Drilling tail light rubber?

Laverda1000.de

Laverda1000.de

Hero member
Location
Haßberge, Germany
Hi,

picked this tail light rubber up at OCT today. Just a bad repro or were there different types? Obviously the stepped nut from the (original) CEV light won't fit. Do I just drill away? Or is there a trick, like putting it in the freezer? Or are they supposed to be like that and I just put some soap on and squeeze away?

CEV rubber.jpg
 
As it's the two holes through the raised part, it might be too thick to get a clean cut with a wad punch.
I don't think a domestic freezer will get it cold enough to drill cleanly either. I think you need liquid nitrogen to make rubber hard enough to drill like plastic.

My suggestion would be to use heat. Get a bit of thin-walled tube of the right diameter and heat the end up enough to melt the rubber, then push it through. You might wanna practice on a bit of scrap rubber like an old tyre to get the temperature right. You don't want it so hot that the rubber will burst into flames.
 
I've had great success drilling rubber and foam by taking thin-walled steel tubing of the appropriate size, sharpening the end to a cutting edge and using it like a drill bit in the drill press. Has worked on soft open cell foam, hard rubber and gives a nice clean cut. Obviously holding the item firmly makes a big diff - you could even bolt the whole rubber to a piece of wood.

Another excellent result I've had shaping round rubber sections is mounting it as firmly as poss in a lathe chuck (making a basic mandrel helps) and with my angle grinder mounted on the toolpost with a thin cutting blade, taking cuts as necessary - have been able to shave very fine sections off or make custom grommets. Hand held grinder works for non-regular shaping while turning the rubber. Very messy and smelly is the only downside.
 
I'll repeat my recommendation of a short section of thin-wall tubing the OD of the hole size you want, with the edge chamfered to create a hollow boring tool. Into the drill press and bingo. Use whatever you want but I've done several different holes in foam and rubber with great success.
 
I can never understand why patern parts makers bother, I mean if they are going to copy something then copy the bloody thing EXACTLY not" near enough is good enough" another rubber item in question is the rear wheel cush drive rubbers, patern ones fit nicely but only last two years or so, original ones lasted 25 years or so, exactly the same part is exactly the same case, on my Pan European (Honda) original ones last and last, now can only get patern ones and after two years their is an audiible a felt "clonk" on take off every single bleeding time.
CLEM
 
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