ORIGINAL: funkworks
Oh no... i have a composite bug bite and the infection has almost reached my hands! haha!
I noticed you guys are making your plug in 2 halves... Im assuming you will be making your moulds and parts separately then. In other places Ive read about making a single mold and then using a parting board to pull moulds from each side... have any of you guys tried this??
That was my original plan. A one piece plug w/parting board is the usual way it is done. It is very difficult to get the pieces to match up properly if the plug is made out of separate pieces. I had an idea of how to do it, and get it to work, but as work is progressing on the plug I am running into snags in that plan and will probably join the halves together and use a parting board.
I will add pictures this weekend, but I have allignment pins in the halves of the plug. I was going to join them, and shape them. Then I was going to set the half with the alignment holes on a flat board, and layup half of the mold. Then I was going to place the half with the alignment pins on this, and lay up the other half of the mold.
The problem is that as I was planking the plug, the mating faces moved a little and do not lay perfectly flat against each other. I will probably glue them and clamp them while the glue dries. Next time I try this, I will try to make the profiles out of balsa so that they can be ''lap sanded'' flat after planking. I will also consider using flower shop foam instead of planking to reduce stress.
Notice also that I am not making separate plugs for the canopy and cowl. It is my intention to put the one piece plug in a parting board, then erect ''fences'' around the canopy and cowl. Lay up one side of the mold, remove it and ''fence'' the other side, lining up the fences with the ones on the first side. Lay up the second side, remove the fences, then lay up the canopy and cowl molds. This should ensure perfect fit of the parts.