straight edge, such as angle or flat bar.
3. Measure the distance from your jigsaw blade (the centre) to the edge/side of the jigsaw base plate. My distance is about 35mm.
4. Measure from your marked line in (in my case 35mm). Use the bench and clamp down your straight edge at this point on the mat. You could use some screws also to keep it nice and straight in the middle.
5. You now have a guide to run the jigsaw along. Test that the blade meets the line you marked. Take your time and cut slowly.
6. Voila! there you have a neat, straight cut.

I would recommend using a blade similar to a hacksaw for metal cutting or try to get a thinner blade recommended for plastics. Don't go too quick, you don't want it to melt!

 

[bundyjd]

I agree with Limpalot. Jigsaw it. Reasonably simple, although I have not cut a dream mat, I use this trick often to get straight cuts on a whole range of materials...

1. Mark your taper lines on the reverse of the mat with a marker.
2. Get hold of a solid bit of straight edge, such as angle or flat bar.
3. Measure the distance from your jigsaw blade (the centre) to the edge/side of the jigsaw base plate. My distance is about 35mm.
4. Measure from your marked line in (in my case 35mm). Use the bench and clamp down your straight edge at this point on the mat. You could use some screws also to keep it nice and straight in the middle.
5. You now have a guide to run the jigsaw along. Test that the blade meets the line you marked. Take your time and cut slowly.
6. Voila! there you have a neat, straight cut.

I would recommend using a blade similar to a hacksaw for metal cutting or try to get a thinner blade recommended for plastics. Don't go too quick, you don't want it to melt!

Thanks mate, but I don't actually need to cut the mat. The mat is the right width at the bottom of the sluice, but because the channel tapers inwards from the top down there will be a decreasing gap on both sides. That's what needs to be filled with a couple of wedges of something like rubber.

A bit like this, but imagine a tapered channel and a single mat.

 

[PT73]

Ah ok I see I missed that. Hope someone can benefit from my tip.

I have used a composite type plastic cut in wedges to do something similar to fill a gap. The stuff is white in colour, about 10mm thick and easy to cut with a handsaw and drill. Something like this may suit? You would just need hold it down with a couple of small screws or bits of angle like you hold down regular riffles with. I have some off cuts I can spare if you are interested.

 

[Keen Ken]

Why not try placing some wide clear tape along the edge of the sliuce box in question under the matting and up the sides. Then get a good quality poly urethane sealer and fill the gap,(windscreen type), leave for 24 hours and remove the mat, tape and all in one go. Then you should have a custom fitted edge firmly fitted to your matting edge.

 

[bundyjd]

Thanks for the ideas guys, I'm thinking i'd like whatever I end up filling the gap with to stand well above the mat like the photo up there.

That way everything gets directed through the mat itself.

 

[PT73]

The stuff I mentioned can be doubled up or tripled and glued/screwed. This will give you the height. I originally used plywood but found that over time it swelled and deteriorated. The plastic sheet works a treat. So you need long wedge shapes right? Depending on how long you need, you could maybe use a couple of large nylon chopping boards glued together and then saw your wedges from that. Readily available at reject shops or Kmart etc for cheap.
??
Just throwin ideas out there

 

[bundyjd]

Yeah, all good mate.

Once I get hold of a mat and get it in place to see what size and shape the gap is it might all become a bit clearer.

 

[Gappa44]

to fit my mat to my highbanker (was not dream matting) i used silicone and just put paper on the mat side to stop it sticking ? and that worked a treat in you want a simple cheap way i would recommend this

 

[blisters]

Sounds like bending up a new bit of sluice run is the solution if you can relocate the hopper or build another banker.
Jon

 

[jamie]

maybe good old white chopping boards would suit cutting into the wedges needed, hard and durable, easily cut etc, we used to use it under our 4x4s on belly pans etc so they would slide easily on rocks when bellied out

 

[bundyjd]

Sounds like bending up a new bit of sluice run is the solution if you can relocate the hopper or build another banker.
Jon

Thanks for the suggestion Jon, although I'm not real keen on chopping up the walbanker just to try a new mat....

 

[bundyjd]

maybe good old white chopping boards would suit cutting into the wedges needed, hard and durable, easily cut etc, we used to use it under our 4x4s on belly pans etc so they would slide easily on rocks when bellied out

Yeah, that stuff would be nice and easy to work with and I could glue a few layers together to give it some height. I'm hoping I can get a nice tight fit that will firmly wedge itself in there, so I don't have to permanently attach anything to the channel. Also thinking of making the wedges a bit longer than the mat and tapered out to a point at the top end so it kind of funnels everything in towards the mat.

 

[G0lddigg@]

some great ideas here, sadly the urethane we use to cast these mats is super tear and cut resistant it will snap a jigsaw very quickly. even water laser takes a long time due to the nature of urethane. just a thought mate, if you measure everything up real well and can draw the fill needed we may be able to make a mold.