Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Resources, Parts and Products => Topic started by: Chuck Nukem on Saturday,April 13, 2024, 06:40:59 AM
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I want to start a thread to cover the manufacture of molds, and demonstrate the practical implementation of carbon fiber in these cars. So far I have made a mold for the TCS rear decklid and spoiler. I am getting a hand from a friend with the molding of S1 Doors. He has many years of mold building experience, and you can really tell if you compare it to my solo attempts! I picked the S1 doors because they are probably the most challenging parts to make, and in my opinion are the best looking on any Europa. I also think a carbon/kevlar/honeycomb door panel, besides adding a nice look to the interior, is probably not a bad idea on these little cars in the age of giant trucks and SUV.
If anyone else has a current mold or carbon project going feel free to contribute here!
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Very interesting project. Please tell more. Is the green a colored resin layer? The fibers look like glass (white). Is that a first layer before the carbon?
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Great stuff, Chuck!!! :beerchug:
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The doors in the first pictures are from my S1. The flanging was staged around them to serve as the mold flange surface. The green paint is a tooling gel coat which serves as a hard outer skin of the mold which is what the carbon gets laid on later to become a new door. The initial fiberglass is used to build the mold surface. The next steps will be a wood bracing which will help to keep the mold in shape. Once we finish the inside surface, the flange is peeled away and the outer surface of the mold is made. Stay tuned!!
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It was confusing at first looking at the progression of the mold pictures from the top to the bottom, completion to initial mockup. This is absolutely great stuff. I was looking at making making a lot more simpler stuff then the S1 doors. I was thinking of CF air boxes and dashboards. Keep these projects coming, love it.
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Great work again!
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We are getting closer. The backside mold is complete. Now only the front side remains!
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More great stuff, Chuck!! :beerchug:
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Thanks BDA!
I think I'll just leave these photos here for everyone's thoughts on the matter.... :)
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No contest!
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Excellent!
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Nicely done! :pirate:
What was the final weight savings on the doors?
Tom
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Nicely done! :pirate:
What was the final weight savings on the doors?
Tom
We are still working on the molds. These are just pictures I found of a TC wearing S1 doors to show the difference. Without glass and window motors I am expecting at least 30-40 lbs? It will be fun to see. I think we are probably a month away from pulling parts.
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Progress marches on :)
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More amazing stuff, Chuck! :beerchug:
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Getting closer!
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8)
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X2 what BDA said,
I wish I can be there with you, Im trying to finish ONE car. Even with painting season coming I'm staying focused.
You have some incredible advancements there.
Dman
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A long overdue update! I am on the verge of bonding both skins together for the first test part. So far so good! After going through this exercise I can appreciate why the fit of the Europa door was so famously derided. It is difficult to pull off! I think the series 1 door is probably the single most ambitious panel that lotus made. It is a finished surface on both sides, you have to locate based on the trim line, and if there is any deviation it shifts the whole door one way or another. There is a volume to the door because of the included window frame that Lotus never tried again. I made some bobbins with adhesive grooves to help with bonding. I used a coremat in the large flat sections of the door and I can say that it makes a big difference over an original! I can't wait to see one in carbon :) We are getting there!
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Really nice, Chuck!! :beerchug:
I guess you'll be working on S2 and TC doors next? I was thinking that they would be easier since they aren't finished on both sides but the window area is still finished. Is that going to present the same sort of problems as the S1 door?
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Thanks BDA :) Thankfully I have no plans to do the later door. I had a few reasons for doing the S1. Primarily I think it is the best looking of all the doors, they are also the lightest. The second is that I have an S1B that was in need of S1 doors, and the shipping from the UK was a motivating factor to reproduce. The last part was being able to make them out of carbon, since the S1 door has a finished interior I thought it would really look sharp :)
If there is any US based interest in fiberglass or carbon S1 doors here let me know. I have a few people who are committed to sets.
I am looking at doing esprit doors next. Lotus definitely refined the molding process when it came to the later cars.
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Nicely done Chuck!
Love the safety flip flops :huh:
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Make sure you take care of those molds, nothing more frustrating that getting a little lazy on your prep work and mucking up a section, happened at work recently on a very expensive hull mold. Even just letting them sit will cause things to decay.
If you're concerned and want to make these on and off for a while, I'd recommend pulling a "glass master", basically just a really beefed up part that you leave untrimmed to make future molds from if needed.
If you get bored, doing infused panels isn't too much more work from where you are already, and can be a solid 10-40% weight savings with largely identical strength.
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Make sure you take care of those molds, nothing more frustrating that getting a little lazy on your prep work and mucking up a section, happened at work recently on a very expensive hull mold. Even just letting them sit will cause things to decay.
If you're concerned and want to make these on and off for a while, I'd recommend pulling a "glass master", basically just a really beefed up part that you leave untrimmed to make future molds from if needed.
If you get bored, doing infused panels isn't too much more work from where you are already, and can be a solid 10-40% weight savings with largely identical strength.
That is a great idea! I will definitely make a glass master for these parts. I am planning to do infusion on the carbon doors. I am excited to see how little they weigh. I am going to make the first set for my friend's autox car.