FibreGlass advice

[Peterjfinch]

Hi All.

I'm converting the original bucket seats from my P21. I hope to make a mould, for a seat, that will prevent the injuries I had last year (5 broken ribs and a punctured lung).

I have added side support, around the rib area (looks like small wings, Photo attached). I want to be sure, that these wings won’t just break and give way, in a similar situation. I want to reinforce these wings, without making the seat side too thick and the seat too heavy. I am getting impact resistant foam for the seat bottom and the wings but need to be sure they won’t break off. I'm going to make a split mould and make two new seats, with or without the wooden back (maybe a thin tubular aluminium frame encased in the fibreglass)


Any ideas gratefully received.

Thanks

Pete

[NIC SURRY]

Originally Posted by Peterjfinch

Hi All.

I'm converting the original bucket seats from my P21. I hope to make a mould, for a seat, that will prevent the injuries I had last year (5 broken ribs and a punctured lung).

I have added side support, around the rib area (looks like small wings, Photo attached). I want to be sure, that these wings won’t just break and give way, in a similar situation. I want to reinforce these wings, without making the seat side too thick and the seat too heavy. I am getting impact resistant foam for the seat bottom and the wings but need to be sure they won’t break off. I'm going to make a split mould and make two new seats, with or without the wooden back (maybe a thin tubular aluminium frame encased in the fibreglass)


Any ideas gratefully received.

Thanks

Pete

I'm just about to replace my non high back's with rally style fibreglass high backs,they look very much like yours but have a rolled edge presumably to protect you if you jump out of the seat and land back on a sharpe edge,The wings are a bit more flaired out,they are made as one mold with reinforced ribs to add stength ,I had thought of modding mine as I would like them to be a bit deaper as with a small amount of padding on the base there is no real grip on the side to hold you in most rally seats are like this as they have seat belts to hold them in,if you look at the Bernico style ones they are quite deep even with padding on the base,hope this helps Nic

[Pash 1]

We had the Seats in the Rally Car re-done with memory foam, very sturdy, very thick and very grippy - yes we have 6 point harnesses but worth a go

[Budweiser]

why not get your local fabricator to make up some ally shells that you can trim with what ever padding etc you wish.Local stiffening can be built in on the wings etc
You can buy new -- an example here
http://www.pitstopusa.com/Categories.aspx?ID=1154
Obviously these are designed for use with harnesses in a race car -- stiffening could easily be applied after market.

Maybe you should take more care on the seat "fit" to stop you rattling around and shock loading the sides? -- maybe get a liner moulded to you.

Only my 2 cents worth, and i know nothing

Budweiser

[Hydrostream]

Build the seats out of 600 gram biax with a 3/4" honeycomb or foam core. They'll be as stiff as anything and light too.

Or you could mold a lip or flange on the wing to stiffen up the edge but might be tricky!

Alan

[Peterjfinch]

Shape has changed and more detail to fitting etc. (Photo's tomorrow). Would it be stronger if stainless or aluminium rod was used as stiffeners and then less layers of biaxial? Maybe 1/4 inch, keyed well? It will have to be a two piece mould, as the shape would make it almost impossible to get the finished seat out. Might even make it smaller, with different width inserts (Centre), for different size people and put it on Ebay after.

Pete

[gazza]

If your looking for a pair of shells as you discribe, contact my brother as has moulds for these and usually has some on Flee Bay,

Contact Mark on this link

http://www.mr355.com/index.htm

gaZ

[Peterjfinch]

Hi Gaz, Thanks for that but with the shipping costs to Mallorca, the shipping will be as much as the seats. Just need some advice on the strenghtening side of things, to withstand the force of a "hook".

Thanks again

Pete

[Peterjfinch]

Ok, Plug has changed quite a bit. Still waiting for strengthening ideas?

[daren]

Thats mighty fine work if all you used is that 4lb club hammer in the pictures, just think what you could achieve with some proper tools.

[Peterjfinch]

It's the only tool I own. Restored the boat with it also. A bit hard to get nice curves but with practice, it's easy. Any advise on strengthening ?????

Pete

[Tom Stone]

depends what you want to spend, carbon would look great but cost goes up ALOT, if you want to core it go with a high density foam like 100g corecell. i wouldn't use the rod. oh and plywood on the base for mounting.

i've made a few in the past and mainly used polyester and chop stram mat, think it was 3 plies of 600, doesn't work out that heavy,

[Peterjfinch]

Hi Tom, what carbon would I use and what resin to go with it. When you say the cost will go up a lot, how much are we talking about? I just want the rib protectors to stay on the seat, in a hook situation. I have some high shock foam comming, for the base and the rib parts. Could the carbon be mixed with the fibre?

Plug nearly ready.

Pete

[Peterjfinch]

Nearly there, just some fine filling and then polish for the mould

[Tom Stone]

whatever you can get a hold of, last project i tried to get some for was in short supply. a light biaxial or woven roving would be easy to work with. can't really give an idea of the cost.

if your going carbon, going to need epoxy resin. can mix a glass fabric with carbon to lower the cost.

are the seats going to be visable or completely covered?

[Peterjfinch]

Originally Posted by Tom Stone

whatever you can get a hold of, last project i tried to get some for was in short supply. a light biaxial or woven roving would be easy to work with. can't really give an idea of the cost.

if your going carbon, going to need epoxy resin. can mix a glass fabric with carbon to lower the cost.

are the seats going to be visable or completely covered?

Hi Tom,

Seats will be completely covered. I would prefer to stick with the polyester resin, if possible. I've been thinking of a possible answer. If you can imagine a fuel supply pipe cut in half (giving a semi circle) x 3 and temporary fitted to the plug, at the rib support point. Then filled with resin, giving a raised rib all around. Then the mould would have these three ribs and I could fill with extra strips of glass (woven roving), when laying up the seat in 3 ply of woven roving, with ply, after the second (and after filling the ribs), on the back and base ???????? The foam on the outside of the seat will be cut to hide them and also pack out up to the turn on the front edge. Just a thought, from someone with no idea.

[Hydrostream]

You can use vinylester resin with carbon instead of epoxy, half the price, basically the same properties. Or you could use acrylic urethane by scott bader.
For carbon or epoxy, try SP systems in the isle of wight or scott bader.

On your split tube idea, that will work fine, although no need to fill with resin, it's the shape that gives stiffness not the structure inside! Also will add unnecessary weight.
If you use epoxy, you can split foam pipe insulation, wont work with poly though, styrene melts the foam.

Or another alternative is to use coremat, it's a laminate bulker used to build stiffness in pannels, wets out like mat, comes in 3-8mm, I think. 4mm would build some great stiffness, about a fiver a sq/m. Can use this with poly.

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by Hydrostream

If you use epoxy, you can split foam pipe insulation, wont work with poly though, styrene melts the foam.

Or another alternative is to use coremat, it's a laminate bulker used to build stiffness in pannels, wets out like mat, comes in 3-8mm, I think. 4mm would build some great stiffness, about a fiver a sq/m. Can use this with poly.

Coremat also tends to be heavy - there are some foams available that won't get melted by styrene, however I wouldn't like to start looking for it in Spain, but I suppose there must be suppliers somewhere?

[Peterjfinch]

At last, ready to mould

[GD1]

Can I ask a question Mr

Who built the wall?
Are you not allowed to put cement between the blocks just top and bottom across there.