Homemade cars (what we call homemade today) began to be built even with the advent of the first factory models. The use of individual serial units, and entire bodies without external panels makes it possible to build cars with original design and non-standard consumer properties. Change the serial steering wheel to a steering wheel with tuning (anatomy + skin)
Moreover, technical filling donor provides homemade car modern characteristics movement and comfort.
The Morgan Aero-8 replica car is built on the chassis of the Japanese Toyota Crown executive sedan. The attractiveness of this donor is in its design. The body of the Crown rests on a full-size subframe (though not rigid), to which all elements of the engine, transmission, suspension and fuel system. For the manufacture of a home-made car on its basis, you can completely abandon the use of native body elements. 
The layout of the chassis was left unchanged, the engine did not move, but the radiator was moved behind the engine.
The panels of the new body are made of fiberglass and mounted on a three-dimensional tubular frame. A glass hatch is embedded in the roof. The roof itself is removable and is attached to the body and windshield frame with four bolts. Rear-view mirrors from Crown are mounted on homemade brackets. Like the prototype, the headlights from the Volkswagen New Beetle are installed on the replica. The radiator grille is made of brass and plated with chrome. Door handles from Alfa Romeo, instruments from Crown. 
Interior details are made of fiberglass and upholstered in leather and Alcantara.
At the Autoexotica exhibition in Tushino in 1999, my friend, the inspiration for the construction of exclusive cars, and I exhibited our first homemade car Agatha. A young guy came up to us and asked if we could make a car according to his project. We agreed. My friend undertook to manage this construction site, and I promised to mold, glue and assemble body parts on the donor frame.
First, a donor was found: in fair condition, relatively fresh Toyota Crown. 
The prototype layout was taken from a toy store. scale model of the Morgan Aero-8 served as a guideline for building the proportions and plastics of the body.
On the donor stretcher, I unscrewed the frame from chipboard, beams and pulled hardboard over it. 
The frame in places where the shape of the body had rounded surfaces, I filled up with plasticine and gave the shape of the plastic similar to the prototype. In general, the proportions and dimensions of the body differ from the English Morgan. Our replica is wider, longer and taller than the original.
According to plasticine, I molded fiberglass and made a matrix. It was my record when I single-handedly glued the body matrix in one week ...
The matrix peels were already removed together. Cleaning them from plasticine and sanding was probably the hardest and dirtiest job. Part of the layout during the removal of the matrix, of course, collapsed.
We screwed the sanded fragments of the matrix and installed the assembled matrix for molding body panels. In this bowl, I had to build in the negative the shape of the inner surfaces of the body parts.
In stages, in the order of the arrangement of parts in the body, I built and sculpted from plasticine the sidewalls of the doors, doorways, lapels-drains of the hood and trunk openings, removable roof flanges, license plate niches, headlights, lights and covers fuel tank. Also, in stages, we molded these formworks with fiberglass.
Right in the matrix, we welded and assembled a light tubular frame along the contour of the finished fiberglass parts. We glued this frame to the body panels along the flanges of doorways, gutters and sills.
As a result, after removing the matrix, we got a hard body top, with doors, a removable roof, a hood and a trunk lid.
A lot of time was spent on installing the top of the body on the donor frame and making the floor. Floor panels, engine shield, trunk bottom and wheel arches we glued from fiberglass. Fiberglass also glued together the top of the body and the floors. It turned out to be a fairly rigid structure, especially since we also reinforced the floor with a metal frame. The floor frame was fixed on the Crown frame on native pillows.
A frame was made under the hood and a radiator with exhaust fans behind the engine was fixed on it. In the front part of the body, we glued the motor shield, on which we fixed the rest of the parts. Since the Toyota Crown is a right-hand drive car, the steering gear had to be moved to the left side.
Unfortunately, the time for the manufacture of the body before painting was limited to six months, and the number of performers was limited by the budget, so in many cases it was necessary to succumb to compromise solutions. To meet the deadlines, in particular, we were helped by a simplified design and technological solution of the hood. We combined the hood with the bumper and fenders, although this made it considerably heavier. All this crust rises on two tubular hinged brackets attached to the body frame above the instrument panel. The fiberglass hood panel itself has a steel subframe and a metal false panel that is located close to the engine. In the lowered position, the entire structure is attached from the sides and front to the body frame. The trunk lid is also reinforced with a steel profile frame and mounted on brackets - hinges to the body frame. For headlights and lanterns, niches are molded in fiberglass that protect the back side of lighting equipment.
In the body of the replica, we immediately laid the construction of a removable hard top. From below, through the flanges, it rests on the shelf behind rear seats and is attached to the body frame, and in front to the frame frame windshield. Rear window on a removable roof, windshield and side windows flat, made to measure. It was difficult to find suitable seals for our frameless door glass. So we were not able to solve this problem on this body to the end. From now on, we decided, if possible, to use glass with a sealant from a suitable donor.
Inside the door frames, I assembled metal profile stretchers for mounting glass guides, installing hinges, locks and handles. I hung the doors on hinges in the openings and adjusted the gaps. After that, brackets were made from a metal profile and fiberglass for regular mirrors and screwed to the doors. Handles from Alfa Romeo fell into place on the doors.
Armchairs were placed in the cabin and attached through the floor to the body frame. Mounted console with lever hand brake and gear shift knob, pedal assembly and steering column with the steering wheel at a comfortable distance from the seat. According to the seats, window sills, trim and door handles, instrument panel panels and console housings were designed and manufactured from fiberglass. After painting the body, all interior details were covered with leather and Alcantara.
The car has been operated for several years in dry and warm weather.
Thanks to everyone who took part in the manufacture of the car.
Articles about tuning with your own hands.
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Below is a great article by Yaroslav Malyshev aka X-LIGHT on how to make fiberglass parts. In his article, Yaroslav not only talks about the technology itself, which he himself is fluent in, but also recommends various modern materials.
If we sum up how much work, nerves, time, money, materials were spent on getting the experience that I will share in this article and investing in one car, we get such an ultra-cart that I can’t even imagine. Scraps of materials were obtained from the Internet (mostly not Russian-speaking), literature, some from the masters of tuning houses, most of whom stubbornly did not want to share valuable experience (does not apply to some masters of TRI-ABC TM and LIT-company TM ) and I often had to pretend to be a curious and picky client, some of the material was generously handed over to me by enthusiasts like me, those who eat only pizza and shawarma with beer and sleep two hours a day, and finally to some part of the decisions I came, several times redoing the same detail.
I hope that because of this "top-secret" material, I still will not be persecuted by tuning companies - manufacturers of body kits. Whoever steals first is the author. Joke.
Fiberglass parts of almost any complexity can be made literally on the knee in the garage. They do not require special equipment and premises. Fiberglass is a very versatile material. You can make everything from it, from cilia on headlights to body panels. Fiberglass parts, when properly manufactured, are very strong and durable. It would also be useful to know that the price of such products at self-manufacturing very low, much lower than the one at which they are sold. At one provincial factory for the production of laminate (something like slate, only made of fiberglass), I witnessed the manufacture of a copy of the body kit from FAB Design TM on the MB W220, the production price of which turned out to be lower than the price of painting in a decent car service. I did not find out the price of "fire water" for workers :-). The work was done not by professionals, but by people simply familiar with the materials. I can say that in an average Moscow office such work would cost no less than 2000-3000 USD.
Before taking on a job, think about whether there are conditions for this? The first condition: availability of time. If the wife, children get confused underfoot, distract, then problems will arise. They must be dealt with before work begins. Love will suddenly come when you don’t expect a wife at all ... It was easier for me: I have no one but the desire to create something cool, no. Working at night didn't scare me at all. "First of all, we will ruin the planes, but the girls ...". Condition two: workplace. If there is nowhere to do it, then it is better not to try. Once I had to work in winter in an unheated garage, and on the street, and in the corridor in the apartment. Think about what territory to capture for the time of creativity. So, the introduction is over, we can begin. Keep in mind that you can get hooked on this process no worse than on a drug, steam will come out of your head like a kettle with a whistle, everything is just beginning...
Tool
To begin with, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the tool that will be needed in any case, regardless of the type of part and method of manufacture:
1. Good tailor's scissors. You will have to cut fiberglass very often and the quality of the final product also depends on the quality of the patterns. Powder glass mat is especially demanding on the quality of patterns. Preparing a "kit" of reinforcing materials specifically cut to the shape of the matrix used saves time and reduces waste.
2. Stationery knife and a set of blades for it. The same as item 1.
3. Metal ruler 40-50 cm. Useful for cutting patterns and measurements.
4. Set of brushes. Serves for laying fiberglass and impregnating it with polyester resin. You can also stock up rollers(similar to those used in tire fitting) and rollers(for rolling large areas). Might come in handy sometimes sponge.
