thats definitely the go!

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?

Nice work guys, I can appreciate the time involved in the R & D, not to mention the costs!
And Mik, dont even think about me and the new artifitial centre leg at the same time :)

I just used an old tyre inner on mine in PNG. Worked a treat and I got a couple of pieces out of the one bit of old inner tube. Might be worth asking a tyre shop for some old inners from a 4wd or the like? Might save you all this trouble.

well me and rubbers dont work- 2 kids... but i like what your trying here. great work, and a nice build site too.

Nige, your jake the peg.

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.

Just been looking at a solution for this in the KB10 but my extractors are very close to the front suspension, I think that with the innertube on it will get very close to them, i'm a little worried about the heat, dont really want a fire in the engine bay! any thoughts on the heat resistance of the rubber?

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.

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.

i also tend to put things in the oven and they also burn at 150deg, but its called wifes cooking.

nice to see making progress. you took the otugh road but will be worth it.