I often post when I have an idea that I hope will interest someone or help them. About every other year I have replaced my coverstar sliders. These are the plastic blocks that the leading edge of the pool cover slides on. They run in the track on each side and wear down over time. They are easy to replace, but they are expensive with prices on the web ranging fro $55 to three times that.
After thinking about it and looking at mine I though maybe I could just make them?
I found this plastic on ebay:
Black UHMW Tivar CNC Polyethylene UV Mill Plastic Sheet Plate .500" x 12" x 24"
It promised strength with a low coefficient of friction. $41 and shipping with 5 free cuts. I asked them to cut a 12x 24 by .5 inch piece int0 2.25 inch x24 strips.
Today I thinned one edge on my table saw, like the original. I could see no need to thin the other areas. Then I cut a grove of the same depth and width as the original. I sliced my strip into correct lengths on a scroll saw. I used the origina as a template to drill holes, but only the ones I needed for my setup (I guess they add extra holes for so they are universal and can be adjusted.
The originals are tapered along the outer edge. I only needed to taper the edge where it slid under the cover. I did this on a table top sander. I replaced the old sliders and was able to use all the original screws. I did not make the underneath countersinks as they are not needed in my situation.
After opening and closing a few times the cover seems to glide just fine. Now of course longevity will be the key issue. As of this moment cutting up just one of my five strips I have enough sliders to last 4 years and enough material to last about 20 ( LOL) years if they last as long as the originals for less than the cost of one pair.
I will post again if they fail or there is an issue. If there is a materials engineer on the forum who is familiar with the plastic I used and how it may compare to the original I'm all ears.
Hope this helps someone......
