Learning Something New

I finally found a YouTube video that had some detail about a project similar to what I started when I decided to make a plug for a fiberglass headliner shell. It’s been a slow and unsure process, but it’s beginning to look like what I envisioned. It has also been educational, so I’ll mention a couple of things I discovered.

First, don’t skimp on the foam. It tends to expand unequally, and cutting away the excess is faster than applying a second layer to fill low spots and voids.

Second, when pouring a thick layer, let it dry twice as long as suggested. After 24 hours, the insides are still soft and cutting them open makes the insides collapse like a cake, which means you will have to add a second layer.

The more cardboard bones in the skeleton, the easier and faster  it is to work the proper contour.

The video says to use a sharp knife to trim the excess foam, but I found a serrated breadknife works much better.

At least it has been fun learning another new process. The results don't look too neat yet, but after trimming and filling with casting plaster, it should look better.

I've used pressurized cans of foam, but it can be purchased in powder form and mixed by the user. If I had any idea how much it would take, I would have further researched the user-mixed version as I'm sure it would be much less expensive. To get to the point in the picture, I've used about 10 cans, and will need at least 6 or 7 more so it will cost nearly $100 for materials.

Now if I can come up with a flexible, colored plastic molding to replace the fabric covered windlace.