Seat mold

[Pete]

I have got my hands on a seat mold and was wondering what would be the best/lightest stuff i could make me a seat of. I am also not familiar with making things with molds so i can pretty much use all the help i can get.


Pete

[Techno]

I used Divinyl cel foam (Klegecel) and glass. 2 layers on the inside and one on the outside. The outside is going to be painted and I needed a nice cloth look.

I cheated and used my old seat as a beginning pattern but I changed it. Groove the foam for folding. Make sure you angle the back. You raise the center back of the seat bottom up on the back for angleing.

[Techno]

I also added a little triangle like foam at the edge of the back all the way around.

[Techno]

The back was pinned to the bottom with small nails. I lammed these together on the inside and kept going as it got stronger. The triangle foam was stuck on with hot melt.

Notice my sofistickated clamps to hold the sides in.

[BajaSS235]

You just the man with all the talents :D

Looks good, You keep postin the pic's and info and I'm sure we'll all save a bunch of $$$

[ShipBear]

That seat turned out Sharp..!!
I live in the Mobile Area, where did you get your Divinyl cel foam (Klegecel) From..?How much it cost say for a 4x8 sheet..
I have to come up with 2 seats soon..

Thanks for the info, Larry

[Techno]

Your in luck the rcpt was still laying around.
Fiberglass supply inc.
fiberglasssupply.com

1/4" Divinylcell H80 $50 Sponson covers(doors) & cowl supports
3/8" " " $73.73 Seats - very little left.
1/2" " " $85.60 Floor- what was left was used as under floor supports.

All sheets were 4'x8' but shipped as 2'x4'
The thicker the foam the stronger since the skins are seperated by a larger amount.
foam shipping is a little pricey becasue of its size. I thnk it was $36 just for the foam but not sure.

[Balzy]

to go check your toilets upstairs? Ya sure look like ya got a bad leak running down the corner of your room there son. If ya ain't got no upstairs, I would sure patch the roof soon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

[BajaSS235]

Lol I was thinkin that , But figured it must be some kinda Merc thing . you know hoppin up the old water fountain. :D :D :D

[ShipBear]

The price is about the same as 1/2" end grain Balsa I got a while back..

Thanks for the Info....Larry

[Techno]

Waterfountain? I guess I could use it as one but its a test tank for the OB.

[Cp]

....the way you and I think alike is startin to scare me. First thing I noticed in that picture was the potty water....paranoid, I guess. I've had water on the wrong floor in MY house before. Usually a good sign of a bad situation... Cp

[Liqui-Fly]

Seats that is. So we have two seats and the hydrualic line through hulls. When can I expect them. Backseat next winter. Chop chop.
David

[Techno]

Project # 4 gazillion.
I have so many things to do I forget I need to do them!

Since no one has addressed what Pete asked I'll give it a stab.

You have to coat the mold with mold release agent. I think wax or silicone will work. But I also am going to have trouble removing my silicone sprayed mold from my cowl so I don't trust that anymore.

You have to choose what to lay it up with and how many layers. Mat gives a smooth finished surface and prevents the cloth weave from printing through If this is gong to be seen and you want it smooth it should be coated with gell coat first then the mat or cloth.

Mat is easier to work than cloth but weaker and holds more resin- heavier.

Cloth is stronger but harder to conform to sharp curves. Once wet it can be distorted to shape it a little bit.
A good example is that seat has one single piece covering the back. It wsa hard to do but I did manage to cover the entire back and wrap it over the edges too.

Bias? cloth is the herring bone design. This is the strongest since the criss crossing of the glass stresses it and makes it weaker. The bias skips a few then goes over -skips a few goes under. Less stress so stronger.

You want to wet out either cloth or mat but not dripping wet. If you can squeegee the excess off its even better. Extra resin only makes the part heavier. Its extra layers that make it stronger. There are different wieghts of cloth too 4 oz. 6oz.
I use both methods of placing the glass and then wetting out and brushing the surface laying the glass and brushing the resin on or stippling it on. If its a flat surface then pouring it on and sqeegeeing on and around works best.
The other is laying the glass down on waxed paper or plastic wtting and then laying I find to be difficult but has its place.
You can pick up the paper and glass as a single sheet and place.

I find plastic can be used as type of clamp in some cases this results in having too much resin but helps to smooth out errant strands and holding it down sometimes on tight bends.

There are two resins- forgot their names but one is for molds and the other is for general stuff. The mold stuff doesn't have wax in it so it stays sticky for the next layer. THe other that has wax in it floats to the surface and seals it so it cures hard. This wax has to be cleaned off before the next layer is applied if hardened.

And of course you have to make the part so it can be removed from the mold. THis should be designed into the mold but if you wrap something it might bond onto it.

I haven't really used a mold before but I think the foam core method I used to be easier and lighter. Its also more expensive. would have to add in all the extra layers of glass and resin to really compare. I only have 3 layers of 6oz. glass. This isn't that much for a fiberglass only shell.

[Pete]

thanks so much for the help eveyone.
its alot of help to me



Pete