Pm sent, Thanks leith.

let me know if you need help with getting pigment i can get the stuff for free (if you haven't already)

Thank you shifty, I will consider it if what I am trying fails, but I am pretty far down this road now...

I am about to place my order for some elastomer tomorrow, I have been sending alot of emails and making alot of calls trying to find what product best suits me,

The idea so far is to use the Eratwowel MT80A mixed with some black pigment, for one side, and to use some high temp silicone mixed with black pigment on the exaust side, pack it with some fibreglass to stop heat transfer and back it with Eratrowel MT80A to keep it from deforming, as the Eratwowel has a much higher duro than the silicone.

I want to use high temp silicone on the exaust side as the Eratrowel is only good for around 90deg c.

I went to a company near work that makes bags from silicone and uses a weave in the centre for strength before work today.
From what I saw this morning silicone will do the job and look right.
I just have to see if the pigment I am ordering for the Eratrowel will work with the high temp silicone the guys near work are using.

Ok well it got the better of me so I went looking at your links above.

This may be a long-shot, but there's a sprayable product you can get that is designed to replace electrical tape. I think it's for use in hard-to-reach places. Some electronics stores should sell it, or be able to get it. It think it's called liquid electrical tape?

Anyway this stuff is supposed to be used for spraying on wire to insulate it, and cures by air (I assume it has a thinner in it that evaporates). It's about $25 a can so not cheap, but if it solves your problem then it will be money well spent. You would obviously need to spray it over something, so some thing like very thin alloy sheet formed to shape.

If you are doing that though, you could also just make it from alloy and powdercoat it for a professional finish.

I haven't looked into your thread but is there any reason you wouldn't make this part out of metal, fibreglass, etc? Fibreglass is quite good to work with once you've had some practice.

Top work man, theres gonna be alot of orders for these once you work out how to do it!

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 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.

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.