Mezz Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 (edited) Just finished this set of 41 Chrysler plastic this past weekend and was So happy with how it came out that I had to post it. It looks better in person than the pictures can show, the shine on that clearcoat is amazing! My first try at woodgraining came out really good, nod to Grain It Technologies, but what's really cool about this set is...all of these pieces are copies, made from silicon molds, and cast in my basement. Nod to Smooth-on for the mold making and casting part of the project. I'm probably jumping the gun a bit by calling this a 'set' since I haven't quite finished the door strips yet, but I'm working on it... Edited February 11 by Mezz picture orientation adjustment. 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normanpitkin Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 that's a tremendous job! Keep the cold ,I bet people would buy a set! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Skinner Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Mezz, That is over the top! Excellent! Please share the door Trim and Rear Window garnishing as well! Looks better than new! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mezz Posted February 11 Author Report Share Posted February 11 Thanks guys! Haven't grained any of the garnishing yet, wanted to see if I could pull off the plastic part first. Heres what I've got for the doors so far. The long strips are one-off prototypes, I still need to make a mold of them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmony Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Cool and very Interesting. It would be appreciated if you would explain the process in detail. I went to Grain it Technologies web site and although they do show some of the process in a video. They either have an issue with links to all the available videos on their web site, or they expect you to pay for their "info and selection" videos. Because nothing on their video page is linkable. The nice thing is that there are many patterns to choose from, even a number of leather patterns. I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't be boring any of us if you let us in on the process with tons of pictures throughout the process and or videos. I'd be interested in seeing exactly what tools you bought from them. Or did you buy the complete kit? Or perhaps the Pro kit? That roller is huge, so I'm guessing that you bought smaller rollers as well ( 7 sizes) in order to get into tight concave surfaces. I'm also curious what you needed from Smooth-On molds? Was that a separate process or was the mold making process incorporated into the graining process that you did? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mezz Posted February 11 Author Report Share Posted February 11 Good questions, thanks! I'm happy to go into more detail and I'll get some in progress pics as I continue to make more. These are two completely separate and distinct processes. I started out several years ago just trying to solve the glove box door issue, then onto the gauge surround, and one thing led to another and I wound up doing all the dash pieces. I only started thinking about woodgraining a couple of weeks ago. To make the set above, 5 of the 6 pieces were test pieces I cast years ago, the gauge surround was the only one I had to make fresh. I was thinking about ordering the woodgraining stuff piecemeal but once I started adding up all I needed just to get stated it made sense to bite the bullet and get a kit. I got their midrange set that came with one 6" roller and one large pattern stamping sheet. Its a bit pricy but given I can make multiple sets of plastic it made sense to me\for me. For the mold making, here's a good video of a Smooth-On guy making a parking light lens. The overall shape of that lens is a pretty good analog for the dash end pieces. I'll go into more detail and will add some more pics, but theres a certain football game on TV today that needs to be watched! How To Make a Replacement Car Lens Using Crystal Clear 202 (smooth-on.com) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jclars Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 Saving for future refence! Very nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmony Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 1 hour ago, Mezz said: Good questions, thanks! I'm happy to go into more detail and I'll get some in progress pics as I continue to make more. These are two completely separate and distinct processes. I started out several years ago just trying to solve the glove box door issue, then onto the gauge surround, and one thing led to another and I wound up doing all the dash pieces. I only started thinking about woodgraining a couple of weeks ago. To make the set above, 5 of the 6 pieces were test pieces I cast years ago, the gauge surround was the only one I had to make fresh. I was thinking about ordering the woodgraining stuff piecemeal but once I started adding up all I needed just to get stated it made sense to bite the bullet and get a kit. I got their midrange set that came with one 6" roller and one large pattern stamping sheet. Its a bit pricy but given I can make multiple sets of plastic it made sense to me\for me. For the mold making, here's a good video of a Smooth-On guy making a parking light lens. The overall shape of that lens is a pretty good analog for the dash end pieces. I'll go into more detail and will add some more pics, but theres a certain football game on TV today that needs to be watched! How To Make a Replacement Car Lens Using Crystal Clear 202 (smooth-on.com) Thanks for that link. I'm somewhat familiar with casting. I used to have a pressure pot and a vacuum tank for the purpose of woodturning projects. So I'm guessing that some of your dash pieces were fairly long. Did you make your own, long pressure pot or did you omit that part of the procedure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 8 hours ago, Mezz said: Just finished this set of 41 Chrysler plastic this past weekend and was So happy with how it came out that I had to post it. It looks better in person than the pictures can show, the shine on that clearcoat is amazing! My first try at woodgraining came out really good, nod to Grain It Technologies, but what's really cool about this set is...all of these pieces are copies, made from silicon molds, and cast in my basement. Nod to Smooth-on for the mold making and casting part of the project. I'm probably jumping the gun a bit by calling this a 'set' since I haven't quite finished the door strips yet, but I'm working on it... Those pieces are amazing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mezz Posted February 11 Author Report Share Posted February 11 23 minutes ago, harmony said: Thanks for that link. I'm somewhat familiar with casting. I used to have a pressure pot and a vacuum tank for the purpose of woodturning projects. So I'm guessing that some of your dash pieces were fairly long. Did you make your own, long pressure pot or did you omit that part of the procedure? Ahhh, so you know the deal! I don't have a pressure pot, I do have a vaccuum tank though. The theory is that if I vacuum degas the mold rubber, and degas the plastic before pouring it, I can, and have, survived pretty well without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harmony Posted February 11 Report Share Posted February 11 7 minutes ago, Mezz said: Ahhh, so you know the deal! I don't have a pressure pot, I do have a vaccuum tank though. The theory is that if I vacuum degas the mold rubber, and degas the plastic before pouring it, I can, and have, survived pretty well without it. Yep, I know what you're talking about and I agree. You're doing a great job. Keep us informed with lots of picks to drool over as the project goes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue p15 Posted February 12 Report Share Posted February 12 Man, that looks terrific!! Very impressive!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Gooz Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Mezz, You parts look Fabulous Congratulations. I would like to read more as you move forward. Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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