wish me luck

General Composites Discussions Showcase
#1

here we go…

this is my first project, so if you see something wrong, please let me know…

i am making rain hats for my carburetors. they will sit on top of the air filter housings to shed the rain off.

here are the hats i am going to copy. they needed a little body work.

so here they are in plug form. i used drywall mud for body filler and sanded them with 600. instead of going crazy with the sanding, i glued them to a scrap piece of wood and gave them to coats of this epoxy… http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280255931847

they still need a little touch up work. my plan is to try my hand at infusion…btw. im thinking 2 layers of carbon and one layer of kevler…

the saga continues…

#2

Whats your next steps with this is this ur plug?

#3

you will need bigger flanges if you use that to make a mold for infusion.
why not practise the technique first,simply bagging it and laying feed lines to make a clipboard or something small and very simple…it will teach you an awful lot rather than going straight in at the very deep end!!

#4

Flanges are short, but doable for infusion. I don’t think you will need the kevlar, unless it’s the show layer and you want the kevlar to be seen. I would make a mold off that plug you made, so the top side of the cap is shiny!

#5

your right stew…thats a great idea. maybe something flat like a clip board or mouse pad…thanks.

my approach is kinda like racing the baja the first time out on a motorcycle. its just that the videos make it look so easy…especially the infusion approach.

#6

riff, the kevlar isnt the show layer…i just thought the kevlar layer might stand up to the engine vibes better. make the kevlar the first layer of defense…

am i over thinking it?

#7

Yes. The Kevlar will be an added variable in the process. It is a pita to trim as well and if you do get a good infusion first try chances are it will create issues when trimming the parts. Vert cost effective approach and creative use of materials.

Save the Kevlar for later attempts. Looks goods.

Make sure sure sure you release that plug and polish it well. That is a super simple mold and looks fantastic so far. Keep up the good work.

#8

thank you sir…i have probly 20 hours in this plug…:eek::D:eek::smiley:

im getting close tho. something that is said over and over…make sure your plug is perfect…

i almost need an auto body class. and a plug making class and a mold making class, LOL

and a pump repair class. parts are kinda hard to find for it. but i found them. they should be in today. if the pump dosnt work im dead in the water…and im not sure its big enough…no way i can afford a new pump. fingers crossed.

#9

Venturi will work just fine! If the pump fails.

Looks like you have everything under control!

#10

venturi was my original plan…but i traded some work for a leaky pump. :confused::confused:

#11

I do believe u can rent vacuum pumps from sunbelt rentals. FYI among other tools.

#12

no kidding? i way a sunbelt like 5 miles from me…good to know.

#13

i made some progress today and im pretty satisfied with my results. i have wet sanded them down to 2000 grit. but i dont know if i need to polish the plugs with polishing compound or do i go right to my layers of wax/mold release and then the pva. i am under the impression that my plug needs to have an A+ surface so thats why i am asking how far to go with them…anyways here are some photos of them sanded and all cleaned up, ready for the next step.

#14

It’s hard to tell when u have it right ur first go around. If I’m doing a wet lay or infusion I get it waxed enough that I can scratch off release with a fingernail. I really put it on thick. 2000 grit is good but definitely needs polish and buff. Give it a few hours of polishing and waxing. Can’t wait to see the finished part.

#15

cool dallas, thanks for the reply…can you recommend a good polish? something i might find at an auto parts store? i have a detailing shop near, but its about a 20 minute drive. not so near i guess.

btw dallas, i got the seals for my pump yesterday…but the main shaft seal was wrong. ARGH…they had about 4 different types of seals for my model so i ordered one of each. LOL. each in viton so it should last a good while. i’ll just return the ones that dont work.

im gonna have to start a new thread on my vacuum system design. just like anything else with composites…there is a thousand different ways to do things:D

#16

you absolutely don’t need kevlar for these parts.

#17

Sure I recommend turtle wax!!! Especially since it is cheap and works well for polyester resin. I’m guessing you are going to lay on some glass and csm over the plug? Or spray primer first and then lay over it?

If you spray duratec primer and lay your mold I recommend using an appropriate release that’s comparable for duratec… Or what ever primer… Tooling gel what have you.

But I get the feelin you are trying to make nice parts on a budget… And am assuming you will be laying glass and mat over your plug with some inexpensive poly resin. Then you will be priming your fiberglass mold… Rubbing compound… Polish… Wax the primer. And doing a simple infusion with… A west systems epoxy. In that case… Turtle wax!

#18

actually i am going to use epoxy (i already have it) and fiberglass for the mold. here is my plan. let me know if it will work…

polish and buff the plugs…

wax plugs about 7 or 8 times.

then spray on 2 coats of pva with a hvlp gun.

time to make the mold…

1 coat of epoxy…wait until its tacky… then another coat of epoxy…

when the second coat is tacky, then start laying the fiberglass…

let cure for a day or 2 the POP it out.

what do you think?

#19

I use alot of frekote and love it… Most people hate it. I spray it. And whala. But some reason or other turtle wax is a cost effective reliable release. There are better products out there… But for the mill of the run fiberglass DIY projects turtle wax works. Now… If you are spraying tooling gel or brushing on silicone and getting crazy your first try…I do not recommend turtle wax.

It leaves slight swirls That normally get sanded when you prep and finish your mold. Especially if you apply with cheese cloth. I polish with those little make up applicators u can get at cvs. They don’t leave swirls half as bad as a rag or tissue paper.

#20

Yeah… PVA actually might dissolve turtle wax. I remember another member had issues using pva over wax.