russbost
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 08:57 AM |
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Making a bubble screen or canopy
Does anyone know of a UK firm that can reproduce a Perspex (or polycarbonate etc.) canopy from an existing pattern?
I'm talking about the type of thing you see on small aircraft - I seem to recall seeing people post about making light covers etc. & this
is obviously much the same sort of thing just on a larger scale, is there any possibility of a DIY attempt working, the canopy only needs to be about
2 or 3mm thick
Any ideas welcome!
I no longer run Furore Products or Furore Cars Ltd, but would still highly recommend them for Acewell dashes, projector headlights, dominator
headlights, indicators, mirrors etc, best prices in the UK! Take a look at http://www.furoreproducts.co.uk/ or find more parts on Ebay, user names
furoreltd & furoreproducts, discounts available for LCB users.
Don't forget Stainless Steel Braided brake hoses, made to your exact requirements in any of around 16 colours.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/furoreproducts/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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TheGiantTribble
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 09:29 AM |
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Could you not get an old glider canopy, probably cheaper than having something made special.
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40inches
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 09:39 AM |
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Like the Vindicator F4?
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russbost
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 10:09 AM |
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Yes, does anyone know where Vindicator get their screen for the F4 made? It has to be a specific size so I can't just use something like an old
glider canopy unless it just happened to be the exact size - highly unlikely!
[Edited on 5/12/13 by russbost]
I no longer run Furore Products or Furore Cars Ltd, but would still highly recommend them for Acewell dashes, projector headlights, dominator
headlights, indicators, mirrors etc, best prices in the UK! Take a look at http://www.furoreproducts.co.uk/ or find more parts on Ebay, user names
furoreltd & furoreproducts, discounts available for LCB users.
Don't forget Stainless Steel Braided brake hoses, made to your exact requirements in any of around 16 colours.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/furoreproducts/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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Talon Motorsport
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 10:35 AM |
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I did a little of this one my industrial model making course at college you need to google 'drape forming polycarbonate' you will also
need an oven that heats to 300-320'f and have some way of adding pressure to the polycarb to help it in place. Unless you are looking at having
100's made instead of just 1 - 10 I would suggest you look in to 'water clear casting resin' as it's similar to using GRP
resin. This can be made in a GRP mould and if your careful polished to a glass like state.
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iank
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 10:43 AM |
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Some good information which could be used for a DIY attempt, though being in Aus makes the company not so useful.
http://www.autospeed.com/cms/A_111051/article.html
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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40inches
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 02:32 PM |
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Try these: http://www.plasticsforyou.co.uk/acrylic_domes_s/139.htm they do bespoke shapes.
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chris-g
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 05:18 PM |
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Sounds like the sort of thing that people who are into building human powered vehicles might have done.
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steve m
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 06:36 PM |
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Sorry, I can not help,
but that silver thing " Vindicator F4? "
OMG my eyes !!
Thats was probably spelt wrong, or had some grammer, that the "grammer police have to have a moan at
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russbost
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 06:40 PM |
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Thanx for all the help guys, some useful links there, I think I may now have someone who can do the job!
I no longer run Furore Products or Furore Cars Ltd, but would still highly recommend them for Acewell dashes, projector headlights, dominator
headlights, indicators, mirrors etc, best prices in the UK! Take a look at http://www.furoreproducts.co.uk/ or find more parts on Ebay, user names
furoreltd & furoreproducts, discounts available for LCB users.
Don't forget Stainless Steel Braided brake hoses, made to your exact requirements in any of around 16 colours.
http://shop.ebay.co.uk/furoreproducts/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1
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NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
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Bare
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 06:42 PM |
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Heat forming a Plastic Canopy is dead simple .. in theory :-)
You first meed a male mold. Plaster Cast of the original works well.
Then you need the plastic :-)
An oven or heat source to heat said plastic.. that's the tricky bit.. as that's a large plastic sheet .
One could group and assortment of Hotplates into a Bodge heat source (no flame burners for obvious reason)
Then once the plastic has softened Slap it onto the male mold and using thick soft cotton gloves press it onto the mold's shape.
IF a bungled attempt.. simply reheat (it goes back to a flat sheet) and try again... as often as required.
Utube likely has myriad examples... worth at least looking at.
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40inches
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 06:52 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by steve m
Sorry, I can not help,
but that silver thing " Vindicator F4? "
OMG my eyes !!
The side view is the "best" angle It's as though they found a Phantom cockpit canopy and built a "car" around it 
and the Volvo S40 rear lights are ?????.
http://www.vindicator.co.uk/pages/services.htm
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plentywahalla
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| posted on 5/12/13 at 07:00 PM |
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I have used Project Plastics in Colchester in the past to do similar things for custom boat screens.
If you want to have a go yourself then find a helpful company with a suitably sized vacuum forming machine. They can be used to blow form shapes in
sheet materials. The machines have a facility to blow a bubble in the sheet before the drape, which is used to reduce thinning and webbing on deep
draw forms. I know, because I've done it, but it can get expensive experimenting and making a lot of scrap.
Stick to Acrylic, polycarbonate will be considerably more expensive and is very prone to scratching. There are abrasion resistant polycarbonates such
as Marguard, but I am fairly sure things might go horribly wrong when trying to heat form them. They are basically a laminate of polycarbonate capped
with a thin layer of acrylic and the two materials will have different characteristics when heated and stretched.
Probably best to get the experts to do it, they should only charge for the successful items.
Rules are for the guidance of wise men ... and the obedience of fools. (anon)
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