plexiglass

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by AquaPython

i think you are better off building it from fiberglass.

it will be easier to build from fiberglass... BUT if you use thin plexy you can bend it with a heat gun and patients... but try'n to do complex bends and corners is a waste of time and effort. at most you can do is roll it one direction ie roll it into a u... but can't make a box with out cutting and attaching ends.

in the end the plexy would be very heavy compared to fiberglass..


why were you thinking plexy?

[MikeSP1]

Originally Posted by ebbs15

it will be easier to build from fiberglass... BUT if you use thin plexy you can bend it with a heat gun and patients... but try'n to do complex bends and corners is a waste of time and effort. at most you can do is roll it one direction ie roll it into a u... but can't make a box with out cutting and attaching ends.

in the end the plexy would be very heavy compared to fiberglass..


why were you thinking plexy?

Cutting and bending isn't problem, and when I'm working with my hands, I've got all the patience in the world. So pretty much a dremel and a hair drier?

I was thinking plexi because I need something to use as a template in order to build a mold. The final product(s) with be from either fiberglass or carbon fiber.

[OneSickPsycho]

Depends on what you mean by plexiglass? Straight acrylic would be a pain in the ass as it likes to shatter... Lexan or some other polycarbonate would be much easier. Polycarb can be formed using a heat gun, but a torch works better... obviously the thickness used would determine the heat source. Now, I would recommend just making it out of the polycarb and forget fiberglass and CF.

[MikeSP1]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

Depends on what you mean by plexiglass? Straight acrylic would be a pain in the ass as it likes to shatter... Lexan or some other polycarbonate would be much easier. Polycarb can be formed using a heat gun, but a torch works better... obviously the thickness used would determine the heat source. Now, I would recommend just making it out of the polycarb and forget fiberglass and CF.

I was thinking something along the lines of acrylic but I do admit that going that way would be a pain in the ass. So maybe Lexan, but how thick? Something like 1/16 inch?

[OneSickPsycho]

Originally Posted by MikeSP1

I was thinking something along the lines of acrylic but I do admit that going that way would be a pain in the ass. So maybe Lexan, but how thick? Something like 1/16 inch?

1/16" would be ok for a mold... could be done with a heat gun... 1/8" would require a torch... I'd just make it out of 1/8" and be done with it. You can even get black Lexan... The whole making a mold thing just seems counter productive... You're talking about adding a part that weighs a few ounces and isn't really seen.

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by MikeSP1

Cutting and bending isn't problem, and when I'm working with my hands, I've got all the patience in the world. So pretty much a dremel and a hair drier?

I was thinking plexi because I need something to use as a template in order to build a mold. The final product(s) with be from either fiberglass or carbon fiber.

you wanna build a mold... use cardboard and styrophome... that spray expanding foam is awesome for this.


the thing is you can make a sphere with fiberglass... you can't with plexy. you can make it round as in in a cylinder but not sphere... as you'd have folds and shit.

save yourself the trouble...get cardboard and spray foam... it's what I used when doing fiberglass for car stereo installs before I came in the military.

as far as I know it's what they're still using now

[MikeSP1]

Originally Posted by ebbs15

you wanna build a mold... use cardboard and styrophome... that spray expanding foam is awesome for this.


the thing is you can make a sphere with fiberglass... you can't with plexy. you can make it round as in in a cylinder but not sphere... as you'd have folds and shit.

save yourself the trouble...get cardboard and spray foam... it's what I used when doing fiberglass for car stereo installs before I came in the military.

as far as I know it's what they're still using now

Cardboard for the base and basic outline and then spray the shit out of it with great stuff (far away from the bike of course and on only one side) and then just shape it the way I want? That sounds pretty simple.

[Mr Lefty]

yup

[MikeSP1]

Originally Posted by ebbs15

yup

Sweet, that sounds one hell of a lot easier than what I was thinking. Thanks a lot. Cool thing is that the Homac (a Japanese WalMart) opens in 30 min.

[Mr Lefty]

nice... yeah it'll be easy... and if you fuck up... quick to start over!

get some sand paper to help shape it