It sure is doing things the hard way, but if i can figure this all out it will be worth it in the end.

I tried to make an acrylic part to make a mould from, I think I need to start with a slightly larger sheet and it will work.

The top left corner let go and the sheet went all wavy.

That uses up what I had lying around, so I will have to buy some now. at least I did my learning with scrap. I'll see if the sign writers near work can help me with some offcuts.

I went to a plastic company this afternoon that uses santoprene and had a chat to one of the guys on the floor about what I want to do.
He was running santoprene and the grade he was using looks and feels exactly like rubber.
He says santoprene will likley tear if I try to stretch it too much, and from what they use he said "PVC74" would be best.
But they did not have it as a sheet, they only had it as virgin material.
So I guess I will have to look at that as an option also.


On my way home I happened to drive by a company that deals with pouring urethanes, (What are the odds?)
I had a good chat with them and after looking at a few samples I think I have decided on how to make my part.

I am going to try to make a mould for the 2 covers (Driver & passenger)
and use a product they have recomended. "Eratrowel MT80A"
So I will call the sydney office during the week and hopefuly order 1 or 2kg to test.
I may use an some asbestos cloth from a fire blanket or fibreglass exaust packing to line my part for increased heat resistance.(This will probably end up being a whole new can of worms)

So I guess it will be a few weeks until I can post up any more success or failure as I have alot of work ahead of me.
But I want my part and I want success.
I am starting to enjoy this project as it is a good learning experience.

When I first tried a smaller piece of rubber I had the oven set at about 150deg c
and it was starting to smell like a burn out.
If you want to know when it burns I can take my infrared thermometer home from work and heat gun the rubber untill something happens and get you a proper temp.

The santoprene I was thinking of using is good for a constant 130 deg and short runs of 150 deg.
I should be speaking to a company that sells santoprene tomorrow if I finish work on time.
If i find out more I will post any new info.

Thankyou for the tip clyons8. it sounds like an old trye inner would work well, it is already stretched.

I think I have more drive to make his part from wanting to know if I can do it now than from wanting the part.

Thank you for the comment on my build diary unfamilia, not much happens each week so it gets few updates. but I am glad you like it.
I wanted a good record of what I have done with as much usefull info for anyone else doing the same build.

I found a company that manufactures rubber localy and gave them a call,
They had a minimum spend of $500 for uncured rubber.
The guy I spoke with said it needed industrial machinery and a complex manfacturing process to cure it properly. (Not me in my back yard).

I asked an engineering mate that gets rubber and polyurethane poured regularly about having rubber poured, But he said that I would be better off with a sheet as I have been doing. It's just finding the correct material...

I had a rethink on how to find a suitable material...
I was trying to find a rubber that can be formed like a plastic.
I should have been looking for a plastic that is soft like rubber.
I think I have found a material that will do the job, "santoprene".

It will be a little while before I can give this a try as I just spent waaaay too much on yahoo yesterday.
so I need to build up some savings again. As I may be moving house in the near future.

If that fails I was also thinking of making a mould and having it sprayed in rhino lining, I got a sample from them a few months ago, it looks and feels like a stiff rubber,i think it would work well.


*Ivan*
I like that you have decided to have a go as well.
The material you are using looks like it forms very well.
How hot do you need the oven before you can form your material?

Ivan1
Thank you very much.
I will wait to see if I get a relpy from the rubber company that I emailed.
If I have no luck there I may send you a pm with my details.

Wurzel
I don't think they need to be rubber, I think they just stop water and dirt from being thrown off the front tyres into the engine bay.
If I can't get rubber to work I may just make a fibreglass one.
But I do like the idea of rubber.
It would look factory, which is what I am going for in my atempt to make these parts.

I am amazed at how many people on here are willing to help out.
A big Thank you to the datsun community.

I just wound my jig down a little further and split the 3mm neoprene,

I will update this thered with my success of failures as they happen.

I had a look at a video of a guy pouring some moulding rubber.
To do it properly it requires a vaccum chamber to revove any air from the moulding rubber.

I have done a little injection moulding at work as we used to make some of our own parts.
China is cheaper so they have sold most of the machines now.

My first try was 1.5mm neoprene. it worked well at first but has now relaxed.
I curently have 3mm neoprene in my jig.

I have just sent off an email to a company that manufactures unvulcanised rubber sheets in brisbane, Hopefully they reply to me.

If I make a mould I will heat and stretch some acrylic and use it to cast both sides of a mould. maybe have some polyurethane poured into it.
I never thought I would be getting this deep to make a bit of rubber. wow.

Thank you, very much. I think you may have hit the nail on the head.
It looks like I need to find unvulcanised rubber.
I think that puts me one step closer to success.