You can make a single copy of a fiberglass bumper using a plasticine model. If it is necessary to manufacture several parts according to the layout, a rough matrix is made. In the future, using this matrix, it will be possible to make a series of identical bumpers.
Necessary
- - technical plasticine;
- - glass mat of brand 300 or 450;
- - fiberglass;
- - polyester resin;
- - aerosil.
Instructions
Step 1
Make a plasticine model of the bumper and install it on the car. Cut out templates from thick cardboard and install them as flanges at the joints with body parts. Place the templates so that the bristles of the brush and several layers of glass mat pass through the gap between the template and the layout. Make the width of the template fields no more than 6 cm. Fix the templates with masking tape or plasticine.
Step 2
Take a glass mat of brand 300 or 450 and cut into pieces of 50x50 cm. Pour the polyester resin into a suitable container (about 5 liters) and dilute to a comfortable consistency. With angular bumper shapes, the consistency is desirable thicker. Use aerosil or aluminum powder as a thickener. Knead it with polyester resin in a separate container to a mushy consistency.
Step 3
Draw the matrix base from layers of fiberglass impregnated with polyester resin. For the first coat, use 300 grade glass mat and thick resin. Place polyester resin mixed with aerosil in the form of "sausages" on inner and sharp corners. Lubricate the entire surface of the part with the same composition.
Step 4
Top with pieces of glass mat and saturate with resin. To improve penetration, pierce the mat with a flat brush. At the inner corners, lay the glass mat on the "sausages" and spread them in a thin layer with the end of the brush. Place the edges of the glass mat on the plane of the bumper joints with other body parts.
Step 5
Pay the most attention to the first layer to avoid problems with the die platen. Drying of the first layer should last at least a day. Then sand this layer with coarse sandpaper, cover the bubbles with plasticine and apply a second layer. Apply it and subsequent layers neatly and quickly. Let's cure each layer. Soak the last two coats with liquid polyester resin.
Step 6
Dry the matrix within 24 hours and remove it from the body. In doing so, try not to damage the body. Remove the plasticine from the bumper matrix by heating it with a hair dryer, dampening it with kerosene and wiping it off with a cloth. After removing the plasticine and drying, trim the matrix with coarse sandpaper.
Step 7
For ease of storage and further use, cut the matrix along the parting line of the parts, having previously measured and marked the cut line. Compare both parts of the matrix to make the connector balanced.
