why doesnt someone with the IMSA front bumper make a mold?????
04-03-06, 07:48 PM
#1
why doesnt someone with the IMSA front bumper make a mold?????
well, ive been searching for an IMSA front bumper for some time and i havent been able to find someone who will sale the one they have or they want to sale it on the car and wont part the bumper off the car. so i got to thinking, why doesnt someone with the bumper make a mold of it? you might be able to make it a one piece rather than a 3 piece if that were to be desired. i dont know what it will take to make the bumper using some kind of flexible material rather than fiberglass. this is just an idea. i know if i had the bumper id be trying to make a mold. i also wish someone would make a mold of spool32's widebody kit.
the first pic is the best one i could find of the IMSA front bumper and the second is the best pic of spool32's IMSA widebody kit
the first pic is the best one i could find of the IMSA front bumper and the second is the best pic of spool32's IMSA widebody kit
04-03-06, 08:08 PM
#2
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im wondering about putting fog lights in those holes in my bumper. any suggestions? im not sure if i want big ones that fill up the entire space or not. i definately don't want tiny ones though.
04-03-06, 08:09 PM
#3
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if i knew how to make a mold and it wouldn't cost me much i would be interested.....but its hard to beat the fiberglass knock offs at like $175 (iscracing)
04-03-06, 08:19 PM
#4
yeah, but the knocks-offs look way different than the actual IMSA bumper. maybe one of people on the forum making parts for the first gen would be interested in making a mold.
as for the lights, the ones in the first pic look really good, and small ones would look horrible.
i know a guy who is pretty good with fiberglass, he has pretty much molded most of a skyline to a 240, and i was asking him about doing this. he told me itd be easiest to start with paper mache and then press screen into that, then go over that again with paper mache and then over that with fiber glass.
as for the lights, the ones in the first pic look really good, and small ones would look horrible.
i know a guy who is pretty good with fiberglass, he has pretty much molded most of a skyline to a 240, and i was asking him about doing this. he told me itd be easiest to start with paper mache and then press screen into that, then go over that again with paper mache and then over that with fiber glass.
04-03-06, 08:44 PM
#7
Originally Posted by Spool32
I would be interested but I have no idea how to do it myself... has anybody done that sort of thing before in a "home garage" setting?
i didnt expect you to show up in this thread. im glad to see that you did though.
first off, i love your car. ive searched and searched trying to find a kit like yours, but with no luck. i love how your kit is more sutle that the other widebody kits. and i love the front. i think the key part of your kit would be the front spoiler/bumper. what is your kit made of? fiberglass?
someone should price getting molds made. i know id pay a good price for either of these
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04-03-06, 09:56 PM
#10
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i know i will be looking for that front bumper, i have liked them ever since i got my car and personally i think the cars should have had this look stock instead of the boat looking front
04-06-06, 10:42 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by rxtory
i know i will be looking for that front bumper, i have liked them ever since i got my car and personally i think the cars should have had this look stock instead of the boat looking front
04-07-06, 03:11 AM
#14
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i think if we were to get a group and people were going to pay...take it to a pro shop who manufactures and sell body kits and get it done in urethane......my thoughts
04-07-06, 08:57 AM
#16
I've had many people make offers on my front bumper, but as everyone says they are very rare..... I found mine in a junk yard however! As for making a mold, its not as hard as you may think, just very time consuming...Well for hoods and easy pieces like that, Dont know about bumpers. Theres many websites related strictly to making fiberglass molds. i dont have the link at the moment tho.
04-07-06, 09:45 AM
#17
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MAKING A FIBERGLASS MOLD
THE PLUG
In order to have a form from which to develop your mold, you must either build the article from scratch using wood, plaster, polyester putty, Formica, sheet metal, etc. or you must have on hand a completed article which you wish to duplicate. The latter is of course the fastest method. The plug is generally a male model exactly like the item you wish to fabricate in every detail. If the plug does not have draft (taper) then you will have difficulty getting parts off. If the plug has reverse bends, like many canoes, then you will need to make a split mold which can be spread or taken apart.
If the plug contains soft materials on its surface such as plaster, wood, or putty, then it will have to be sealed with lacquer or resin to fill the pores. If plaster is used, it must be oven dried and then sealed.
To prevent your mold from sticking to the plug, the plug must be coated with plastic film known as “PVA.” This is a plastic dissolved in alcohol and has a green color. It can be brushed or sprayed on, but the best system is to spray on three thin coats, the first being a “mist coat.” The appearance will then be green. Each coat must dry half an hour or so and there must be no pools or drips to blemish your mold surface. For the easiest possible parting, before applying the PVA, apply a soft wax (Partall #2) formulated for use with PVA. After the third coat of PVA has dried, a coating of this wax can be gently applied over it for easy parting.