5. Bulgarian (cutting machine). Of course, you can get by with a hacksaw, but it is more convenient to cut the edges of matrices and finished products with a grinder. Stock up on stone circles for it, as fiberglass kills metal discs very quickly.
6. Drill. Useful for the manufacture of prefabricated matrices, kneading epoxy, wrapping screws and other hole drilling. The presence of drills and cutters with a diameter of 20-80mm is very welcome.
7. Sheet of glass (40x40cm). It is convenient to impregnate pieces of fiberglass with epoxy on it. Not a drop will go to waste.
8. Sanding block - "sanding". It is very good if you have a set of different sizes and shapes (cylinders for concavities, for large planes "planers" approximately 6x40 cm, etc.). In addition to all others, it is also useful to have a 6x10 cm rubber block. Pneumatic or electric tools will greatly facilitate the work: round orbital sander and planer. If the part is large (hood, fender) without a grinder, it is better not to take the job.
9. Spatula set. Metal and rubber. For large planes (hoods, trunk lids, straight sections of bumpers, etc.), a metal spatula with a width of about 40 cm is needed.
10. Resin tank. If a good resin is used, which hardens in 30-40 minutes, then a capacity of up to one liter is enough. The container requirements are simple: the larger the area and the shallower the depth, the better: the resin does not set longer. I used plastic cans from salted herring, they are flexible and it is easy to shake out the cured resin from them.
11. Electric jigsaw. He is waiting for the manufacture of frames, templates, matrix extensions and the like. In its absence, you will have to cut everything with a hacksaw.
12. Hacksaw (for metal). A useful addition, and sometimes a replacement for points 5 and 11.
materials
Materials used in the manufacture of fiberglass parts. Of course, it is better to purchase them in companies that supply them, they usually explain everything there, they will select what is more suitable in your case. I took all materials from www.igc-composite.com . So:
1. Reinforcing materials. This definition includes three types of material.
First: glass veil. "Light and airy" subtype of emulsion glass mat. "Emulsion" because it is best to use a non-woven glass mat for work, the fibers of which are held together by an emulsion that dissolves under the action of resins. This type of material takes the desired shape more easily than fabric, although the fabric is stronger. So - glass veil. We will need with a density of 30 to 100 g/sq.m. It is used for the outer layers, as it allows the manufacture of products with a high surface complexity.
Second view: glass mat density from 300 g/sq.m. up to 450 g/sq.m. It allows you to dial the thickness of the product. Quote: "Varying densities of chopped filament filament mats based on low alkaline glass E. The material is soft, easy to form and used in the production of complex shapes. Laminates made from these mats exhibit good mechanical properties and high resistance to atmospheric conditions for a long period ".
And the third view: powder glass mat density from 300g/sq.m. It is sometimes referred to as "policor". By gluing it between several layers of emulsion glass mat, you will give the product even greater strength. It practically does not absorb resin and has a decent thickness. Often glued only in separate strips. I used a glass mat based on microspheres. Quote: "Matts of various densities of chopped complex filaments based on low alkaline glass E, on a powder binder. They are quickly impregnated and provide a smooth surface. Laminates made using powdered glass mats have high transparency ( technical term, not to be confused with the transparency of glass), good mechanical properties and weather resistance".
I had to use Kevlar 9065K and Kevlar K931 (woven twill weave based on aramid fibers, density - 190 and 340 g/m.). It turns out not yet carbon, but not fiberglass. Bumpers have increased destructive ability!
2. Resin, it is resin in Africa. True resin different firms can vary greatly in properties and quality. Choose those that are more suitable for land transport: not too fragile, with some elasticity after hardening. The resin should not be too thick, it should be easy to impregnate the glass mat. I used CRYSTIC 196 PA from SCOTT BADER™. It is a pre-accelerated orthophthalic polyester resin with high strength, mechanical and electrical properties. In short, just what the doctor ordered. The resin should be accompanied by a hardener and, if possible, a catalyst that accelerates the polymerization (hardening) process.
The amount of resin required to make a laminate can be calculated by weighing the reinforcing material to be used. For chopped glass mat, the ratio of resin to glass fiber should be between 2.3:1 and 1.8:1 (glass content 30-35%). For woven roving, a ratio of 1:1 (glass content 50%) is recommended, while the ratio of resin to glass fiber when using combined materials is different and depends on the structure of the individual type of fabric used.
To reduce the viscosity of the resin, it can be heated to 50 ° C or diluted with acetone, lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol (solvent is better, one breath and it feels like swallowing a hare hat with ears). The amount of solvent should not exceed 5% by weight of the resin. The debt, unfortunately, pays red: when 5% of a lacquer thinner is added to the resin, its strength drops by 35% - a serious blow to the mechanical properties. The solvent can cause the resin to shrink. The presence of solvent in the resin can damage the surface of the layout. Many materials (such as expanded polystyrene) tolerate epoxy well, but do not tolerate the presence of solvents in it. Therefore, before adding a solvent to the resin, make sure in advance that it is harmless to the layout.
And one more thing: it is customary to call all resins epoxy, but I also worked with POLYESTER RESINS, which are much cheaper. Do not neglect various resin fillers, for example, the addition of graphite powder to the resin gives a surface that is smooth and very reminiscent of carbon (especially when using transparent gelcoat and resin, woven reinforcing materials).
For small parts, it is better to use a specialized resin, and for thresholds, bumpers, subwoofers, cheap varieties for shipbuilding, gluing, and even for pouring and leveling floors in rooms will fit (I met this variety in the markets, sold in large containers).
3. Gelcoat. Coating of dies and finished products, protecting and improving the surface. Helps to eliminate the relief caused by the structure of the fiberglass, and to some extent helps to get rid of air bubbles on the surface of the part. It is applied with the first layer, allowed to seize, and only then proceed to gluing the product.
I used CRYSTIC 65 PA water and weather resistant pre-accelerated thixotropic isophthalic gelcoat for manual application. But he often did without it, compensating for its absence with fine-filled resin (graphite powder, gypsum) or liquid putty. It can cover both the final part and the matrix (do not forget to sand with 800 sandpaper and water).
4. release agent. This can be paraffin (there are sets from it, they rub skis and snowboards), parquet polish (one of the best options), stearin (candles are made from it), special compounds.
It is applied to the surface of the part (matrix) and after a while it is vigorously polished with a woolen cloth or felt. Serves, for example, so that you can easily remove the finished part from the matrix. If possible, buy Mirror Glaze #8 from Meguiar's (they are still good for cleaning shoes), but you can use wax or silicone-based body polishes, such as ABRO silicone car wax. Such polishes will not be able to fill all the pores and defects of the coating, but they can be a good addition to paraffin. I have heard about the use of polishes for shoes (not to be confused with shoe polish) and wax-based furniture, but I can’t say anything about the results achieved, most likely they are satisfactory.
Two extreme compositions: grease and soap. They are used when the surface from which the impression is taken is very Bad quality. Soap can be slightly moistened with water. Also in such cases, a thin cling film is suitable.
5. Putty. I have used products from CAR SYSTEM, Dyno Coat and sometimes BODY. "Spatula" is of the following types: Fiberglass (with fiberglass), where strength is required or a thick layer is applied, SOFT or EXTRA where there is a lot of sanding or for final finishing. NITRO (it is better to take high-quality, from well-known firms- less likely to crack) helps a lot to deal with minor defects. Liquid putty is also useful for final finishing of the part. Never allow yourself to make layers of putty more than 3mm - it's better to put a couple more layers of fiberglass in this place!
6. Other. A stock of self-tapping screws, complete with a screwdriver, and a set of clamps for fixing, a couple of rolls of ordinary and painter's tape, skin of all calibers (decent materials from 3M and Mirka, domestic skin clogs quickly, especially when using low-grade putty), rags, solvent 646 or 650 , acetone, degreaser. You may need a primer, paint, plywood, sheet plastic, polystyrene, gypsum, metal corners, and much more. I still really want to sleep at night ... As a result, it was purchased granulated sugar (two dunes) And coffee in ampoules.
Let's go!
I can't describe all the details that can be made from fiberglass - it's unrealistic. I can’t describe all the ways of working with fiberglass, all the subtleties of this craft, as it is tantamount to writing a whole book. Inside every big task sits a small one trying to break through. How can I describe all the methods that I myself used at different times and the pitfalls that I encountered.
The material is designed for those who have at least elementary skills and a little bit of imagination. A person who has encountered a drop of water at least once in his life, and is able to think logically, is quite capable of drawing a conclusion about the possibility of the existence of oceans and waterfalls, even if he has not seen either one or the other ...
