homemade aero mirror, stage 1

[Porschekid962]

Ok so Im almost finished with my projects for finals, actually not really but i took a quick break today and used some 8 pound modeling foam to mockup a small aero mirror. I wanted to keep some of the lines on the original mirror while making it smaller and a bit more like the 956/962 mirrors.

I looked at the mirrors cdoc sells and figured they were way overpriced for the simple fg pieces so I'm going to make my own, only the left side for now though.

Hopefully the pics upload and you can see what im talking about. I think I need to shave to bulge down just a little more but thats about it. The semi reflective piece is tin that i taped on just to see what it would look like.

For the mounting I figured I could glass in a piece of alu and tap it then screw a ball joint into it. Mirror just get some safety glass cut to size and jb weld a ball on the back that would pop into a socket mounted in the "bucket". Not important til I get ready to pull some fg pieces after I skim the foam with clay and make a mold.

Anyone like it? Changes, ideas, comments, its all welcome!

Ok pics still wont upload, I will post them as soon as I can.

[Craig 930 RS]

I'd love to see 'em

[Porschekid962]

hey i can upload pics again!!!! so just some size comparisons, this is the car it will be goin on.



a few with a ruler for a better idea of the size. btw that isnt grey primer, its a sealant so i can put chavant modeling clay on top, finish the surface that way, then a light coat of vaseline and im ready to make a plaster mold which should be good for about 10 pieces if i use enough pva.

[autoxracer31]

looks to me like you are making a homemade copy of the mirrors you already have. Nice car btw, Cheers

[Porschekid962]

Haha thanks, yes it has a lot of the same lines that the bigger stock one on the car has. Its smaller in every dimension but thickness, its sort of a cross between the stocker and the 956/962 mirrors on all the posters all over the garage.

Hey Craig did you boy those mirrors from CDOC yet?? Curious to know what the dimensions are on them and how the mirror is mounted into the bucket. I think I will do one with clear gelcoat to get the amber look, then maybe some wet layup carbon for looks. I still like the look of the bright colored mirrors that mercedes ran at le mans, the flourescent green/yellow looks cool on a silver car, dunno about white.

[Porschekid962]

ok, foam glued to board, thin layer of modelling clay on top, need to finish the shape a tiny bit more than go over it with a steel (paper thin steel cut in various shapes for clay modelling) and a slick (ultra thin styrene to close all pores in clay and leave a gloss finish). then vaseline, plaster mold, fiberglass time!

[Craig 930 RS]

PK962 -

Nah I'm gonna stick with the 993 Cup mirrors I already have in the shop ready to install.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Porschekid962
ok, foam glued to board, thin layer of modelling clay on top, need to finish the shape a tiny bit more than go over it with a steel (paper thin steel cut in various shapes for clay modelling) and a slick (ultra thin styrene to close all pores in clay and leave a gloss finish). then vaseline, plaster mold, fiberglass time!

Where did you learn to do all this stuff?

What do you do for a living?

Could you build a whole car body with your method or at least a larger scale model?

Edit: I just read your profile, I once considered CCS in Detroit, but became an architect.................have quite a few clay cars around, some only a few weeks old.

[Porschekid962]

kachi, I learned most of the fiberglass stuff fixing my beat up surfboards as a kid then quite a bit more from some of the model builders that stop by art center now and then. for a living, hopefully a car designer once i graduate art center, for now i need a xmas job haha.

you could do a larger scale model with the clay and plaster but for a full size car I would use a different material for the molds. I actually have a 1/10th 97 GT1 model in my garage right now that im going to take some molds of and layup in fg for fun.

if you wanted to make your own fg pieces for your car it wouldnt be that hard if you know fg decently. the hardest part would be making your molds. Things like hood and decklid would be fairly simple, front fenders a bit more difficult and doors would be a bit of a paint, the outer skin would be easy but the inside ah i would just buy a fg door. there is a guy in london that made his own bodywork for a v8 914. www.v8914.com pretty neat. He mocked up the shape with foam on the car, coated it, made molds and then layed up carbon.

If you wanted to say make a fg hood I would do it something like this. Build a shallow box big enough to lay the hood in upside down. Rough out the shape with foam and then pour in gallons of plaster, lay the hood in and let the plaster harden for about 30 minutes then pull the hood out. Then let the mold dry for about 24 hours. Paint with shellac, polish the whole thing with parting wax, then one more coat, maybe a third. Spray PVA on top of the wax and let cure. For beginners spray or paint on catalyzed black gelcoat, the black lets you spot dry spots in the cloth when you are doping it with resin. So you have your mold ready now, lay down huge sheets of fg cloth, lay the cloth so as the weave is 45 degrees from layer to layer. Then between layers you can add balsa strips for reinforcement. Now dont forget to allow for hinge mounts unless you want to use hoodpins!!!!

