The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Badger Propel Air Fittings: DIY Rubber Washers

    Unlike ordinary bike tubes, Michelin ProTek tubes have a square-ish cross section:

    Michelin Protek Max Tube - carton
    Michelin Protek Max Tube – carton

    So, having a defunct Michelin ProTek tube in hand, I cut, cleaned, and dissected a few inches, then punched out a set of (flat!) washers for the Badger Propel air fittings:

    Badger 260 Propel fitting seals - inner-tube version
    Badger 260 Propel fitting seals – inner-tube version

    As with the cork version, they fit fine:

    Badger Propel fitting - DIY rubber seal
    Badger Propel fitting – DIY rubber seal

    The picture is slightly fuzzy, because zooming a Pixel photo doesn’t magically create any new mmmm pixels.

    I tested the washer with 45 psi air (the recommended maximum) and it holds the pressure fine. Better than a fouled ProTek valve, anyway.

    Flushed with success, I preemptively replaced both OEM cork washers, an action which will surely come back to haunt me.