Fabing help!

HiJackZX1 · 05-16-2008, 09:36 AM

I wanted to build my own cases to hold my EBY701. It will be placed ontop of the dash. I ordered my 10 pieces of 12x12 ABS plastic pieces and a dremel. What I wanted to know is how do I create curves in the plastic to match it to my interior? Also, how do I fuse to pieces of plastic together and still keep it looking professional? I need to create this cases so Nexson can intergrate them into my dash. Thanx in advance for any help!

Error23 · 05-16-2008, 10:09 AM

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

CarComp · 05-16-2008, 10:39 AM

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.

HiJackZX1 · 05-16-2008, 11:26 PM

Quote: 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.

Quote:

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.....

h3rk · 05-17-2008, 02:53 AM

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.

rdholtz · 05-17-2008, 11:48 AM

Quote: 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.

HiJackZX1 · 05-18-2008, 02:55 PM

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.

h3rk · 05-18-2008, 04:38 PM

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.

HiJackZX1 · 05-18-2008, 09:29 PM

Quote: 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.

HiJackZX1 · 05-21-2008, 09:51 PM

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.

Nexson · 05-21-2008, 09:57 PM

Have the texture face outside, I know it doesn't match, to get it to match the dash piece has to be sanded down and filled in and them everything resprayed with one uniform texture

h3rk · 05-21-2008, 10:34 PM

Well if you haven't yet cut holes, here's an idea. Get some silicon mold stuff, and pour a small mold over the portion of the dash you want to cut the hole. you can cut plexi or wood to form the side boundaries of the hole-to-be. Silicon has an incredible ability to capture texture (if your model is glass smooth, so will be the casts from the mold, it's really good). Then you can pour some epoxy plastic about an 8th inch deep at the shallowest point (mold flipped over). When it dries, pull it and now you have a plastic piece that perfectly matches the texture and curvature of the piece you cut out. But then it wont be abs. But maybe use.... Yes, use the sludge method to fill the mold and see how that works, then you can finish welding pieces of abs to form the sides and whatnot, to enclose the display.

Edit: I've never tried the sludge method so, maybe not, I hear it leaves air bubble holes as the mekp evaps, but I've been melting abs into a mold and it's been ok, but it wont give good srface texture replication, but I haven't been too concerned with texture yet

HiJackZX1 · 05-24-2008, 07:40 PM

Well today I cut the holes in the secondary dash (the dash area underneath the dash plate), and I ended up not having to cut the defrost ducts like I thought I would. Infact the cuts are right next to the ducts, if I would have been even 1 cm off I would have cut into the ducts. I have tons of room to put the electronics. I managed to find a company that sells a 12 inch ZIF jumper cable for the video ribbon, but the y want $25.00 per cable and I need 2. I told them that was a rip off and if they could lower the cost since I got two 8 inch for $6.35 each. Lets see what they say.

rdholtz · 05-24-2008, 07:49 PM

Try these guys. I've done business with them several times, and always been happy.