THE MOLD
The first step is to apply a gelcoat which will be the mold surface. The gelcoat must be “exterior gelcoat” (wax free). If many parts are to be taken off the mold, it is desirable to use a “tooling gelcoat” which is designed to give longer life in mold use. The gelcoat should be in contrasting color to the surface of the part you will make. Since most parts are light colored, black gelcoat is
commonly used. This facilitates spraying up a uniform thickness of light colored gelcoat since the black will show through thin spots.
If the gelcoat is to be brushed on, two coats must be applied, and the first coat must cure several hours before the second coat is applied. The best means of gelcoat application is a simple gelcoat gun designed for the purpose and easy to clean. Air pressure of 80 to 90 pounds is desirable. Gelcoat must be applied at least 15 mils thick, or a quart to every 25 square feet of surface. If the plug was rough so that considerable sanding of the gelcoat will be necessary, then double the application. Before applying the gelcoat, it must of course, be catalyzed with MEK peroxide hardener, using from one to two percent.
When the gelcoat has cured so that it cannot be scratched off with the fingernail at the edge of the mold, which takes from 2 to 4 hours to overnight in cool or humid weather, you are ready for the “skin coat.” This is a layer of ¾ or 1oz. fiberglass mat, thin enough so you can see and remove all air bubbles entrapped by the resin when you “wet-out” the mat.The resin should be applied with a mohair roller or brush until no white fibers remain. Any air bubbles are then eliminated with a grooved plastic or metal laminating roller. The polyester resin used should be “lay-up resin,” which is wax-free. Be careful not to over-catalyze when laying up the glass. Above 75°F one 10-15 cc of hardener to the quart will generally suffice. Below 70°F, 20 cc per quart. Do not work below 65°F.
In laying up a fiberglass mold, warping can be avoided by allowing each layer to “kick” or gel before proceeding with the next layer. For a large mold, it is good to apply just one layer per day. After the “skin coat,” you can use 1½ oz. mat for a faster build-up. Generally, woven roving is not used in molds because the pattern transfers through the mold to the gelcoat. If it is necessary to use woven roving for strength in a large mold, it is applied after a thickness of 3 or 4 layers of mat has cured hard. The thickness required in a mold depends upon size and shape and the number of parts to be taken off. For a dinghy mold to be used only a few times, four layers of mat might be adequate.
REMOVING THE MOLD FROM THE PLUG
Allow mold to cure several days if possible so it will hold its shape. The first step is to trim the excess laminate back to the molded edge. This is easily done with a saber saw and a metal-cutting blade. The the edges are sanded carefully until the line between the mold and plug is exposed. Then a sharpened “tongue stick” is forced between mold and plug to separate the edges. The stick is then pulled clear around the plug until all edges are free and no bridges remain. Avoid using metal tools for this purpose as they will scratch the mold surface. Then the mold should pull free of the plug. If not, the parts can be flexed or pounded gently with a rubber mallet. If necessary, air or water can be forced under pressure between plug and mold. A hole can be drilled through the interface for this purpose. PVA is water soluble, which facilitates parting with water pressure.
THE PLUG
In order to have a form from which to develop your mold, you must either build the article from scratch using wood, plaster, polyester putty, Formica, sheet metal, etc. or you must have on hand a completed article which you wish to duplicate. The latter is of course the fastest method. The plug is generally a male model exactly like the item you wish to fabricate in every detail. If the plug does not have draft (taper) then you will have difficulty getting parts off. If the plug has reverse bends, like many canoes, then you will need to make a split mold which can be spread or taken apart.
If the plug contains soft materials on its surface such as plaster, wood, or putty, then it will have to be sealed with lacquer or resin to fill the pores. If plaster is used, it must be oven dried and then sealed.
To prevent your mold from sticking to the plug, the plug must be coated with plastic film known as “PVA.” This is a plastic dissolved in alcohol and has a green color. It can be brushed or sprayed on, but the best system is to spray on three thin coats, the first being a “mist coat.” The appearance will then be green. Each coat must dry half an hour or so and there must be no pools or drips to blemish your mold surface. For the easiest possible parting, before applying the PVA, apply a soft wax (Partall #2) formulated for use with PVA. After the third coat of PVA has dried, a coating of this wax can be gently applied over it for easy parting.
