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Date:         Mon, 7 Feb 2005 11:14:18 -0700
Reply-To:     jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Subject:      Re: technique question-- molds - modify a top??
Comments: To: Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@ipa.net>
In-Reply-To:  <6.1.2.0.2.20050207093726.0482e960@pop.ipa.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"

After looking around at the availability of trying to get a solid sportcamper or adventurewagon top, I am very seriously looking at modifying an existing top. Note the top itself not molds for a top. The problems is at that scale I need to know what the integrity would be. For example if I was to take a fiberglass canoe and decide to shorten it by 1 foot and make it a foot narrower, would I be able to refasten the parts together and have a good canoe? jimt

On 2/7/05 8:55 AM, "Max Wellhouse" <maxjoyce@ipa.net> wrote:

> I'm not an expert, but have dealt in Kayak molds and plugs, and you might > be better off making a heavy part(chopper gun or lots of matt, as you are > effectively making a plug here to modify later) from the existing mold, PVA > the hell out of the mold surface after waxing til your arms fall off(to > prevent the new plug from sticking to the old mold), then go through the > gelcoat and laminating process. It would be helpful to find out what the > layup was for the original parts and then multiply that several times so > you have a very stiff plug to keep it's original integrity. Since you're > going to be doing many changes to it, I wouldn't worry about having a > pretty surface as it's much more important to have the new plug release > from the old mold. I'd also be careful when laminating a thick plug as > that much thickness with normal catalyst concentrations could make a VERY > warm environment(exothermic heat buildup, I think). I have a friend in > Pittsburg Kansas that is an expert in the field, having laminated a > mahogany wood plug for a commercial 48" city water valve mold that needed > to spec out within .06" I could get you in touch with him if you were > really serious about the project.At 03:15 PM 2/6/2005, jimt wrote: >> On 2/6/05 8:00 AM, "Joe Federici" <joefederici@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote: >> >> On a hightop for my van I have been looking at some of the ones in the >> salvage yards that are on chevy and dodge etc. >> >> For those that work in the fiberglassing, how hard would it be to maybe >> modify one of those tops. One I was looking at I figure I could do the base >> trimming with very little difficulty. The hard part would be a split down >> the center to remove about 1 inch and then somewhere across from one side to >> the other to remove about 6 or 7 inches. >> >> I was thinking 20 gauge aluminum plate (or similar) along the seams from the >> inside with rivets through to plate on the outside at points and then reseal >> everything with fiberglassing kit. I have done similar on smaller projects >> but never on anything of that size. Is this doable on that scale? >>

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• jimt Planned insanity is best. Remember that sanity is optional. http://www.tactical-bus.info (tech info) http://www.westydriver.com


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