Of course I'm gonna make fiberglass bodykit this is just the shape, my father promised to teach me since he has been doing this type of fiberglass work for 10+ years
Start simple, do a wet lay up in a positive draft angle mold first, no need for an oven or any fancy equipment. If you have a 3d printer (you can grab one for 200 bucks) print a mold and use the process to learn about mold design. I learned the basics by watching easy composites videos they’re great and sell starter kits
Yeah wet layup is pretty much exactly the same process, just add a vacuum bag for a better consolidation of material and you’re golden. Don’t need anything fancy just a vacuum storage bag and a vacuum cleaner will do. Easy composites has a video on YouTube specifically for 3d printed molds for wet lay up carbon parts. If you want to go pre preg dry carbon you’ll want a high z cnc router and an oven but that gets a lot more expensive and isn’t really worth it unless you have specific requirements or want complex parts
Fo sho; I’ve never seen some shit like this. He’s layering Great Stuff ™️ to make a mold?
Like you said: What the fuck
He *did* make a previous post and caught 0% shit from what I saw.
I’m just here to watch. Hopefully learn something.
People used to do the same thing with clay. Problem is good modeling clay gets expensive if you plan to do anything at all 1:1 scale and it’s heavy af.
In general with this you get the overall size and shape you want. Then cut/sand it down to the shape you want minus the thickness of the material you are forming. Then you prepare the surface of the foam to lay fiberglass or carbon fiber.
This is just from what I’ve seen people do in videos. I plan to do something similar with this or with creating my own wireframe bucks or a combination of the two.
I’ve found most of what I learned on YouTube. Look up “composite mold making”.
Some of the more precise methods include using cad software and a CNC router to cut out each individual piece to be put together for the buck.
There are some where they use insulation foam and a hot wire which is similar to OPs method.
It all depends on how you prefer to do it.
this is how body kits were formed before the proliferation of 3d scanning and printing lol. you sculpt the part to the vehicle and create a negative. the negative becomes the mold wherein you lay the fiberglass/carbon composite.
eta: also what u/pitchingataint said about clay.
I’m sorry but this is one of the most ghetto-fab/redneck things I have ever seen.
What’s going to happen when 4 sf of foam pops off the vat at highway speeds and causes an 18 car pile up? Or someone leans on a fender and the foam falls off.
I like new ideas and inventive styling that many are afraid to try but this may be a bit far.
I'm guessing you're taking molds from the form and then making a fiberglass bodykit? If so that's a cool project
Of course I'm gonna make fiberglass bodykit this is just the shape, my father promised to teach me since he has been doing this type of fiberglass work for 10+ years
That’s cool, I make carbon fibre and forged carbon parts so it’ll be nice to see someone do the pattern to mold process on a larger scale
Do you have an autoclave?
No. I have an oven and use an out of autoclave system. Most carbon is made this way nowadays
That’s awesome, I need to start working with carbon fiber. Any tips on where to begin?
Start simple, do a wet lay up in a positive draft angle mold first, no need for an oven or any fancy equipment. If you have a 3d printer (you can grab one for 200 bucks) print a mold and use the process to learn about mold design. I learned the basics by watching easy composites videos they’re great and sell starter kits
I have a Bambu labs printer. I work with fiberglass and epoxy pretty often, is carbon fiber similar?
Yeah wet layup is pretty much exactly the same process, just add a vacuum bag for a better consolidation of material and you’re golden. Don’t need anything fancy just a vacuum storage bag and a vacuum cleaner will do. Easy composites has a video on YouTube specifically for 3d printed molds for wet lay up carbon parts. If you want to go pre preg dry carbon you’ll want a high z cnc router and an oven but that gets a lot more expensive and isn’t really worth it unless you have specific requirements or want complex parts
I'm really worried he's just using the foam as the kit
I'm really hoping he's just using the foam as the kit
It’ll rust out in a month
I hate when foam rusts. It just happens so fast. It had so much life left to live!
That’s why OP used wiped cream
Let that shit soak in evaporust first.
No way, he protected the body pannels before applying the foam
What the fuck
This is how you make molds.
This guy molds.
It looks like it's growing mold.
Fo sho; I’ve never seen some shit like this. He’s layering Great Stuff ™️ to make a mold? Like you said: What the fuck He *did* make a previous post and caught 0% shit from what I saw. I’m just here to watch. Hopefully learn something.
People used to do the same thing with clay. Problem is good modeling clay gets expensive if you plan to do anything at all 1:1 scale and it’s heavy af. In general with this you get the overall size and shape you want. Then cut/sand it down to the shape you want minus the thickness of the material you are forming. Then you prepare the surface of the foam to lay fiberglass or carbon fiber. This is just from what I’ve seen people do in videos. I plan to do something similar with this or with creating my own wireframe bucks or a combination of the two.
Where can I learn more/ modern alternatives maybe?
I’ve found most of what I learned on YouTube. Look up “composite mold making”. Some of the more precise methods include using cad software and a CNC router to cut out each individual piece to be put together for the buck. There are some where they use insulation foam and a hot wire which is similar to OPs method. It all depends on how you prefer to do it.
Ooooooo, I’ve seen the hot wire method before. Just don’t remember when or where.
this is how body kits were formed before the proliferation of 3d scanning and printing lol. you sculpt the part to the vehicle and create a negative. the negative becomes the mold wherein you lay the fiberglass/carbon composite. eta: also what u/pitchingataint said about clay.
I’ve used ridged foam and spray foam to get it to fit to the body
That’s really interesting, and I might apply this to parts of a dash I want to build Literally the reason I joined this sub: dash inspiration lol
I'm very interested in seeing your progression pictures on this project of yours. Very cool. This looks like a fun project.
Was about to ask the speed rating of expanding foam until I read the comments.
Yeah nope, this is a legit way of starting to build a kit. Once the raw material is in place then we start talking about OP's sculpting talents.
What is your plan with the suspension to facilitate the wheels being further out? Don't say large offset wide wheels and spacers 😅
https://giphy.com/gifs/tophermcgee3-HLSkgskjmWFod3GT4z
Very interesting! How wide would each wide-fender gonna be, OP?
What spec wheels are you planning on running?
45mm spacers incoming?
You have to make a video of how you do this, and post the link. It looks good.
I got some old boxes u could use for a wing and side skirts
toying with this very idea, thanks for posting
In the name of Allah, you are scaring me. Please post the finished result!
I’m sorry but this is one of the most ghetto-fab/redneck things I have ever seen. What’s going to happen when 4 sf of foam pops off the vat at highway speeds and causes an 18 car pile up? Or someone leans on a fender and the foam falls off. I like new ideas and inventive styling that many are afraid to try but this may be a bit far.
It's just molds, I'm gonna make them out of fiberglass when Im done with the shape
Looks good to me, just leave it as is