Prototyping
So, let's begin. The manufacture of any part, whether it be a bumper, a lining on it, a rear wing, a hood or a subwoofer housing, regardless of the method of manufacture, must begin with LAYOUT. It's a sumum, a hurricane, a typhoon, an earthquake, and a drop in the Dow Jones index rolled into one. This means making a 1:1 scale model of the future product from improvised materials. But the materials and method of layout depend on the shape of the desired product.
Like I said, to start would be to have a sketch. It doesn't matter how it looks, the main thing is that it should be visible from all sides what you want to create...
PUSS IN BOOTS
“They also assured me,” Puss in Boots said to the Giant, “but I just can’t believe this, that you seem to be able to turn into even the smallest animals. Well, for example, become a mouse. I must tell you the truth that I think it is absolutely impossible.
- Oh, that's how! Impossible? - asked the Giant. - Well, look!
And in the same blink of an eye, the Giant turned into a mouse. The cat chased after her, but the mouse, giggling maliciously, flew up to the ceiling, because it turned out to be flying.
MORALITY: If you want to achieve the correct and quick execution of your plans, then formulate your terms of reference as accurately as possible.
Production of foam models
On the Internet, I have seen only two such layouts of body kits in my entire life. As it turned out, there is an opinion that the foam is very difficult to work with, and it is not very suitable for our purposes. This is not so, you just need to know some of the subtleties of the technology ... Styrofoam cutting is used as an independent technology, an application to the manufacture of models from mounting foam and as the manufacture of frames for covering with radio fabric. So:
1) Material selection
The best should be recognized as packaging small-ball foam, of sufficient thickness, but I have never seen this, apparently, it’s not fate ... Acceptable results can be achieved using slabs of construction ball foam, but there is one “BUT”: foam should not be taken thicker than 50mm, since in thicker sheets, the probability of running into non-foamed polystyrene granules sharply increases (although it’s not necessary once, just today I cut 2 sheets of foam 2000x1000x100mm and never ran into seals) ... The required amount of foam for the workpiece can be dialed from thin sheets, gluing them together with foam ceiling tile adhesive. There have been experiments with imported blue and pink foam - it is stronger and more resistant to epoxy resins and primers.
2) How to cut?
An ordinary thermal cutter, in the image and likeness of a bow saw or a stationary version of the sawmill type, with a string 0.8 mm thick. The string can be obtained in an iron, toaster, hair dryer or electric stove. Sometimes you can adapt and ordinary wire. The heating is regulated by a LATR (laboratory transformer), or by other improvised means, for example, I used a battery charger, the battery itself or a battery of batteries connected in series. The goal is to get a little string lag in the center, with minimal melting. A sign of the correct temperature is the hairs trailing behind the cutter.
P.S. The picture shows my "latest" models of thermal cutters, made of a stretched coil of a heater (electric heater) 350 mm long, three rails, a spring and a handle from a ski pole. A wire of this length heats up well from a charger for 12 volt batteries (I had a regular one, with a transformer, with a switch for 4 and 6 amps). Be sure to install a spring or rubber tensioner. A twisted rope, like that of bow saws, is not suitable, since the spiral sags significantly when heated.
In the pictures, there is one cutter for cutting the foam between two templates and cutting by hand, while the second one can cut the foam with the required angle, using only one template.
P.S.S. If there is a good power source, you can make a cutter for bent parts from a thin brass (nichrome, sorry, I didn’t get it) plate. The thickness of the wires supplying power to it must be such that the plate is heated, not the wires ...
3) Why cut?
There is an opinion that according to metal templates ... It’s possible that way, but you can safely cut according to plywood templates, provided that the edges are carefully processed and rubbed with graphite (the pencil can be scratched). We make markup on the templates, on both sides, 20-30 divisions will be enough. This is useful when cutting heavily curved parts. Oh, and one more thing, the templates should have "inlet" and "outlet" parts 15-20mm long. It is possible without them, but with them the detail turns out to be of better quality. Also, if your hands do not tremble, you can cut some fragments by hand.
4) How to cut?
We put a workpiece with templates fixed with studs 150-200mm long on a flat table, press it with something, and start cutting. Together, with an assistant, he is at one edge, you are at the other, or vice versa, the movement should be synchronized, for this the markup on the templates is useful. It is desirable to pass marks at the same time. With some experience, even when cutting very curved fragments of the wave, almost no wave occurs ...
Somehow I got for free a set for an amateur photographer. A photo paper cutter is useful for cutting sheet materials. Roller - for rolling fiberglass. I keep resin baths on the electroluster - they heat up just to the right temperature and the resin is always quite fluid. Beakers and baths were used to prepare and store resin (don't think that by mixing hardener and resin by eye you will achieve good results; too much hardener will make the part brittle, and not enough too elastic and "long-drying"), but from an enlarger (or whatever it is), or rather from his tripod, I made an excellent "sawmill" for foam. I will not describe the design, I think you can guess everything yourself. Haven't figured out where I'll fit the red lantern yet.
The foam can be processed with fine-grained sandpaper, preferably with a machine and at high speeds, but the foam should not be allowed to melt. You can glue it, as I said, with polyvinyl ether - some kind of glue for foam ceiling tiles or PVA glue. And in the manufacture of complex composite parts, you will often have to glue. Styrofoam is difficult to putty in the usual ways, so try to do everything from the first run. It must be primed carefully, there were cases when the primer and nitro putty corroded it. If necessary, there is an option to pre-paste the foam plastic with thin paper on PVA glue diluted with water or cover it with lavsan. I once covered with furniture varnish (like NC), I got a very smooth and high-quality surface.
Making layouts with mounting foam
A very common way, quite simple, but also having its own tricks. The foam must be applied in layers, and not all "the volume that is needed." This allows you to save expensive mounting foam and get a more workable material. A large amount of foam hardens within 2-3 days, and voids and very strong seals are obtained inside. The foam is well skinned, cut with a knife dipped in oil and a hacksaw. You can, as in the case of foam, use templates.
A very good help when working with foam is a set of patterns (templates) and a jigsaw with long (15-30 cm) blades. They can be made from ordinary metal sheets, only by sharpening the shank on an emery wheel. This simple tool is very useful when working not only with foam, but also with foam. Also, the foam is easily processed by the grinder, it is convenient for her to make various roundings. Do not fall for the assurances of sellers who say that one bottle of foam is enough for 50 liters. Yeah of course...
The disadvantage of polyurethane foam is that a very porous surface is obtained, unsuitable for either surface gluing or matrixing. Previously, the surface of the foam model has to be prepared by pasting with paper or fiberglass, followed by a thorough surface treatment. Before fiberglass, it would be good to soak the foam with a canoe, with which builders coat concrete walls before wallpapering.
Using fragments of "foreign" finished parts
This topic is relevant if you already have a bumper or gluing matrix, but originally intended for another car. I met a VAZ 2110 in a full body kit for the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (do not confuse it with the Togliatti body kit, a parody of the EVO) - even I, who had seen a lot of such alterations, had my jaw dropped to the ground.
An operation that requires a developed spatial imagination. Contrary to popular belief, it is not difficult at all. It will be very useful during the adaptation process. polyurethane foam, possibly polystyrene, plasticine and maybe gypsum (alabaster). Do not get hung up on fragments of bumpers. Sometimes you can pick up very interesting figures in other products.
Often used for such purposes are plastic pipes, fins for ventilation grilles, various plastic containers. Take a walk around the construction and household markets - there are many suitable details. The main thing is that your layout does not resemble a brick toilet covered with slate. If you don't mind, you can buy an aluminum wing (for example, a cheap PRO.SPORT) and use it as a cutter. The chances of breaking the lower part of the bumper into a snowdrift drop sharply. Cute and durable.
Making molded models
You can sculpt from clay. Clay for work is used plastic, but not very soft. First you need to make a frame of plywood or sheet plastic. He will set the form, play the role of "beacons". Then the frame is filled by pressing individual pieces of clay into it.
Plasticine is about the same story. For work, they use sculptural (aka architectural) or autoplasticine. You can take it either in art stores or in car dealerships (in the latter it is usually 3 times more expensive). The difficulty of working with plasticine and clay is that, without experience with them, it is almost impossible to get the required detail. big size. That is, you ideally mold the left side of the bumper, and the right one turns out not quite the same.
The framework will help fix this problem. It looks something like this: with the help of the drawing, sections of the part are made in several places and beacons are cut out along them, and the space between them is filled with the material that you use for modeling. Meanwhile, stucco mockups are very useful in making subwoofer cabinets, podiums, sometimes door cards. Plasticine and clay are stacked by hand, processed with spatulas and special scrapers (they resemble disposable razors).
For modeling, you can use gypsum and alabaster. Before work, they are diluted with water to a state close to plasticine. Gypsum allows you to make drawn products. For their manufacture, you will need rules-patterns that can be made from plywood, chipboard or metal. Pattern rules are something like curly spatulas that move along the template. The profile of such a spatula must correspond to the shape of the future part.
