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JohnH
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 20,
Visits: 151
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Hi All I have to thank Matt for his guidance and assistance with my various projects over the last six months or so, I would not have managed without your help along with this website. Up to this point I have moulded my own Carbon sheet using various thickness of "Soric" to produce truly professional finished Carbon sheet which I have used in building various Tri's Quad's and Hexacopters, I have also made Canopies used to cover the fragile electronic components, all of which have used the vacuum resin infusion technique. Now I am going for the totally moulded Quad, 500mm between motors, consisting of a top and a bottom moulded shell, with internal (own made carbon plates). Up to this point I have used the high density polyurethane foam block as a core to build a pattern, this has now been covered with one layer of 163g woven glass cloth, I will add another layer once this is cured (not sure if I should have used two layers up front). I have attached a photo of progress of the pattern, I intend to use the pattern to make internal moulds (guided again by Carbon Mods) which I will mould Carbon Fibre shells that house all equipment and hopefully will fly. I will try to let you know how I go on along the way.
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Wabba
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 21,
Visits: 64
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Hi John, Very interesting project you have there. I have been thinking about something similar, but is still far away from beginning. Are you planning to use just CF or a mix of CF and Kevlar? Please keep us posted, looks promising. Off topic (or should I say off-forum), which UAV system are you planning to use? Wabba
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JohnH
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 20,
Visits: 151
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Hi Wabba I am using CF with Soric as reinforcement, multiply layers of CF at the motor mounts, the cats whisker aerials will be outside of the shell so should be OK with the radio signal. I think I will use Hoverfly with the GPS aerial mounted in the dome, I have had some problems with this system but hopefully the updates will sort this out. Or DJI Nazza, at the moment I am using are DJI Wookung which is amazingly good and so stable. Hopefully this week I will cast the moulds after I have finished polishing the Patterns, I will post pictures before doing this.
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Matt (Staff)
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 680,
Visits: 1.9K
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Hi John, It was great to see the (almost) finished pattern on Friday, I think people will be amazed too see what a great job you made of it and in only a week as well. When people see the pictures of the pattern I hope they will be inspired to make their own designs too - like you said, once you can make a pattern from scratch and then make a mould from that pattern then you can do anything! I can't wait to see pics of the pattern on here and also to see your mould layup and of course, the first parts! Keep us 'posted'  Matt
Matt StathamEasy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Sales
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JohnH
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 20,
Visits: 151
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Hi Again I have finish polished/polished "easyleased" and waxed the pattern and then installed it into 2mm corex about half way through the thickness of the pattern, this is then sealed with a fine bead of yellow wax to stop the Gelcoat seeping through. All in all a fiddly job, but hopefully this will work, attached are the pictures of the three stages, from the pattern fixed and waxed into the corex shroud, then gelcoated, then epoxy resin moulded, using the mould making starter kit. I hope I will see the pattern again! Sorry about the pics being 90' out
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Wabba
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 21,
Visits: 64
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JohnH
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 20,
Visits: 151
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Well the canopy has "popped out" I thought I may struggle to release it, but it came out so easily! and the finish looks great.
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Wabba
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 21,
Visits: 64
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Looks great! Very inspiring work there.
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JohnH
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 20,
Visits: 151
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Hi Again I have talked to the guys at EC and it looks as if I have not made the flanges that will support the infusion lines and mesh wide enough to be able to use the mould efficiently, plus:- I was having second thoughts about the way that I had finished the pattern, (some parts were 2K finished and some were not). Also when I cut the corex shroud my cuts were not precise and I filled the gaps with yellow wax this made small ridges which I would not have liked on the finished mould and would have meant that I would have to fettle after the mould was released. I got excited, I rushed things! So the bottom line is, I have extracted the pattern out of the bottom mould so I can make a new one (hopefully correctly this time). There was damage to the pattern, so I will have to make this good, I am going to give myself more time on the new one and allow the paint to cure for the correct amount of time. One mistake I made which may be of interest for someone in the future is that the weather has been so good in the UK! that I thought to leave the pattern in the sun after I had coated it with gelcoat, BIG MISTAKE, this apparently lowers the viscosity of the gelcoat and will not give the correct thickness. I will also use more than 2 applications of easylease and 2 wax coats the next time, with the view that this may aid in getting the mould/pattern to release. This may seem that the process was a small disaster, but that was not the case, I have learned some new lessons and if I had continued I would have been able to rescue the mould with some post operative work, (if I could have separated it) I will post a pic of the first bottom mould for info.
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Joe
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Group: Forum Members
Posts: 310,
Visits: 1.5K
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Cant wait to see it... Keep us updated 
 A $1000 electronic device will always protect a 10 cents fuse
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