imagineero
Addicted to ArboristSite
You guys might have read about me buying geckos and how uncomfortable they were in this thread;
http://www.arboristsite.com/commercial-tree-care-climbing/233939.htm
I redrilled the pads, which helped. Then I put the spurs in a vice and bent them, and that helped too. They were still uncomfortable on my upper shin after a couple hours, so today I had a go at making some DIY 'caddy' pads for them. The pads that come with them are just too soft and thin in my opinion. Unlike traditional pads, the gecko fibreglass pads can't be bent or shaped to your leg, so you have to make up a pad for them that matches your leg.
I went down to clark rubber and bought some closed cell foam in 1/4" and 1/8" thicknesses, they had a few kinds. The black stuff is called '75' which is the density. The blue stuff is called '35' which is a lot softer. I dont know if that's a universal scale or just their thing. The blue stuff turned out to be a waste of time. I bought some other thicknesses too, but only ended up using the 1/8 and the 1/4. I also got a can of very good 3M spray glue for foam.
There's nothing fancy about the method. You want to start out putting padding where it doesn't hurt. You want to build up the areas where the pad isn't touching your leg. Put your spurs on, and slide your fingers around the pad. Feel where the biggest gaps are, then mark them out roughly with a sharpie. Try standing in your pads on a tree or pole if you can, wearing whatever you wear when you climb. Guess how big the gap is, go cut some foam and glue it on. Cut all the edges at an angle so the next layer will blend in. The glue only takes about 5 min to dry, so it's a quick job. Scissors and a sharp new blade in an exacto knife will get you there. Be sure and cut away from yourself. Don't worry about getting it wrong, or getting glue in the wrong place. Solvent removes the glue, and you can peel the foam off and have another go if you need to.
First layer
I cut holes for the rivets/screws so they wouldn't be pressing on my leg. Put the pads back on and feel for gaps. Second layer is already marked out in the above picture.
Second layer
I found 2 layers was enough. I then put a single layer of 1/8 over the top of all that.
At this point I went and had a little climb, kicked around, and tried it out. You can still add more smaller layers at this stage before putting a final layer on. It isn't super comfortable at this stage, but you're trying to get a feel for the shape of it more than the comfort. It felt pretty good so I put another layer of 1/4" over the whole thing and ended up with this;
The shape you end up with might surprise you. Mine did, but its very comfortable. I've given it a clean up with solvent and got all the glue of the edges and the spots where it shouldnt have gone. If you wanted to get fancy you could cover it with some fabric, or put an extra layer of softer foam on the top of what you've already got... but you get the idea.
Shaun
http://www.arboristsite.com/commercial-tree-care-climbing/233939.htm
I redrilled the pads, which helped. Then I put the spurs in a vice and bent them, and that helped too. They were still uncomfortable on my upper shin after a couple hours, so today I had a go at making some DIY 'caddy' pads for them. The pads that come with them are just too soft and thin in my opinion. Unlike traditional pads, the gecko fibreglass pads can't be bent or shaped to your leg, so you have to make up a pad for them that matches your leg.
I went down to clark rubber and bought some closed cell foam in 1/4" and 1/8" thicknesses, they had a few kinds. The black stuff is called '75' which is the density. The blue stuff is called '35' which is a lot softer. I dont know if that's a universal scale or just their thing. The blue stuff turned out to be a waste of time. I bought some other thicknesses too, but only ended up using the 1/8 and the 1/4. I also got a can of very good 3M spray glue for foam.
There's nothing fancy about the method. You want to start out putting padding where it doesn't hurt. You want to build up the areas where the pad isn't touching your leg. Put your spurs on, and slide your fingers around the pad. Feel where the biggest gaps are, then mark them out roughly with a sharpie. Try standing in your pads on a tree or pole if you can, wearing whatever you wear when you climb. Guess how big the gap is, go cut some foam and glue it on. Cut all the edges at an angle so the next layer will blend in. The glue only takes about 5 min to dry, so it's a quick job. Scissors and a sharp new blade in an exacto knife will get you there. Be sure and cut away from yourself. Don't worry about getting it wrong, or getting glue in the wrong place. Solvent removes the glue, and you can peel the foam off and have another go if you need to.
First layer
I cut holes for the rivets/screws so they wouldn't be pressing on my leg. Put the pads back on and feel for gaps. Second layer is already marked out in the above picture.
Second layer
I found 2 layers was enough. I then put a single layer of 1/8 over the top of all that.
At this point I went and had a little climb, kicked around, and tried it out. You can still add more smaller layers at this stage before putting a final layer on. It isn't super comfortable at this stage, but you're trying to get a feel for the shape of it more than the comfort. It felt pretty good so I put another layer of 1/4" over the whole thing and ended up with this;
The shape you end up with might surprise you. Mine did, but its very comfortable. I've given it a clean up with solvent and got all the glue of the edges and the spots where it shouldnt have gone. If you wanted to get fancy you could cover it with some fabric, or put an extra layer of softer foam on the top of what you've already got... but you get the idea.
Shaun