With some practice, you can make simple "skirts" on the bumper (by moving the template along the cut-off pattern or the bumper itself), sill plates with a constant section (by moving the template along the rail or board), etc. It would be nice to rub the template and guides with a release agent beforehand.
Using this technology, it is very easy to make linings for the rear window (visors) and a trunk lid spoiler in the style of the BMW M3 - the so-called "saber", so loved by many owners of German cars.
After the end of modeling, clay, gypsum are processed with sandpaper, puttied, primed. Do not start sanding too early, let the material dry. And it can take 3-4 days. Plasticine can be lightly melted with an industrial hair dryer to obtain a more even surface. Thus, it is convenient to manufacture wheel arch extensions (fenders, flares) and other parts that have rounding. I don't think I'm a good artist, but I hope the technology is clear. With some practice, you can make simple "skirts" for bumpers (by moving the template along the trimmer or the bumper itself), sill plates with a constant section (by moving the template along the rail or board), etc. It would be nice to rub the template and guides with a release agent beforehand.
The item is as follows: the manufacture of various parts using frames and radio fabric
I think everyone has come across rags that are wrapped around the speakers of music centers? It's thin radio fabric. It still happens carpet. They are covered with podiums, subwoofer cases. This material is thicker. Sold in many Car Audio related stores. In Moscow, I saw it on Gorbushka, on the Mitinsky radio market, etc. There are different manufacturers, textures, colors and densities. In principle, we do not care about the color and the manufacturer. The density depends on the required part.
The fabric will need to be impregnated with epoxy, and thin fabric is more prone to sagging. From a thin fabric, pads are made on the windshield pillars with podiums for high-frequency speakers, and from a thick one - the body of the subwoofers. In short, the larger the part, the denser the fabric should be. Thin fabric is pleasant in that after the resin hardens, thanks to the fine texture, you do not have to spend a lot of time preparing the part for painting.
A thin fabric in small details can be successfully replaced by a nylon (or whatever they are made of there now) stocking. If you're lucky, you might stumble upon a TUNER'S DREAM: fiberglass fabric with elastic fibers. I bought one like this construction market. It seems to her that the walls are pasted over. It easily takes the desired shape, but unlike glass mat, it has the ability to stretch. You can also try using fiberglass (not mat) in parts with a simple shape. When the experimenter woke up in me, I tried "non-woven covering material" for greenhouses - with a positive result.
The meaning of the method is to make the frame of the future part (bumper, instrument panel, subwoofer, podium) and cover it with a fabric impregnated with epoxy resin. Do not soak after: the fabric will most likely stretch and have to be stretched again. The frame is made of wood, polystyrene, foam and everything that comes to hand. You should not try to stretch the fabric in one piece, sometimes it is more useful to make a frame from several parts. Look at the setting.
When stretching the fabric, spray adhesive would be very useful. Ask for it in the same place where radio fabric is sold. Walking shopping will help you. True, glue is expensive, an infection. Podiums, subwoofers, wheel arch extensions are often made in one piece, and complex bumpers are made from the top and bottom. After the resin has hardened, the radio fabric is reinforced with a full layer of glass mat.
Thus, it is very easy to make a copy of a flat part, such as a hood. A thin impregnated fabric is stretched over the hood (previously carefully covered with a release agent or covered with a thin film), pulling the edges from the back side. After the resin hardens, the curved edges are carefully trimmed and the resulting shell is removed. Then it is glued with fiberglass or glass mat. Can be covered with topcoat. And the final stage: puttying. The surface is pre-sanded with sandpaper with a grain of 80-150 (the hood must be sanded with a planer bar). Make sure not to bite into the surface too much, do not grind off the radio fabric. Since the radio tissue after solidification turns out to be quite even, sometimes you can get by with only nitro putty. It is applied in layers not thicker than 0.5 mm and in an amount of not more than 5 layers. When designing a sub, do not forget that the case is subject to rather strong mechanical stress and a thick layer of putty on it will not last long. And so it turns out cheap and cheerful.
Here is a finished blank for making a "Bad Boyz" style hood. You can pull it on the headlights, cut the air intakes and vents, leaving your native hood alone. Moreover, the new one will be twice as light.
And the last way I came across: cutting sheet materials
Sheet plastic (PVC) and thin (up to 5 mm) fiberboard with a smooth surface have proven themselves well. Plywood is used, but its surface has to be sanded first. Corrugated and regular thick cardboard are also on the list of materials used. It is not for me to explain the essence of the process. If you are faced with the manufacture of models of aircraft, ships and cars from cuttings (for example, which were once printed by the magazine "Modeler-Constructor"), then you can easily build a bumper model.
PVC is easily cut with a jigsaw and bent with an industrial hair dryer. Fiberboard, plywood and cardboard have approximately the same properties, but they have slightly less ability to warp. Plywood with a thickness of 3 mm allows using improvised means (without steaming and soaking) to make a bent part with a minimum radius of curvature of about 300 mm. The cutting is attached to a wooden frame or to a native bumper. When giving the product a final look, you can use paraffin, adhesive tape, foam, plasticine, etc. You can assemble parts on furniture corners, use a "constructor" to attach "siding", etc.
Straight parts, for the sake of strength, can be made from thick plywood. Sometimes boards or chipboard go to the wings and spoilers. On the panel for "flattening" the bottom (bottom protection, fairings for suspension parts) there is sheet PVC or cellular polycarbonate.
I have the technology of working with wood at a level slightly higher than the labor lessons of high school, so for those who are interested in this topic, one piece of advice: look for sites to work with this material. Fortunately, there are search engines.
As an addition to this method, I want to mention another interesting subspecies of layout. You have probably seen how builders pour concrete formwork. So, the templates made of plastic, fiberboard, etc. can be used as formwork, pre-treated with a release agent. This formwork can be filled with putty, gypsum, polyurethane foam. This method allows you not to waste time on drawing corners and planes, as, for example, you would have to do this in the classic production of a layout from polyurethane foam.
Note. Do not try to always make the part in one piece. Sometimes it's much easier to make a composite layout. For example, it is very difficult to sand various air intakes and other openings in bumpers, planes located in hard-to-reach places etc.
Having made a layout consisting of fragments, you can sometimes save on labor costs for surface preparation. The matrix can also be removed not from the part as a whole, but from its fragments. This increases the survivability and maintainability of the part. On bumpers, I recommend making removable cut-offs, lower wings and everything that can be damaged in the first place. Prefabricated bumpers and thresholds of the "winter-summer" system with a removable lower part are very practical. And the invention of my inflamed mind: if there are unnecessary window lifters (we just broken cars there were a lot at hand), then we connect the halves of the bumper with the help of them. You can adjust the ground effect from the cabin. (X-LIGHT © 1997).
Of course, there are several more methods that I used, but which I did not describe here. For example, using a 3D fraser. This is a machine that allows you to create a layout on a computer and make a matrix without resorting to layout. If you have friends who have access to such a technique, then this greatly simplifies the process. This makes me think that the majority of Togliatti body kits for VAZs (products of RIGER ™ and MS DESIGN ™) are made in this way. Large selection and no taste. In short, when making a layout, you see all the shortcomings of the future product in advance, you have to reconsider a lot, etc. And a serial product is a serial product.
So, the layout is ready. It's time to start making the final product!
To begin with, the layout surface is once again checked for surface defects. Then the layout is "waxed" - covered with a layer of release agent. It will help separate the matrix from the layout and eliminate minor irregularities. And this is done like this: with the help of a woolen cloth or special polishing wipes, a thin layer of a release agent is applied. After it dries, polish it.
The operation is EXTREMELY tiring. Everything must be done manually, this will allow you to carefully control the process. At the same time, a piece of no more than 10x10 cm can be processed, with such an area the polish warms up better and penetrates into the pores of the surface. The operation is repeated 2-3 times. Looking ahead, I will say that when processing the matrix with a separating composition, the operation will have to be repeated 3-5 times !!! There is never enough time to get the job done right, but there is time to redo it.
Do not neglect this, as the ease with which you remove the product will pay for everything. Otherwise, you are threatened with long picking with a screwdriver or damage to the matrix with the layout. It's better to spend a day polishing than a week sanding and sanding the part.
After polishing the layout, we are faced with a choice: to make a MATRIX or to make a product without resorting to it. The gluing of composite "crusts" can be carried out both inside, on a concave form (matrix) removed from the blank (dummy), and outside on the blank (dummy): the model is glued with fiberglass, the resulting shell is removed and prepared for painting. The preparation process is very long, as you have to deal with the texture of fiberglass! The surface of the part has a fabric texture and requires puttying and sanding.
