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Old 05-01-2008, 08:32 PM   #1 (permalink)
trikkonceptz
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Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Homestead, Fl.
Posts: 927

Evil Pumpkin - '08 Scion xD RS 1.0 #1633
90 day: 35.45 mpg (US)

Silent Silver Killer - '10 Honda Insight EX
90 day: 51.5 mpg (US)
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DIY - Basic Fabrication

I have very quickly learned on this site that you guys like me, love to make stuff for your cars. Well as an experienced fabricator, I have a couple of suggestions that should get you through some of your easy projects.

The easiest way to modify an existing part is;
-Cover it with painters tape (The blue one), that way you preserve the original surface.
-Once you have the shape you desire (IE, covered holes smoothed gaps with the tape), you are ready to work with cotton fleece.
-Fleece is relatively inexpensive, stretches well and bonds beautifully with Fiberglass and resin.
-Stretch the fleece over the area you want to mold and secure any way you can.
-Then add your fiberglass, either sheet or floss and mix with resin. The resin you can mix many ways, the hotter you mix it the quicker it dries but the reaction is literally warmer, so be aware of the surfaces you are working with.
-Once dry the painters tape will act as a mold release and you can pull your pieces apart.

This is a very oversimplified DIY, but working with fleece and fiberglass is not hard and will accomplish alot of the DIY projects I see on the site. If I had the time I would offer to help you manufacture stuff, but right now there is just no way. If you need specific advice please send me a tell, I have connections with manufacturers who have 5 axis machinery and can duplicate anything they can scan or get into a computer.

Happy modding ....

PS here are a couple of pieces I made with wooden frames and some fleece, these are part of my trailer queen BTW ...

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Thx NoCO2; "The biggest FE mod you can make is to adjust the nut behind the wheel"

I am a precisional instrument of speed and aeromatics
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Imatech (07-10-2010)