Making molds of a part or 2

since my first try was using clear acrylic plastic (SUCKS) and came out looking terrible. every flaw showed on thin plastic. I decided to test it for shape and fit. the fit was AWESOME! well sort of. it does need a curved panel in my opinion. to go over the bracket on the drivers side that holds the main wiring harness that goes to the rear. the shape needs to be modified to a curved top piece to correct this problem. so I did make a new part and am testing the basic shape and curved section right now. I love how the home made CNC machine can do the work for me after I figure out what to tell the software.:D sometimes I don't tell it so good!. the first try of a curved panel was a disaster, the bit went over to the correct spot and went STRAIGHT DOWN through the backed board and buried it's self to the spindle nut! All the while I'm frantically flailing at the E stop button that was just out of my reach meanwhile slipping and sliding on bondo dust. I'm AM adding another one in every corner so that doesn't happen again. I looked like a keystone cops movie gone bad. Anyway after many really ugly tries I have a first curved surface panel made and the pod is next.
I'm headed down to ST Petersburg to hit the plastic's place up for the correct thickness of ABS and will/should be able to make a test piece for the drivers side sometime Friday!:cheers: it's been a long road getting this to work the way I want it to in order to make parts for my dart but I'm getting there!


popped an inch of foam on there to minimize the bondo usage. it uses enough as it is
View attachment DSCF4413.JPG


starting the main curved cut. and the pod location has already been leveled for later addition
View attachment DSCF4415.JPG


heres how much it's curved. about 3/4 inch raise to clear the bracket
View attachment DSCF4416.JPG

put a lead body file on it to show even better.
View attachment DSCF4418.JPG


all cut and curved plus all the extra bondo on the shape has been trimmed. waiting on the pod!
View attachment DSCF4419.JPG

here it is with the cnc shaped pod yeah I made the outside AND the inner side sloped so I could get the ABS off(unlike the first try:banghead:)
View attachment DSCF4420.JPG

should have a good part that I like by Friday or Saturday if it does work ok (now that I can really test it instead of hoping it'll fit) then I'll mirror the design and make the passengers side.