don't laugh, but serioulsy, any one considereed making front wings from papier-mache?
(obviously varnish/paint them so they don't go soggy in the rain)
You sure your brain hasnt gone soggy already?
Trabant made most of their bodies with the stuff!
Have you been sniffing the brake fluid again? 
Unless you're planning on a primary school finish GRP would be a similar effort (if a tad more expensive).
Paper Mache cycle wings? Should go nicely with a chassis made from cheese straws 
Seriously if money is a concern see if you can snag a pair of "seconds" from one of the manufacturers. They almost always have the odd
panel with flaws in it. You might not get a pair with matching colour, but a bit of filler and a respray and jobs jobbed.
Otherwise you could maybe buy a pair of trailer mudguards. Most of them are made from three straight lines rather than a curve so they look pretty
awfull, but they are cheap as chips and you should be able to pass SVA with them.
Fine until it rains
Caber
Isn't paper mache quite stiff? It won't give when knocked like glass fibre and probably crack if you even lean on it.
.. but at least you will have something to read while working on the car
They were Duraplast, fibreglass type resin with wood pulp which could be pressed into shape so it was easy for moulding panels. It did swell in damp conditions though.
Now there's an idea for an interesting car bodywork - made using newspapars as the top layer when laying up the GRP.
I'd have it, anyway!
quote:
Now there's an idea for an interesting car bodywork - made using newspapars as the top layer when laying up the GRP.
it was just a thought.
WWI planes were made from wood, cloth and wire and Mr Morgan made his chassis from Ash. And as was pointed out, the (in)famous Trabant.
The waterproofness is the drawback with this idea 
.
I am thinking of making up some wings (unless I get some of ebay at a ridiculously low price).
What are the properties for wings - i.e. how stiff/heavy should they be? The ones I have are Caterhams with home made square steel supports and I
think the wings can be made much lighter.
So thinking of making a buck from mine - cover with cling film then use papier mache to make the former with wood supports (don't want to risk
splashing resin over my wings).
Then it is a matter of how many layers of mat? To reduce weight without loss of strength I am thinking of making a matrix from paper tubes then
covered by mat and maybe incorporate the stays into the wing.
Making it ultralite would mean no more snapped wing stays!
Good on you for thinking outside the box!
Cheers,
James
quote:
Originally posted by James
Making it ultralite would mean no more snapped wing stays!
Good on you for thinking outside the cornflakes box!
but they need to be strong enough to withstand being pelted by gravel.
don't forget the amount of lift that the cycle wings generate
quote:
Originally posted by chriscook
don't forget the amount of lift that the cycle wings generate
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
it was just a thought.
So thinking of making a buck from mine - cover with cling film then use papier mache to make the former with wood supports (don't want to risk splashing resin over my wings).
Actually, just a month ago I was reading about a homebuilt sports racer from the 60's that used paper mache bodywork. Car looked good,
surprisingly, and was compained over a couple of years. His next homebuilt car used fiberglass if that says anything.
Martin Chassis
Also known as the PMY and the Paper Mache' Special
H Modified
http://sports.racer.net/index1.html
(look under Chassis - P - Paper mache)
MikeRJ - I really like the rollcage on the car in your avitar. Is that your car? Can I get some more pictures? I checked your Photo archive but
didn't anything but some early stage frame pics.
[Edited on 6/10/06 by Grintch]
quote:
Originally posted by Grintch
MikeRJ - I really like the rollcage on the car in your avitar. Is that your car? Can I get some more pictures? I checked your Photo archive but didn't anything but some early stage frame pics.
Thanks. Looks nice, I normally don't like the high front cages, but this one is different.
Ahh, U2U. We use a different term here in the States. I was trying to figure out how to send you a private message, but U2U didn't register.
G