Make A Fibreglass Warbird Mould - 1/7th Scale P-40E Warhawk - Page 6

b1heqh54 · #**126** 04-05-2012, 05:29 PM

b1heqh54 · #**127** 04-06-2012, 05:25 PM

...another breadcrumb

b1heqh54 · #**128** 04-07-2012, 12:36 AM

b1heqh54 · #**129** 04-21-2012, 10:13 AM

Canopy Frame Serial 000002

b1heqh54 · #**130** 04-23-2012, 02:55 AM

I've got something cooking tonight - wanna take a guess??

b1heqh54 · #**131** 04-23-2012, 02:57 AM

How do you arrive at a unique airplane?? You nique up on it of course!
Slowly, but rest assured, assuredly, I am moving toward something here. lol
Green leaves a lot to be desired in the way of opacity.

Untrimmed Weight - 820 grams or approx. 1.8lbs

b1heqh54 · #**132** 04-23-2012, 03:00 AM

I've carved enough hard balsa block and melted enough plastic in my mother's old oven to know that waiting overnight for a canopy frame to set up is almost too good to be true!
Not bad for #2, but canopy #3 will be even better...

How do you arrive at a unique airplane?? You nique up on it of course!
Slowly, but rest assured, assuredly, I am moving toward something here. lol
Green leaves a lot to be desired in the way of opacity.
Black would be at the other end of that spectrum.
Mould them in black??

Untrimmed Weight - 820 grams or approx. 1.8lbs

b1heqh54 · #**133** 04-23-2012, 03:01 AM

I've carved enough hard balsa block and melted enough plastic in my mother's old oven to know that waiting overnight for a canopy frame to set up is almost too good to be true!
Not bad for #2, but canopy #3 will be even better...

b1heqh54 · #**134** 04-23-2012, 12:18 PM

You guessed it - that's a lower cowl section.

The tool in all rights should have been at least a two piece mould with the forward section pulling straight off the nose.
Don't be fooled by the test part, rather let it convince you of the durability of the materials involved. I stood on the mould and pulled and twisted that thing with all my might.
Pile it into the ground, dust it off, pop out the dings and stick it back on.

Lets see you do that with an ABS cowl - NOT!!
We conquered the opaqueness issue with a couple of coats of automotive paint in the mould.
So the next fuselage will get brown camo followed by green paint.

b1heqh54 · #**135** 06-08-2012, 02:37 PM

b1heqh54 · #**136** 10-06-2012, 05:33 PM

New shop - new building season

Wing Mould - Section #2
Flooring Laminate
Old Lamp (tubing)
Furniture Sliders
1/4-20 thread inserts
Aluminum T-slot Extrusion
Carnauba Wax

Hold on....here we go again

b1heqh54 · #**137** 10-09-2012, 01:18 PM

These air fittings will be filled with clay and cast in place along with the o-rings. I'll rough up the OD's with a file first to ensure adhesion.

Inexpensive, yes; effective, time will tell.

b1heqh54 · #**138** 10-10-2012, 02:22 AM

Clay holds O-ring flat to face. (8 places)
Barbed part ejector port also included in saddle area.

b1heqh54 · #**139** 10-16-2012, 01:33 AM

well, it better be right 'cause it's kinda permanent...

b1heqh54 · #**140** 10-16-2012, 02:37 AM

surface veil to prevent the heavier weaves from showing through over time

b1heqh54 · #**141** 10-16-2012, 12:47 PM

6 Oz Tape - Outer Flange Support
9 Oz Cloth - 1st Layer

b1heqh54 · #**142** 10-17-2012, 01:44 AM

no point in throwing another $100 in epoxy and cloth at reinforcing this section until I've seen the cavity - if all turns out well, I can always rough it up with a cup wheel on the grinder and lay down a few more layers of heavy cloth

hopefully this will set up enough to remove the forms tomorrow - now we wait....lol

b1heqh54 · #**143** 10-17-2012, 07:17 PM

These flanges are 2 layers of 9 Oz cloth over the tool coat.
It works well. The flange is firm, but still somewhat moveable.

b1heqh54 · #**144** 10-17-2012, 09:03 PM

Still have some clay to clean, and my registration pads didn't release again, but all in all not bad for a disabled guy in his basement I suppose.

b1heqh54 · #**145** 10-19-2012, 10:40 PM

and now we wait...any and all laminating resin donations will be accepted with open arms and the greatest of gratitude at the following address...lol

Two Bulldog P40 Headquarters
94B Henry Street
Brantford, ON
Canada
N3S 7J5

b1heqh54 · #**146** 10-20-2012, 04:46 PM

many thanks to all of you that offered to move the project forward...and awwaaay we go...

b1heqh54 · #**147** 10-21-2012, 04:43 PM

If you drop by the shop for a coffee, I'll put you to work... lol
Next, the lower centre section will be cast separate from the remaining two leading edge sections.

b1heqh54 · #**148** 10-21-2012, 08:04 PM

Someone who no longer needed it, shipped me one of these today. Top Flite Part Number TOPA1774
I promise to give it a good home and I can't wait to have a look.

b1heqh54 · #**149** 11-24-2012, 09:36 PM

Spent some time organizing my new work area and got a good jump on the next mould section today. The rest of the basement is clear and I hope to put some work stations along the walls to support kit production, should the project ever evolve that far.

b1heqh54 · #**150** 11-30-2012, 10:20 PM

Lower Wing Centre Section - Ready To Mould

Fear not my fine flying friends, we march ever closer….J