Pasting directly on the layout:
1. Manufacturing, preparation of the layout, covering it with a separating layer.
2. Pasting with glass mat. If you take reinforcing materials from a specialized company, then additionally ask for a glass mat for surfaces (I don’t remember exactly what it is called, but I know that the surface with it is much smoother, looks like suede, absorbs epoxy well) and a special coating - TOPCOAT. In short, as per the instructions: "Surface quality can be improved in one of two ways: by using a surface cloth as the last layer to obtain a smoother resin-enriched surface, or by applying a special coating to the cured surface. liquid coating(topcoat)".
If all this is not at hand, then pasting occurs in two stages. First, we paste over the blank with the thinnest-thin glass mat, then carefully remove the "shell" and reinforce it from the inside with several layers of thicker reinforcing material.
3. We cut off everything superfluous, sand the surface, putty (first putty with fiberglass, then ordinary, then, if necessary, nitro) and again carefully sand everything.
4. We cover the part with a liquid putty, sand it, prime it, sand it, paint it, varnish it, and finally polish it. All.
Often, a more complex matrixing method is faster and allows you to get a better product (for example, if your layout is already so even and smooth that the soul rejoices). To glue the parts according to the second method (matrix), it is necessary, first of all, to make the "negative" form itself. Usually it is a thick-walled "shell" glued from fiberglass. All work with epoxy (and polyester) resins should be carried out with rubber gloves in a room with good ventilation!
Matrixing:
1. We cover the layout with a layer of gelcoat, using a brush or a spray gun (you can use those guns that are designed for anticorrosive). After the gelcoat has sufficiently cured, a liberal layer of resin is applied as evenly as possible.
Fiberglass is cut into patterns that could be pasted over the blank without wrinkling. Then the first layer is firmly pressed and compacted with a brush or roller. This allows the resin to impregnate the glass mat and dissolve the binder that binds the fibers, after which the reinforcing material easily takes the shape of the layout. As soon as the first layer of glass mat is completely saturated, then, if necessary, before applying subsequent layers of reinforcing material, additional resin is added.
2. The reinforcing material is impregnated with a brush or rollers made of mohair or polyester fiber. When using a brush, it is necessary to make point movements, since any movement of the brush in the lateral direction leads to a displacement of the fibers and a violation of the arbitrary nature of their location.
The use of rollers is effective when working with large-sized matrices. There are rollers with long and short handles. Rollers with a long handle are capable of taking large quantity resin and require more precise control of the resin to glass ratio. The compaction process of laminate flooring is more efficient when done with rollers. To this end, several types have been developed. There are metal rollers with a longitudinal and transverse rib, corner rollers. Of these, the use of rolls with a transverse rib proved to be the most effective for removing air bubbles trapped in the resin.
If the part is large, then a plastic bag will help to avoid the tedious extrusion of air bubbles. By placing the product there and pumping out the air with a powerful vacuum cleaner, you will get a better surface and a more durable part. Make sure that the package evenly adheres to the surface of the product.
This method is relevant both in the manufacture of the matrix and in the gluing of the final product. It is difficult to do without this method when pasting foam plastic and polyurethane foam with fiberglass: fiberglass adheres better to gloves than to a mock-up.
3. In order for the matrix to keep its shape better, ribs made of plywood, wood, etc. can be molded to it. After the resin has completely dried, remove the layout.
Note: If the part is complex, we make a composite or detachable matrix. During its manufacture, special partitions are made around the layout, separating it into segments. Having glued the first part of the matrix, we wait for it to dry, and, having processed the edges of the segment with a release agent, we proceed to glue the second part.
Before removing the composite matrix from the layout, drill holes in the bends of the matrix for the tightening bolts. They will help the correct arrangement of the matrix parts when gluing the product. If the part is piece, then you can simply cut the matrix with a grinder along the axis of symmetry and remove the product.
2. Matrix elements. Step 1 - glue one half of the matrix. Step 2 - using the first half, glue the second.
3. Temporary partitions. The ones shown in Step 3 come in handy when you are gluing parts to be glued and you need hidden "flaps" (bends) to apply glue or double-sided tape. Such details can be voluminous spoilers, the rear wings of which are not initially planned on the "wrong" side. Without such bends, wheel arch extensions are unthinkable, which must be glued to the wings, air intakes and "caps" on the roof.
4. Putty for the correct placement of partitions and alignment of the joints of the halves of the matrix. The more accurately the parts of the matrix will be combined, the less labor you will spend on "masking" the joint in the finished product.
5. Halves of the future product, which then need to be glued, and the seam must be puttied. Before gluing, clean the edges of the products with coarse sandpaper and degrease. Ideally, a special connecting paste is used.
1. The better the surface quality of the layout, the less finishing work will be required for each product in the future! Try to bring the surface to mirror shine so that the finished parts molded in this matrix need only painting.
2. Glass fiber can be impregnated with epoxy both in the mold itself and before being placed in the matrix, on any flat surface. For example, a piece of glass.
3. Epoxy has poor adhesion to cured fiberglass. Therefore, if it was not possible to glue the entire product, the surfaces to be joined must be sanded with coarse sandpaper, and the joint lines should be pasted over with strips of thin fiberglass.
Pasting the finished product on the matrix
We first eliminate all the defects of the matrix and cover it with a release agent. The importance of careful polishing has been mentioned more than once. We cover the matrix with a layer of gelcoat. You should not get carried away with gelcoat on the product being glued, it may crack over time and you will have to repaint the product.
Further as in the manufacture of the matrix: after the gelcoat has sufficiently hardened, a generous layer of resin is applied, as evenly as possible. Do not breathe over the resin! Otherwise, after that you will return home in the state of flying scuba divers ...
Then the first layer of glass material - glass veil - is firmly pressed and compacted with a brush or roller. As soon as the first layer of glass mat is completely saturated, then, if necessary, before applying subsequent layers of reinforcing material, additional resin is added. It is important that the first layer be free of air bubbles, as any air trapped directly between the gelcoat and the subsequent laminate can cause surface swelling, especially if the product being molded is exposed to heat or water during its service life. In other words, if you are making an interior detail, you can be a little sloppy, but the details of the body kit will not forgive you for this.
Subsequent layers of resin and reinforcing material are applied to the required thickness, ensuring that each layer is thoroughly impregnated and properly compacted. To avoid accumulation excess of heat generated during lamination, it is recommended to apply no more than four layers of resin and reinforcing material at a time. Body kits do not require this amount of material, but in the manufacture of subs and podiums for speakers, you will have to work gradually.
High exothermic temperatures can cause cracking of the gel coat, premature release of the product from the matrix, deformation or burning of the part. In the manufacture of thick laminates, after applying four layers, before applying subsequent layers, the laminate must be held to release heat, and then cooled. Overheating can destroy the separating layer and hopelessly destroy the matrix.
Long time delays between coats, however, should be avoided, except when using resins with a long "maturing period". "Maturation period" is a term used to describe the period of time between thickening and curing of the resin, during which it is in a softened, highly elastic state. In this state, the laminate can be easily molded to the shape of the matrix, and the cut edge is embedded in the matrix to expedite the process.
Hardening of the molded product is achieved by introducing stiffening ribs into it. The moment of insertion depends on the shape, thickness and end use of the product. As a general guideline, it is recommended to place them just before applying the last layer of reinforcing material.
If you use foam, pasted over with fiberglass, then this will significantly strengthen the part by slightly increasing the mass. This is how hoods and trunk lids are made. I used to glue door jambs and window frames in the country house out of habit. Incredible strength, 100% tightness. The builders who saw this had to be soldered with a liter of moonshine.
For thresholds, bumpers and spoilers, a layer of powdered glass mat of about 5 mm is enough. The elements forming the stiffeners are covered with a reinforcing mat and thoroughly impregnated with resin. After that, in order to make the reverse surface uniform, a final layer of reinforcing material can be applied to the entire surface of the molded product. Sometimes as fixing or anchor points, etc. metal inserts introduced at the gluing stage are used.
I advise you to make bumper mounts only from metal, fiberglass, simply screwed with self-tapping screws, often breaks. If the product is to be subjected to significant loads, then the thickness of the molded product, starting from the insertion point, should be gradually reduced in order to distribute the load. Metal inserts should be placed as close to the middle of the laminate as possible, and the contact surface of the laminate with the insert should be as large as possible.
Do not get carried away with the thickness of the bumpers! I was able to see a car with damaged fenders and a radiator frame from a minor impact, just because the bumper was 10mm thick and reinforced with brass mesh. The bumper itself is only scratched. Fiberglass is a very strong material, so choose: a new bumper or a tin can.
