MX-3.com

So I got this crazy idea. Say one wanted to have a new fender but wanted to be more creative than buying one or swapping one from parts car. I had this idea I wanted to run buy you guys. What if you took a fender and covered it in paper mache and molded that to basically be a fender. Then you could take and either put fiberglass resin on that or actually use that as a mold for a fiberglass fender. Any ideas? My intitial thought would have been to make a think paper mache one and then resin that but idont know if that would stand up to the test. This is just an idea so all Im looking for is input.

Steve-O

Heres the problem..

Fiberglass resin heats up.. it could go up in flames...

No structural support. And the car isnt designed to have fiberglass fenders/quarters. You would be compromising the safety crumple zones of the car. Just my 2 cents.

Tunes67

which actual part are you wanting to do? depending on the piece and its location.

Tunes67 wrote:No structural support. And the car isnt designed to have fiberglass fenders/quarters. You would be compromising the safety crumple zones of the car. Just my 2 cents.

Really? I know we replaced the one on Deimo's car, I didn't think it did much for support or safety. Just some sheet metal with a dozen bolts.

I was thinking the whole fender cause Ive seen the fiberglass ones you can buy but this was just going to be a fun project rather than anything hard core for real. Ive done alittle fiberglassing in the past. It turned out ok. I made a wake board. I agree with Nd2SpdSE. I dont thing the actual fended provides much in the way of structure but I could be very wrong.

Steve-O

Nd4SpdSe wrote:

Tunes67 wrote:No structural support. And the car isnt designed to have fiberglass fenders/quarters. You would be compromising the safety crumple zones of the car. Just my 2 cents.

Really? I know we replaced the one on Deimo's car, I didn't think it did much for support or safety. Just some sheet metal with a dozen bolts.

I agree... how does the fender add structural support??? you can bend it with your hands

the fenders do not add any support,the are there for aerodynamics and aesthedic's.....

Its quite simple really.. you are reducing the amount of metal that can crumple during an impact. Doesnt matter if there isnt a lot of it. As for bending it with your hands.. good example.. bend it with your hands OFF the car.. then try and bend one ON the car.

Tunes67

sk8erdude802 wrote:So I got this crazy idea. Say one wanted to have a new fender but wanted to be more creative than buying one or swapping one from parts car. I had this idea I wanted to run buy you guys. What if you took a fender and covered it in paper mache and molded that to basically be a fender. Then you could take and either put fiberglass resin on that or actually use that as a mold for a fiberglass fender. Any ideas? My intitial thought would have been to make a think paper mache one and then resin that but idont know if that would stand up to the test. This is just an idea so all Im looking for is input.

Steve-O

Sk8er Dude,

I think paper mache is not a good quality material to make a mold/hull for fiberglassing your own fender. I would think that the resin would absorb into the paer and the mold would become a permanent part. With other molds, you use some sort of lubricant (not sure which), but the lubricant would probably soak into the paper, leaving fibers immediately next to the resin.

If you are planning on fabricating a fiberglass fender replacement, why not use fiberglass to make the mold, then make your fender in the fiberglass mold instead of a paper one.

But still, for all the work, I'd just buy a replacement fender. What do they cost? $50-75? Maybe i'm unfamiliar with how much fenders cost.

Eric





Here's some input: try replacing all the body with paper mache. You should be able to shave hundreds of pounds off the weight of the car... let me know how it works in the rain though. Hehehe... maybe some scotchgard to protect it instead of paint... make sure you put the comics on the outside, so other drivers can read then while stopped at a light...

I doubt the paper Mache will light on fire , It may brown if anything but I don't think it would get hot enough (possible but probraly not)

Fiberglass fenders are ok, it your worried about support add a structural bar to the framing behind the fender , similar to what Saturn used to do in the doors of the plastic panel S series

Paper Mache probraly isn't the best material to make a mold with though , as it wouldn't absorb the resin evenly and probraly have a lot of air bubbles in it along with spots that didn't absorb at all .
Lay aluminum foil in the fender , then line it with cloth and evenly disperse the resin onto the cloth which lays tightly on the foil . That way there will be a barrier between the fender and the resin where the resin will not stick and you will have a mold .

As for the material that you were trying to think of that they make molds out of , the most common would probraly be silicone

Hope I helped
Kris

Foil. thats a great idea. I was wondering what I could use to save the original fender from the resin. That stuff is a pain to clean up. Dont know if you guys have seen any of them but there are pictures of people out there with cardboard bodykits that are pretty funny. OROutdoors comment made me think of that. here is the link to those fenders you can buy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/92-95-93 ... enameZWDVW

anyway the point of this whole thing was really to play with a new idea and get to being able to use fiberglass better and maybe come out wit ha usefull product for your efforts. Im starting to think you guys are right about the paper mache mold though. Itll take some more thinkin. Maybe if you made a paper mache mold then made a casting from that in plaster you could lay fiber glass on that to build the fender and that would be a lasting form that you could sand and smooth out.

Steve-O

p.s. This is my 200th post! Im pretty excited about that.

That fender I linked to is a duraflex fender. I own a dura flex body kit as well. its pretty interesting if you read up on it. It really does flex alot compared to where normal fiberglass would crack.

Steve-O

Paper Mache??? I think i want my car back...

It was really just an idea for a mold. Its all good.

Steve-O