Cowl Plaster Splash cont:

When I left off I had just cast poured the nose of the Fiberglass splash. The purpose of this was to make two inlet features that will be added back into the fiberglass splash so a male plaster splash can be taken. The final lay up tool will then be made off of that male plaster splash.

Nose cast

Here is the nose cast. I made a template that gave me the inlet area and shape that I was looking for and traced it on both halves.

cutting the cast

you can see the inlet outline in Red. I knew this would trash my band saw blade, but they are expendable!!!

cut core with draft

I tilted my band saw table 10 degrees so I could get some draft on this cut. After I finished cutting, I sanded the edges smooth. I repeated this for the opposite side.

Cores installed

I placed both cores back in their original position. they self located due to the contour . I used hot glue to bond them in. I then took some modelling clay and formed a 1/2" radius all around the the part. Before I installed the cores, I coated them with a 50/50 mixture of shellac and alcohol. This seals the plaster and allows for easier release. I coated the inside of the splash with a few layers of carnuba  wax. I purposely did not buff out this wax, I wanted it to have a matte finish. If it were polished, the plaster would run off of it in the next step.

surface coat

the next step is to coat the interior with a 'Milk" coat of plaster. Mixing the plaster is critical at this step. there is only one way to do it. you add plaster to the water and wait for all air bubbles to subside. Then you can mix it. This way there are no dry pockets in this coat. The method you use  is to pour the plaster in and then slowly roll the fiberglass splash around coating all of the surfaces. This takes a while because thickness buildup isn't possible until just before the plaster starts to kick. I did this step twice to ensure a nice thick surface skin.

Susan laying the Hemp backing

The surface skin is backed up with a layer of Hemp mat soaked in plaster. My Helper Susan Lassan here is demonstrating this messy step. Susan is an Engineering Student at The University of Texas@ Arlington. Her Father Laszlo works with me at Triumph. Susan is going to be an excellent engineer, because she is trying to understand all aspects of aircraft construction. When she isn't helping me, she is helping another friend Michelle Craig, rebuild her 1946 Taylorcraft wing in my upper shop. I bought two bales of this hemp from surplus at Triumph. Got both bales for $5. The retail cost is around $140 because hemp is a controlled substance.

Released Male Master

        It is chemically very close to Marijuana. I never tried smoking the stuff, but I understand its not the "good stuff"  

Here is what it looks like after its released. I will chisel out the inlet cores and then do a ton of clean up before I start the final fiberglass molds.