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If your are like me you can't help yourself and are always looking for ways to tweak things. This is a mod that I came up with for the Planetary Gear Bombshell Dry top. These dry tops are 'ossum. They have a built in elbow pad with a velcro pocket at the bottom or the cavity that holds the pad. This situation is ripe for modification.

Step 1.

You will need a material called "sign board". It is a plastic material that is exactly like corrugated cardboard except that it is made of plastic. You can buy this at places that specialize in sign making or other plastic or technical materials. Art shops may also carry it. My personal recommendation is to steal the hell out of an existing sign.

Step 2.

You've done your part to clean up your neighborhood. Now pull the existing minicel type pad out of the elbow pocket and lay it on your plastic and trace it. You want the ribs running lengthwise. Now trim the outside corners slightly smaller. Also take the triangle shaped notches and cut them a little bit larger to accommodate more bend.

Step 3

You now must glue the plastic to the foam. Before doing this bend the plastic to the shape you want. It will hold the bend you give it. Now to glue them together. Glue just as if it was two pieces of foam. A very thin uniform layer of glue to both sides. Make sure you go all the way to the edge. also make sure that the glue is very dry (not shiny) before you put the two halves together. Hold the plastic in the bend as you stick the two parts together and your bend is perminent.


Step 4

To insert your new elbow pad back in bend the outside edges in and sort of fold the pad. It will slide up in the pocket and expand into place. Reach in the pocket and settle it into place. As you can see from the pictue below a perfect bend it further enhanced by the pocket.

Enjoy and bash away.

Eric Zitzow

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