Have at it!

ps plaster molds or only good for pulling a few pieces, mass production uses polished steel most of the time as a mold.

[randywebb]

You'll want to evaluate it for noise issues as well as drag. Be aware that drag will differ on the car from a free stream value.

It'll be interesting to see what your results are.

[randywebb]

One other thing -- if you can do some flow tracing near the rear lip (where the mirror mounts) that would be interesting. You might find it better to have a flush mirror with no lip - or maybe that would be worse - depends on what the eddies do.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Porschekid962
.....................Rough out the shape with foam and then pour in gallons of plaster,

I became lost somewhere between using the old hood and using the roughed out foam - sorry.

I have some semi-serious clay cars built, but only just discovered the red self drying stuff like you appear to be using.

For cheep fun, I turn the TV to the "speed channel", turn off the sound, turn up the stereo and bring out a big bucket of Playdough from the 1-Dollar store. A little bit of booze to curb my thirst helps too.

I have much nicer models at 1" = 1'-0" (and larger), but I am a bit shy about posting them - too many of my bright ideas have ended up in other peoples portfolios before.

Currenty I am exploring a motorcycle rear end, perhaps electric motors at the front wheels for take off and regenerative braking. My prefered design has been with the single front wheel, but I want stability over aerodynamics this time around.

If I ever won the lottery, I would rent a warehouse and start building a hovercraft from scratch, followed my many other zanny dream designs. Cheers, George/kach22i.

PS: I ended with with the mirrors on the front fenders of my larger clay models - not happy about that. How come cars don't have mirrors like jet fighters all around the canopy (inside)?

[kach22i]

This is a double wide jet, not a fighter, but most do seem to have rear view mirrors. I took these pictures at an air show this summer, bet there are better pictures out there.

[kach22i]

Even this scale model has surround mirrors. Sat in a real one once, crappy seats.

[Porschekid962]

Cool stuff, I think the reason outside mirrors are still around is govt legislation. The red clay come's from two places in the world, both work well but should never ever be mixed. The stuff im using is Chavant cm72, comes from chavant in new jersey. The other supplier is located in germany and most of the kids at school are now using this instead of chavant. You have to heat it up to about 150f and then you can smear it all over your base, then wait for it to cool and get out the clay tools.

I have my final shape finished, waiting on shellac to dry on the board so i can put on the vaseline.

[kach22i]

Originally posted by Porschekid962
The red clay come's from two places in the world, both work well but should never ever be mixed. The stuff im using is Chavant cm72, comes from chavant in new jersey. The other supplier is located in germany and most of the kids at school are now using this instead of chavant.

Oops, I'm using some stuff from Italy. Wonder if it's similar?

[Porschekid962]

might be, never heard of modeling clay from italy before. the stuff I use, chavant is made of clay, wax and oil. once you heat it up you slap it on, let it cool and then get to work it into whatever shape you want. it gives off a really strong sulfur smell when cooking. You can paint on it, make molds from it, all that. clay models "fallout" after a while if they have been painted, the clay literally dissolves over time and comes out from under the sealant and paint, otherwise known as gas release.

so the mold has been taken and is drying right now. no more progress until i get some gelcoat, most likely tomorrow, so i will probably have my first piece this weekend.

[RickM]

Interesting subject.

A couple of nights ago I watched the show called "Rides", which features Chip Foose. He and his team designed and built FG front and rear bumpers. They attached a foam similar to 962s on the stripped rear of the car. Then used a saw to get 80-90% to the shape they wanted out of the foam. They then went to work applying the clay which was heated to 160 degrees to make it pliable...they had to use gloves as not to get burned. They then finished detail/precision work on the shape. After it hardened they sprayed a white release agent (didn't ge the name) onto the clay creation and let that dry. Finally they layed FG on thr new bumper to create a mold.

The specialty clay used and described by 962 is found here: http://www.sculpturetools.com/chavant/cart/hsdeaired.html

[Porschekid962]

yeah saw that show the other night too, really liked the paint job on that xlr and the subtle detail on the rims with the burgundy paint set it all off. oddly enough chip foose went to art center moons ago and i wouldnt doubt he picked up the clay skills from there.

fyi, all you socal folk he might be the speaker at the next art center show if he commits.

Ok so im still waiting for the damn plaster mold to dry, cant put it in the oven because the oven doesnt go under 200 and i dont need the water in the mold boiling and ruining it.

[kach22i]

DAS air dry modeling clay, the red stuff, is what I used last time.

I've used that stuff which never really dries and gives you a headache from it's fumes, messy stuff.

I've also used the less smelly stuff that come in white, gray and black. Which is what you see in the all white car, a smeary substance that collects dust forever.

The Playdough from the dollar store is great stuff, but it dries and cracks apart in days.........................good to get the flow going and snap a picture.