LocostUSA.com

Was that intended to be a pun?

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

+1 on the skin cancer, Chuck. I've been through the MOHS process once already. I prefer to avoid it in the future. It's not real thrilling to be awake and waiting for the techs at the microscope to see if they cut enough flesh out of your face already - 3 passes it took.

I'll take a top on my cruiser here in (very) sunny Southern California, thank you. No offense taken, Dave. We all have different issues to worry about in life.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

That guys top seemed to have a see thru panel. I think I would skip that. My wife's Golf has a sun (?) roof and we have the internal screen covering it when ever the sun is out. A nice design though it is too bad they are making the Japanese so big these days.

Looking very good, Chuck. what stuff/process did you use on the alu polish?

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Building a whole car from scratch is a 1,000 little tasks, done 1 task at a time, while thinking 10 tasks ahead, then redoing it anyway.
South Bend Region SCCA D-Modifed Class Autocross & Track-Day/TT. Chevrolet 1.4 L Turbo Ecotec Power


Link to my build log:
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=3356

Thanks Loco, How ya been?

I tried several magic process. I got put straight by Perry, aka: horchoha here on the board. I ended up purchasing a Robi multi-polishing compound pack from eBay for ~6 +shipping. I used the buffing compound on my polisher/sander. I think I started with the emery compound followed up with tripoli. That took care of it retty well. The final step was by hand using Mother's mag and aluminum polish. It looks real good from 10 ft. Maybe after a couple of applications over the next year or two, the last bit of the mill-grain of the aluminum will dissapear. I've only done the hood and rear sections. The lower sides still need to be done. If you try it, be prepared with a lot of soft polishing rags.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Construction on the top has begun. There are many ways to make a one-off fiberglass part, most of which I have not even heard about. But here is my plan……

Rather than making a mold or trying to over design a one-use form with many small details, I have decided to follow Kinetic’s MO, well, sort of. Like the Kinetic SuperScuttle, I will make a basic shape in 2 parts then fit to the car and bond the two into one. Once that it done, I’ll cut it in half laterally and add a faux Convertible bow bend and bond them together again. This will provide a bit more headroom as the top will not be shaped in a straight line downward to the windshield. Then I’ll fit/trim/add reinforcement edges made of ??? before layering the final glass. I'll use oak for the front and at the hinge points to allow for fasteners for the front clamps and the roll hoop hinges to be screwed to the top. I may just use foam core on the side edges. I may even add some type of extruded drip edge along the 2 sides.

The width at the windshield will be a relatively tight fit side to side but I will leave ~ 1/4" to 1/2" gap across the top edge of the windshield to fit closed cell weather seal. That is not intended to keep the weather out but to provide a cushion, or spring action, to tighten the retainer clamps against. The leading edge of the top will be have ~3/4" flange to fit around the front of the windshield to help locate the top when closing it.

I am using Home Depot ¾” pink foam insulation and drywall compound for the rough shaping. Once done, I’ll add a layer of cheesecloth and drywall compound to help reinforce the slits for the fiberglassing process. I used masking tape on the backside of the slits to provide the "hinge" action to for forming the radius. for a final finish, I'll paint with 2X latex paint, lightly sand, followed with polyurethane varnish. This should prevent the polyester resin from eating the foam. I’ll use paste wax as a mold release. If I must destroy the “mold” during the release process, so be it. It will be destroyed afterwards anyway. So far, all the material except for the $10.00 foam was surplus material from other home projects, keeping the project $$ low. I’ve already spent wasted money on the canvas, aluminum bows and marine hardware to make the convertible top I was planning and now will not use. Anybody need any suntop material?

As always comments are welcomed.

So here is my progress so far this week:

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Yo Chuck!

The pink foam core looks all too familiar. I think I still have some of the sanding dust from a sheet of it on my glasses...

It does have the advantage of being easy to sand and shape, I found wood glue or "Gorilla Glue" would hold pieces together as though they were made that way, once they cured. Readily available. Cheap, too!

And you must be an incredibly patient man to cut all those slits in it.

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

Awwww, the slits were easy. There are only 10 on each piece. I have a 5 ft straight edge and a lot of utility knife blades. I glued the braces in place using a construction adhesive. Yeah, it melted the foam a bit but it worked. I pinned every other "batten" with a 12p nail. Then removed the nails and filled the holes after it everything was dried. Then I ran a bead of wood glue on either side of the battens. Sorta belts and suspenders. I should be ready for the first coat of latex paint tomorrow.

I figure the final surfacing of the glasswork will be in bondo so the surface of this form only needs to be close. Smooth, but close. Sure could use someone who knows how, to come up here and show me how to do finish this up. JD??? are you out there, JD???

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

Looking at this.. wondering about using this technique for a dash?

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Geek49203 aka
Tim Wohlford
Louisville, KY
Hayes front, S10 +2 rear, Lalo body.

Chuck
Looks like a good start on the buck, can't wait to see how it come out! If you think finishing the final surface, is going to be a PITA, you might want to look at the spray on vinly top paint. I've never used it but I would think you could cut out a lot of prep work.
Dave W

You rang? Hmmm... Chicago in the summer time... Might be a bit cooler and less humid than here... (Most places are ) Hmmm... What's for dinner???

