AB Performance Sabre Racer - Complete Bodywork in Carbon


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andygtt
andygtt
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This is looking great, can't wait to see it progress.

I'd like to give you a little input as I've done similar to my car recently using the EC system with similar previous experience to you :-)

Leave the buck on the car, IMO this is critical as it's much more important that the shape of the mould is right than saving a little hassle. Think laterally about the areas were the chassis is in the way, it's going to be cut out there anyway so maybe plan to back fill these areas with resin and gel coat and put the fence were you would have wanted everywhere else.

As warren says spend loads of time thinking about the shut lines, direction they will come off, what you will lever against and rigidity give to the part by the joint. 

Spend a lot of time easy leasing then waxing the buck, it's amazing how the gel seems to stick to certain surface like brown stuff to a blanket!

Make sure the workshop is warm when you gel coat and do 2 coats of gel with 12hrs between coats.

Good luck with the whole process, I learned entirely from advice from Matt.
Ragged99
Ragged99
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Thanks for the advice all.   We're pretty nervous about the whole fence location business so input is greatly appreciated.    Tim is just finish rubbing down the last layer of tooling primer.   I'll be over there this Sunday and our target is to get the gloss Topcoat on on Sunday afternoon.    The next pics will be up online then

Adrian
Toffee
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great looking project, watching with interest Cool
Ragged99
Ragged99
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Hi All, 
I thought I'd give you an update on our progress, we've had a few problems along the way but today was a very big day.  It was time to release the mould from the buck.


We've made 6 major moulds and 6 minor peripheral ones.  

I have to say the that the Easy Lease and uni mould systems all worked perfectly and the moulds released without any trauma.  It even released from a couple of areas where we had some surfacing issues with either some of the base mdf  or wood showing through.   The whole mould set was released from the buck in About 45 minutes.  And then the buck was dismantled in about the same time.

https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/1604551_10201688792918830_1847555119_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/t1/1897831_10201688992363816_2104949447_n.jpg

Next items on the agenda are to make yet more temporary fences on the mould margins to cast up the mounting faces and lugs so that the four parts of the main mouldings positively locate together on the car.

The surface finish isn't brilliant so we have a fair bit of mould rubbing down and polishing to do be fore we can use the moulds in anger.

We  think the first pulls will be some quick 2 layer polyester mouldings to act as mould protection covers.

Anyway I thought you'd like to see progress so far.

Adrian
Toffee
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Very nice work Cool
Ragged99
Ragged99
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Tim's put up a new blog post with a little more detail
Edited 10 Years Ago by Ragged99
Teem
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I thought you might like to see the moulds that resulted from all this:

http://www.hoverd.org/Tim/ttcp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Left-rear-large-mould-001.jpg


and the whole lot:

http://www.hoverd.org/Tim/ttcp/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Moulds-in-place.jpg


The mould release, a combination of Easylease and mould release wax worked brilliantly.

Lots more detail on the website: http://www.hoverd.org/Tim

Tim
wildcard
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Looks great! Can't wait to see the finished car!
Ragged99
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Well here's yet another update. With the moulds complete, and centre sections previously moulded with locating lugs.  Tim and I set about them on Sunday afternoon with a vast quantity of polyester resin and CSM to make the first pull bodywork from the moulds.

This is in hand laid up polyester (Gel plus 2 x 350GSM), mainly because Tim needs some bodywork to get out racing quickly  ( he spent last weekend chewing his spanners while I went racing)  and this was a quick, risk free way of doing it and seasoning the moulds, plus we're not yet ready to do a CF infusion and risk £150 quids worth of carbon+epoxy.  The plan is to use these polyester sections as mould protectors once we get the CF parts made.

The main question now is how much Carbon? We have a supply of 350GSM biax carbon,  so one or two layers of this + Carbon Kevlar reinforcement along edges and other high load areas such as catch mount points. Plus perhaps  reinforcement strips along each main "edge" in the  moulding.

Any suggestions on the layup or use of Soric for reinforcement and where.?

Anyway what you want is pictures right?

There are three flashlines on this part one up the centre and 1 about an inch in from each edge.

Incidentally the "indent" areas on the centre line of both parts are to be cut out leaving a small flange to allow additional covers to be fitted.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_tLacvCwJdA/U0Lj5AXf4DI/AAAAAAAAEhk/0QYql2ZD4RE/w602-h452-no/IMG_20140407_184342.jpg



And here's the back end .... strategic placed in Tim's hallway..

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/10170950_10153970219955076_1472074555_n.jpg
Hanaldo
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Very nice. I think working with that much csm and polyester would give me a breakdown, hate it with a passion. 
GO

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