Luna: The cause of, and solution to, all of my problems

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Keep up the good work, all this stuff is looking awesome. I don't use my dash at all either and to have it matched eight the rest of the dash would be a really clean look. With the cost of other carbon dashboards out there I'm sure if the pricepoint is right it will be a real hit.

 

Thanks, I am really looking forward to the outcome. Although it is highly unlikely that I will be making these for others, as I am fairly certain the tooling (plug and mold) will have to be destroyed in order to make the part. I'm going to try for that not to happen, but it probably is.

 

do you think you can take pictures of all the steps in the molding process?  even the little stupid details, like how you lay the fiber, take the mold off, and how you cut the edges to make them the way they are supposed to be (and not sticking out or super sharp)

 

It's not something regular people get to see, and i'm quite curious....

 

thanks!

 

s

 

PS: the work you're doing is stunning, man.  keep it up!

 

I can certainly start thinking along these lines. Perhaps a gopro video of some of the process. A better understanding of the process will help people realize how much time, effort, and money goes into even the simplest of parts.

 

I thank you for the kind words. As a 25 year old guy, teaching himself, working out of his garage, I am humbled by the wonderful support and feedback this site provides.

 

Thank you all for keeping me on track and in check.

 

 

 

 

 

The insert I made failed quality control. I didn't snap a picture of it, but I've decided to modify the inset plug to make it much easier to lay up. One large storage compartment instead of two. Simplifies things greatly - allowing for higher quality control.

 

Here's the beginning of that. I hope to have this finished in a day or so.

 

Chopped!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did a little bit of sanding tonight. Won't look like much in the pictures, but the bottom is essentially, for all intents and purposes, what I'd call "roughed out"

 

 

The top won't be needing nearly as much work, as it isn't as crucial cosmetically.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I expect to be sanding primer by the weekend.

Edited June 19, 2015 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Well, the weekend weather turned out to be wonderful, so instead of sanding on a beautiful day, I went sailing instead.

Lost a little time there.... So I'm not sanding primer as anticipated. But, I did make some progress this evening.

Started working on the top portion.

Crack kills, people..














Still needs some fairing, but it's getting there.


And finally the insert plug. I'll be finishing that up tomorrow.







I lost a little time, but gained a little sanity. A fair trade. Thanks Moth.

Now back to the task at hand...

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Well, I've been slacking..... The days have been nicer than anticipated and instead of working, like a good boy, I decided to enjoy the outdoors instead.

My two week deadline was destined to fail from the start, as today I realized I actually don't have enough carbon on hand to make the dash, even if I did have the mold ready.

Whoops.

 

Oh well, I've got 10 yards on order.

So I'm going to continue fairing the plug for an hour or two each day until it is ready. I'll be sailing, at the winds discretion, any chance I'm not at work or working on the car(s).


It is pretty close to the first spray. A few hours of futzing and I'll have it in one color.










The console insert plug is just about finished. I should be pulling a mold off of it within a couple days.







V1 part vs. V2 plug



Will be a much simpler layup.



So not as much as I, arbitrarily, wanted.....But progress nonetheless.

Tomorrow I'm definitely going sailing. I'm soo close to a foiling gybe on the moth I can taste it


....I'm an addict.

[RebekahsZ]

All I can say about the Z console: cup holder.

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Yup, this version would allow for such a thing, should someone want it.

 

A simple hole saw operation to the OD of the cup holder of your choice. Fits in the recess of the, once, ash tray.

 

That was the main idea for deleting the ash tray....along with other reasons.

Edited June 24, 2015 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

My busy season has begun in full swing. My business partner and I take six weeks off in the summer to enjoy the water (we are both avid sailors)

I'm teaching sailing, and spending as much time on the water as physically possible. Making money so I can finish the car up.


That said, I am still working, albeit slowly, on the car.

First, very rough, coat of primer. Still much fairing left to do. Slowly but surely.













And some of what I've been up to.






 

Kids flying the chute!


 

 

 

Foiling gybe moth videos soon!
 

 

Life is good.


Hope all is well for everyone reading.

Edited July 3, 2015 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

More sanding...








More spraying...











More sailing...Bought another gopro for multiple angles. I have the Hero 4 Black for fancy stuff, this works perfectly for supplemental footage.

Making progress on all fronts.
 

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Progress is slow.

A fairly heavy storm from the Northeast ended up taking out my dock. That was a fun morning. Glad the Whaler and the hoist made it through unscathed.

Apparently there were reported 6' rollers in the Harbor, which for a Harbor, obviously, is quite uncommon. Nor'easters wreck my property. Luckily, they are fairly rare.  



I lugged them out of the water and piled them on shore. They were heavy, the water was cold, and it was early (6:30am), but I was pissed.




This made boat rides slightly more interesting, as you had to wade out in 5' deep water to the hoist. Needless to say, I had very few passengers the last couple weeks.








