CarBEN EV5 Full Sized Prototype Construction - 5 Seat Electric Car From Scratch

[bennelson]

For a video, I would suggest that you edit together an animation of your original 3D Model with photos of the project of what has been done so far.

Add inspirational/motivational music behind it and create a voice over explaining not just what the project is, but how you FEEL about it, what it will BECOME, and how it will make the world a better place.

It's a pretty amazing project, and I think it would be a great candidate for some crowd-source fund-raising.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by bennelson

... I think it would be a great candidate for some crowd-source fund-raising.

Absolutely agreed. What great advice Ben gives too. The qualities of the video are really important. Going over to "Kick Starter"? Please post a link here at EM to where ever you go to seek crowd sourced funds. I'll link to it on my facebook and elsewhere.

[Jyden]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

I picked an awkward time to order fiberglass - I ordered on July 3rd, and it shipped yesterday and is on it's way. And the day after tomorrow, I will be traveling and I won't be back until early next week.

Also, I'm largely responsible for my kids during their summer vacation, so I'm not getting nearly as much time to work on the CarBEN EV5 chassis as I'd hoped.

I am seriously considering how to approach a crowd funding campaign - a video is required, I think, but a video of what, specifically. How to encapsulate what I've done so far, and how to show the potential of this project. Never mind the little detail of how much money I need to finish this car.

Any and all thoughts you have would be very helpful!

Suggest that yu make a paypall account. Very easy way for others to donate some $

[NeilBlanchard]

I'm back to work on my CarBEN EV5 project, and I've laid my first piece of fiberglass, on a trial piece left over from cutting out the battery bays. I used the 8.9oz e-glass (8 loom fabric) because it is a 50" width, so I have more of it.

I have 6 different fiberglass fabrics to test:
3oz e-glass
8.9oz e-glass
10oz e-glass
4oz s2-glass
6oz s2-glass
8.9oz s2-glass

The foam pieces are ~6" x ~10.5" x ~1" thick, and some have one corner that has a larger radius. I'm going to glue fabric to both large faces, to familiarize myself as to how they work with a certain amount of glue (Titebond III) and to test them for relative strength.

The e-glass is less expensive, and the s2-glass is about 25-30% stronger all else being equal.

[2007 ion2]

the less excess adhesive, the stronger the fiberglass composite will be.

[freebeard]

Congratulations, that's a milestone.

Are you going to experiment with vacuum bagging?

[NeilBlanchard]

I meant to also say that I will be making two samples of each fabric - one with the smooth stock surface, and one with a roughened surface (using a wire brush or similar) to increase the surface area the glue can bond with. (As suggested by someone here on EM.)

I also am hoping to find someone with a strain gauge tool that can measure the strength of these samples. Or I may just measure the deflection under load. It would be nice to find the load it takes for failure, and see *how* it fails, though.

So far, the Titebond III in it's "stock" thickness has been better behaved than I was expecting. I apply it to the foam, then brush it one evenly, then lay the fabric, roll it with the small diameter ridged roller I got from US Composites - the glue just oozes through the fabric, and apply a bit less glue to the fabric, then brush it out evenly. If I' need to do two layers, then I would skip the top surface gluing until after the second layer.

I am not planning on vacuum bagging, and it looks like I'll be fine; so far anyway.

[samwichse]

Toyota FT-Bh Super Mini Hybrid Concept Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Saw this and thought "Looks like Toyota beat Neil to the punch with a car they'll never, ever produce."

[freebeard]

That's getting pretty close to the half-circular section of a half-body of revolution. And it's box cavity-ish.

[2007 ion2]

my problem with using wood glue instead of epoxy is, will the wood glue soak into the fibers of the fiberglass? the epoxy soaks into the fibers truly bonding the two to form a composite instead of a glue just holding things in one place. just holding fiberglass in place doesn't make an actual structure, even if it appears to be. how the glue holds the fiberglass to the foam is important, but more important is how the impregnated (once again, key being, it has to be impregnated, not just held together) fiberglass acts independent of the foam.