coopers shocker build #2

[RCKong]

looks like yur cat likes to help too !

[Cooper]

these are just some mock-ups of what look im trying for. like i said before im going with more of a industrial/machine look. im planning on using the same size bolts that are in the water exit plates. that is what the white dots are representing. the black vertical lines will be the cf that will not be removed.
as far a strength, i really think this will be strong enough to hold up to a direct impact at speed, i cannot bend this acrylic at all and its is shock resistant. but thats why everyday someone comes up with something better. if i can get another hatch i will do this and when i want to go for speed i can always alternate between lids.
boat windshield pics 008.jpgboat windshield pics 007.jpgboat windshield pics 006.jpgboat windshield pics 005.jpgboat windshield pics 004.jpg

[runzwithsizorz]

well like i said before if i can get another hatch i think i will do this at a later date, as for now i am just going to work on the mold. i can make the parts now and just do the hatch work later. i was looking at the pet first, that is what is in the king has for a windsheild. in the pic you can see how thin and flimsy it is,


so i found some acrylic .100" in the garage. tryed to vacume form it but too thick and i didnt want to get that involved, well after a couple trial and error atempts i found the best way was to pre heat it in the oven and then press form it

What were you using as form, or mold?? The hatch itself?? I was going to use a fairly thick, but pliable plastic from some cd travel type jewel cases. Not perfectly clear but close. Was going to try and use my heat gun to get it to form a bit better. Also have some 0.085" acrylic. Was going to just epoxy into place, then
add some strips of CF around that, or most of the whole hatch for that matter. I'll be watching.

[runzwithsizorz]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]71033[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]71034[/ATTACH]the first one i pre heated well got the oven up to 350 and thought 450 would be better, well not 275-325 best. too much heat and the material started to boil internally. not too attractive with bubble glass. so i found a better idea for that piece, hope my wife likes it.

I hear the Flyers may be looking for a new goalie.

[Cooper]

Originally I was using the hatch, pre heating it to about 100 degrees(just so it wasn't a shock when the material would touch it) the cf will take a tremendous amount of heat, that is how it is made with intense heating baking all the impurities out leaving just carbon, but the epoxy or resin in it will not, so you have to find the right temp. The vacume form I made was using the hatch for the mold, I have a small knurled bolt towards the tear end so I can pick the hatch up easier, just hooked a vacume tube to that hole for the vacume.
But using the .100 thick acrylic i didn't have a good enough frame, seal, and vacume. The alternative was to get my fingers hot! I heated the acrylic between oven and flame then immediately placed it inside the hatch, using some glass gloves I just pressed it into the shape I wanted, held it for a while and let it cool. This was all done with everything secured so I could alternate between hands if they got too hot. I am looking for some slightly thinner acrlyic that .085 would probably be perfect! I wouldn't use the jewl case, stay away from plastics if you can, I just think they are less shock resistant, well that type of plastic I mean. Pet would be best but I don't know that I can acquire any of that thickness. I am listening to what others said with regards to a windshield being a vulnerable area so I'm trying to make this idea work better. As far as securing it I was planning on just using 1-72 button head bolts through the cf and through the acrylic with nuts on the back(inside). Yes a lot of them, similar to what you see on anything that has a acrylic or plexiglass viewing port or window in full scale stuff. I inquired about a second hatch from Ben just today so maby if he isn't too busy he will respond.

[Cooper]

Oh yea, I don't know if you could do this in reguards to the heat with a fiberglass hatch, the temp change, temp shock might crack the hatch. And yes that's what I was thinking with the hat (mask) for the pita cat, would be a devils mask though, love the flyers too!

[Cooper]

What were you using as form, or mold?? The hatch itself?? I was going to use a fairly thick, but pliable plastic from some cd travel type jewel cases. Not perfectly clear but close. Was going to try and use my heat gun to get it to form a bit better. Also have some 0.085" acrylic. Was going to just epoxy into place, then
add some strips of CF around that, or most of the whole hatch for that matter. I'll be watching.

You know ididnt think of that, if you put the windows in then just re glass the whole hatch, that would really hold it in there. Of course not overtop the window part, make the windshield larger on the inside so the fiberglass/cf would lay right overtop the edges, would make stood seal too. But never be able to remove, u gave me more to think about.

[runzwithsizorz]

Was also thinking of cutting up one of the wife's lock&lock containers, thank goodness she has so many she hasn't noticed that I already stole two for radio box's. Again, not perfectly clear, but clear enough to see the scale drivers
I bought here at OSE, and the cockpit also has led lights. The plastic is fairly thick, yet pliable enough to bend and hold in place while your *accelerated* epoxy bonds. To smooth the outside, I was thinking about putting a thin bead of
glue, or silicon and then a vinyl pinstripe. My hatch is fiberglass, BTW.
P.S. I beg to differ with you on the use of plastic. The plastic has a bit of give, and will flex but not snap, or crack like acrylic. Shoot a BB gun at your acrylic, and you will have to replace it, where as I just have to plug a hole.
Worse case scenario is the windscreen is blown in, then we're both screwed.

[Cooper]

Lol, that's how I was going to test it, shooting a bb at it !!,, I may be wrong in the plastic, so don't mind me, sorry. Either material, plastic plex,,,,, any will do, I don't think any will crack or break ( as long as they are the right thickness) I think the weak point is going to be how I attach it weather glue bolts ect... I'm working on forming some acrylic right now, lettin it cool. Found out it's easy. I can heat it up over the oven flame, form it, and if it needs more forming in another area let it cool some then just heat up that area. Seems there is a certain temp where it will form well yet still be warm enough to work other areas. Then I can work it more and not have to worry about doing it all at one hot time.

[Cooper]

ok here is one of the final windscreens. i might have to trim some later but for now just some extra. there is still the layer of tape on so that is why it looks bad, trying not to get scratches. yea that will all come later. lol...
boat windshield pics 016.jpgboat windshield pics 017.jpgboat windshield pics 018.jpgboat windshield pics 019.jpgboat windshield pics 020.jpg

[RCKong]

could you do that with lexan ? I use it for battery trays - virtually unbreakable

[Cooper]

I'm not sure but I think lexan and plexiglass are just trademark names for acrylic. I'm not sure, if someone els knows these properties let us know. I have been wrong before and not afraid to admit, lol, but that's also why I'm here. If it is all the same then yes very strong.

[RCKong]

I sure lexan is different than plexi

[Cooper]

Plexiglas (often misspelled "plexiglass") and Lexan are types of transparent plastic sheet commonly used for applications such as windows and skylights. Plexiglas is the trade name for polymethyl methacrylate, an acrylic plastic that has been used since the 1930s. Lexan, by contrast, is a polycarbonate plastic. Both are thermoplastics that are easily bent when heated, and both can also be bent cold.

[Cooper]

Plexiglas (often misspelled "plexiglass") and Lexan are types of transparent plastic sheet commonly used for applications such as windows and skylights. Plexiglas is the trade name for polymethyl methacrylate, an acrylic plastic that has been used since the 1930s. Lexan, by contrast, is a polycarbonate plastic. Both are thermoplastics that are easily bent when heated, and both can also be bent cold.

See I am capable of learning! Now tell my wife! I did a little research and the Lexan is stronger but yellows, but can be cut easier with hand tools, plexiglas is the stuff easier to get, hardware store ect.. That's probably why I had some in garage. Acrylic woulnt yellow, but scratches easier, but is easier to hot work depending on thickness. Thicker retains heat longer-longer time to mould. But either looks to be fine for what we are looking for. Again I'm not an expert, just did a quick net lookup