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Luffy gets a facelift!


Rehab1

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My new Gotway Luffy received a facelift today!:P

Since Luffy will soon be headed to a pediatric rehab center for study I figured she will be tossed around a great deal and suffer from irreparable trauma so my staff and I fabricated a plastic protective outer shell. 

First Luffy was encased in plaster using bandages that are traditionally used for stabilizing fractures. Once the plaster bandages hardened they formed a replica of Luffy's shell.. The plaster shell was then carefully removed from Luffy. This required using a cast saw and then slowing spreading the plaster bandage to dislodge Luffy.

The plaster shell, called a negative mold, was then poured will plaster of Paris and a pipe mandrel was inserted in the center of the mold. The mandrel allows for the mold to be placed into a vise for modifications and also provides a conduit for our vacuum system to extract air (discussed later). Once the pored plaster hardened the negative mold was removed exposing the positive mold. The positive mold has tiny flaws which need to be smoothed and filled. Once this modification is complete a cotton stockenette membrane is placed over the positive mold. This allows for adequate vacuum pressure and even atmospheric compression during the plastic draping process.

We used 3/32" copolymer plastic for my protective shell. It has flexible properties but is rigid enough to handle bump and spills. The copolymer sheet was heated in a large infrared oven to 350 degrees. Once the plastic sheet was at the proper temperature it was removed from the oven on a caster type table and then the  colorful transfer paper was applied over the plastic.The paper has specialized inks that literally transfer into the hot plastic.  In my pediatric practice we have over 50 colorful patterns kids can select from for their orthopedic braces.

The table holding plastic sheet was then rolled over to the positive mold and with the assistance of 2 of my staff the plastic was carefully lifted and draped over the mold. A vacuum pump was then turned on and the plastic was completely sealed around the molded so there were no air leaks.  The vacuum pump then withdrew any remaining air inside the mold allowing the atmospheric pressure to gently form the plastic around the mold. Once the plastic cooled it was cut from the mold and taken to the shop area where it was further trimmed and ground smooth. Once the shell was complete velcro straps and padding were added.

There are much easier methods to protect your wheel from abuse but this was a fun project and should make the kids at the rehab center very happy!:laughbounce2:

 

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Interesting! Any tips for non-medical substitutes to some of the used materials? Would it make sense to start looking for a medical supply shop? "I need fracture bandages for my electric unicycle!":whistling:

You should just have not told us about the cover, simply posted the first 30 seconds in the video thread without comment (EUC pottery) and let people go wild with questions:D

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3 hours ago, meepmeepmayer said:

Interesting! Any tips for non-medical substitutes to some of the used materials? Would it make sense to start looking for a medical supply shop? "I need fracture bandages for my electric unicycle!":whistling:

You should just have not told us about the cover, simply posted the first 30 seconds in the video thread without comment (EUC pottery) and let people go wild with questions:D

:) Plaster bandages can be purchased in many places. Here is an Amazon source. https://www.amazon.com/BSN-30-7367-Gypsona-Extra-Fast-Setting-Bandages/dp/B012XIPFHE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492827379&sr=8-2&keywords=plaster+bandages+roll

 

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On 4/21/2017 at 3:35 PM, Rehab1 said:

My new Gotway Luffy received a facelift today!:P

Since Luffy will soon be headed to a pediatric rehab center for study I figured she will be tossed around a great deal and suffer from irreparable trauma so my staff and I fabricated a plastic protective outer shell. 

First Luffy was encased in plaster using bandages that are traditionally used for stabilizing fractures. Once the plaster bandages hardened they formed a replica of Luffy's shell.. The plaster shell was then carefully removed from Luffy. This required using a cast saw and then slowing spreading the plaster bandage to dislodge Luffy.

The plaster shell, called a negative mold, was then poured will plaster of Paris and a pipe mandrel was inserted in the center of the mold. The mandrel allows for the mold to be placed into a vise for modifications and also provides a conduit for our vacuum system to extract air (discussed later). Once the pored plaster hardened the negative mold was removed exposing the positive mold. The positive mold has tiny flaws which need to be smoothed and filled. Once this modification is complete a cotton stockenette membrane is placed over the positive mold. This allows for adequate vacuum pressure and even atmospheric compression during the plastic draping process.

