Could I use these instead of pizza pans?

[Xist]

I looked at several used dishes and none of them were circular, but I do not think that they would work unless the section was spherical.

The scratches look bad, but those would only look worse over time. They came that way! Putting a "lunar curve" on the covers might make them more aesthetically appealing--until they get scratched up.

Wouldn't curbs only be able to scratch the edge of the disk?

I just planned on making covers that centered and came to the rim, more or less, sitting on top of any wheel weights. I had thought about trying to find a shallow dish at the restaurant supply outlet.

How about a lid?! A perfectly round dish would require a flat base, which would be fine, but a lid could be perfectly round!

I wanted to go to the store today, but everything depends on paying my rent. It was due the first, when I had drill, with a test the day before, and another test after drill. I tried looking for my checkbook, but of course, as soon as I came home today I saw it.

As for a design on the surface of a flat disk, I thought that would be obvious!

[anders8]

Originally Posted by Xist

We already established that wheel covers need to be one inch larger than the rims,

Not exactly.

Closer to the truth is that one needs to measure their rims beforehand. There are many different designs of wheel. Steel versus aluminum have vastly different designs. A rule of thumb that seems to work at 14" may be crap at 19".

Same for the pizza trays. They're sold at 15", but you measured them at 14 7/8".

Everything about these sorts of projects is custom. Expect nothing to be exactly what it says it is, until you measure it yourself.

Cheers,
Anders

[Xist]

Originally Posted by anders8

Not exactly.

Closer to the truth is that one needs to measure their rims beforehand. There are many different designs of wheel. Steel versus aluminum have vastly different designs. A rule of thumb that seems to work at 14" may be crap at 19".

Same for the pizza trays. They're sold at 15", but you measured them at 14 7/8".

Everything about these sorts of projects is custom. Expect nothing to be exactly what it says it is, until you measure it yourself.

Cheers,
Anders

Fine. We established "Measure twice, order once."

I never heard back from my landlord. I finally called him, but it just rang. I guess that I will send a check in the morning and hope that he does not charge a late fee.

I had planned on going to that store, but I realized that I did not have any idea what I was doing. I know that there are all manner of instructions on here about crafting things, but I though that it would be easier to use YouTube.

I just wanted to share this guy's cheesy video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcHxo7XNRi8

He builds a splitter using two layers of coroplast and several layers of carbon fiber. At 9:09 he jumps on it, hits it with a sledgehammer, tips it on its side, and climbs the fins like a ladder.

I really liked this series!

How to Make a Carbon Fiber Car Bonnet/Hood - Part 1/3 - YouTube
How to Make a Carbon Fiber Car Bonnet/Hood - Part 3/3 - YouTube
How to Make a Carbon Fiber Car Bonnet/Hood - Part 2/3 - YouTube

It is actually vacuum-bagging carbon fiber, but I think that much of that applies to fiberglass. Of course, I do not have any idea how to do any of it!

[freebeard]

I looked at several used dishes and none of them were circular, but I do not think that they would work unless the section was spherical.

Don't take me too literally; I think I said

Use a water tank or a big satellite dish for a form, and use carbon fiber.

The optimal fit would be if the drop center of a pizza pan just fit inside the flanged lip [lipped flange?] of a steel rim. That could look real clean.

Then place each one face down on a spare rim and drop a sandbag in the center until it has a little crown. I measured one of my Moons; it has 1 5/8" of crown. Half that would help w/o increasing the frontal area.

I thought while my camera has good batteries I'd do the repair on them. I need 6 sheet aluminum disks 1 1/2" in diameter. The leather puch I wanted to use won't cut it, so when my snips turn up I will proceed.

[Xist]

I bought my new tray, after verifying the diameter with my tape measurer, and it fit just inside the lip of my rim. In fact, it actually sat there, held in place by the lip, so I wonder if I could use that. I thought about how screen windows are created, using that spline to attach the screen to the frame, but I just do not think that it would work for my application.

In order to make a plug:
1. Clean my hubcap.
2. Attach plastic or something between the spokes, without any gaps.
3. Coat it with wax (several layers, buffing in between?)
4. Coat it with release agent (several layers?)
5. Cut the fiberglass fabric to fit, apply resin, and roll out air.
6. Repeat with multiple layers.
7. Flip it over, wax and apply release agent to the other side.
8. Cut more fiberglass to fit the front, apply resin, and roll out air.

That would make normal hubcaps, but in order to make smooth ones I am thinking that I need to do the above, but only for the center and the spokes. If I center that on my pizza tray, I can bring in the rim, but either I would need to leave the center open or make openings or tubes to reach the lugnuts. I could potentially cover any of those, but it just seems more and more complicated.

From what I have seen in the videos, 90° angles in fiberglass are problematic, but I think that is mostly due to the tendency of air to trap.

[Xist]

I looked through the Australian gentleman's videos until I found his first how-to and he included a materials list!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwL0T47Qjs8

By the way, it looks like if you want to embed the video, you need to include the address, the shortcut (under "share") only provides a link.

[freebeard]

I bought my new tray, after verifying the diameter with my tape measurer, and it fit just inside the lip of my rim.

...in order to make smooth ones I am thinking that I need to do the above, but only for the center and the spokes. If I center that on my pizza tray, I can bring in the rim...

If you have the pan/tray/separator, with that good fit, why do you need the fiberglass?

[Xist]

Originally Posted by freebeard

If you have the pan/tray/separator, with that good fit, why do you need the fiberglass?

This is why:

Originally Posted by freebeard

You don't see real Moon disks Mickey-Moused onto the lug nuts.

If I purchase three more trays, I need to figure out how to attach them.

I want to make smooth wheel covers that attach conventionally and stay on.

[freebeard]

Did you see the video at http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post373838

He has an interesting approach (not the "...on being Weird when normal isn't working for my church."). Stand-offs on hubcaps.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Did you see the video at http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tml#post373838

He has an interesting approach (not the "...on being Weird when normal isn't working for my church."). Stand-offs on hubcaps.

Hey, I have not ever understood aspiring to normalcy, but fifty miles per gallon is currently impossible for me. I would rather hold on to my dignity, to whatever extent I actually possess any.

I want just one person to look at what I have done and say "Hey! I think that I will do that!"