Lining not liners for top box

spdfour

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Joined
Jun 8, 2013
Messages
26
Location
commie california
Looking for ideas for a lining for my new 46L Givi Trekker dolomiti top box so my helmet doesn't get scratched when inserting and removing. Don't like the idea of using adhesive ( too permanent) and automotive carpet. Thought is to get abs sheet plastic and form with a heat gun and cover with automotive carpet and use strips of velcro to hold in place inside box. Anybody have experience with ABS or other ideas? Thanks.
 

RCinNC

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Aug 30, 2014
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2,876
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North Carolina
I have quite a bit of experience with fabricating from ABS. I looked up a photo of the Dolomiti top box, and it would be a lot easier to just build a simple box out of ABS and place that inside the top box like an insert, rather than trying to thermoform ABS to conform to the inside of the box using a heat gun.

Solvent bonded ABS is very strong, and an insert box made from something like .125" ABS sheet should make a nice rigid box liner that would be easy to remove. If you make it to be a close fit for the inside dimensions of the box, you won't really need to secure it with velcro. You can use something like 3M Super 77 spray adhesive to bond the carpet to the inside of the insert box.

TAP Plastics sells a wide variety of ABS in different sheet sizes and thicknesses. The best solvent for bonding ABS is Weld On 2354; if you do a proper job bonding the joints in the box, it'll even be watertight. If you want to go all out, you can actually weld ABS using a soldering iron.

This is a tool tube I made from sheets of ABS. It started off as just simple sheets, with the edges reinforced with 1/16" aluminum angle:



Here is the box after the edges were solvent bonded, welded, and mechanically fastened:



And here's the finished product:





There's probably about 10 pounds worth of tools and other crap in the toolbox, and it's held together now for at least 60 or 70 thousand miles.
 

Tenforeplay

Active Member
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Apr 29, 2023
Messages
259
Location
Kansas, USA
Something softer might be like what is used for footing or cushioning on water bikes and such. This is more flexible. I’ve used this for footing when trapping out on a catamaran. You can buy it without adhesive.
 

Longdog Cymru

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Jul 21, 2018
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1,678
Location
Swansea, Wales, UK
Looking for ideas for a lining for my new 46L Givi Trekker dolomiti top box so my helmet doesn't get scratched when inserting and removing. Don't like the idea of using adhesive ( too permanent) and automotive carpet. Thought is to get abs sheet plastic and form with a heat gun and cover with automotive carpet and use strips of velcro to hold in place inside box. Anybody have experience with ABS or other ideas? Thanks.
Why not simply use 2 pieces of “egg box” foam ?
 

SparrowHawkxx

Active Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2012
Messages
203
Location
Oklahoma
Looking for ideas for a lining for my new 46L Givi Trekker dolomiti top box so my helmet doesn't get scratched when inserting and removing. Don't like the idea of using adhesive ( too permanent) and automotive carpet. Thought is to get abs sheet plastic and form with a heat gun and cover with automotive carpet and use strips of velcro to hold in place inside box. Anybody have experience with ABS or other ideas? Thanks.
Foam Sticking Garage Wall Protector - 1/4" or 1/6" thick
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Amazon.com: GUEQUITLEX Car Door Protector Bump Body Guard,1/6" Sectional Foam Sticking Garage Wall Parking Protector Collision Avoidance Waterproof Foam Protector Wall Corner Protecting Your Car Doors (1 Pack) : Automotive
 

Cycledude

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Joined
Jan 29, 2016
Messages
4,034
Location
Rib lake wi
I’ve a mate that just carries the helmet bag supplied with the helmet and pops it in that before sticking it away in his topbox. Personally I never worry, my two year old helmet has already done the best part of 20k and has numerous stone chips already.
To me Helmet bag seems like the simplest and most versatile solution.
 
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