My mothers walker has 2 Teflon ski's on the rear legs. They last about 3
months (tennis balls last about a week). I don't mind buying new ones, but
looking at the worn ones, the only issue is the 1/4 inch of ware on the
bottom. Seeing I have some Teflon, and delron sitting on a shelf in the
shop, I wondered why can't I fix them, but what do I use to glue 2 pieces of
Teflon together ???

Gary

In article m, "Gary Owens" wrote:
My mothers walker has 2 Teflon ski's on the rear legs. They last about 3
months (tennis balls last about a week). I don't mind buying new ones, but
looking at the worn ones, the only issue is the 1/4 inch of ware on the
bottom. Seeing I have some Teflon, and delron sitting on a shelf in the
shop, I wondered why can't I fix them, but what do I use to glue 2 pieces of
Teflon together ???

Good luck with that. Pretty much *nothing* will stick to Teflon.

"Gary Owens" fired this volley in
g.com:

My mothers walker has 2 Teflon ski's on the rear legs. They last
about
3 months (tennis balls last about a week). I don't mind buying new
ones, but looking at the worn ones, the only issue is the 1/4 inch
of
ware on the bottom. Seeing I have some Teflon, and delron sitting on
a
shelf in the shop, I wondered why can't I fix them, but what do I
use
to glue 2 pieces of Teflon together ???

Gary

Gary, you don't, unless the teflon has been chemically treated to
accept glue. You'd recognize it as such, since one side of the sheet
would have a clearly "coated" look with a medium brown substance that
appeared to have been painted on with a squeegee.

DelrIn is more resistant to abrasion than teflon, and still has a very
slippery character -- it would probably be the better material for a
high-abuse skid -- either that or UHMW polyethylene, which is not
quite as tough, but WORLDS tougher that PTFE (Teflon).

Why not "re-design" the ski a bit, so you can rivet the plastic to the
metal, like a brake pad or shoe is rivetted to its backing.

LLoyd

On 2009-08-13, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Why not "re-design" the ski a bit, so you can rivet the plastic to the
metal, like a brake pad or shoe is rivetted to its backing.

Looking at these walkers, and thinking that one day I will need one, I
always wondered why they have no wheels, there must be a reason but it
eludes me. Maybe some wheels with brakes. Wh these tennis balls?

i

On Aug 13, 10:50*pm, "Gary Owens" wrote:
My mothers walker has 2 Teflon ski's on the rear legs. They last about 3
months (tennis balls last about a week). I don't mind buying new ones, but
looking at the worn ones, the only issue is the 1/4 inch of ware on the
bottom. Seeing I have some Teflon, and delron sitting on a shelf in the
shop, I wondered why can't I fix them, but what do I use to glue 2 pieces of
Teflon together ???

Gary

As others have said, teflon is tough to glue. I would consider making
replacement bits that would attach with countersunk screws. Might
only last six weeks before the screws start to contact the floor, but
would be easy to make and attach.

Dan

Ignoramus8090 fired this volley in
:

I
always wondered why they have no wheels, there must be a reason but
it
eludes me. Maybe some wheels with brakes. Wh these tennis balls?


Some do have wheels, but they're for people who have fair balance and
reflexes. Wheels tend to scoot out from under old folks who lean on
their walkers the wrong way.

I think, if I were not sure of my ability to catch myself, I'd want
skids.

LLoyd

"Lloyd E. Sponenburgh" lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote in message
. 3.70...
Ignoramus8090 fired this volley in
:

I
always wondered why they have no wheels, there must be a reason but
it
eludes me. Maybe some wheels with brakes. Wh these tennis balls?


Some do have wheels, but they're for people who have fair balance and
reflexes. Wheels tend to scoot out from under old folks who lean on
their walkers the wrong way.

I think, if I were not sure of my ability to catch myself, I'd want
skids.

LLoyd



They have wheels on the front, but when you support your weight on the
walker, you want it solid. I really learned this last week when they scoped
my knee. Coming home, I used a walker I had here for my mom, instead of
crutches. Actually worked much better than crutches. The leg had a Block
in it, so did not work at all. When I started to collapse from forgetting
this, I was able to lean onto the walker to support all my weight. I would
Get some Teflon strips or some UHMW, except it may be too slippery, and just
drill a small rivet head size depression and pop rivet on new plastic as
needed.

On Aug 13, 4:50*pm, "Gary Owens" wrote:
My mothers walker has 2 Teflon ski's on the rear legs. They last about 3
months (tennis balls last about a week). I don't mind buying new ones, but
looking at the worn ones, the only issue is the 1/4 inch of ware on the
bottom. Seeing I have some Teflon, and delron sitting on a shelf in the
shop, I wondered why can't I fix them, but what do I use to glue 2 pieces of
Teflon together ???

