ohiovet

I need to make a few holes in my carpet for the rollbar in my Gasser.
Whats the best way to do it without screwing it up?
Thanks.
Bruce B.

Nowhere Man

A very sharp knife

Frankie the Fink

A hot soldering iron works well...it sears the carpet threads so they won't "roll up" when driving screws, etc.. through the material...

cbernhardt

Carpet - in a gasser???
When I put the carpet around the roll cage in my '59 I made templates from heavy paper and then cut them out - with a sharp knife.

Charles

5thvet

Or if you don't have a soldering iron, just heat up the tip of a phillips head screw driver and it will burn right through.

John McGraw

I use a piece of steel or stainless tubing of the correct size for the fastener to pass through. I then heat the end of it cherry red with a torch and press it into the carpet. It cuts out a nice round hole with completely sealed edges, so it will not fray.


I have several sizes of tubing cut to about 8" long in my tool box, ready to bore holes in carpet.


Regards, John McGraw

00fxd

I recently lubed the area with wd40, the bit passed right thru without wrapping up the carpet pile. I think I read about that tip here.

StingU2

Bruce... Make a template out of heavey brown paper like that of which you can buy at a office supply store by the roll. Get your markings, and cut out the holes using a hot soldering iron. When you go to put your carpet into place, melt some candle wax around the holes... this will also help keep the carpet from fraying, plus helps flatten the carpet around the area where your holes are to keep in place.

-Bruce

ohiovet

Thanks guys.
I'm going out to the garage to experiment.
Bruce B

jrm5657

Oh boy, what could go wrong here??? Professor Bruce experimenting with heat and fiberglass!!! Is it warming up in Ohio yet?
Jim

ohiovet

Guys,
I got the very nice and clean hole in the carpet.
I actually ended up using a "cork borer" from my old lab days.
It is a brass tube with a tool that you use to sharpen the cutting edge.

Jim M.
No heat here.
My wife is in Phoenix and tells me it is getting very warm.
Bruce

Dr L-88

How about some pics of the car Bruce? Anxious eyes are wanting to see ......

jrm5657

In the high 90's this week, but very comfortable. As they say, it is a dry heat, not like the 90's in Ohio.

DZVette

Holy cow! You mean I'm not the only one with a set of those cork borers?
I've used them for all kinds of things. Pieces of old steel golf-club shafts also make good hole punches too. They sharpen nicely and the stepped shafts give you multiple sizes.

DZ

Frankie the Fink

That picture is scary - I think my proctologist has a set of those

ohiovet

DZ,
Exactly the set I have, maybe Fisher Scientific.
I also have a few flasks, beakers and few burettes for CC measurements.
I thought I had a lifetime supply when I retired, WRONG....

skip57

As John says heat tubing a 1/4 inch larger than the rollbar.

Hitch

An awl heated with a torch works great. It melts the carpet so it doesn't unravel and cuts through the rubber backer with ease...

Hitch