If parts of the reinforcing material must be joined together to cover the surface of the matrix, then a butt joint or an overlap joint can be used. Butt joints must be made with extreme care so that there is no distance between the two edges of the material. Lap joints should not overlap by more than 25 mm unless otherwise required for stiffness purposes. The splices of chopped strand mat can be made less visible by distributing the excess mat on either side of the splice using small, circular brush strokes along the splice line.
The reverse surface of the molded product can be quite rough, especially if chopped glass mat is used as a reinforcing material.
After the resin has completely hardened, very carefully remove the finished product. In the matrix, you can glue another 5-8 products. If it is periodically repaired and carefully covered with a release agent, then much more!
The final moment - painting
I have this skill entry level, and always painted only for himself. A process that requires material costs and is not as simple as it seems at first glance. In reality, everything is not as it really is. Those who are interested in more detailed information can search for similar materials on the Internet. Just don’t run into materials from 3-5 years ago, now many things, thanks to new materials, are made much easier.
PADDING. The most time-consuming operations are preparatory (cleaning, leveling, puttying). They take up to 90% of the time. Priming and applying enamel is a quick process. Unless, of course, you screw up - then you have to sand off the unsuccessfully applied paint and start the process all over again.
We will apply the first layer on the part that has been puttied and aged for at least a day with a special gun (or from a spray can, now there are so many companies that they will pour you anything you want into spray cans) primer. It can be safely applied in several layers (with an exposure time of 10-15 minutes), "covering" all the remaining pores and scratches along the way. An inexpensive and fairly good primer is available from NOVOL and DYNO COAT. Most primers contain anti-corrosion additives, which sometimes do not work very well with epoxy. So it is better to use special primers for plastic.
GRINDING. After priming, you should wait 4-16 hours (more precisely, see the instructions for the material), and then sand the entire surface in order to even out the “survivors” after pre-treatment of the micro-rises. First, use a sandpaper with a grain index of "P 800" on "wet" with a bar, then - "P 1000", and everything must be done manually. The quality of the surface is assessed by "development", using either a conventional can of nitro paint or a special powder - "dry development". If you use nitro paint, do not forget to wash it off or sand it off afterwards.
Finally, let's go over all the surfaces with the so-called Brighton tape - its grain size is about "P 1500". This tape resembles a washcloth for washing dishes in texture. It does not remove defects, but simply causes a certain risk for better adhesion with paint. And finally, wipe the surface to be treated with a special cloth moistened with a degreaser (as was already done in the first part). You can still blow the detail compressed air and, thus, cleanly get rid of dust. Remember: dust is your number one enemy.
PAINTING. Finally, we came directly to the application of paint - let's get started. The first step is to choose the color of the paint and the type of enamel. Now three main types of enamels are used: nitro, alkyd and acrylic. It is believed that the most durable and comfortable - acrylic. In turn, they can be simple and "spectacular": "metallic", "chameleon", etc. Legs in hands and running to the company engaged in color matching. There you will pick up and paint, and varnish, and primer, and everything else. Suppose this time it will be a fashionable and rather complex three-layer pearlescent paint. It consists of the so-called "base" (the first layer of paint that creates the background), color-forming enamel and varnish, which gives the coating a mirror shine.
Material consumption for approximately 50 sq. dm 150 g "base". This should be enough for an average bumper, although for each type of paint, its color or even shade, the consumption of the source material is still different. A lot depends on the "hiding power" of the paint, i.e., the ability of its fresh layer to become opaque. Different components have different "hiding power": sometimes the surface can be covered in one and a half layers, sometimes - in seven or even eight.
Dilute the paint with a special solvent. By the way, each of the three components requires its own special solvent. Well, then we filter the paint through a filter with a mesh of 190 microns. To create a "base" it is enough to apply three thin layers - they dry very quickly (15-20 minutes). Determining that the paint has dried is simple: it stops shining, becomes matte. By the way, without varnish, the paint does not have to shine at all.
After the "base" has dried, we put three layers of color-forming enamel. It does not matter if after the first layer some "apple" remains (this is the name of the effect when neighboring areas differ in color saturation). We will get rid of this unpleasant effect with the help of subsequent layers. But do not rely on them too much - it is important to apply the layers carefully so that paint runs do not form.
If the "base" or the paint itself still flowed, it will be necessary, after the paint dries, to re-treat the entire surface with sandpaper. It's even worse if the varnish leaks. In this case, it is first dried until it hardens completely (it lasts a day in air, 40-60 minutes in a chamber at 60 degrees), then the defective area is polished and, finally, it is carefully polished. If at the same time the paint is rubbed to the "base", you will have to start the painting process from scratch. Pay attention to the stand in the photo, it is very convenient to prepare and paint the part on it.
VARNISHING. Lacquer (100 grams) diluted with a hardener. The proportion is easily determined using a special cup with a measuring ruler. We apply the varnish in one and a half layers from the same gun as the paint. With the first layer, we slightly “dust” (half a layer) the surface and wait one or two minutes. Then we will cover with the main full-fledged layer until spreading. If you put a lot of varnish at once, it can easily leak.
When varnishing, the quality of gloss depends on the speed of the gun and the supply of varnish. If you drive the gun fast enough, the layer lays down, as it were, half the thickness. If you immediately repeat blowing, the varnish may again leak ... Ask what does it mean "quickly", "quickly enough", a full and inferior layer? .. The skill of using a paint gun is acquired with experience. Get it and find out all the answers to your questions.
But there are also unshakable and understandable rules for everyone: first, you should paint the edges, ends, and only then other parts of the surface. You shouldn't make a "lattice", with movements it is necessary, as it were, to repeat the contours of the part, while overlapping the previous stripe of paint by half a torch. You cannot cover the same area twice. In hard-to-observe places, or in the case when it is impossible to move away from the painted part, in order to assess the quality of the gloss, you can do this: put your hand on the desired area and, by its reflection, check if "shagreen" has formed on the surface - a surface structure resembling an orange peel . Beginning painters can be advised to deliberately cover the first layer with "shagreen leather", wait 10-15 minutes and re-coat the part with varnish - to a gloss. Surfaces must be allowed to dry (at least 40 minutes), and only then can they be polished.
First. Mix paint with hardener exactly in the specified proportion and in all other matters follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
Second. Mixing paint with hardener can never be overkill. After thorough mixing as recommended by the manufacturer, allow the mixture to stand to start the reaction and then mix again for a few minutes. Even if after reading the instructions on the bank you have doubts about the need for this - in vain.
Third. After starting the reaction, the paint must be filtered before use. You will be surprised when you find that sometimes it can stay on the grid.
Fourth."Accelerate" the paint as much as possible to the limit recommended by the manufacturer (if you paint from a gun and prepare the paint yourself). The sooner she gets up, the better for the final result and the less chance that something will stick to her. When painting bumpers, it is highly desirable to add a plasticizer recommended by the paint manufacturer.
Fifth. Avoid any contact with polyurethane paint. Do not inhale, do not touch. I have said this before and I will say it again. It is very important to have eye protection in the form of some kind of glasses so that the reflected paint particles do not get into the eyes. It is good to have a mask that covers the entire face for this. Polyurethane and acrylic paints contain isocyanate, it is he who gives them beauty and durability and at the same time turns them into killers.
Sixth. Before priming or coating the part with liquid putty, do not use sandpaper with too fine grain. Most two-component primers require a certain amount of surface roughness for adhesion. My experience is that for most soil types, the maximum grit is 320, although 220 is sufficient in many cases.
Seventh. Before painting, always wipe the surface with a cloth to remove the slightest trace of sanding dust.
Eighth. Resins do not tolerate sunlight and water well, so I highly recommend not only painting the part on the outside, but also coating it (for example, with anti-gravel) on the inside.
Well, now it really seems like everything, I will be very glad if this article helped you at least in some way.
Copyright © 1995-2005 Yaroslav Malyshev aka X-LIGHT ed. Alexey Ionov aka Xionox © 2007
Fiberglass, or as it is also called fiberglass, for a long time It was used only in the defense industry, shipbuilding, aircraft construction and other specific areas where strong, reliable and durable materials were needed. But not so long ago, fiberglass began to be used everywhere, and today its exceptional qualities are actively used in construction and the economy. What this material consists of and how to make fiberglass with your own hands - read in this article.
Fiberglass is unique operational characteristics, thanks to which this material is able to withstand strong pressure, be in an aggressive chemical environment and provide incredible strength to any structure. At first it was used to build boats, cars, airplanes, then buttons, household appliances, snow ploughs, and other useful things were made from fiberglass. Even today, most of us have preserved old Soviet units, the body of which is made of the strongest and almost eternal fiberglass.
In the 90s, it became fashionable in Russia to install fiberglass windows and doors, to which they still like to add the prefix "euro". The impeccable characteristics of fiberglass allowed it to remain the most popular material for use in almost all industries, from rubble to construction and military.
