I want to pull a mold off the tilt front on my Thames van...and reproduce it in fibergl***... I have considered two choices: 1) making a mold from paper mache....perhaps paper mixed with wall paper paste....and laying it up by hand... 2) OR using high strength gypsum (plaster powder) mixed with a reinforcing substance like gl*** fibres or cellufibre insulation and doing a 'spray buildup' using texture (mud) spray equipment..... http://www.grandsportcorvette.com/gs/body http://www.all-wall.com/acatalog/A000_Portable_Sprayers_9.php http://www.gp.com/build/product.aspx?pid=1572 Have attached these links...the grand sport corvette mold pull technique in plaster is especially interesting....use sublink off this link to access....there are detailed photo specs of them doing the front and rear body sections, etc.... BUT....I think paper mache could work too..... ANY experienced suggestions appreciated.... PIX attached of the front flip I want to duplicate.. Thanx!!!!
Take a look at some of these movies on youtube. The guy pretty much shows you how to make molds and everything you would need to make your own parts. He made a ten part series of "how to fibergl***" http://youtube.com/user/G***erGl***
I do realize that...thanx... however a gl*** mold gets very costly.....and the heat generated thru the cure will likely craze or otherwise affect the paint..... I'm thinking of a simple, cheapo method....for a one off mold and not for repeat production.....
The backyard way of the fibergl*** funny car builders was to make a fibergl*** jacket around the original steel car, remove that, build a support structure to the outsideof it, finish the gelcoat inside the mold to perfection. than make that your mold for the new body.
I agree; the only thing to use that will have any strength is fibergl***. Don't strt this without hiring an experienced advisor. I think you are going to have to blank off all the holes in your piece, including headlights. And the scoop if probably going to have to be a separate mold. Keep in mind that after you've layed down all the gl***...up to a half-inch for strength...you are going to have to separate the mold from the plug (your car front). If there is any negative angles or those that go inward, so to speak, you run the risk of not being able to get your plug out of the mold. I dunno man, you stand a very good chance of friggin' up the front part of your car. You gonna sell these or what? I'd invest in some educational DVD's from Fibre Glast or West Fibergl*** before trying something like this...maybe practice on a big Tonka toy first (seriously). Have you ever worked with fibergl***?
dunno man, you stand a very good chance of friggin' up the front part of your car. You gonna sell these or what? I'd invest in some educational DVD's from Fibre Glast or West Fibergl*** before trying something like this...maybe practice on a big Tonka toy first (seriously). Have you ever worked with fibergl***?<!-- / message --><!-- sig --> __________________ You betcha I've worked w/gl***......and I've pulled molds using gl***.... the point is that I know just how much work and $$$$$ for materials is involved......and my project is a "one time shot".... Hell, Anglia Thames 300e vans like mine are very rare....only a handfull around in all of North Amerika.....the odds of selling a tilt front is very slim at best.... I wanna duplicate it in gl*** in case some idiot backs into me in parking lot! There simply are no panel replacements available anywhere in the world...for this 50 yr. old model....they are one of the rarest buggies around... and there are more than 2 ways to skin a kat as far as mold making methods go...check out the 'vette site to see but thanx anyhow....
I have a Visual Effects Company and do quite a lot of moldmaking. I've done molds of nunerous car and body parts, Fibergl***, plaster, and RTV rubber. If you would like to discuss moldmaking in detail, let me know and we can talk.
Plaster will work fine. I use burlap for reinforcement and something that big needs reinforcing so it doesn't warp and then make a warped part. Design in a bolt on brace that registers the shape and size of the open side of the mold, much like bracing a body when chopping a top. Be sure the plaster is DRY and sealed with wax before laying up resin in it. Polyester will never kick at all in the presence of water and Epoxy will foam! I buy plaster at a ceramics supply for about $20 a 100 lb bag. Burlap can be had cheap at a bait and tackle store. They usually sell coffee or potato sacks for putting fish in for about a dollar.
so now after fillin holes anda thick build up of wax start figurin just because your front is made in one piece ya don't have to do it in one shot make parting lines/dams with clay.and then wood walls.. say half way down the fender ....say do from this point to the center of the hood .(like a late vette hood) with your front clip removed and accessible to the under side you could cool it with a water spray or a sprinkler or like that do the 6-8 pieces you need .. pull them then ***emble them together if you must have a whole flip front negative mold reinforcement to original specs is the hard part here as we all have heard how molded parts don't fit after they cure outa shape or make up many negative pieces and pull these positive parts and put them together after removal trim excess from the big mold is easy while still unset its getting the shape after is the hard part now to go a step further is to pour a plaster and composite into your mold to make a "buck' that you can reshape (after removal )or come apart in halves so you can then remove a full piece again and again or buy another front clip!
HI How did you get on with the mold, any luck ? I also am looking for a flip front for my 56 thames.Do you still have the mold ? did it work ? rebelrat ,
That front end always was a bit heavy.... There was an excellent thread about a year ago where a guy made a mold from a modified dragster body (Sattelite) and then did another. Great step by step pics. How are the braid fuel lines holding up? (I made them up for Jack) Flatman
find somebody that is into thames restoration and maybe they have a "castoff" front end that was too rusty to use but could be doctored up enough to be made into a mold for that "one shot" extra front end.
I have done a lot of this kind of stuff. Some thoughts. DrJ says use plaster. I have used it, its fun to work with, but Its very heavy and has to be cured correctly and then sealed. When making a one time cast I have been sucsessful. When trying to make one I could reuse, I failed. More than once. Fibergl*** is the way to go. Only put one layer on at a time and you wont have heat problem. Wax your original part many many times, use PVA mold release, and you wont mess up the original. Masking tape works well to cover holes. You could make a 2nd part for resale and recoup your costs. Have someone help you that has done it before, Its low tech and easy, but one little screwup and it can be very bad.
Even though you would have import, it would still be cheaper and quicker and better finished than a first attempt. http://www.oldfordautos.co.uk/phdi/p1.nsf/supppages/oldford?opendo***ent&part=2
Have you considered making it a multi piece flip front.Make individual moulds for each fender and the hood and front valance...then bolt them together into one unit or bond them together.The full flip front ***embly mould is a big floppy structure and will need a lot of bracing to hold it all square and rigid enough to manhandle.If you do not have fibregl*** laminating skills, I would suggest you find a company who could do the work for you.
Especially with the GB pound in freefall - gotta be quicker and easier than making your own up for a one-off. Shipping direct would be expensive, but I'm sure the guys who ship my larger parts from NJ to the UK also ship back in your direction, and they consolidate parts into a single crate or container to save cost.
maybe this will give you an idea? http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11536&highlight=tech tt
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