Quote:
Originally Posted by Smokeduv
The last ones are like the ones I want to make. Too bad that the design doesn't allow for a camera to fit inside with all the cabling all the way to the cabin
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Actually, you'll notice that the 'stalk' is an airfoil section - plenty of room in there for cable runs. And with a rectangular mirror, you could round off the outside end to allow for a camera mount.
There's a neat trick to making hollow things with fiberglass / carbon fibre: if you make the form out of styrofoam and use epoxy resin for the fiberglass, you can lay up the fiberglass right over the styrofoam, and then when the resin is set, a very small amount of acetone will melt the styrofoam away. You can't use standard polyester 'fiberglass' resin though, it'll melt the styrofoam too early
Regarding styrofoam, if you want to go this route, use the 'extruded' stuff, which is made by dow, comes in pink and blue, is fairly affordable, and should be readily available from building material supply places and refrigeration specialists (or possibly skips at building sites - ask nicely
). Don't use the white 'expanded' polystyrene, it's made of little balls which are a nightmare to work with. Extruded polystyrene cuts neatly with a sharp knife (a break-off utility knife at full extension works great) or a hot wire, and sands fairly easily (use a vacuum to avoid static-clingy dust everywhere).