Scratch build Nitro tethered race car, second try!

[CertifiedMike]

Finishing the plug is me buying time, I’ll turn to full on procrastination next !

I’m off to see if I can buy metal sheet at a sensible price, might look out for a big metal can

You might even pass a "donor" street sign on the way to the store!!!

 

[Greywolf74]

Amazing work @Roog! I love watching things like this come together!

 

[Roog]

Amazing work @Roog! I love watching things like this come together!

Thanks @Greywolf74 the wooden car shaped object was de-gassing in our airing cupboard, with our energy costs going up its the warmest part of our house. Or at least it was in the airing cupboard until my misses came home from work and said it was stinking the towels out.

Its now de-gassing in my home office and even the dogs have moved to the kitchen!

I have just ordered a sheet of 0.7mm thick (just less than 1/32") aluminum sheet, I'm going to have a go at beating metal. The plan is to bond the panels with adhesive.

And if that doesn't work I'll have a go at making molds using GRP, messy yucky stuff!

 

[Roog]

I have had a go at making an aluminium body from several sheets of metal and I have struggled, more to the point I sense that even if I carried on I recon that there was a 75% chance that I would not be satisfied with the end result.

So I have bought a fibre glass kit, tissue, woven mat, chop strand, resin, activator and some really useful tools. Importantly a bottle of acetone to unglue myself from everything else afterwards.

After covering the wooden model with a barrier layer I put a layer of tissue on, then a couple of layers of chop strand. Now waiting for this lot to harden.

 

[Roog]

 

[Roog]

I do hope ican get the model out!

 

[WickedFog]

I love how resourceful you are. It's looking great! So this will be your mold? Or are you planning on this fiberglass shell being the finished body?

 

[Roog]

This will be the top mould, so more fibre glass work to be done.
I’m not sure that resourceful describes my work, Rube Goldberg more like.
Or ‘half baked’ if there is a correct way to do something but I haven’t bought the right stuff to do it, I bodge it.

 

[WickedFog]

This will be the top mould, so more fibre glass work to be done.
I’m not sure that resourceful describes my work, Rube Goldberg more like.
Or ‘half baked’ if there is a correct way to do something but I haven’t bought the right stuff to do it, I bodge it.

You are tacking everything with this build like a champ. Keep the updates coming!

 

[CertifiedMike]

You are tacking everything with this build like a champ. Keep the updates coming!

Please! This is a great build!

 

[Roog]

Breaking a habit of a lifetime and following my comments above I have ordered some ‘release agent’ in the hope that I can get my GRP car body out of the mould without destroying everything.

 

[WickedFog]

Breaking a habit of a lifetime and following my comments above I have ordered some ‘release agent’ in the hope that I can get my GRP car body out of the mould without destroying everything.

There are lots of ways to prep a mold for release. Just make sure you have a decent draft angle everywhere

 

[Roog]

Cheers, yes I have to trim the GRP back to a marked line

 

[Roog]

Plug has been released from the top mold, but needs some repair before I create to bottom mold from it. I have cut the keel off so that the plug is now free and now has a bottom!

 

[Roog]

 

[Roog]

I have to decide whether I join the bottom (yet to be made) to the top, then cut out the bottom to fit over the chassis, or keep the two half’s separate, fix the bottom to the chassis, then have just the top removable.

That might be easier to access the engine when starting.

 

[Doom!]

I think keeping it in two parts would be good, if you can make it work.

 

[Roog]

I think keeping it in two parts would be good, if you can make it work.

I’m inclined to agree, the lower moulding will be quite shallow say 3/4” high, so if I can fix that ‘tray like’ shape to the car and then strap the top part to it. I’ll make the two parts first and then see what is left of the lower ‘tray’ once I’ve figured out what needs to be cut away to make it fit.

If it ends up too fragile I might have to bond the top to it and make it a one piece body.

 

[Roog]

Top and bottom moulds nearly ready for moulding

 

[Roog]

Better not sneak off to the shed today, I have a few days off over the holiday period so I can make a start then, besides it’s best not to mess about with sharp tools when enjoying the Christmas spirit.

Wishing everyone a Happy Christmas. Cheers!