I need to make 200 button style drawer bumpers, here's my ideas

[nc5a]

I've invested several hours searching the web for suitable bumpers but haven't found anything that would work so decided to make them.
Rough drawing of the button style bumper.

This what the only intact one looks like. Made of some kind of plastic.

My first idea was to grind a profile cutter and make them one at a time. The 1/2" HSS shows only the outline of the profile I need to grind.

Then I got to thinking about doing a mold and manually injecting a suitable material. I'm not sure what material that will be as I'm still researching it but it might be faster than making 200 individual bumpers with a profiling tool. The mold will of course be made in two parts. One side for the head and other for the shaft. The idea is to drill through the top half and part way into the bottom half to provide a counter sink of sorts. Then form the button head with a larger drill with a special profile. What I use to inject and how I do it needs to be figured out. Do you guys have any ideas?

[754]

I think you only need 96.

Turn step to .187, switch tools cut small radius , part off. With form tool, will get all but a tit in the center.
Then Chuck in lathe or drill, work tit off with a file. . Might have to snip the tit off, before filing.

Could be that graphite impregnated plastic stock.

[tomato coupe]

Have you tried Accurate Products?

[RichR]

I'm sure you want to make them yourself, but these look pretty close to what you're looking for:

https://www.rockler.com/soft-stem-bumpers

[754]

Those stick not slide.

[Doc Nickel]

Injection molding is WAY more involved than you want to take up for a one-off project like this. When I started making my molded parts- a tiny rubber piece- it took weeks to develop. Material choices, mold design, mold material, eliminating air bubbles, etc.

In this case I'd definitely look around for a commercially made piece. Any plastic you turn will be too rigid to act like a good bumper, and any rubber you mold will cost you a great deal of time, material and experimentation.

Doc.

[MattiJ]

Google ”lathe skiving tool”

[nc5a]

[QUOTE=754;1219986]I think you only need 96.

God I hate it when this happens. You're right I need 96 and a couple extras for 100...............not 200.

[nc5a]

I'm sure you want to make them yourself, but these look pretty close to what you're looking for:
https://www.rockler.com/soft-stem-bumpers

And once again, I knew if I said I searched the world over and couldn't find anything suitable someone on this form would find something that might work and post the link within the first couple post. Thanks

[PStechPaul]

McMaster has some that might work, $13/100:

https://www.mcmaster.com/plastic-feet

To make your own, with a wide choice of size and material, maybe buy some plastic balls, drill a hole through the center, insert a plastic (or metal) shaft, cut in half, then position the shaft as needed and glue in place.

https://www.mcmaster.com/standard-plastic-balls

If you want to try molding the parts, perhaps get some candy-making molds. You can use them to make the hemispherical parts, and position the shaft in the middle as they cool:

https://www.amazon.com/BAKER-DEPOT-Decoration-Chocolate-semicircle/dp/B073WTLQWW/ref=lp_2231405011_1_15?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1548755978&sr=1-15

[Bob La Londe]

I've invested several hours searching the web for suitable bumpers but haven't found anything that would work so decided to make them.
Rough drawing of the button style bumper.

This what the only intact one looks like. Made of some kind of plastic.

My first idea was to grind a profile cutter and make them one at a time. The 1/2" HSS shows only the outline of the profile I need to grind.

Then I got to thinking about doing a mold and manually injecting a suitable material. I'm not sure what material that will be as I'm still researching it but it might be faster than making 200 individual bumpers with a profiling tool. The mold will of course be made in two parts. One side for the head and other for the shaft. The idea is to drill through the top half and part way into the bottom half to provide a counter sink of sorts. Then form the button head with a larger drill with a special profile. What I use to inject and how I do it needs to be figured out. Do you guys have any ideas?

You may have some difficulty demolding that depending on the material. Ejector pins might be in order. There are lots of pourable or castable "rubber" products available from outfits like Smooth-On, Alumilite, and Tap Plastics. 2 part catalyst kicked silicone like Smooth-On's Sorta Clear 37A is pretty tough. I use it for an array of projects from rubber stamps to flexible molds. However here is the kicker. It takes 4 hrs to cure and that's fast for a silicone rubber. Might take a while to make 200 bumpers.

[Dragons_fire]

are these close enough?

http://www.leevalley.com/en/hardware/page.aspx?p=70551&cat=3,40993,41285

[nc5a]

Bob La,

This was going to be a low budget project. I had planned to find an injectable rubber of some sort like Shoe Goo and fill the cavites with a syringe. As was pointed out very quickly my math was way off. I only need about 100. Thanks for the tips/trade names of products that might work, saves me a bunch of time researching. If I go this route I'll make a 100 cavites in one mold plate and cast them all at the same time. But, I may have to give in and buy ready made bumpers since several sources have been brought to my attention.

[J Tiers]

Seven bucks for a hundred

https://www.mcmaster.com/9544k19

[Dragons_fire]

I dont have pics here, but i have made glow plug boots for a model engine out of 2-part urethane in an aluminum mold turned on the lathe. If i could have found them commercially available for anywhere near what the bumpers cost, i wouldn't have even attempted it. I made 10 (about 1/2"dia x 1.25" long) and used about $20 worth of rubber. I also had access to a vacuum chamber to help reduce the bubbles in the parts.

Moulding parts is fun, and works great for unique parts, but for something like bumpers at pennies a piece, youre gonna be better off just buying something that will work.