Project Extended Pop-Top Aerodynamic Camper Shell ('99 Tacoma)

[KamperBob]

Your Taco's starting to resemble a service body: Reading, knapheide, etc. "I'm a working class truck not a parade float." Rock on!

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by KamperBob

Your Taco's starting to resemble a service body: Reading, knapheide, etc. "I'm a working class truck not a parade float." Rock on!

And for those us a little savvy to FE concerns for work trucks, RV's, etc, it'll be a stopped-in-my-lane-of-traffic "whoa, look at that!" (horns honking barely registering).

.

[a8ksh4]

I did the run-around town today, picking up some stuff. The hardener I had for the epoxy resin wasn't good for under 75 degress, so I picked up some quick hardner and a bit more resin and fiberglass weave today.

When I got home, I was in the mood and went ahead and installed an air-dam up front. That lawn edging is just awesome.


Soon, maybe, we will have some nice fiberglass bits... :P

[gone7]

Very clever!

[slowmover]

Sewn together like Frankenstein.

[a8ksh4]

I mixed up some resin today and worked about 2oz into one of the side panels this afternoon. It's setting up so slowly, I"m a little woried that I didn't get enough hardner in it. I'm picking up a scale tomorrow so I can weigh the resin as I pour it and make sure I get the right quantities... it's going to be a mess if I have to peal the wet glass of this part tomorrow. :O



I don't really want to do the front and back of the piece at the same time, so my strategy with these pieces is to:
* stretch/lay cloth over the part and pin/tape it to the back. Let it sit overnight.
* Pour about 2oz resin into the front surface of the part and squeegee it into the cloth on the big front surface of the part, keeping it mostly away from the edges.
* Let the the front gel up/harden, and then mix up another 2oz to work around the edges and back.

I think that, to do this properly, I'd need to do the second pour within a few hours of the first, as I can't readily sand the glass that's close to the edges but isn't totally saturated, and I'm supposed to mind the amine blush stuff... I'll update again after I find out if the stuff I did today actually hardened up and I try the second pour to finish the edges.

While I was waiting for the resin to set, I went ahead and replaced the bushings on my stick shift today. It feels like a new trans now. Nice and tight. :P I also picked up some lexan to cut to fit the holes in the valence below the front bumper. I figure I'll glue them in w/ black silicone glue, and they should look pretty factory while improving aero.

[Varn]

You should use the pumps that come with the epoxy. A lot less messy than a scale or balance and plenty accurate.

[ron]

It should harden may take some extra time. years ago a pissed off employee at a co I worked for put 5oz of hardner in our 5000 gal resin tank and the whole thing turned to semi hard jelly I had it dug out refilled and we put a lock on the tank. It will get hard

[JRP3]

Originally Posted by Varn

You should use the pumps that come with the epoxy. A lot less messy than a scale or balance and plenty accurate.

I've had some issues with the pumps in the past, especially with smaller amounts when temps were lower and the fluid more viscous. Usually I just mark a bunch of cups with the volume ratios.

[a8ksh4]

The epoxy I'm using has to be mixed 4:1 with the hardener. I only wanted to use about 2 pumps worth of resin yesterday, so I tried to measure half a pump of hardener to mix with 2 pumps of resin. If I'd done four pumps and one, I probably would have been alright. Feels like its still a little soft this morning, so maybe ill get a heater on it for a while today.

@Ron - that sucks about the tank... Must have been crazy expensive to replace.