Thread: Fabing help!

i've found that if you use a salamander style heater (propane reddy heater) NO HEAT GUNS! to heat up your lexan or whatever, you can form them by hand pretty well, and even lay them across current shapes and it will form. I made an airbag dash "cover" when we removed the airbag in a tiburon and replaced it with a carputer behind it. I took out the airbag, heated the plastic, and layed it across it while pressing with my hands. It turned out really good. Just take your time.

Originally Posted by Error23

I just purchases a plastic welder last week. Only tried it out on a few pieces of scrap plasitc i had laying around. I do know for a fact that it will bond your pieces together with 90% strength of the original ABS. There will be sanding and painting envolved. As for as curving the plastic, i think you might could use a piece of curves metal behind your plastic and heat the plastic around it. In my mind, the welder should be able to do that as it uses heated compressed air. I will see if i can give it a try for you this weekend. If it works, i will post pics

I would love to see your results......... I'll be waiting.

i've found that if you use a salamander style heater (propane reddy heater) NO HEAT GUNS! to heat up your lexan or whatever, you can form them by hand pretty well, and even lay them across current shapes and it will form. I made an airbag dash "cover" when we removed the airbag in a tiburon and replaced it with a carputer behind it. I took out the airbag, heated the plastic, and layed it across it while pressing with my hands. It turned out really good. Just take your time.

I will try to take my time... i tend to be impatient.....

Originally Posted by h3rk

I just finished modeling my new center piece in clay, then I made a silicon mold of it. I am currently laying pieces into the mold, heating them up to form them, removing them to match for symmatry placing back in and using plastic welding to connect them and fill in the gaps, all within the mold. The silicon mold is holding up well under the heat. It's expensive stuff though. I might post a thread on in if it turns out alright.

Post a thread on it, anyway. We'd love to see the results, even if they're not up to your standard. Learning what you did might pass ideas on to let others perfect the technique.

Ok I decided to do it similar to h3rk. I also used card board, which will later be made of abs when it gets here. This is my first time so be nice.

Original Dash:

1.2.
3.4.
5.6.

Dash with Fabed Screens:
Passenger side:

1.2.
3.4.

Driver side:

1.2.
3.4.

I have to redo the driver side, it has a curve on the part of the dash so the screen is awkward.... Any tips on how to overcome the curve.

Originally Posted by h3rk

Between the two end-pieces, you could have another piece that would be flat on top, extending to where the display comes to the curve. This would only raise the display the depth of the flat piece. And if the dash slants a little up or down from where the display is anchored, you could make it so the flat piece slants the same amount (ie. not level). Giving the display a flat place to rest against, a flat place (no gap to see through when the display is up) at the anchor point.

Another, much more involed way would be to inset the display by removing some of the dash under the display area, and the, rebuild it with a slightly higher arc, with a center height over that of the embedded display in the down position. Then the back of the display enclosure would have that same arc. That would provide space to conceal servos that could raise/ lower it automagically. You could also do something similar, only taller, by not cutting into the dash, and building the large piece with the taller arc, completely over it. I hope I kind of made some sense.

I see what your saying, but they are not done. The circuit board is going behind the monitor. So it will be longer.... have not had a chance build the second half. So that gap will not be seen. I have a few other ideas flouting around so I can make it more stable. Also want to add small magnets to hold it open and closed. Don't really want to make it motorized though.

Ok well hopefully this is the last change. I decided to cut the 2 ducts that was keeping me from going deep into the dash. Turns out they are for the defrost to defrost the side windows. They dont really do a good job of it, so im going to seal them. In saying that, the electronics will go down into the dash via 2 square holes I have cut. The monitors now sit flat since I cut the holes. Im really nervous about working with the plastic sheets that i finally got, 10 pieces of 12 x 12 ABS plastic. Should the texture face outward or inside? The texture does not match the one on my dash. Please give me some more pointers.