Quote:
Originally Posted by bear
Thanks for the link "ckau" I've been seriously considering paneling both my buggy's, and I don't think it will be that big an issue on mine, they're are pretty basic single seaters!  |
Those single seats shouldn't be very difficult to do. Get yourself one of those cheap Harbor freight heat guns. They work very well. I will be doing a few panels on mine. A couple on the front to deflect mud and dirt thrown off the front wheels and a couple on the rear to deflect mud and to channel air around the seat onto the motor. The metal floorboard in mine vibrates and rattles horribly! I'm considering replacing it will a thicker sheet of ABS hoping this will help. if the abs sheet weighs less than the metal floorboard, it's a bonus. My floorboard bolts in so it's a simple matter of using the metal floorboard as a pattern for the plastic.
There's a few tricks to cutting and shaping the stuff. A jig saw works well using a fine tooth bi-metal blade. keep the blade clean and change out the moment it appears dull. A dirty or dull blade will heat the plastic and melt the cut behind the blade. Clamping a straight edge for the saw base to ride against will give straight cuts. Even better is a router with a spiral cutting bit or a laminate trimmer. This gives a superior clean, cool and smooth cut. A table saw is perfect for cutting straight panel shapes. Use a 80 tooth carbide blade. lay a sheet of paneling on the table then while the blade is running, raise the blade up through the paneling. this supports the plastic up to the edge of the blade to prevent cracking and chipping. Using a file or sanding block on the cut edges smooth's irregularities, saw marks and softens the sharp corners and fuzzies.
Avoid straight inside cuts, like a notch. The two straight cuts coming together in the corner creates a stress point that will crack. radius any inside corners. That's where a round spiral cutter works best. it forms the radius as it cuts
The only drawback to ABS is color, black or white are the only choice and it doesn't hold paint well. Unless the paint can flex with the plastic it will crack and flake off.