Gary

I put wheels on the front of my Mom's walker. You need something that
will not roll on the back to keep the walker from slipping out from
under the user. The tennis balls lasted over a year on her walker. In
your case, I think I'd consider making some UHMW poly pieces that
would extend up inside the legs, with a series of holes in them so
they could be extended down as they wear out. BTW, I have seen walkers
with wheels on all four legs. These used a hand brake, simular to a
bicycle's brake to lock the front wheels. These had two levers, just
like a bicycle, one on each side so the person could easily reach them
as they were walking. If someone is in bad shape and really needs a
walker, I wonder if they are capable of using the brake levers, though.

On Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:50:28 -0400, "Gary Owens"
wrote:

My mothers walker has 2 Teflon ski's on the rear legs.

As others have mentioned, UHMW would last better than Teflon and is
much less expensive to boot. In fact, I think the originals are more
likely UHMW than Teflon.

Poke the skis with a hot needle or a soldering iron. UHMW will melt
quite easily and give off a waxy odor. Teflon won't budge unless you
get it over at least 500F -- but don't get too aggressive, at higher
temps it decomposes into some toxic gas.

--
Ned Simmons

Gerry wrote:
On Aug 13, 4:50 pm, "Gary Owens" wrote:
My mothers walker has 2 Teflon ski's on the rear legs. They last about 3
months (tennis balls last about a week). I don't mind buying new ones, but
looking at the worn ones, the only issue is the 1/4 inch of ware on the
bottom. Seeing I have some Teflon, and delron sitting on a shelf in the
shop, I wondered why can't I fix them, but what do I use to glue 2 pieces of
Teflon together ???

Gary

I put wheels on the front of my Mom's walker. You need something that
will not roll on the back to keep the walker from slipping out from
under the user. The tennis balls lasted over a year on her walker. In
your case, I think I'd consider making some UHMW poly pieces that
would extend up inside the legs, with a series of holes in them so
they could be extended down as they wear out. BTW, I have seen walkers
with wheels on all four legs. These used a hand brake, simular to a
bicycle's brake to lock the front wheels. These had two levers, just
like a bicycle, one on each side so the person could easily reach them
as they were walking. If someone is in bad shape and really needs a
walker, I wonder if they are capable of using the brake levers, though.

How about spring loaded wheels and the skids?
For the skids how about making the new skids thicker than stock and
larger as well. Just cut down the legs to match the new thickness.
Or build a power chair....

--
Steve W.

Lloyd E. Sponenburgh wrote:
Ignoramus8090 fired this volley in
:

I
always wondered why they have no wheels, there must be a reason but
it
eludes me. Maybe some wheels with brakes. Wh these tennis balls?


Some do have wheels, but they're for people who have fair balance and
reflexes. Wheels tend to scoot out from under old folks who lean on
their walkers the wrong way.

I think, if I were not sure of my ability to catch myself, I'd want
skids.

LLoyd



This guy used a small inflatable swimming pool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa49hli94Vs

"Proctologically Violated©®" fired this
volley in :

tap, screw from the top with nylon (or teflon??) screws.

Perhaps with large HDPE bolts, but not PTFE... the stuff has virtually
zero tensile strength.

LLoyd

cavelamb wrote:
This guy used a small inflatable swimming pool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa49hli94Vs

Aaamazing! At first I thought "No way!", but there's another video
showing more prep-equipment, so I believe.

Thanks for the link (the YouTube signal/noise is way too low for me to
browse it).

Bob

On Aug 13, 4:16*pm, Ignoramus8090
wrote:
On 2009-08-13, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:

Why not "re-design" the ski a bit, so you can rivet the plastic to the
metal, like a brake pad or shoe is rivetted to its backing.

Looking at these walkers, and thinking that one day I will need one, I
always wondered why they have no wheels, there must be a reason but it
eludes me. Maybe some wheels with brakes. Wh these tennis balls?

i

They do have wheelie walkers, I have one, temporarily. Rear two
wheels have hand brakes. I had one of the wheel-and-post things when
I first got out of the hospital, it sucked, big time. The only
advantage is that it takes up a little less room in the car when
folded. You can get the 4-wheelers at virtually any drugstore for
about $100 or so. Just don't get the brand I ended up with, Medline.
No spare parts, the major pivot rod holding the thing together(5mm
threads) sheared after about 3 days of use, the company doesn't supply
spares. Called them up, they said I'd have to go through the
retailer, like Walgreens has spares in the back somewhere. Wheels are
wearing out after about 8 months of use. Lost an adjustment handle,
too, ended up replacing them all with metric cap screws and acorn
nuts. I think all of these items are designed to be bought through
Medicare, used about 3 weeks and then you're supposed to die. Anyway,
4 wheels, with ball bearings, beats two wheels and dragging two posts
around. Anyway, when the humidity is down, I can make normal walking
speed supporting about half my weight on the thing. Makes a pretty
good shopping cart, too. Hopefully, after the first part of Sept., it
can be stored and I won't need it again, ever.

