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Author Topic: Poor Man Molded Parts  (Read 1617 times)

Offline TDM

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Poor Man Molded Parts
« on: March 30, 2018, 08:35:11 AM »
I was thinking about what you do and also was thinking about the so called ""Carbon Wing by Windy. I came up with ""The poor mans composite wing/ Fuselage".
This is the method to my madness. Generally the whole construction is 4 ribs on two rods and then you apply molded skins on top of these 4 ribs.

Molds
Cut the top view out of two pieces of MDF. Little extra for the TE 3/8 is plenty and the rest is to size. Make ½ Plywood ribs (root tip) or more if you want elliptic shape and glue in position on top of MDF. Fill with foam in between. Hot wire or block sand to finish shape. 3M77 a sheet of polybag on top of mold. With this the mold is done.

To make the skins use fiberglass 3/4oz/yd2 and 1/20 balsa then fiberglass again. Make sure there is NO dust on balsa, blow with compressed air or wherever you need to remove the very last speck of dust.
With 3M77 make a fog above the balsa sheet and allow it to fall on the balsa sheet. Lay the balsa over the fiberglass (fiberglass bias 45 degrees). Repeat to put the fiberglass on the other side.
Use a foam roller to apply the resin and apply it dry (you have to push a little to get things wet).
Put the skin over the mold and vacuum overnight.
Use a Exacto knifeblade glued to top of a piece of scrap MDF and walk around the LE  to trim to size.

Get the 4 ribs on the two rods add a TE to the back of the skins. Mark the LE center line and place the skin trimmed LE on top start gluing and work your way from the LE towards the TE. Repeat for the top.

Obviously the same can be done for a fuselage or a stab.
Each goal you meet is a moment of happiness
Happiness is the harmony between what you think and what you do. Mahatma Gandhi

Offline Tom Niebuhr

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Re: Poor Man Molded Parts
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2018, 09:23:31 AM »
Pictures?
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Offline TDM

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Re: Poor Man Molded Parts
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2018, 01:20:31 PM »
Tom I will do another project after the Revolutions and will play with that build construction.
This is a easy idea of practical composite work anyone can use in a control line model.  Windy used this layout in a mold but there is no restriction to use a male mold and accomplish this. The layout is classic and it works well and vacuum bagging doesn't care if it is in a concave mold or over a plug.
That is all. If you ask if I did that before? No I did not but there should not be any issues making one.

The purpose of shearing this is to give ideas of incorporating composites in your birds to make them stiffer lighter and easier to make. If someone make the molds he can share then around his group of friends and there you go. The thing is that is easy to cut a piece of MDF and shape foam. Add a vacuum bag and you are set. Spend on day to make the mold and next day make the shell one day later you join the skins and presto you now have a fuselage or whole wing even.
Each goal you meet is a moment of happiness
Happiness is the harmony between what you think and what you do. Mahatma Gandhi


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