Working with Colorplast

[Grant-53]

There a number of sites that have projects using Coroplast including recumbents.com and Instructables. The company website site has info on using the product and finding a supplier. There is now a honeycomb plastic product offered too. For the popular 4mm thickness, paper model techniques work with zip ties. For thicker materials use the 'cut and fold' methods for composites.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile

As a VW fan did you know black coroplast is OEM fitment on later models?

No, but I'd guess cover for the spare tire well.

Originally Posted by Sven7

Why not turn it 90 degrees and insert the wire into the channels?

I didn't show that (it's the easy part) because I hadn't figured out how to bend the ends and affix them to the piece laid into the edge—without melting the coroplast. Maybe soldering?

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by freebeard

No, but I'd guess cover for the spare tire well.

I was looking at ducting the grill to the radiator, imaging my surprise when it had already been done by VW, with coroplast no less!

[freebeard]

Once you're done with the 'down-market' appearance of 2nd hand coroplast, there's Alumicore. Enameled aluminum skins, just like PolyMetal.



alumicore - Google Search

[UltArc]

I'm having trouble navigating their site. Why do they have to be so professional! They need a .hillbilly site for me to better understand.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by Sven7

It's pretty self-explanatory. Mind the 'grain', use black 'plast if it'll be exposed to the sun. Keep away from exhaust. My friend made 'plast fenders for his bicycle by inserting thin steel rods into the channels and bending them to shape. Maybe that would help with a belly pan, though I still stand by the air dam and side skirts method. Less work.

Thanks for the tip on inserting rods in the channels. How well does that work ?
Does it still have nasty bulges and creases in the bends ?

[Grant-53]

That depends on the radius of the bend and the orientation of the internal ribs. I can try some pieces.

[freebeard]

UltArc -- I just snagged their homepage from Google. I think the pic was hot-linked from some other site.

Cd -- I haven't done the experiment, but it seems like if it was done right, with a curved rib every ith channel and a complete frame, it would resemble a balsa wood paper-covered model airplane or a fabric-covered spruce real one.

[Sven7]

Originally Posted by Cd

Thanks for the tip on inserting rods in the channels. How well does that work ?
Does it still have nasty bulges and creases in the bends ?

He posted pictures up recently. Take a look for yourself

Home-made Fenders- Mtbr.com

Originally Posted by UltArc

I'm having trouble navigating their site. Why do they have to be so professional! They need a .hillbilly site for me to better understand.

You're not alone. It may look shiny, but if you can't find what you need it's not your problem- it's the site designer's!