First Closed Molded Part: Fiberglass/Epoxy Bell Housing

General Composites Discussions Showcase
#1

Happy with the results. This is the third one of these we’ve made. Had issues with the first two. First one was out of spec. Second one slightly out of spec plus resin issues. This is third part and were finally where we want to be.

Notice the clarity difference between off the shelf epoxy on the right, and the high $$ on the left.

The part is about a 1/2" thick on the ears, and 1/4" average thickness. Infused in about 10 minutes using if I had to guess 1000 cps epoxy.

The center and edges are still untrimmed in the pic.

#2

Hi Jason,

please excuse my ignorance but what exactly is it used for? When I saw bell housing in the subject line I instantly visualised the casting between an engine and transmission, but that’s not like any bell housing I’ve ever seen.

Splint

#3

Its for a submersible. I havent really been told anything more than that.

#4

Closed molded? As in a male and female mold pressed together, but then infused? Could we see pics of the mold(s)?

#5

JRL, did your mold maker make the top half of the mold clear? How thick is the top half of the mold?

So you used no pressure to push the resin into the mold, just vacuum?

Was the resin inlet in the middle of the part that gets trimmed away and vacuum all around the perimeter of the part?

10 minutes is darn impressive considering how thick the part is:)

#6

Heres a pic of the female. Dont have any good ones of the male or assembled as my phone is hit or miss. I wish we could have used pressure. Were missing an additional chanel that would have let us use pressure. So, its an infusion only set up from here out.

Both molds are about 3/4" thick. No pressure is was used. All vacuum assisted. Fast: Your pretty much dead on with what you said. Only the male mold isnt clear. At the first sign of resin in your vacuum outlet, resin is cut, parts done.

#7

awww man i so wanted to see the other half of the mold.

Nice finish on that female half though.

#8

I guess I’m still confused as to where your vacuum and resin inlets are. Are they both on the male side? Vacuum say in one of the coners through an inlet, then resin in the center?

Are you bagging the whole thing or is there a seal between both molds?

Sorry for so many questions. I’ve been toying with the idea of making a male and female mold to infuse with for a long time. :slight_smile:

Thanks!!!

#9

All the inlets outlets were on the male mold. 6 evenly space vacuum outlet located above a resin chanel. The resin chanel was made with half inch sheet wax around the peremeter of the part during the molding process. We used one large resin inlet. If you look at the finished part, you can see where the resin inlet was.

We used a silicone bead around the flange + plus bagging tape.

The problem with this method is that if either mold is poorly matched you can waste a TON of resin.