We used 3/32" copolymer plastic for my protective shell. It has flexible properties but is rigid enough to handle bump and spills. The copolymer sheet was heated in a large infrared oven to 350 degrees. Once the plastic sheet was at the proper temperature it was removed from the oven on a caster type table and then the  colorful transfer paper was applied over the plastic.The paper has specialized inks that literally transfer into the hot plastic.  In my pediatric practice we have over 50 colorful patterns kids can select from for their orthopedic braces.

The table holding plastic sheet was then rolled over to the positive mold and with the assistance of 2 of my staff the plastic was carefully lifted and draped over the mold. A vacuum pump was then turned on and the plastic was completely sealed around the molded so there were no air leaks.  The vacuum pump then withdrew any remaining air inside the mold allowing the atmospheric pressure to gently form the plastic around the mold. Once the plastic cooled it was cut from the mold and taken to the shop area where it was further trimmed and ground smooth. Once the shell was complete velcro straps and padding were added.

There are much easier methods to protect your wheel from abuse but this was a fun project and should make the kids at the rehab center very happy!:laughbounce2:

 

That was really cool B)  A Maker video for EUCs. Really enjoyed watching it :thumbup:

Of coarse as a woodworker I was fascinated by that sander. Is that a custom machine or a commercial item?

I'm curious. How does an EUC fit in with child rehabilitation. I naively assume the child is recovering from some physical ailment. Isn't an EUC risky then? Of course I know that your answers will dispel my notions, so I'm really interested.

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What a great use for a euc!

I love the protective shell, out of interest what did you use as a release agent between the original plaster bandage and the poured plaster replica of the luffy?

I used to make canoes and kayaks from Fibreglass, Kevlar and Carbon Fibre with both polyester and epoxy resins, getting good moulds were always dependant on getting a good release between the positive and negatives.

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5 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

That was really cool B)  A Maker video for EUCs. Really enjoyed watching it :thumbup:

Of coarse as a woodworker I was fascinated by that sander. Is that a custom machine or a commercial item?

I'm curious. How does an EUC fit in with child rehabilitation. I naively assume the child is recovering from some physical ailment. Isn't an EUC risky then? Of course I know that your answers will dispel my notions, so I'm really interested.

Thanks buddy! The machine is a variable speed troutman router. Commercially available.http://fillauer.com/Tools-and-Equipment/carvers_arbors/Trautman-Floor-Carver.html The  long shaft allows you to grind in all planes and penetrate into concavities. It has numerous  attachments you can purchase. You might like this machine in your woodworking shop!

Luffy will be used in controlled environment with two therapists guiding the patient. Not all kids in rehab are disfunctional physically but just require some additional balance acuity. I will find more once we have our first session.

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3 hours ago, Gimlet said:

What a great use for a euc!

I love the protective shell, out of interest what did you use as a release agent between the original plaster bandage and the poured plaster replica of the luffy?

 

Thanks! There was a layer of cotton stockenette placed over the mold. Fiberglass is much more difficult to release. When we use to make prosthetics a silicone release agent was used. Canoes! Awesome! You should share some photos! In fact more members should share photos of their passions on the forum!

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4 hours ago, Rehab1 said:

Thanks buddy! The machine is a variable speed troutman router. Commercially available.http://fillauer.com/Tools-and-Equipment/carvers_arbors/Trautman-Floor-Carver.html The  long shaft allows you to grind in all planes and penetrate into concavities. It has numerous  attachments you can purchase. You might like this machine in your woodworking shop!

Luffy will be used in controlled environment with two therapists guiding the patient. Not all kids in rehab are disfunctional physically but just require some additional balance acuity. I will find more once we have our first session.

Very cool machine. Always interesting to discover specialized machines for specific industries. It's probably a bit too narrowly focused in it's use for my limited space workshop but I like knowing that it exists.

Look forward to seeing more about the Luffy's use with children :thumbup:

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  • 5 months later...
5 minutes ago, Rehab1 said:

My grand-daughter's first short lesson on Luffy!

Cinematography Credits: Grandson Logan

 

Nice and young. It was hard to tell from the video if she was nervous, excited, happy. Did she think it's cool?

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4 minutes ago, Rehab1 said:

My grand-daughter's first short lesson on Luffy!

Cinematography Credits: Grandson Logan

 

That's so great that you are starting slowly and carefully.  Has she seen the video?  I wonder if being filmed and then seeing the video right away speeds up the learning process, I bet it does.

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