But the dash plug is very close. One, maybe two, more block sessions and I should be waxing away. Then I'll make the mold. Woot!

It has come a very long way from the piece of garbage I was working with initially.



2k High build primer
















I also bought a bunch more goodies for the car, and am expecting to order some big things like brakes real soon.

Now if only I could find more time...

[RebekahsZ]

Sorry 'bout your dock. Glad you are ok.

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Some of the remaining parts...

-Finned R200 differential cover.








-Arizona Z Car finned billet brace kit, making an otherwise sway bar clearance issue a non factor.




- T3 billet R200 mustache bar, to hold my future differential.




- And a quick mock up of what it will look like. Can't wait til I can put my beautiful lower control arms on and mount everything in place.







Just need the right differential.



Happy Summer everyone!

[RebekahsZ]

Looks like a great day for a swim!

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Yup, that was definitely a swim/motorboat day. No sailing for me. It's always a good time, if you're on the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well after some considerable time fairing, I finally finished the dash plug this evening.

I took some excited, poor quality, shots to celebrate the occasion.

I probably have around 20 hours into this plug. Which will, of course, have to be destroyed. So here's hoping it all works out. Otherwise I would have just gotten some serious sanding practice for no good reason.


Hurrible pictures, as promised, as always.

For those that forgot, here is what I started with initially....







And some, considerable, time later.




















Looks like tomorrow I will be waxing and will begin to make the mold! Yes!


...Also finally updated my GoPro housing/microphone status, so expect some 280zx driving videos in the next couple days.

Edited August 15, 2015 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Today is my 26th birthday.

To celebrate, I'll be spending a little time to see if I can't essentially finish up the mold, in between other activities.

Snapped a few more pictures (what else is new) of finished waxed plug.




















And the first application of the surface coat. I'll be tossing another coat on this morning, and hope to at least start laying up by the afternoon.











Twenty six baby!

[LanceVance]

Happy Birthday!

 

As always, amazing work!

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Thanks my friend!

 

 

My birthday was a good day. Got to relax, worked a little, and spent most of the afternoon on the water.

The little work I did put in went to laying up the dash mold.

Scrap glass pieces hodge podged together with carbon bits in key areas.

Remember, the mold will almost definitely have to be destroyed, or chopped, in order to release the part, so there was no point in going crazy with quality on this. Kind of like the plug.

She isn't much of a looker, at least the B side that is. :laugh:




So once cured. I flipped the plug/mold combo over, and began to separate the plug from the mold....

As Johnny Cash would say, "one piece at a time."







And Voila! Looks like we've got something to work with. Great!








I'm pleased. Onward!

 

Carbon dash, here I come.

Edited August 18, 2015 by OldAndyAndTheSea

[1 tuff z]

Cool!

[supernova_6969]

hey!

amazing work once again.  

 

but why will the mold will have to be destroyed?  I thought the mold was going to partly enveloping the part, but it seems not..

 

the details also don't seem to be convex (concave?) in a way that will grab the part in the end....

 

?

 

thanks! 

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

^^ Thanks Gents!

 

And unfortunately the shape does indeed have bad draft. The front of the three smaller pods, and the tach/speedo pods would not be able to release from a one part mold. The draft angle is negative there. No Bueno.

 

I made the mold juuuuust strong enough to work, so I can easily make a few well placed relief cuts, to hopefully free the finished part.

 

Been busy the last few days. Getting organized, ordering parts, cleaning/refreshing pieces, fabrication, wiring...you know...The usual.

Rear brakes are in the mail, somewhere between here and California. Can't wait for those. In the meantime, I'll continue the pace.




















More to come!

[supernova_6969]

nice work on the connector.  I like that you put heat shrink on it.  the one that came with my car didn't have heat shrink and things moved enough that the connection to the fuel pump got undone when I was adding a wire for a O2 sensor.  not cool.

 

one thing that i'd do if I were to make one would be to label all the individual wires right outside the connector (i'd do it inside, but no room);  while you might remember what does what or look at a pinout, It's safer to have it all written up right there, so you don't have to go print a pinout, or try to remember everything.   optional, but the moment you'll have to troubleshoot, you could be glad.... 

[OldAndyAndTheSea]

Thanks

 

Although.... of all of the pinned connections on the db37, I made a grand total of 1 of them. Haha. Mr. Kurk MacKay (FricFrac) was the wiring guru behind my harness. I'm simply the guy trying to not make smoke installing it.. He deserves the credit. The dude certainly knows his way around a set of crimpers, that's for sure

 

And I agree. Anywhere I can, I do use labeled wire, so I know what's switched etc in a moment. Kurk is so awesome, on his connections he puts little labels on the ends of all of the connections.

 

 

By the way, Kurk, where did you get that labelmaker? I like reaallly want one. haha.

Edited August 26, 2015 by OldAndyAndTheSea