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SV Carbon Tank project for Zoran

I'm after the nicest possible finish so I'm going to do the first two layers in a really light weight 'glass - for better drapability and ease of lay up - and then back that up with some much heaier weight 'glass to add the needed strength.
Here's a shot of the two weights I'm using. Pretty big difference.
Using the lighter weight 'glass right against the surface of the mold also reduces the likelihood of air bubbles in the surface of the part - look how much room there is for air in that (comparitivley) heavier weave...

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Since the underside of my SV/MV tank is essentially the same shape as this one, I was able to use the patterns from my 'old' tank. Note the relief cuts needed to get the material to lay nicely into the mold without bunching and lifting.

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As I mentioned earlier in this thread, as we move into building the production molds (and final parts!) 'Neatness Counts'.
Whereas with the splash molds and plug parts, we didn't really care too much how the parts turned out because we were going to cut and glue and foam and bondo them, now we REALLY care about our results - the finish we get on the mold will translate every flaw right onto the final production parts.
So, I cut out the entire schedule of materials and lay them out so everything is easy to get to, the different weight 'glass is in the correct order, the pieces are on the appropriate side and pointing the right direction, etc. Now I can move quickly through the lay up without having to mentally keep track of how many layers I've put where, etc.
Here we are, ready for the lay up to begin.

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And here we are, one production mold lay up in cure state. It's kinda wild looking - like a big piece of meat or something that used to be alive...As I said, I've never used the red oxide primer and it looks creepy, don't you think? :wow

I used some of the scrap pieces of 'glass to reinforce the mold in a few places. No sense throwing it away when I can slap it on here and gain a bit more rigidity in the mold. May not be as pretty, but who cares? It's the underside of a mold!

So, now it's time to be patient - which is always hard for me... You know how much I love to pop parts off of molds but this is the important stuff. I'll let it sit and cure for probably two days. Maybe pop it out on Wednesday. As soon as I do, you'll know...

Total time invested to date: ~ 25 hours

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What to do to move the cure cycle along?
Last time it was the fireplace, this time, a space heater set to medium/low. Don't want to light anything on fire...
Again, I'm always trying out different approaches to see what works best for me. It's also REALLY nice weather up here today so I may lay it outside in the sun. That's proven pretty effective in the past.

Do you think I'll be able to leave it alone for 2 whole days?:cry

I bet not...but seriously, I won't pull it when there is any serious risk of messing it up.

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I'm really interested in the bonding/sealing process that you'll have to do to attach the top to the bottom (of the finished parts). But I can wait until you get there...
 
HellFyre said:
I'm really interested in the bonding/sealing process that you'll have to do to attach the top to the bottom (of the finished parts). But I can wait until you get there...
Click to expand...

I'm interested in how the gas cap will be mounted.
 
lizard said:
I'm interested in how the gas cap will be mounted.
Click to expand...

Well, first you buy it dinner. Then you take it back to your place where you've got some Barry White, mood lighting, and Courvoisier.
 
3...2...1...PRODUCTION MOLD!

Well, I made it all the way until 7:00 PM on Tuesday before I just had to pull this part out! (I'm so proud of myself...)
The nice weather and a bit of space heater cured the lay up and it was time to pop the part out.
This first pic shows how, as I use a plastic putty blade and start to seperate the part from the plug, it's obvious where the part has released from the mold (the milky white areas) and where it has not (the parts where the color shows). This is easy with 'glass since it's transparent. You'll see it's not so obvious with the final carbon parts.

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The blade is easy to get under the flat edge sections but how to break the seal in those inner areas? Well, how about wacking it with a rubber mallet? Yep, that's what I do. Not full swings or anything like that but enough to flex the part and cause the seperation. Remember, 'glass is pretty tough stuff. Just be sure not to damage the plug.
Notice the one seperation spot that looks like it's about the size of the head of a rubber mallet? I just keep wacking it :p until the entire part is released.

