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First mould
Alan B - 17/12/02 at 01:08 PM

The rear mould is off....went well, very encouraging. I'll have a fair bit of preparation, flanges, polishing etc, but at least it seperated easily.
This picture is almost straight after seperation, showing PVA, plasticene etc.

Simon - 17/12/02 at 01:46 PM

Alan,

Where do you get the time!!

Coming on very nicely indeed.

Ready for summer?

ATB

Simon

Alan B - 17/12/02 at 02:08 PM

Cheers, yes coming on nicely now. This is peak building season here, due to pleasant tempertures.

Summer?...it's possible, but there's still loads to do...we'll see

Simon - 17/12/02 at 03:10 PM

Alan,

I may be being severly optimistic, but hoping to take my car to Wales on 1st May 2003 (for work conference - yawn).

I think I'm almost there as far as major mechanicals are concerned (after g/box mounting), so I reckon I'm looking at 3 months to strip, clean paint etc etc, fit brake, fuel line etc etc. and reassemble, get tested and do a few local miles shakedown.

Like I said, I may be being a bit optimistic.

ATB

Simon

ProjectLMP - 17/12/02 at 06:43 PM

Looking good Alan. Its always nice when they come off without too much of a fight!

stephen_gusterson - 17/12/02 at 11:21 PM

that looks a good job Alan.

Cant imagine all the work involved!

I am about to start (in my nice new custom shed!) making my moulds for the boot lid, and rear wings (morgan like of course). Have a couple books on GRP molding, and some ideas on how to build up a profile.

I will probably tap you for some guidance at some point! (like now)

In one book it only mentions using pva as a release agent on its own, and not wax coats. Its necessary to use wax also?


Secondly, I plan to build up some of my curves using 'stepped' layers of MDF or similar. (a bit like a contor map, if that makes sense). I need to 'fill in' the steps with filler (doh) and am contemplating household polyfilla (or car filler) whatevers cheaper - suspect I will use a lot. Any better (cheap!) suggestions for filler?


atb


Steve

Alan B - 18/12/02 at 12:01 AM

Paul and Simon, Cheers.

Steve,

Thanks.

I've never seem only PVA advised, I've read of wax only when you have a well used and reliable mould, but not PVA only.

The usual advise though is both, and that's what I've always done (I'd better add at this stage, for anyone who doesn't know, that when I say first mould, I mean first on this project as I have done many in the past)

I used household type filler (plasterboard filler) first and then finished with about 1/8" of car body filler. The plasterboard filler is cheap (here) at around $8 for a 50 pound (or so) tub.

There is more detail on my site if you haven't visited

http://www.desicodesign.com/meerkat/

Good luck and ask away.

Alan

Rorty - 18/12/02 at 01:59 AM

Congratulations Alan, I'm very envious: it's been a few years since I did any moulding.
Did it come off with a rubber mallet, or did you have to blow it off?
Steve: you can use glass bubbles mixed in with the filler, which bulks it out, and makes it very easy to shape, prior to a final skim of filler.

Alan B - 18/12/02 at 04:12 AM

Bob,

Just wedges at the flange and a bit of manual thrutching and riving

Quite an easy seperation really, compared to how bad some can be

Starting polishing and cleaning it up tonight and inspecting it closely...still happy with it

Did you find GRP work tests your full range of emotions? from sheer desperation when it all goes wrong...to total ecstasy when you pop out a perfect part?

Or am I just a little weird?.....

Spyderman - 18/12/02 at 01:30 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Alan B
am I just a little weird?.....


Definately!

Just kidding!

I am very impressed with the way it has all gone.
You make it seem so easy!

Looking at your plug is misleading due to the different colours etc, but I can appreciate all the work gone into just preparing for the moulds.
All that flatting and polishing is very time consuming.
I've done a bit of fibreglass work, but never any mould making. I used to paint cars for a pocket money sideline, so can understand how difficult it is to get a good finish. Working for a major paint producer helped!

Seeing how your moulds are now, it all comes together from looking at the car plug, especially the mould break lines like the flat board across front and back that looked like a splitter!
It shows you're experience, as I guess most newbies to mould making would not think of mould split lines especially at the wheel arch lip.

Suitably impressed !

Terry


ps. Still think it needs a splitter at the rear!

[Edited on 18/12/02 by Bull]

Alan B - 18/12/02 at 01:46 PM

Terry,

Thanks, when you say rear splitter is that the diffuser thingy we discused before?

If so that is still doable, and quite possible. It just needs an insert in the mould, which is often easier than incorporating it first time. (Imagine doing that inside and upside down detail on the plug.....)

Thanks, also for getting the impression I know what I'm doing It doesn't always feel like it despite having done a fair bit of GRP work in the past

Rorty - 19/12/02 at 06:40 AM

quote:

Did you find GRP work tests your full range of emotions? from sheer desperation when it all goes wrong...to total ecstasy when you pop out a perfect part?

quote:

Or am I just a little weird?.....

Yes Alan, you are a little weird!

You left out sleepless nights, and getting up at 3:30AM just to go and check it!
I've done a few small moulds/parts recently, such as a bonnet for my car, but the last whole body I did (less the wings) was a Beetle. The sides are deceptive, it's almost an egg, which necessitated many separate parts to the mould.