Custom Tail Lights

[Obsidian11]

Edit: After sleeping on it last night and different methods going around in my crazy head ::tease:: I decided I don't like the way this is going and tonight I'm starting over. I think this time I'm gonna go with wood and fiberglass to make my plug. I think I have some ideas that will make it more accurate without spending 6 months with a caliper in one hand and sandpaper in the other until everything is perfectly uniform. I also think I'm gonna go a little deeper with the recessed areas to make it more like my original rendering.

trial & error...isn't that what building cars is all about :huh:

 

[droptop73]

I worked for a quite a few years in the gage/tooling/model trade. If I can suggest starting with an actual 71/73 lens and bezel. Remove what needs to be removed and build it back up with wood (balsa from a hobby store) and plastic filler until you get the shape you want. Then you can make a female cast off the part you've built. To build the material thickness we used a product called sheet wax. Once that is in place another cast can be taken to create the "mold". If you get serious about producing these, aluminum molds can be duplicated from the plastic casts. It is much more complicated than this but what you want to do can be done and is relatively common technology.

 

[Obsidian11]

Thanks for the suggestions! Tonight I plan to attempt making another plug using fiberglass resin. I have a decent amount of experience with fiberglass not only from being in the auto body trade, but also my younger days of making custom fiberglass speaker enclosures. I'm really not sure why I didn't try my new idea in the first place! Sometimes the best answer is the most obvious one I guess! If this doesn't work I'll keep in mind your ideas.

Thanks!

 

[sm3570]

Keep us updated. I'm anxiously awaiting.

But I agree, $700 for a set is too much.

 

[slowpoke]

4 sets!!!!!!!! Sale me your worst set please. I need a set for my drag car. I don't care how the back looks and no lites will be in them. Just need them for the outer part mainly.

 

[JimNiki]

isn't 3d printing getting cheaper and more common these days? You can make the ultimate accurate prototype that way. Just a thought.

 

[Obsidian11]

I thought about 3d printing...problem is I don't know enough about converting files from blender to make them compatible, definitely something to keep in mind though.

Here's where I'm at for the moment...gonna wrap it and fiberglass it later tonight.

 

[JimNiki]

that is so clean it looks like it's been cut by waterjet! Excellent workmanship.

 

[Mister 4x4]

No kidding! Keep us posted - I'm still in for a set. What you're doing is looking awesome so far.

 

[Obsidian11]

Quick update:

 

[droptop73]

That looks great. Is your plan to have them fit flush without bezels?

 

[marks73]

Looks great!

 

[Obsidian11]

Yeah they'll be flush without bezels. Just finished soaking the fleece in resin.

 

[Obsidian11]

I got as far as early stages of sanding and shaping. It's gonna be tedious, but well worth it!

 

[71_resurrection]

Looks good man! Your molds look pretty close to what I was trying to describe in my original email, good idea with the felt and fiberglass for shaping the middle sections, that is where I was stumped. Keep up the good work, I am finally getting my Stang shipped out here later this week. The parts ordering has already begun!

 

[whitesoc]

that is going to look very cool!!

 

[Obsidian11]

Still sanding......

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

ya missed a spot

 

[Obsidian11]

ya missed a spot

Hahaha! There's one in every crowd!

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

oh, there are a lot more than one in this crowd!

Looking good. Will there be more red fleece or just the initial layer?