Did some testfitting in the fiero to check if the shifter is still dead center in 'neutral' (it is!) and to take measurements for a new subwoofer enclosure:
Finally got the glovebox-door mold fixed and pulled the CF piece today: I really like the 3D look it has when light hits the piece! The real thing looks way better than the fake vinyl stuff imo...
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Originally posted by bubbajoexxx:
EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT you are doing a great job
a little hint apply at least 6 layers of carnuba wax to the raw forms before making the molds and you will eliminate the sticking problems
are you spraying gell coat to the parts before applyingthe fiber glass
Thank you Master of DIY! Yes I am applying/polishing several layers of carnauba wax (meguiars mold release wax) I also have some other stuff in a spraycan and some stuff which is called B-film..tried several approaches..I just think the raw (mdf) forms are too soft to pop them out easily...fiberglass/fiberglass dont cause problems nowadays. Maybe I should use more fiberglass/resin on the mockups. I am using gelcoat all the time for the molds and products (except with CF), I also mix it with a tint color so its easier to check if the surface is right....oh well you never stop learning.
[This message has been edited by Fie Ro (edited 06-13-2005).]
I still have to pick a color for the painted parts for the interior....maybe something close to the hi-temp paint I am using for my new engine..: ..looking at this mockup gets me thinking about making another copy of the glovebox piece, cut some holes and call it an exhaust manifold cover...lol
I'm partial to gun metal myself. Something about that shade (there is only one shade isn't there?) darker grey anyway, against chrome. Dark enough to let the chrome stand out without it having too much of a contrast. Depending on the color of your car, dark shades of blue and red work, but I still like gun metal...
Originally posted by dobey: Not CF valve covers? Awww...
..thought about it, but the gasket side is quite complicated and I would never want to take such a risk messing with a valvecover anyway...I tried some little cover thingie though Now this part didnt turn out how it should be. I could make a new piece but I still like a simple smoothed valvecover a lot more..trial and error...more CF will turn up somewhere else on the engine someday
Do you need to apply a release agent before laying up the carbon fiber on/in the mold? Just wondering becuase when they make carbon fiber parts at work if they don't use a release agent they can't get the part off the mold. If you found a way to make parts with out release agent I'm curious to know how.
Fie Ro, I am doing a 3800 SC, how much would you want to make me a set of those? I am interested, let me know if you have time and want to. I know shipping will be terrible, but I love the CF valve cover caps.
Alex
------------------ There's two types of cars in the world, Fieros and everything else.
Originally posted by Yellow87FieroGT: Do you need to apply a release agent before laying up the carbon fiber on/in the mold? Just wondering becuase when they make carbon fiber parts at work if they don't use a release agent they can't get the part off the mold. If you found a way to make parts with out release agent I'm curious to know how. Thanks, Jason
A good waxed and polished mold should do well...though I am experimenting with some stuff called "B-film" too.....like the name says it acts like a thin film layer which helps seperating the part from the mold. You can brush or spray it on and wash it off with warm water afterwards.
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Originally posted by FieroGTRwideboby: Fie Ro, I am doing a 3800 SC, how much would you want to make me a set of those? I am interested, let me know if you have time and want to. I know shipping will be terrible, but I love the CF valve cover caps. Alex
Thanks for the interest but I decided not to make/sell parts before I have finished everything I got myself into... Theres already 3 years of work in progress and I need to finish that first...hope you understand. Maybe you can make them yourself...heres how I started: a piece of MDF cut to size and smoothed a little at the edges primer, wetsanding and waxing to get it smooth for taking a simple mold You could even do some embossed logo thingie....
Very nice work so far. Looking great On the b film release agent it sounds like it is just a fancy name for PVA. Or Poly Vinyl Acetate. It also just gets wiped on or sprayed on and washes off with warm water. It is commonly used on new moulds for the first run after waxing the mould several times.
Finally got my TT vents and they look great! It took about 6 months to really get a set....sooo many searches, emails, ebay bidding etc etc. Now I got them and went to the parts store to find some matching tubing for the housing. First piece was bingo when testfitting a 90mm elbow piece. The vent just snaps in place! I think I just use them for the final assembly, after removing some ridges and excess material...here's the collage: And a little mockup of its final position.
Nice. Why did it take so long for the Audi vent to arrive?
Actually this set took only a few days to get ...but its hard to snatch them because TT interior swaps are very popular for the VW tuners now. So it took a lot of time, new at the dealer they cost close to $100 a piece, go figure. In the meantime I stripped my 'old' sub box and removed it for the last time to make a new template.. I have quite long arms so the aim is a good setup without too much obstruction...form follows function right?!..moving the speaker upwards already helps a lot...I ended up building a flimsy construction and some of the famous 2part urethane foam stuff for the mockup...it starts ugly but with some bondo and elbow grease it will get better
WOW...$100 a piece! What a rip-off. I know I bought (4) new ones for maybe $200?
Ack! Don't you hate it when people tell you things like this? This is one of the few threads that I really get excited about watching grow. You are doing a fantastic job. Good idea with the sub set up! My garage is finally starting to look like a garage as opposed to a storage space so it looks like I might try your idea soon. I've never worked with fiberglass before, but because of what I've learned here, I'm going to give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration. As far as the sub goes though, I'll have to see if there is something a little different to keep the stone throwers off my back.
Sorry I have been (update-) lazy lately...but I have pix now I took out the plastic trim pieces for paint and started putting some stuff back. Its the right time to replace the rearspeakers and putting new carpet in. Added a few wires first for the extra overhead switches: Bought a set of new 4x6 speakers but forgot the originals are really "thin" so I had to make a set of spacers: I hope they still fit behind the panel... Recovering the speakergrills looked a pita so I decided to smooth them with the panel and use some of the mesh I used before...this was not planned but hey.. midconsoleframe painted: Its hard to capture the color, it looks like a gunmetal version of the dark grey from the original interior but much more dramatic..lol ..reflection of the blue sky:
The upper midconsole piece and armrest will be covered in vinyl later (tan/black)...I have to finish the subwoofer piece first to be able to combine some parts before covering...but Ive got some carpet to work on in the meantime
Yeah I guess the speakers will fit, I rounded the edges of the spacers too...we'll see after doing the carpet I'll put the rearpanels back. I was a bit scared to do the carpet, even dug up the carpet pieces of my old fiero to act as a template to cut the new ones but decided this afternoon to do all the fitting in the car...today the driverside.(it will go over the original carpet) So I took out: a piece of 1x2 meters of carpet, some beer, a knife...and the driver seat. I must say it was easier than expected..started lining up one side with the midconsole..working down ..X where the seat studs push up and bolt it down..work it from there and cut corners Put the 'old' stuff back because it is my daily driver. Finally its starting to look better instead of worse!
Got all the carpet and trim done....finally it starts looking cozy in there Doing the carpet at the passenger side: But first I had to pull my old stereo gear: Found some of my fiero gremlins I'll reuse this setup because it still sounds and looks good to me I will also reuse the panel but with some changes, I stripped off the vinyl and will smooth it and paint it in the new color later
Yes I am applying/polishing several layers of carnauba wax (meguiars mold release wax) I also have some other stuff in a spraycan and some stuff which is called B-film..tried several approaches..I just think the raw (mdf) forms are too soft to pop them out easily...fiberglass/fiberglass dont cause problems nowadays. Maybe I should use more fiberglass/resin on the mockups. I am using gelcoat all the time for the molds and products (except with CF), I also mix it with a tint color so its easier to check if the surface is right....oh well you never stop learning.
