Radicaldude1234
Well-Known Member
Hi,
So I was looking into ways of making a composite plug. The things I were concerned with were cost, accuracy, convenience (don't want to work with stuff that will melt my hand off), cost, and above all else, cost.
I need a fair amount of accuracy because the project I'm considering has a fair amount of internal structure beneath the skin. The aircraft will be designed and analyzed in a CAD program, so I'm looking into making parts that will fit the first time and the less deviation from the designed shape, the better.
My original thought was to invest in a large CNC router, like so blackToe 4x8
and just cut slabs of up to 8-10 inch blue foam, bond them together into a single shape then make minor adjustments.
Lately I've been looking into making plywood formers and filling them with expanding foam, as described in so: Fibre Glast Developments : Carbon Fiber : Fiberglass : Resin : Kevlar : Epoxy : Polyester : Gel Coats : Fillers
I have concerns about the accuracy of this method, but it beats having to drop 3 grand for a CNC router on top of solid blocks of foam.
The last option I see is to carve the thing out of a solid block like a Michelangelo, but that's undesirable because of the accuracy issues.
I could make the shapes out of sheet metal, but the amount of compound curves I'm using would require a lot of time on the english wheel...
So, for those who've done this before me, what do you recommend? Are there other methods I haven't seen and are better?
Thanks for any replies.
So I was looking into ways of making a composite plug. The things I were concerned with were cost, accuracy, convenience (don't want to work with stuff that will melt my hand off), cost, and above all else, cost.
I need a fair amount of accuracy because the project I'm considering has a fair amount of internal structure beneath the skin. The aircraft will be designed and analyzed in a CAD program, so I'm looking into making parts that will fit the first time and the less deviation from the designed shape, the better.
My original thought was to invest in a large CNC router, like so blackToe 4x8
and just cut slabs of up to 8-10 inch blue foam, bond them together into a single shape then make minor adjustments.
Lately I've been looking into making plywood formers and filling them with expanding foam, as described in so: Fibre Glast Developments : Carbon Fiber : Fiberglass : Resin : Kevlar : Epoxy : Polyester : Gel Coats : Fillers
I have concerns about the accuracy of this method, but it beats having to drop 3 grand for a CNC router on top of solid blocks of foam.
The last option I see is to carve the thing out of a solid block like a Michelangelo, but that's undesirable because of the accuracy issues.
I could make the shapes out of sheet metal, but the amount of compound curves I'm using would require a lot of time on the english wheel...
So, for those who've done this before me, what do you recommend? Are there other methods I haven't seen and are better?
Thanks for any replies.
