TOPIC:

This site's so quiet I think most of the members are hibernating!!! So that being said, Here's what happens when I take a GPZ 1100 taillight and marry it with the A model tailpiece and then start to get creative with spray foam, balsa wood and epoxy glass. This is by no means anywhere close to the finished look but I thought maybe a little inspiration might be in order.


GPZ and tailpiece mounted in place



Rear view of the light with spray foam applied and carved to shape



Oh here we go, balsa wood to form the wing



Another view of the wing.

Thanks Kawboy,

It's always helpful to see the process so that it's easier to appreciate the finished result. Why don't you post a bit about how the balsa wood actually becomes part of the fiberglass layers?

Bill

Sure thing Bill.
What you see in the pic is the first sheet of 3/16" balsa wood. I've been cutting and fitting to the tailpiece then I'll be laminating a second piece of 3/16" balsa to the first with a layer of 6 ounce fiberglass cloth in between using West Systems epoxy. Once that piece is made, I'll mount to the tailpiece and glass in with strips of glass cloth and epoxy. Then I'll have to fair in the joint between the balsa and the tail piece using the epoxy mixed with flox which will turn the epoxy in to something like caulking with you can form and put a nice radius on. I'll take pics as I go along.

Kewl! Build 'em Kawboy!

You're a riot!! I knew you'd appreciate what I'm building. We've got the same heart. Sometimes I think I like the build more than the ride

Kawboy wrote: Sometimes I think I like the build more than the ride

I couldn't have said it better! We ARE mechanical artists, good or bad, and it is our creative release! I really enjoy blending a lot of different disciplines, for example, sports cars, drag cars, roundy-round cars, aircraft, boats, bicycles, wood-working, fiberglassing and metalworking. It's really good to see you adding in some wood and fiberglass! As you ride down the street you will see a lot of heads turn and a lot of guys will ask where you GOT that tail section, not believing that YOU BUILT it! Let 'em "eat cake"! We can make and have things they can't!