THE MOLD
The first step is to apply a gelcoat which will be the mold surface. The gelcoat must be “exterior gelcoat” (wax free). If many parts are to be taken off the mold, it is desirable to use a “tooling gelcoat” which is designed to give longer life in mold use. The gelcoat should be in contrasting color to the surface of the part you will make. Since most parts are light colored, black gelcoat is
commonly used. This facilitates spraying up a uniform thickness of light colored gelcoat since the black will show through thin spots.
If the gelcoat is to be brushed on, two coats must be applied, and the first coat must cure several hours before the second coat is applied. The best means of gelcoat application is a simple gelcoat gun designed for the purpose and easy to clean. Air pressure of 80 to 90 pounds is desirable. Gelcoat must be applied at least 15 mils thick, or a quart to every 25 square feet of surface. If the plug was rough so that considerable sanding of the gelcoat will be necessary, then double the application. Before applying the gelcoat, it must of course, be catalyzed with MEK peroxide hardener, using from one to two percent.
When the gelcoat has cured so that it cannot be scratched off with the fingernail at the edge of the mold, which takes from 2 to 4 hours to overnight in cool or humid weather, you are ready for the “skin coat.” This is a layer of ¾ or 1oz. fiberglass mat, thin enough so you can see and remove all air bubbles entrapped by the resin when you “wet-out” the mat.The resin should be applied with a mohair roller or brush until no white fibers remain. Any air bubbles are then eliminated with a grooved plastic or metal laminating roller. The polyester resin used should be “lay-up resin,” which is wax-free. Be careful not to over-catalyze when laying up the glass. Above 75°F one 10-15 cc of hardener to the quart will generally suffice. Below 70°F, 20 cc per quart. Do not work below 65°F.
In laying up a fiberglass mold, warping can be avoided by allowing each layer to “kick” or gel before proceeding with the next layer. For a large mold, it is good to apply just one layer per day. After the “skin coat,” you can use 1½ oz. mat for a faster build-up. Generally, woven roving is not used in molds because the pattern transfers through the mold to the gelcoat. If it is necessary to use woven roving for strength in a large mold, it is applied after a thickness of 3 or 4 layers of mat has cured hard. The thickness required in a mold depends upon size and shape and the number of parts to be taken off. For a dinghy mold to be used only a few times, four layers of mat might be adequate.
REMOVING THE MOLD FROM THE PLUG
Allow mold to cure several days if possible so it will hold its shape. The first step is to trim the excess laminate back to the molded edge. This is easily done with a saber saw and a metal-cutting blade. The the edges are sanded carefully until the line between the mold and plug is exposed. Then a sharpened “tongue stick” is forced between mold and plug to separate the edges. The stick is then pulled clear around the plug until all edges are free and no bridges remain. Avoid using metal tools for this purpose as they will scratch the mold surface. Then the mold should pull free of the plug. If not, the parts can be flexed or pounded gently with a rubber mallet. If necessary, air or water can be forced under pressure between plug and mold. A hole can be drilled through the interface for this purpose. PVA is water soluble, which facilitates parting with water pressure.
04-07-06, 12:34 PM
#20
On the prowl for an FB
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Originally Posted by camocarl
MAKING A FIBERGLASS MOLD
THE PLUG (snip)
THE PLUG (snip)
Plus, I've designed a front and rear spoiler combo that I want to make molds of.
04-07-06, 04:53 PM
#22
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Originally Posted by no_name
Dude, bun the fiber glass, go CF!
04-07-06, 08:59 PM
#25
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polyurethane requires a very precise 2 piece mold as far as i know... i dont think its just as easy as pouring hot poly onto a fibreglass mould and hoping that it stays generally the same thickness all the way around... i think that it would pool sort of in the bottom of the mould...
way ahead of you guys,,, i made this one last year and have decided im going to modify it and enlarge the middle section for more air flow.. and make a few other minor changes ( scrap that turn signal...
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...t=DSC00872.jpg
once i make it exactly the way i like it i will be reproducing it for you guys if theres interest...
its gonna be a more "drifter" style bumper for those of you who want a smooth look... possibly carbon fibre depending on demand..
Paul
way ahead of you guys,,, i made this one last year and have decided im going to modify it and enlarge the middle section for more air flow.. and make a few other minor changes ( scrap that turn signal...
http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...t=DSC00872.jpg
once i make it exactly the way i like it i will be reproducing it for you guys if theres interest...
its gonna be a more "drifter" style bumper for those of you who want a smooth look... possibly carbon fibre depending on demand..
Paul