Diamonite Electrathon America Racer

[Functional Artist]

Sorry I was late to the party. Body filler and a long board with 180 grit will straighten it out.

Hey Denny,

It was an experiment
...a learning exercise
...& I wasa just sayin'

F that!
...my arms would "hate me"
...also, just sayin'

& (& it's a big one)

I wouldn't have the opportunity to "try again"
...& try-n-make something...even kooler!

Let me introduce you to...Plan B

 

[Denny]

Plastic Bondo squeegees can also be your best friend after all the glass is laid and resined.

 

[Functional Artist]

Someone in the back says:
"It kinda looks like ya put that "embellishment" thing, on backwards

I says:
"Um...lemme check
...yesterday wasa long day"

 

[Denny]

It’s only backwards if you think it is.

 

[Functional Artist]

Man you always have me guessing.

Isn't that the down side? Inside? whatever your knees see?

Looks like the tape didnt like the resin.

Hey WTR,

The tape seemed to stick (& stay put) when "stuck" to the cardboard
...but, where the tape wasa overlapped
...is where the "issues" arose

Yup, your correct

The plan was ta make a FG "cavity" mold,
...off of that CAD "plug"
...so, the inside wasa smooth
&
Then, make the actual FG hood
...off of the FG "cavity" mold
...so/then, the outside would be the smoother side (like the rest of the monocoque)

I'ma learnin' more & more about what "works" (or how ta work) with this "stuff"
...& what doesn't

 

[Functional Artist]

Someone in the back says:
"It kinda looks like ya put that "embellishment" thing, on backwards

I says:
"Um...lemme check
...yesterday wasa long day"

Nope! I double checked...were...good

So, a "cavity" mold...like this...is what I wasa goin' for
...but, smooth inside (important detail)

I had ta tell myself "stop bein' so lazy & do it right"

So, I got me some 1/2 MDF
...after some measurin' markin' & cuttin' (basic hood mold pieces)
...& markin' for the hood embellishment (if we gonna do it...let's try-n-make 'er look kool)

I did some drillin' (1" holes) to establish the corner/curves, of the hood embellishment

Set up a "guide board" ta help the saw (& me) cut a straight line

Makin' sure the "adjustment" of the "guide board" wasa in the right place, for the "foot" of the saw

After cuttin' the "straights"
...I used a jigsaw to cut the shorter "runs" in the front

Jua-lla

Another view

A close-up view of a "corner/curve"

 

[Functional Artist]

Hood embellishments on real cars, "ramp up" from the surface of the hood to the top surface of the "feature"
...not, a hard "step-down" like this

So, we gots ta add some fillets

Ta make fillets, I've seen many materials used like:
....clay, wax, bondo, plaster, spray foam & I've even used Latex caulk
...but, I'ma just gonna "machine" them

Weapon of choice, for this procedure, would be a router (with a 45* angled bit)

Yup, seemed ta "do the job" quite...well

Doin' somethin a bit different
...on the back edge, of the "feature"

We'll see how it "turns out"

 

[Functional Artist]

Next, I added the dash panel to the "hood" mold
...& then, the (2) side panels

* Hi Ducky...I see you!

...& then, finally got to this "painted up" stage

 

[Functional Artist]

Sanded & smoothed

Got 'er all ready to coat with the PVA

Coated

This time I'ma just doin' a layer of CSM
...& then, lettin' 'er cure a bit
...before addin' more layers

Ta try-n-make sure I get in, all of these nooks-n-crannies really well

 

[Functional Artist]

A couple of hours later
...after the first layer wasa pretty well hardened up
...but, still good-n-tacky
...I added a couple of layers of the 1708 FG cloth

* I made sure to get a "good layer" on the dashboard "panel" ('cause it's the upper steering support)
...& on them "wrap arounds" corners too ('cause they help support the dash "panel")

 

[Functional Artist]

Ready for the reveal?

Workin' on poppin' 'er loose

Notice the color difference (gets lighter) as the "piece" releases?

Jua-lla

The hood embellishment seems to have "transferred" pretty well...too

 

[Functional Artist]

Got 'er all trimmed up

Checkin' the thickness, of these (3) layers

Seems ta be about (maybe) ~3/16" thick (or so)

Test fit on the monocoque

Another view

Frontal view

 

[Functional Artist]

The OD of the upper steering support bearing is 1 3/8"
...& I have a 1 3/8" hole saw
...but, sometimes the holes they make are not so accurate

So, I did a "test hole" in a scrap piece of MDF
...yup it seems ta fit pretty nicely

Marked the center of the dash
...& cut out the hole for the upper steering support bearing

Wow! I must say, this is pretty thick

Measures out to ~1/4" thick

Upper steering support bearing installed

Closer up(per) view

 

[Functional Artist]

Another "test fit"
...& markin' for the lower dashboard "cut-out"

I'ma "leavin' (~1") of material under the upper steering support bearing

Got 'er all trimmed out

Looks like this

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

So how did this detail work out?

 

[Functional Artist]

Hey Ez,

Pretty well

It's nuthin' super fancy.

I just wanted it to be vertical or mostly flat on the back side
...like I've seen on many hood features

kinda like this

And curved or sloped on the other (3) sides
...like this

 

[Functional Artist]

To attach/mount the hood my first thought was to bolt & bond
...so, I made up some "bondable fasteners"

Single bolt units for the front
...& (2) bolt units for the rear
* The nuts (& washers) come off before installation

All set up ta get 'em installed
...& then, the hood bonded down

Then, I thought:
"If I'ma bondin' it down
...then, what the "F" are the bolts for
...as it ain't ever gonna be unboltable/removable...ever again"

So, I revised the plan
...& just bonded 'er down
...usin' ~8 oz. of resin

Masked off the inside of the monocoque (ta help keep 'er clean)

I used 1/2 of the resin to "glue" strips of FG cloth around most of, the inside of, the perimeter of, the hood

Then, simply folded 'em down, on themselves

Gooped 'em up with the rest of the resin
...counted to (3)
...& "flipped" 'er over into place
...& even, "nailed it" on the first shot

* I used some gravity clamps (bricks) for the thicker part (dashboard area)
...& some manual "screw clamps" in the front corners

I tried to "match up" this front seam as good as possible

* Theres still a bit of a "gap"
...but, it's well workable

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Gravity clamps. Love it.

 

[landuse]

Man!! You do great work!!

I hate working with glass fibre though