Going to be making cf dashes for FDs, need help on mold making
 

This is serious now. I know people come and go saying they're going to make cf parts but this is for real. I just need some help from experienced people and I'm sure I can come up with some bad ass parts. I'm going to be buying the parts to make the molds but the problem is I don't know what to buy yet. I will most likely buy material from US Composites or Fiberglast Co. since I have had very good experiences with them.

Anyways, to start out I am going to sand my center console down do 1200 grit sandpaper. From what I've read I need to spray it down with some release agent. Then start laying some sort of molding compound. When that dries, lay down some fg and resin to make the mold stiff. When it all dries, pull it apart and hope nothing sticks. Then I have a mold.


So I need to know what kind of release agent, and mold compound to buy. And if someone has a site on how to do all this stuff that would be very helpfull. So far I have only found parts of write ups which helps but still confusses me

LT1-7,

Just wondering.. are you going to just make the shell or also the tabs in the back..

I know others thought of this idea before.. but the problem and one of the hard part is to get them fit like stock.. The rear tabs to attatch to the car will be pain to make.. Reason why people just overlay with carbon fiber..

Well, I'm going to make the shell out of full cf, probably 2-3 layers. Amazingly I've forgotten how the tabs look. I'm sure I will be abe to make a plastic replica and glue it on to the back. If worst comes to worst I can make the tabs out of metal.

I just ordered some Black Tooling Gelcoat, PVA # 10 Moldrelease, Poly-Ease 300, Poly-Ease 2300 Mold Release. So I'll enough material to make the mold and hopefully make some parts out of cf.

Sounds good.. let me know how things turn out.. as I am interested..

you're getting in way over your head with this...but if you want some help and a few pointers...just get a hold of me...

Corey@infogenii.com

503 887 5447

AIM Engenii

Il have an extra dash for sale if you need one for a mold instead of trashing yours.

John. your nuts. . . .
But if you want some help give me call I have been wanting to learn how to do this.
Justus

I need a new interior for my fd and I would be extremely interested in how it turns out. Keep us posted on how its working out.

You will first need to make parting lines on your dash because if you just cover the whole thing in glass how will you get it out if the glass is wraped all the way around your stock dash. (hold something small in your hand and clinch it, now if your hand was in two pieces you could remove one piece and get what is in your hand out very easy). Next you spray partall release agent on one area and then gel coat. when that dries I sugest using about 3-5 layers of glass to make it strong in case you want to make a few cf dashes. when that section dries take the parting line off and repeat the process on the next area. and so on and so on. Carbon fibering is a whole other process though requiring a large bag and a vacum. If you get it down you might check into carbon kevlar. There is a large veriety of colors.

Well, looks like the supplies I ordered could not be sent overnight so I'll have to wait until wednesday. I'll post pics of the progress

Nice...

I mentioned that I dont know a while back, then someone here started making the shells (kind of cheez)

Thats cool if you make the whole thing, granted it wont help me much, but I think the idea is cool.

i'm interrested if it turns our pretty :D

http://www.lighter.net/products/DSC00731.JPG

yes i cut the bottom edge wrong but its just the prototype.

what happened to the upper corner? did you make a mold for that?

Oh shite, I thought when you said DASH you mean DASH. That would be the A/C panel. Never mind on my last post.

the whole thing is out of a mold. im doing the shifter panel too.

yep, i thought that too. What you have there is just the A/C panel which is easy too make. When I make mines, it will be the entire dash which would include the instrument pannel and glove box areas :)

maybe the misunderstanding is mine.

seems like it would be impossible to make the entire dash since it has all kinds of brackets on it.

the point of my ac panel is that you can cut out whatever holes you want for gauges etc.

skunks---same page with me. I want to make one too hehe

rockshox---Its possible, I have seen custom ones, but no production. Yeah thats a cool idea, I want to say there are others doing it already(i have seen some in the past) but im not sure if they are in production either.