make your own fiberglass parts
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: A Town, PA, US
make your own fiberglass parts
I was watching dream car garage the other day. They made a fiberglass mold of a hood and then made a fiberglass hood from that.
Well... they made a wooden frame around the plug and then when they finished the mold they had a lip around it. Then they applied some type of silicone to the hood and lip which hardened and formed a removable film which they used as a bag.
after they took off the silicone cover they laid some sheets of fiberglass in the mold... put the silicone thing over it and put the top half of the lip on to seal it all up. The applied a vacuum to the bag and then injected resin under the silicone layer.
Sooooo..... after all that my question is, how does that lip seal the vacuum and what is that silicone material they used to make that `bag'?? They made it look so easy (of course) and fit the entire process into literally 45 seconds.
i want to make some parts and I'm willing to put the time into it... but making molds and composite work is like a black art that is fearcly guarded!
Can anyone offer any input or guidance?
Well... they made a wooden frame around the plug and then when they finished the mold they had a lip around it. Then they applied some type of silicone to the hood and lip which hardened and formed a removable film which they used as a bag.
after they took off the silicone cover they laid some sheets of fiberglass in the mold... put the silicone thing over it and put the top half of the lip on to seal it all up. The applied a vacuum to the bag and then injected resin under the silicone layer.
Sooooo..... after all that my question is, how does that lip seal the vacuum and what is that silicone material they used to make that `bag'?? They made it look so easy (of course) and fit the entire process into literally 45 seconds.
i want to make some parts and I'm willing to put the time into it... but making molds and composite work is like a black art that is fearcly guarded!
Can anyone offer any input or guidance?
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 959
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From: Warren, RI, USA
Re: make your own fiberglass parts (neumonik)
I think you can skip the vacuum bag part, I worked with a guy that did this (not car parts) and he just made a clay positive, poured silicon over that to make his negative and then poured in epoxy to make the part. The only difference you have is laying fiberglass rather than the epoxy he used.
If you skip the vacuum bag you can still make it, it will just take a little more work at the finishing stage.
Silicon, btw is very expensive. Prices go for $75-$100 per pound but it's fun once you start. Plus you can make more pieces for your friends.
Cheers,
Sean
If you skip the vacuum bag you can still make it, it will just take a little more work at the finishing stage.
Silicon, btw is very expensive. Prices go for $75-$100 per pound but it's fun once you start. Plus you can make more pieces for your friends.
Cheers,
Sean
Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,351
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From: Winnetka, Calif, USA
Re: make your own fiberglass parts (neumonik)
There are two books that you should locate and read.
The first one is titled something like "fiberglass and composite construction" (I can't find my copy to verify the name). The authors name is something like Aird Forbes. I found it at a local Borders.
The second one is titled "the prop builders molding and casting handbook". The author is Thurston James. It goes into casting of props used for the movie industry. I found the book at a special effects shop near me (I live in L.A.) called Burmans. It may be a hard book to find, but is well worth the time if you are thinking of casting small items.
Wes Vann
The first one is titled something like "fiberglass and composite construction" (I can't find my copy to verify the name). The authors name is something like Aird Forbes. I found it at a local Borders.
The second one is titled "the prop builders molding and casting handbook". The author is Thurston James. It goes into casting of props used for the movie industry. I found the book at a special effects shop near me (I live in L.A.) called Burmans. It may be a hard book to find, but is well worth the time if you are thinking of casting small items.
Wes Vann
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