Redux: Plugging the front holes after removing front basket

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tenders
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Redux: Plugging the front holes after removing front basket

Post by tenders »

Freshening the Technical Library posting on front hole plugging (which can now only be appended by a moderator):
http://www.modernbuddy.com/forum/topic24488.html

Likewise my 2009 Buddy 50 Italia came with the Pima black metal mesh basket on the front, which had a couple of dents in it and looked and felt cheap. I’m not a particular fan of the front rack either, so I removed the basket and then had to deal with the resulting two holes left in the front fascia, which confusingly PGO/Genuine seems to refer to as the “windshield�. The previous owner had done some really jagged cutting to create those holes, perhaps with a poorly-controlled Dremel tool, and they looked terrible.

The first step was to use a 1� diameter Forstner bit in a drill press to get nice, regular holes in place of the Frankencraters. A Forstner bit drills large holes by removing material uniformly across the entire surface of the hole, unlike a hole saw (which only cuts the edges and the very center) or a spade bit (which starts on the edges and center and eventually removes the middle material). These other bits have reputations for being hard to control and/or leaving ragged edges. They might have been OK for this application, but the Forstner bit, countersunk into a piece of soft wood below the plastic part being cut, left a buttery smooth edge. And the placement of the holes removed every trace of the original effort’s crudeness.

The second step was to insert shallow 1� rubber plugs (actually 25mm) I found on Amazon. Unlike the thicker plugs used in the original post, these barely protrude on either side of the holes, a feature which is especially necessary on the back due to the proximity of the rack/basket mounting bolt holes noted in the original post. I didn’t use any adhesive here - maybe I should have, but they aren’t going to fall out on their own and if some miscreant wants to pry them out I’d just as soon let them have ‘em without scratching up the scooter in the process. Or perhaps a new front rack will have some appeal for somebody down the line. Either way these will come out without a trace. The point not made in the original post: a 1� hole uses 1� plugs, although the final diameter of the plug will be a bit larger than 1�.
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Rubber-Plu ... 01FPHM172/

Finally, just for fun I pierced the plugs with some novelty space-themed pins, glued on a bit more permanently using E6000 adhesive. I considered adding more Italiana flair, but the existing International indicia was Italian enough. E6000 is pretty good stuff, it’s sold at Michaels craft stores as well as online. It isn’t anywhere near as strong as epoxy but it is more flexible, way less hassle to apply, and adheres better to plastic.
https://www.amazon.com/E6000-230022-Vis ... 00178MO58/

The plugs and pins aren’t perfectly aligned due to the brutal placement of the original holes. However, they’re close enough, and the fact that the pins aren’t the same size helps distract from the slight misalignment and maintains a bit of whimsy to anybody close enough to notice.

Photos: back and front views of fascia piece after plug/pin installation.
Attachments
Repaired/plugged holes from front with space-themed novelty pins. Ciao bella, earthlings!
Repaired/plugged holes from front with space-themed novelty pins. Ciao bella, earthlings!
2018-12-29 Buddy 50 Repaired Holes-Front - Edited.jpg (91.2 KiB) Viewed 921 times
Repaired/plugged holes from back.
Repaired/plugged holes from back.
2018-12-29 Buddy 50 Repaired Holes-Back - Edited.jpg (58.9 KiB) Viewed 921 times
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k1dude
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Post by k1dude »

Awesome! I love the pins you chose! Where did you get the Space Force pin?

Edit: Nevermind. Found it on Amazon for $8.99.
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jd
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Post by jd »

Looks great!

FYI, the front fairing on any scooter is typically called the "windshield," as opposed to any clear plastic that reaches above the handlebars to protect your face, which is typically called the "windscreen."
Some people are like slinkies. They're not very interesting, but they bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.
Moyesdriver
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Post by Moyesdriver »

Legshield
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