This is my first post but I have received a bunch of info from you all and I want to thank you.
My texalium FZ1 is close to finished.
couple more pics
Awesome looking! Better than CF would have looked! try just uploading one picture at a time…I have been trying to get around that feature but haven’t yet!
Nice work! Good to see you got around the workability issues of Texalium.
Personally I think silver Eglass is nicer looking than carbon, and feel its better to use something like this for parts which are often purely cosmetic.
Chris
pic fix…
other pic…
we need to be friends…Im getting my asskicked by this stuff
That’s why we have put this forum together…
One question: molded parts or overlays on the bike panels?
This much I know…its nice to see someone making advances in something you may be struggling with.
I refuse to let texallium win from me. Im going vac infuse to see if it helps but that was a whole different thread.
Gives me hope that its possible to do a bike body in it if he did a tail and fender with it.
Looks great. What resin did you use?
Items I used on the parts:
wax & PVA
50/50 Duratec/clear gel coat. 2 coats (I let it harden to the point that it will hold the load of the fabric pulling itself off the mold and thick enough that it would stay in place and not separate from the mold and pva.)
some spots needed super 77.
I did a second layer of texalium with scraps and super 77(helps where the fabric stretches and clears out) on some parts another layer of glass.
Then I put in cont. strand mat for bulk and flow media.
Infused it with Silmar 249. thinned 10%
Then trim and sand with 400.
cleared with PPG clear coat.
I had to do the gel coat more then once on some of the items i.e. the layer was to thin ans separated or I ran it ect.
Fender, 1 mold
front, 3 molds. small area on the center underside, area the headlights fit into, and one big one for the rest.
Tail, 2 Molds.
Side covers, 1
Air box covers, 1
I have not tried making molds that bolt together yet I just make a reference (cut) line on the mold.
Have some non Hexel silver Eglass, and found that its very easy to work with, and with care can be hand laminated with no need for infusion. Here in the UK there is clear gel-coat and resin system intended for manufacture of doors, which I think might be ideal for making these type of parts.
Chris
really nice professional job! Very encouraging, keep up the great work!
what does 50/50 duratec/clear coat mean?
for the gel coat layer, I used a mix of 50% duratec clear high gloss and 50% clear gel coat.
Did you use some of the Silmar 249 as the clear gel coat?
Is this the same as “aluminized fiberglass” or is this something different?
no silmar 249 in the gel coat, just the duratec and the clear metal flake gelcoat (with no metal flake added) mixed up.
Yes, it is the aluminized fiberglass (texalium)
With this system did you find a problem with brittleness around mounting points?