Stan

On Aug 13, 5:50*pm, "Gary Owens" wrote:
My mothers walker has 2 Teflon ski's on the rear legs. They last about 3
months (tennis balls last about a week). I don't mind buying new ones, but
looking at the worn ones, the only issue is the 1/4 inch of ware on the
bottom. Seeing I have some Teflon, and delron sitting on a shelf in the
shop, I wondered why can't I fix them, but what do I use to glue 2 pieces of
Teflon together ???

I think you're going way too hi-tech. Teflon is used in 400 degree
environments with nasty chemicals. Delrin, HDPE and wood seem more
appropriate.

I've worked in warehouses where HDPE skids wear out every couple of
months, but these continually have pallets weighing tons moving over
them. Your mom must walk a lot!

A high-tech upgrade for sliders and skids is this stuff called "Rulon
142". It's very expensive (and you might've though Teflon was
expensive). But I've seen it used in some high-tech machine tools and
it lasts forever (as far as I can figure out.)

Tim.

On Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:13:35 -0700, stans4 wrote:
On Aug 13, 4:16Â*pm, Ignoramus8090 ...wrote
On 2009-08-13, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh ... wrote:
Why not "re-design" the ski a bit, so you can rivet the plastic to
the metal, like a brake pad or shoe is rivetted to its backing.

Looking at these walkers, and thinking that one day I will need one, I
always wondered why they have no wheels, there must be a reason but it
eludes me. Maybe some wheels with brakes. Why these tennis balls?

They do have wheelie walkers, I have one, temporarily. Rear two wheels
have hand brakes. [snip much]

I've seen some "wheelie walkers" without brakes, produced by a company
now defunct; http://www.rollingdogranch.org/dogs/images/emmitt_4_lg.jpg
and http://web.archive.org/web/20080123112941/www.doggon.com/home.html
have a few pictures.

--
jiw

Bob Engelhardt wrote:
cavelamb wrote:
This guy used a small inflatable swimming pool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa49hli94Vs

Aaamazing! At first I thought "No way!", but there's another video
showing more prep-equipment, so I believe.

Thanks for the link (the YouTube signal/noise is way too low for me to
browse it).

Bob

You were right the first time, Bob.

Turns out the official recipe for fun and the way to create an Internet
sensation are the same: Start with a megacorporation, add in a group of Germans
on a hillside, liberally take advantage of slick editing software and let the
power of the Web do its thing.

If you spend any time online, have a TV or know anyone who does, you've probably
heard about the latest craze blasting its way through cyberspace. In case you
haven't, a recap: A guy in a neoprene suit goes barreling down a waterslide,
flies off the end and through the air, traveling a great distance, and splashes
down in a tiny pool. It's the MegaWoosh. See?

MEGAWOOSH @ Yahoo! Video

Please understand. This is a hoax. It didn't happen. Ultimately, it's an ad for
Microsoft Germany. Still, it is awfully clever. Heck, some commentators out
there on the Net are suggesting it could be one of the greatest fakes in the
history of the World Wide Web.

One big question is whether this will help to reposition Microsoft as a force to
be reckoned with in the collective mind of the world's tech-obsessed masses. For
the better part of this decade to date, that's been pretty much dominated by
Apple. You know, the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone, etc. What, you think those "I'm
a Mac, I'm a PC" commercials just happened one day by accident?

How this excellent production came together can be boiled down to something like
this -- a stuntman starts down the slide, but a rope keeps him from going too
far, the thing that's airborne isn't a person, but is instead animation, and the
principal character ended up in the pool by dropping off a small ramp. Piece it
seamlessly together, and there you go.

According to NewTeeVee, a marketing firm that deals with viral ads was signed up
to get the video on to a few dozen Web sites. The agency claimed it was planning
for the spot to stay in Germany, but c'mon, this is the Internet we're talking
about here. With social networking having effectively taken over the known
universe and serving as our sole means of communication with other humans, there
was no chance this thing was seriously going to remain confined to one nation in
Western Europe. (Did they really want it to? Really?)

This story is only a few days old, and it's captivated millions of viewers. News
outlets are spreading the word. Type the word "megawoosh" into Yahoo's search
engine and you will get about 270,000 hits. Believers in the stunt are crying
foul at those who would insist it's as phony as the moon landing. Wait, bad
example. You know what I mean, though.

Now stop wasting time, and go watch the trick again.