Today it is used as a structural and thermal insulation material in boat manufacturing, strengthen the hulls of boats, rocket engines, ships, car bodies, etc. Helicopter blades, exhaust pipes, corrosion-resistant equipment, pipelines, swimming pools are made from it ... The list of products for which fiberglass is used is simply colossal, and if it disappeared from the planet even for a day, the world would plunge into chaos.
Compound
Fiberglass is a composite material that consists of a fiberglass filler and a binder. Fiberglass is represented by filamentous fibers, cloth or mat. Binder - different types polyester resin. The filler gives the material strength and performs a reinforcing function, while the resin makes it monolithic and distributes the load evenly between the fibers. Also, it is the resin that protects fiberglass from destruction by aggressive chemicals.
The strongest glass-reinforced plastics are made up of oriented continuous fibers. They can be divided into unidirectional (fibers are parallel to each other) and crossed (fibers are located at a certain angle to each other). Changing the orientation of the fibers allows you to adjust the strength and adjust the main characteristics of the material.
Properties
The exceptional properties of fiberglass have already been mentioned above, now it is time to consider them in more detail. Why is this material so good, and why is it used in almost all areas of production?
Fiberglass properties:
Classification
Fiberglass can be classified depending on the form of release, for example, sheet and rolled fiberglass are distinguished. Also, the material comes in different colors, but the main classification occurs by application.
So, there are the following types of fiberglass:
- Structural - used in the form power elements for strengthening rod structures of sucker rods, rubber-fabric caterpillars, belts or cases of electric motors.
- High-strength - reinforced fiberglass for the production of high-load multi-blade propellers that are installed in engines of wide-body aircraft. It reduces the mass of the blade several times compared to aluminum blades. At the same time, such fiberglass increases Engine efficiency, reduces fuel consumption, provides high engine performance during takeoff and increases the service life.
- Chemically resistant - the characteristics of this type of fiberglass depend on the type of resin used to make it.
- Heat-resistant - non-combustible fiberglass with increased strength for radio engineering or structural needs. Working temperature can reach up to 350C. This type of material is mainly used for the manufacture of motorcycle engines, protective covers and screens in aircraft, hoods, etc. Heat-resistant fiberglass retains high stable strength characteristics even with prolonged exposure to high temperatures. It does not burn and provides high fire safety.
- Electrical - fiberglass used in electric dryers, heaters and other similar equipment. The main purpose is thermal insulation.
Fiberglass manufacturing
To date, there are several methods for the production of fiberglass:
How to make fiberglass with your own hands
In the manufacture of fiberglass, by and large, there is nothing complicated. It's just a polyester resin that's been molded into a mold and reinforced with fiberglass.
Mostly home-made fiberglass is used for domestic automotive needs. This is the surest and easiest way to fix the hood, door or other broken part of the car. In specialized firms, the necessary forms and matrices for large parts are pre-prepared. If you want to do it yourself, it's best to start with small secondary parts of simple shapes that do not require high precision to install. In the learning process, it is impossible to avoid mistakes and inaccuracies, so it is better not to take risks once again.
Homemade fiberglass can be made according to the following instructions:
The outer surface of the product is uneven and wrinkled, therefore, it requires additional mechanical processing - grinding, puttying and painting. Fiberglass can be easily leveled with sandpaper, drilled or cut with a knife.
You can buy fiberglass and materials for its manufacture at any construction market or supermarket. This strong and durable material will help you fix your car, make repairs and even create unusual artistic sculptures. For example, this video shows how you can make a stylish do-it-yourself sink using a foam mold and fiberglass:
In the modern world, the use of fiberglass is widespread in various branches of human activity: construction, ship and automotive construction. in car service and private workshops for car tuning. The popularity of fiberglass is explained by universal qualities - lightness combined with super strength. It does not rot, treated with resins or covered with auto-filler, it acquires, therefore, using fiberglass as a “patch” in a place destroyed by rust is one of the most durable ways to get rid of holes, on a par.
fiberglass manufacturing
Fiberglass cloth for car modeling and tuning is widely used for several reasons:
- parts made of this material are stronger than aluminum;
- they are much lighter in weight than steel analogues;
- able to restore shape after damage;
- are not subject to corrosion, do not rust.
Types of fiberglass
Fiberglass is a thin thread obtained from. Under influence high temperatures fibers acquire special properties - they become flexible, tear-resistant, losing the ability to break like ordinary glass. Fiberglass-based fabrics, due to their acquired properties, have found application in all areas of production and construction as an independent finishing material or a reinforcing element. Fiberglass for cars is divided into three types:
- fiberglass mat;
- ordinary fiberglass;
- thin glass veil.
Glass mat is the thickest and densest representative of materials of this kind. The composition of the glass mat includes several layers of randomly arranged fibers, richly impregnated with resin. Durable waterproof material is used in the automotive and marine industry as overlays to restore the integrity of parts. According to the degree of density, it can be 300 g / m², 450 g / m², 600 g / m², it is produced in rolls 125 cm wide. About 200 rubles per linear meter.
fabric material Fiberglass is used as a heat, electrical and waterproofing material, it is often used for modeling - fiberglass is made. Fiberglass products are stronger than mats due to the orderly arrangement of fibers in even rows. However, for the same reason, it is more difficult to work with a fabric - it is difficult to lay it on a matrix, it bubbles, not perceiving the complex shape of the substrate. The density of fiberglass can be the same as that of glass mat.
Glass veil is the lightest, thinnest and most flexible material compared to the previous ones. It is used in the manufacture of the matrix as the first layer, preventing the fibers of coarser fabrics from protruding outward through the gelcoat and forming a pattern, violating the integrity of the shape of the part.
The last layer is applied to the matrix with a separator, such as paraffin, stearin or ordinary parquet polish. The separating composition is intended to ensure that the subsequently removed casts of parts are separated from the matrix without problems.
Front and rear bumpers Advice. The inhalation of fiberglass threads is undesirable, and polyester resin leaves irritation on the skin. You need to work in rubber gloves, a mask, goggles.
Working with fiberglass and epoxy does not require a specially equipped room or expensive tools. Details of any complexity, up to body panels, can be made in the garage. Moreover, their strength is high - in order to cut the finished part or matrix, you need a grinder with a stone disk.
Methods for manufacturing fiberglass parts
In addition to sequential gluing of layers of fiberglass on the layout, other methods of forming fiberglass and manufacturing parts from fiberglass are used:
- spraying;
- winding;
- melting of finished composite fiberglass elements and solidification in the form of a matrix.
Spraying is carried out by the composition of the resin with individual glass fibers added to it. The substance is placed in a gun, which is used to spray a layer on the layout. The advantage of this method is the ease, speed of application, and among the disadvantages is a thick heavy layer, inferior in strength to products with an inextricable fiberglass thread.
fiberglass machine fender The fiberglass winding method is used in cases where it is necessary to obtain a cylindrical or round object: a frame or a pipe. Fiberglass is impregnated with resin in a container, squeezed using machines, wound special devices to the layout. The process is fast, and strong fiberglass parts are formed at the output.
You can make a fiberglass part by melting prepregs - blanks impregnated with resin. Together with the matrix, they are placed in a special chamber for heating and melting, then they solidify in the form of a matrix.
Fiberglass and epoxy resin are used to make car parts: spoilers, bumpers, hood or roof linings, license plate linings, and others. Tuning using fiberglass modeling transforms the car beyond recognition. The most common manufacture of fiberglass bumpers.
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Fiberglass for cars is a versatile material that allows you to repair complex holes, holes, through cracks, and put patches. With the help of fiberglass, monolithic parts are made that are not inferior to steel in strength.
By using fiberglass or glass mats you can create any and even very complex shape of the car body. Bodies made of composite materials they do not rust, are easy to process and repair, have exceptional strength, are able to dampen vibrations and are easy to manufacture. By impregnating glass mat or fiberglass with epoxy, polyester or phenol-formaldehyde resin, fiberglass. When impregnated glass mats or fiberglass phenol-formaldehyde resin produces a part with high temperature resistance and mechanical strength. In addition, at fiberglass on this basis the most low cost source material. Have greater strength fiberglass based on epoxy resins, but their cost is higher.
Making a master model.
Before you start creating master model, evaluate the available material at hand: chipboard, plasticine, polystyrene, clay, alabaster, gypsum. If there is clay and sand nearby, you can start with them, but the best material is a sculptural clay. Any hard surfaces, like hardened gypsum or alabaster, you will grind and cut for hours, and plasticine only needs to be scraped off with a spatula or scraper.
