Custom Sized Hand Made chest Protector (Photo Gallery)

[Pensaump]

Originally Posted by BretMan

As an umpire, an engineer, an equipment junkie and someone who does some fabrication work with baseball gloves (see link: The Glove Shop), I find your project fascinating.

I've always wondered about the padding in a chest protector. What about that "memory foam" stuff- do you think that would work? I remember when this product first came out, there was a demonstration on TV where a guy laid a sheet over his hand and invited someone to whack his hand with a hammer, with no ill-effect.

Brett,

I honestly think that it could be done. My first pad was 1" thick with two pieces of the white foam you see. By the time I added the vinyl it was very thick. Now it would have stopped anything with the plastic on top of it, but it just felt too bulky.

I cannot find 5/8" thick foam so I glued a piece of 1/2" & 1/8" foam together to get the current combination. This combination was actually about the 4th "foam experiment" I did before I came to my current selection.

I think anything less than 1/2" foam (uncompressed) and you would probably start to feel the impact on the plastic more.

CeCe told me the thinnest he has ever made was using 3/8" foam.

It would be interesting to see the memory foam incorporated, but honestly I think correctly measuring and sizing the vinyl and foam will create a better "fit" than the memory foam.

Know what I mean?

But custom fit memory foam could be interesting?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Excellent looking chest protector. Great job.

Have you considered becoming the new Cece, following in his fine footsteps, and take custom orders from umpires?

[Pensaump]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Excellent looking chest protector. Great job.

Have you considered becoming the new Cece, following in his fine footsteps, and take custom orders from umpires?

I don't think I could ever "become the new CeCe."

But I'm not opposed to making them for other people.

[CajunNewBlue]

Originally Posted by Pensaump

I don't think I could ever "become the new CeCe."

But I'm not opposed to making them for other people.

what would something like that cost? ie: average sized umpire 5'7" 180lbs

[Pensaump]

Originally Posted by CajunNewBlue

what would something like that cost? ie: average sized umpire 5'7" 180lbs

Honestly, I feel around $200-$250 would be about fair for anyone. $450 was too steep for me to swing when I talked to CeCe.

I assume you are from Louisiana?

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Pensaump

I don't think I could ever "become the new CeCe."

But I'm not opposed to making them for other people.

I've been following your progress and it looks quite good. I would be very careful about making any product for others until your prototype has been properly tested by a laboratory. That is for your protection, Pensaump, because you know that if your equipment should fail, you will get sued by the purchaser.

[ggk]

looks like you did a great job!