I can offer a bit of advice, but I suspect there's nothing in it that you haven't thought of already... First, that glue recommendation I gave you... Uhhh... I should have said that either variety of glue is hard to sand smoothly when it's surrounded by foam. So, don't glue seams out to the edge, leave some area to sand without cutting into the glue. When sanding the foam, cardboard templates are your friend, or you'll be finding differences between Lefty and Righty forever... (Guess how I know!?!?!? )

There are varieties of fiberglass (fg) cloth, various finishes, etc, so make sure you have cloth that is compatible with the resin you're using. You'll be using some kind of epoxy resin to work with the foam core, right? For the "strength layers" of fg I used a 6 ounce cloth with a bi-directional weave. I used a 3 inch wide, 9 ounce cloth tape to reinforce seams on the inside. Typically, I'd put two layers of the 6-oz on the inside and three on the outside of the foam.

Then, following Pook's advice, I use glazing putty and fill any "potholes" and block sand the ripples once I get the 6 ounce layers done. After that, put down a rather "dry" layup of a filmy 3 ounce cloth, or even two layers. With a lower resin content and the fine cloth, this surface is easier to sand than the 6 oz cloth. Block sand until your arms threaten to fall off, and you're done...

Not suggesting you buy from any particular vendor, but for reference you can look at these two:
http://www.westmarine.com
West System epoxy resin, listed under "Maintenance" and they have some videos and info pages on the stuff.
http://thayercraft.com/
Thayercraft Fiberglass, small shop in NC. Fairly informative website and you can call and talk to Mr. Thayer his-own-self.

OK, was that any help, or did I just give my fingers a workout and let my coffee get cold ferr nuthin???


JDK

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

Spray on vinyl top paint? Never heard of that before. I'll have to look into that. I had thought about gluing the canvas material I had bought like I did on the boot cover. But unless I can get a nice looking seam to run across the faux bow area, I think I'd opt for something else. Maybe that paint?

For a dash, maybe just get some 1/2" thick poly foam and completely laminate both sides and around the edges, leaving the foam in place for eternity. Just thinking.....

Cooler and less humid? Maybe by comparison. We are curently 2 weeks ahead of the Summer of 1988 (most 90 deg days on record) Already had a few 100's at the house here. Forcast is for 5 more 90 deg days in the next week. Add to that a statewide drought. We haven't had a good wide area rain until yesterday. But in the few weeks our house got close to 7.5" of rain. We get it in 1"-2" deluges. The silly thunderstorms will drop on one block and leave the next 100 blocks alone. Our corn crop is a failure. I had to bringthe bucks inside the house yesterday in order to get the compound to dry.

I've been careful to keep the glue away from areas that get sanded. By plan, the glue is all on the back side of the buck. The only sanding necessary is to get the curve formed by the battens smooth. And most of that sanding is drywall compound. Not having to sand styrofoam across glued joints is part of my ingenious plan! I've already got a roll of "x" yards of chopped fiberglass. I got that when I widened my fenders. I also plan on using the same polyester resin I used for the fenders too. That is why I plan on using the polyurethane over latex paint on the buck. Hopefully that will seal the polyester resin from disolving the pink stuff. I've got a local box store less than 1/2 mile away that I can buy a qts of poly resin for under $12 each. I don't have to plan ahead on buying too much or too little resin. I am also going to remove the buck after a few layers of cloth/resin. 3/4 thick poly is way too thick for a top to leave it insitu. We'll see just how structurally sound it is when I remove the glass from the buck. Adding stiffening ribs here and there should help. Maybe in the form of one big "X"? I may have to rethink that part of the plan. I remember the early days of fiberglass motorboats, before all the flotation and flat floors became the "norm" and how the bottom of the boat would flex up and down as you crossed the waves. Hmmmm. Time will tell.

All of your ideas are always welcomed. Your daily finger exercise was worth reading. Even if I don't use all of your process on this project, having them registered in my FINO (First -In, Never-Out) memory banks is good info to have. I may even use some of them if my cockamaime process doesn't work out. The glazing putty you used, was it a solvent based or was it a 2-part mix? I was thinking bondo, but putty.....just may be in my future. I'll think have a bit of "finishing" to do unless I just spray the whole top with bedliner

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

I have used some old-school 2-part "Bondo" on a few places, but I mostly use the "toothpaste tube" type of glazing putty. It will dissolve the foam, so you have to make sure the part is enveloped in fg, or at least resin, before using the glazing. It sets in about 30 minutes, and sands more consistently than the "mix it yourself" kind. (that's probably because I don't mix it the same way twice... )

Your weather sounds like ours, even to the same temps. Better have sumpin good for dinner, or I'm stayin' put!

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

Hey Chuck
Looks good.
I went through the same stuff you are doing. Here are some pics of my screw ups, if you haven't already seen them.
http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery ... emId=19577
This is a link to a company that sells FG supplies at a very good price and closer to you.
http://www.expresscomposites.com/index.html Nice people.
They also have a polyester resin that does not eat pink foam. I know i didn't belive it either but it works great. Used it for the first coat over the foam then the lay up structure over that.
Used a not so cheap solvent to dissolve the foam out of the finished structure, gasoline. What a mess that was. Acetone or MEK also work well.
Gale

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PHOTOS OF THE PROJECT
http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery ... emId=23737

All good info guys. So Gale, JD is using 2 layers (side 1) and 3 layers (side 2)of 6 oz over foam core. You are removing the foam core. Just how many layers of what mat/cloth are you using? or how many layers of 6 oz mat should I be using?

Inquiring minds... Blah... blah...blah!

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766