Alan B
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| posted on 17/12/02 at 01:08 PM |
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First mould
The rear mould is off....went well, very encouraging. I'll have a fair bit of preparation, flanges, polishing etc, but at least it seperated
easily.
This picture is almost straight after seperation, showing PVA, plasticene etc.
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Simon
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| posted on 17/12/02 at 01:46 PM |
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Alan,
Where do you get the time!!
Coming on very nicely indeed.
Ready for summer?
ATB
Simon
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Alan B
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| posted on 17/12/02 at 02:08 PM |
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Cheers, yes coming on nicely now. This is peak building season here, due to pleasant tempertures.
Summer?...it's possible, but there's still loads to do...we'll see
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Simon
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| posted on 17/12/02 at 03:10 PM |
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Alan,
I may be being severly optimistic, but hoping to take my car to Wales on 1st May 2003 (for work conference - yawn).
I think I'm almost there as far as major mechanicals are concerned (after g/box mounting), so I reckon I'm looking at 3 months to strip, clean paint
etc etc, fit brake, fuel line etc etc. and reassemble, get tested and do a few local miles shakedown.
Like I said, I may be being a bit optimistic.
ATB
Simon
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ProjectLMP
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 posted on 17/12/02 at 06:43 PM |
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Looking good Alan. Its always nice when they come off without too much of a fight!
Home of the Astronomicalcost Mid engined LMP project
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stephen_gusterson
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| posted on 17/12/02 at 11:21 PM |
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that looks a good job Alan.
Cant imagine all the work involved!
I am about to start (in my nice new custom shed!) making my moulds for the boot lid, and rear wings (morgan like of course). Have a couple books on
GRP molding, and some ideas on how to build up a profile.
I will probably tap you for some guidance at some point! (like now)
In one book it only mentions using pva as a release agent on its own, and not wax coats. Its necessary to use wax also?
Secondly, I plan to build up some of my curves using 'stepped' layers of MDF or similar. (a bit like a contor map, if that makes sense). I need to
'fill in' the steps with filler (doh) and am contemplating household polyfilla (or car filler) whatevers cheaper - suspect I will use a lot. Any
better (cheap!) suggestions for filler?
atb
Steve
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Alan B
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| posted on 18/12/02 at 12:01 AM |
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Paul and Simon, Cheers.
Steve,
Thanks.
I've never seem only PVA advised, I've read of wax only when you have a well used and reliable mould, but not PVA only.
The usual advise though is both, and that's what I've always done (I'd better add at this stage, for anyone who doesn't know, that when I say
first mould, I mean first on this project as I have done many in the past)
I used household type filler (plasterboard filler) first and then finished with about 1/8" of car body filler. The plasterboard filler is cheap
(here) at around $8 for a 50 pound (or so) tub.
There is more detail on my site if you haven't visited
http://www.desicodesign.com/meerkat/
Good luck and ask away.
Alan
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Rorty
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| posted on 18/12/02 at 01:59 AM |
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Congratulations Alan, I'm very envious: it's been a few years since I did any moulding.
Did it come off with a rubber mallet, or did you have to blow it off?
Steve: you can use glass bubbles mixed in with the filler, which bulks it out, and makes it very easy to shape, prior to a final skim of filler.
Cheers, Rorty.
"Faster than a speeding Pullet".
PLEASE DON'T U2U ME IF YOU WANT A QUICK RESPONSE. TRY EMAILING ME INSTEAD!
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Alan B
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| posted on 18/12/02 at 04:12 AM |
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Bob,
Just wedges at the flange and a bit of manual thrutching and riving
Quite an easy seperation really, compared to how bad some can be
Starting polishing and cleaning it up tonight and inspecting it closely...still happy with it
Did you find GRP work tests your full range of emotions? from sheer desperation when it all goes wrong...to total ecstasy when you pop out a perfect
part?
Or am I just a little weird?.....
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Spyderman
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| posted on 18/12/02 at 01:30 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Alan B
am I just a little weird?.....
Definately!
Just kidding!
I am very impressed with the way it has all gone.
You make it seem so easy!
Looking at your plug is misleading due to the different colours etc, but I can appreciate all the work gone into just preparing for the moulds.
All that flatting and polishing is very time consuming.
I've done a bit of fibreglass work, but never any mould making. I used to paint cars for a pocket money sideline, so can understand how difficult it
is to get a good finish. Working for a major paint producer helped!
Seeing how your moulds are now, it all comes together from looking at the car plug, especially the mould break lines like the flat board across front
and back that looked like a splitter!
It shows you're experience, as I guess most newbies to mould making would not think of mould split lines especially at the wheel arch lip.
Suitably impressed !
Terry
ps. Still think it needs a splitter at the rear!
[Edited on 18/12/02 by Bull]
Spyderman
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Alan B
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| posted on 18/12/02 at 01:46 PM |
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Terry,
Thanks, when you say rear splitter is that the diffuser thingy we discused before?
If so that is still doable, and quite possible. It just needs an insert in the mould, which is often easier than incorporating it first time. (Imagine
doing that inside and upside down detail on the plug.....)
Thanks, also for getting the impression I know what I'm doing It doesn't always feel like it despite having done a fair bit of GRP work in the
past
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Rorty
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| posted on 19/12/02 at 06:40 AM |
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quote:
Did you find GRP work tests your full range of emotions? from sheer desperation when it all goes wrong...to total ecstasy when you pop out a perfect
part?
quote:
Or am I just a little weird?.....
Yes Alan, you are a little weird!
You left out sleepless nights, and getting up at 3:30AM just to go and check it!
I've done a few small moulds/parts recently, such as a bonnet for my car, but the last whole body I did (less the wings) was a Beetle. The sides are
deceptive, it's almost an egg, which necessitated many separate parts to the mould.
Cheers, Rorty.
"Faster than a speeding Pullet".
PLEASE DON'T U2U ME IF YOU WANT A QUICK RESPONSE. TRY EMAILING ME INSTEAD!
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