Stupid Flanging Question

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

The answer to this is probably obvious to a lot of you but is completely lost on me. When flanging a part does the clay (used to smooth the edge) affect the final geometry?

For example say I had to flange a flat plate with a 90 degree flange and I use clay to smooth the corner. Won’t there be a gap in the final part when I put the two pieces together? If you were to make that part you would end up with a circular edge at the flange. Below is a quick illustration of what I mean.

Black is the part. Red is the flange and the brown is the clay

#2

If you round the corner, then yes. :slight_smile:

#3

Hm, so when people put their flange on the part surface how do they correct for this change in geometry? Do they just cut it off and lose a few fractions of an inch?

#4

I cant see your photos in either of your threads

#5

That’s very strange. Are you using Internet Explorer by any chance? I removed the pictures from the posts and added them as attachments. Hopefully that fixes the issue.

#6

Yes, I use IE. I can see now, thanks

#7

why do you want to put that fillet in your flange?

#8

You’ll want to avoid using to much clay for the first half, then you will want to remove what clay you have on the mold/part when you remove the flange before you make the second half of the mold.

#9

Not a fillet but filled up with clay, plasticine, molding wax etc. I was wondering how you avoid geometry changes at the flange but Fleisch cleared it up. Thanks

#10

Canyon,

why do you need a fillet at tha base of the flange ? is the flange a separate component to be bonded at the base plate, or are you trying to laminate both parts together ?

#11

It’s not a real part. I was curious how the flange affects the geometry and how it’s corrected in the final part! :slight_smile:

#12

yep… clay the backside of the flange, for the side you are not laying up first. Remove the flange material, wax release the first half of the mold flange then lay up your second half of the mold.

#13

you will want to scrape the clay to transition from your mould surface to the flange with no fillet.that is what i do on mine.then when i remove the board to lay the second half of the mould.you will have perfect matching flanges that do not affect the shape of the part.then when you trim your finished parts.you will trim off the piece that is going up onto the flange.this will give you a perfect line to trim your parts to.

#14

I’d think you would want to scrape that fillet to a sharp 90 degree edge, so that the 2nd part of the mold would match more evenly.

#15

Like he said…great description.

The green is the clay in this attached pic.