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Chain'ss Fiat 850 Sports Coupe Simca/Abarth-ishness..


Chain

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Lately I have been pondering the headlight covers. With no off the shelf parts available I'll be building them from scratch. After a bit of research it came down to material use and forming method. Materials: Plexiglass (Acrylic) vs Polycarbonate. There are others but these are the most readily available and commonly used. 

Plexiglass: Much cheaper and easier to obtain at different thicknesses however weaker and is less resistant to heat. Workability is easier however drilling becomes harder and more likely to split (especially at the edges)

Polycarbonate: Much tougher than plexi-glass, more resistant to heat, can be drilled easily near the edges however it is harder to obtain and quite expensive.

Both have excellent thermoforming properties however Polycarbonate has been my choice. Not due to heat as I would imagine the old fiat bulbs don't produce much heat (causing them to yellow) but due to being able to drill near the edges (Essential for mounting) and being much much tougher. I could write a post alone on vacuum-forming vs cold-forming vs heat forming but the google God has many an answer. I will be heat forming due to it's awkward shape and my lack of vacuum forming experience.

 

Here are the basics to building a plug. 

1. Shape: (More support wires were added)

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2. Seal & Wax : Wax and tape inside walls. Stronger the tape the better - Leave a small hole for pouring. (Hole got moved to the top after a recommendation)

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3. Fill: (Alumilite Super Foam 320) 2-part mixture https://www.alumilite.com/store/p/973-Super-Foam-320.aspx

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4. Result: Pretty close. Needed more foam Buggar ahh well, get it with the next stage

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Next Post: Smoothing & Finishing

If you have tips or tricks I'm all ears...

 

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