Before starting work, the site must be leveled. The flooring must be leveled and the more accurate, the more accurate it will turn out. master model. A frame with wheels is installed on the flooring, and a frame future body. frame it is made from any available materials - plywood, chipboard, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam. Do not forget to reduce the size of the frame and leave room for applying plasticine.
In order not to warp the body in two mutually perpendicular planes, make two templates. One with the drawing dimensions of the top view, the other of the front (rear) view. For more precise alignment frame in height, use the hydraulic level.
Next, we coat the frame with plasticine and form the future car body. You have a wide field of activity before you: plasticine allows you to cut off layers and form any surface. Prepare templates for all curved sections of surfaces, hood, roof, doors, radiator lining, etc. In addition, it is good to have a flat rail 3.5 ... 4 m long with a section of 20x30 mm. This rail will allow you to draw curved curves on the surfaces of the master model and check the smoothness of the constructed surfaces. 
If you use glasses from stock car, and do not make them to order, then install the glasses on master model. The glass is moistened with water and placed on model master according to pre-made markup, which is transferred from the drawing of the future car to master model.
The same should be done with serial lighting devices, door handles, etc. according to the list, if you are not going to make them yourself or make them to order. This will avoid many design errors and save future body from many hours of adjustments of non-joining parts.
Having finished manufacturing model master, having verified all its surfaces and lines, they begin to prepare it for manufacturing body or matrices. Having made a quality master model, better to do matrix, and glue on it body(one, two or more). Fiberglass allows you to get a quality surface body without subsequent sanding.
Before making matrix, it is necessary to prepare the surface well, since any protrusion and any depression will be accurately displayed on the inner surface matrices, and then on the outer surface of the body. Align the surfaces model master easier than on a car body, and it is better to do this work once, and not for each instance of the body.
If you have made master model from plasticine, then you need to apply a separating layer and start gluing matrices. If the master model is made of clay, gypsum or alabaster, then the master model must be painted, cleaned and polished. After that, it is necessary to apply a separating anti-adhesive layer to facilitate the removal of the finished matrix. To obtain such a layer, cellophane, polyethylene, polyamide and other polymer films are used, as well as film-forming solutions or polishing pastes and mastics, which, after drying, form the thinnest film of an anti-adhesive layer on the surface.
Here are some recipes for home-made compounds for the separating layer:
- 2 parts wax and 1 part turpentine. The wax is melted in a water bath, then removed from the fire and poured in turpentine. Check the quality of the composition, if the dried layer can be polished, then the composition is suitable, otherwise add turpentine.
- 30% paraffin, 30% gasoline and 40% soapy water
Matrix manufacturing.
The master model is ready, let's start manufacturing matrices.
We will need the following tool:
- Scissors for cutting fabric or mats;
- Spatulas of various widths;
- Brushes with hard bristles;
- Rubber roller for rolling;
- Cans and trays for resin.
The resin is prepared in small portions, since the time before the start of curing and the loss of adhesive properties is 40-60 minutes. Therefore, usually take 1-2 kg of resin. The resin is prepared according to the instructions, but first you need to check the composition on a small piece glass mat or fiberglass, since the adhesive properties depend not only on the composition and quality of the resin, but also on the method of connecting the layers, mixing, temperature, ambient humidity and other reasons.
First, a so-called decorative layer (resin 50% and aluminum powder 50%) 1 mm thick is applied to the finished surface and allowed to thicken to such a state that traces of resin do not remain on the finger (“tack-free”). After that, a thin layer of liquid resin is applied and applied fiberglass. It is rolled with a roller and treated with a hard brush, making sure that air bubbles do not form.
If nevertheless they arise, then, having cut through the bubble with scissors, they “nail” it with a brush moistened with resin.
A second layer of fabric is immediately applied to the first layer and it is “nailed” like the first one. In no case should you brush over the fabric, as the brush can drag the fabric along with it and ruin the work.
If matrix made of elements: fenders, doors, hood, roof, then matrix need to be detachable. First, mark the parting lines matrices, in the future they will become seams on the car body, then we mount the formwork of the connector. It is made of metal, cardboard or plywood. In plasticine master model the formwork is simply stuck along the marked lines, but with a solid master model made of clay, gypsum or alabaster, they do otherwise.
Glue 2-3 layers of fiberglass on the entire master model. Then, as on plasticine model master, outline parting lines matrices. Marking should be carried out after complete polymerization of the resin. Then strips are prepared, 80-100 mm wide. metal, plywood or cardboard. One edge of the future formwork is cut out so that it follows the contours of the plane, since it will need to be inserted into the cut made for the connector. The separating layer mentioned above is applied to the strips. The stacked layers are cut with a hacksaw or grinder, the formwork strips are inserted into the gaps, and then the gluing is carried out according to the above technology. When cutting fiberglass, the allowance on the parting plane is taken into account.
Then, having laid five or six layers on the previous ones, they strengthen the parting planes with wooden blocks. To do this, the bar and beaded planes of fiberglass are lubricated in pairs with resin and then they are fastened with nails, after complete polymerization of the resin, the sides are drilled and fastened with bolts and nuts M6 or M8. 
To prevent the "play" of surfaces, the formwork is reinforced with bars or stiffeners are applied in the form of fiberglass bundles impregnated with resin. After resin polymerization matrix With model master take off.
If the separating layer has been laid evenly and without gaps, the elements matrices will be removed without significant effort, you just need to insert a sharp object into the connectors - separate the edges of the fiberglass from the steel strips and pull the element to be removed with your hands matrices.
Having exposed all master model carry out a check assembly matrices, then parse it into elements.
Body sticker.
Elements matrices bodies are cleaned of the separating layer remaining on the inner surface. Then the inner surface is puttied and polished.
If there are large shells on the inner surface, then it is better to putty with epoxy resin with filler. The protrusions are removed with a coarse file ( fiberglass well processed), and then the surface is polished.
After carefully examining the surface and making sure that there are no flaws on it, a separating layer is applied, while trying to make it as thin as possible. The separating layer must be polished, as what surface will be obtained on the inside matrices, it will be the same outer side finished part.
A decorative resin layer is applied to the separating layer and cured. Then a liquid layer is applied, stacked and rolled glass mat or fiberglass so that bubbles do not form; the first layer is the front layer. Having treated the first layer with a resin brush, the second layer is rolled, followed by the third, etc.
It is difficult to recommend the number of layers, since the thickness of the composite depends on the thickness of the fiberglass. In order to determine the required thickness, it is best to conduct an experiment on a small sample. However, less than 3 mm layer is not made! When using Kevlar, the layer thickness can be 0.5…1.5 mm.
Laying the last layer fiberglass, carefully roll it with a rubber roller or soak it with resin with a brush. After complete polymerization of the resin, the part is removed from the matrix.
It should be noted that an excess of resin will lead to deformation of the part. Experienced craftsmen advise applying a new layer only after the previous one has polymerized and cleaned with sandpaper.
If there is no time to wait for the polymerization of each layer, try using the technology used in industrial production. The part, together with the matrix, is placed in a bag made of a thin membrane and the air is pumped out. The membrane tightly compresses each bend of the part and squeezes out excess resin. In this form, the part is left until the resin is completely polymerized.
Coloring.
fiberglass it is well painted with both synthetic, oil paints, and nitro paint. To do this, you only need to degrease the outer surface, clean it with sandpaper, put one layer of soil, and paint over it.
Another method can also be suggested. 2-3% aniline dye must be added to the epoxy resin. Before proceeding with gluing panels with such resin, it is necessary to carry out the coloring operations on a separate piece of fiberglass and resin as an experiment, since the paint can change its color when it is added to the resin.
For the first decorative layer, the following composition should be used: 100 mass parts of PN-1 resin, 6 parts of initiator and 8 parts of accelerator. This layer not only creates a shiny surface. but also protects the glass filler from moisture and chemicals.
The painted body is sanded with waterproof fine-grained sanding paper, polished with a paste or liquid for car body treatment.
Body made of fiberglass, made according to the frame of the car.
Some designers have come to the conclusion that for the manufacture of one sample to do matrix impractical.
There is a method of gluing body panels directly on model master without manufacturing matrices. It was noticed that fiberglass impregnated with resin and well rolled to the surface model master, repeats its pattern, taking into account all body lines. If at the same time the last (outer) layer is made decorative, then the shape of the car body is actually ready, and with the appropriate putty it is possible to make a car body from this blank. Removing the remaining parts from the inside of the shell model master, you can cut the resulting body into elements, glue internal decorative and load-bearing elements to them with the same resin and install everything on the car frame. With this body fabrication, each layer of fabric must be carefully applied and the surfaces checked for glare. If these operations are performed incorrectly, the consumption of putty increases unnecessarily during finishing and preparation for painting.
This article was prepared based on the materials of the book " I am building a car» V. Zakharchenko and I. Turevsky ed. "Engineering" 1989
