28 January 2012

Building the Seat Plug #3

After the issues I had with painters tape and foam I took a different
approach.  I used electrical tape to protect the edges that I didn't want foam
to adhere to and then used gorilla tape without the painters tape under it.
I only used painters tape for the sections that foam most likely wouldn't reach.

Another view of the taped up plug before pouring.

Building the Tank Plug #4

The remaining pieces of the plug skeleton have been glued and screwed in place.
At this point I began taping up the tunnel to prep for foam.

I used painters tape to protect the wood from the gorilla tape.  By doing it this
way I figured that I could get the strength of the gorilla tape but avoid having
to scrape off the sticky crap it leaves behind when you peal it off.

I covered the bottom with painters tape just in case the foam spilled over too
much.  I also reinforced the tunnel tape with gorilla tape.

Getting ready to pour.

I used red party cups to mix small batches to fill each of the cavities.  The
chemical reaction creates a good deal of heat.

I used a combination of coping saws and brute force to break the excess
foam free.  The painters tape plan back fired a little.  It did make it much
easier to remove the gorilla tape but it wasn't strong enough to tear away
from the foam.

Here's another shot the plug after removing as much tape as I could by hand.

I used an angle grinder to remove the rest of the tape and excess foam.  This
process produces a ton of fine dust that seems to cling to any surface it touches.
I wore a respirator and googles at all times during the grinding and cleanup.

The grinder would fit in the tunnel so I used a Demel MultiMax to cut out
most of the excess foam from.  I have to do the rest by hand with a rasp
and some sanding blocks.

Filling in the tail end of the tank

I used the same process as before for the remaining foam.

Another shot of the plug so far.

18 January 2012

Building the Tank Plug #3

I added some panels to the knee dents to ensure a flat surface.

Some additional pieces were added to the front section as well to help
maintain the desired shape and symmetry through the foam and Bondo process.