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Even though the part is released, it doesn't just fall out. I have to get something well under a few areas to get the final separation. I use that plastic blade, the big popsicle sticks and any other flexible kind of 'pry bar' that will not damage the part or the plug.
Pry, pry, pry, tap, tap, tap until...
POP! One SV tank underside production mold, fresh from it's birth place, all ready for trimming!

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Ta-friggin'-DA!
Here it is, all trimmed up, ready for wax, PVA and some carbon layup and vacuum bagging.
I'm REALLY pleased with how this turned out. It's near perfect. One of the best parts I've made, if I do say so. Finish is super.
I expect I'll be doing the production carbon part this weekend. Then you'll see the vacuum bagging process in all its glory.
For now, let me introduce you to our production underside mold, ready for action.

So far, this project is going just great. I'm excited by the results we've achieved.

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drizz said:
Ohhh... Can I borrow? :p
Click to expand...

'Rent', maybe... :teeth

We need to talk, I've got some ideas for the camo version of this tank. Come up this weekend and you can help me make the underside carbon part...I need some one to take pics as it's a bit too frenzied to layup, bag and click pics by myself.

And, does anyone have a video camera? I'd love to get the actual bagging process captured and posted... Anyone?
 
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I've got a digital camera that takes video+sound, and pretty good, too. I think 640x480@30fps or so.
 
tygaboy said:
'Rent', maybe... :teeth

We need to talk, I've got some ideas for the camo version of this tank. Come up this weekend and you can help me make the underside carbon part...I need some one to take pics as it's a bit too frenzied to layup, bag and click pics by myself.

And, does anyone have a video camera? I'd love to get the actual bagging process captured and posted... Anyone?
Click to expand...

Chris, E-mail me. I am free Saturday or Sunday (depending when the potential 929 buyer comes down) :thumbup
 
Half the fun of following this thread is reading your wonderfully funny writing style :thumbup

Best thread ever!
 
Let the bagging begin!

Well, let's get into some new stuff, shall we? As I've been saying all along, I want to vacuum bag the final parts. Why? Vacuum bagging helps 'consolidate' the laminate layers and forces excess epoxy out of the part. Achieving the correct ratio of epoxy to fabric is key to getting the strongest, lightest possible part.
I'm not going to get into a discussion of autoclaves except to say that I don't have one! ;) For our purposes, a wet lay up and vacuum bagged part will be just fine.
So, here we go!

First, the 'tools of the trade'. This pics show the basic stuff we'll need. First, that clear, pinkish material is the bagging material. I use something called 'Stretchalon' that has the ability to - wait for it - stretch! This makes it a bit easier to get it to do some of the trickier stuff and allows me to make small mistakes and not pay a big price in terms of creating a bridge, etc.
The roll of yellow stuff is 'sealant tape'. Essentially a strip of goo that we'll use to seal the bag.
The thin, lighter weight material is called 'release peel ply' or just 'peel ply'. It is treated with a magic substance that won't bond with epoxy. Once I do the lay up, I'll cover the wet laminate with a layer of this and when everything cures, I'll be able to - here it comes again - 'peel' it off the part!
Finally, the fluffy looking material is called 'breather'. It sits on top of the peel ply (which is pourous, by the way) and it absorbs the excess epoxy that the vacuum squeezes out of the laminate as it's curing.
Pretty simple, eh?

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Let's build our bag. You can't buy pre-made bags that are big enough for what we're doing - at least, I haven't found any. I build them to meet my requirement.
First, determine how big a bag is needed. I do a really rough fit being sure to leave PLENTY of excess. The bag has to totally conform to the shape of the mold, go in and out of all the contours, etc. And remember, the part will be wrapped in the breather so it'll be significantly bigger than just the mold.
And be careful - the bagging material can be punctured and chasing leaks during the bagging process is a big pain. It's not delicate material, just be careful and prepare well. For example, I sanded the underside of the mold where the raw fiberglass is exposed to ensure I didn't have some little splinter that would perforate the bag.

One very rough fit to determine the amount of material needed...

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