Tail section (again)

(38 days until the 2012 WHPSC)

Rough trim of the foam (which cured perfectly without polyethylene sheeting)

Looks kind of like landing gear doors

This sign ended up in our yard several moons ago. My guess is that some tweakers stole it thinking it was aluminum. When they discovered it was, drum roll please, FIBERGLASS, they probably hucked it over the nearest fence.

... looks like a decent form

More spray foam

We decided the top of the nose was too flat, so...

... it's not flat now!

After the foam on the tail kicked

Before trimming the tail

... and after trimming

After taping

Mmm... fiberglass!

Getting ready to layup the first side

Applying the first patch of mat

Wetting out a patch

Applying a patch to the very back of the tail

... and another

Dad makes this look easy (the little bit of glass work that I've done resulted in much more material on me and the floor than on the part I was working on).

One of the last patches - time to glass the other side

... and the other side

Meanwhile, at the mill...

TIGHT fit (makes for easy welding ;-)

Gooey Mess!

(39 days until the 2012 WHPSC)

We removed the polyethylene sheeting from the spray foam, and discovered that the plastic somehow interfered with the curing of the foam. We were left with a gooey mess!

After cleaning the gooey mess, we reapplied foam without plastic sheeting.

Closeup of foam

... and more foam

Another day - another part (this is for the top of the subframe pinch clamp)

Tail section refinements with spray foam

(40 days until the 2012 WHPSC)

We sprayed foam on the tail section to make it easier to blend the shape.

Then we applied polyethylene sheeting to form the expanding foam.

Taping the sheeting down

Spraying the other side

... and more plastic sheeting

Annie, as usual, is unimpressed

Spraying final corner

Glassing the blended tail section

(41 days until the 2012 WHPSC)

Glassed the blended tail section today (unlike polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam doesn't need to be protected from polyester resin).

More glass on first side

First side almost done

Second side done

Another shot of the second side