Been thinking about making some protection out of HDPE like they use for those plastic cutting boards. Thinking something in the 10 or 13mm (3/8 or 1/2") range. Anyone else done this or seen it done?

It's been done but the stuff is spendy.

Checked prices on sturdy steel lately?

4-Wheel & Off-Road used some last year on Project Trail Lex to make their front skidplate.  I've been wanting to do it ever since.  Lotsa discussion of it over on Pirates of the Rubicon.

I've been thinking the same lately. If your in a "business" area, check out a few companies that make business signs, some sign faces are made using this material. When business' upgrade their signs, the sign company generally takes the old one back to their shop to scrap at some point. When I was in high school I used to scrap these over the summer for a local sign company. It might have paint on one side, but oh well. I remember seeing pieces in cube signs, 4'x4' x 4 pieces all 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" thick, all went in the garbage except the aluminum. The stuff is STRONG, I remember trying to break it with a fork lift(to fit it in the garbage bin)with no luck.

One of the brand names for the really tough polymers is "Delrin" or Delryn".  It is an ultra-long string molecule product that comes in many forms -- tube, sheet, etc.

There is a place in Kansas City called Fantastik Plastics that sells the stuff.  They also have tons of scrap plastic in their showroom -- most of it of a lesser strength.  They DID have a lot of 3/16" black plastic sheet that, other than the thickness, would be PERFECT for use as replacement Samurai door facings...

So, I second the idea of checking out the plastics stores and sign companies in your area...

Well Delrin (AKA Acetal) is much different than HDPE. Both materials are commonly used in application such as bearings and where friction might be an issue. There are even grades of the material with lubricants molded in.

With that said I would elect to use HDPE (high densityly polyethelene) or UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethelene)  HDPE is basically milk cartons.

Acetal is good stuff but if you burn it for any reason it emmits chlorine gas which can be deadly. At minimum if you do use the stuff and are cutting it make sure you don't burn it while your cutting it and have adequate ventalation.


Check out plastic supply shops or mcmaster carr


my 2 cents.

just saw a Fabtech add for a TJ lift with a plastic belly pan... Clearly it's catching on.