Making a mould of a flexible part

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Making a mould of a flexible part

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magicaltrevor	magicaltrevor posted 10 Years Ago HOT Topic Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 16, Visits: 361	Hi, I'd like to make a mould of some fibreglass racing car parts, in particular the side pods of a single seater. The original parts are flex so I'm concerned that if I make a mould then it might not be straight. I have loads of spares so I don't mind if I have to sacrifice a piece and I was originally thinking of fitting the part to the car and then creating a wood frame to attach to the part. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
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Hanaldo	Hanaldo posted 10 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 2.5K, Visits: 28K	If you can make the mould while it's fitted to the car then that will guarantee that it is the shape you want, as often they might be a little bit flexed just in their fitment, and when removed from the car they relax by a few mm and it's way out. If a split mould is required and you can't get the whole thing done on the car, then make the main section of the mould and then remove it from the car and rely on the mould to hold the part in the correct position. Beware of high slip release agents and pre-release if you take this approach. Otherwise, if you're willing to sacrifice an original, then making it much stiffer whole it's on the car is also an option, access allowing of course. Laminate a few extra layers of fibreglass onto the inside, even some stiffeners if you want it to be really rigid (useful for making moulds).
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magicaltrevor	magicaltrevor posted 10 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 16, Visits: 361	Thank you for that. I won't be able to make the entire mould whilst it's on the car as there are overlapping sections from other body panels. I could, therefore, make a split mould with the 'hidden' sections being moulded whilst off the car (if that makes sense). I think I'm on the right track with my thinking, there doesn't seem to be another method that I've not thought of at least.
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Dravis	Dravis posted 10 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 592, Visits: 1.9K	I have had good results from making non permanent stiffeners from wood, Hot melt glued onto the back of fairing parts for bikes. In most cases these parts will flex a lot when not mounted on the bike. "Sapere Aude"... Dare to KNOW! The written word is the only truly efficient vehicle for transmitting a complex concept from mind to mind... 103% of all people do not understand statistics... Do not adjust our mind, theres a fault in reality :-)
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