ANYBODY INTERESTED
We now have everything in house to make our mold. Should get started right after Christmas. Production will start the second week of January. We figure the price to be comparable with the 1970 and 1972 grill.
After looking for six months for a good 71 CUDA grille, we found one for only $2500.00. We had the one that came with the car but it was broken and had pieces missing. We traded the broken grille for the repaired grille and paid ONLY $2000.00. We're taking that grille, touching it up, throwing a mold to cast 71CUDA GRILLE. made out of 3170 tensile Shore 71D hardness plastic.
Why make a molded grille instead of injection molding? Injection molding is used for high volume fast floor to floor time molding. Initial startup costs are expensive beyond belief. New machines with capacity large enough for a grille cost a quarter of a million dollars. The ancillary equipment maybe another quarter. The die blocks are heated and cooled. The inner profile of the grille an the outer profile have to be carved out of steel. The machine time for such a project costs 75 to 200 dollars an hour. I would estimate the machining time for one mold set to be about 150 hours or so. This grille would have to have pull pins where the grille mounts to the header. Strength wise? The material can be varied in both processes. Heat resistance? This material is cured at 150 degrees F. A 71D shore hardness and is harder and stronger than the original at 3170 psi tensile. It's a win / win situation. We have the argent paint if someone wanted the grille painted.
UPDATES
Dec 18, 2009
We had to order special clay to define the parting lines. Should be in house in three days.
Dec 19, 2009
The clay came today so we can begin the mold before Christmas.
Dec 24, 2009
Worked on the mold today. Some repair needed on the repaired grille we bought. There are two problems with repaired grilles; 1. They are 37 years old and brittle. 2. The repairs are sometimes less than good.
Jan 06, 2010
The buck for the mold is finished. 2/3 of the grille is sanded and repaired. It looks like we should have the grille primed by friday.
We found the argent textured paint at our local Sherwin Williams automotive paint store. If anyone wanted a painted grille. We talked about molding a grille with all the chrome and grille inserts in place. What do you think? We could use Cosmichrome on the trim areas and paint on the rest. The cheese graters would also be cast in. Think of the cost savings.
Jan 10, 2010
Repaired grille is primed. Sanding and paint Monday. Next step is making the mold.
Jan 15, 2010
Completed sanding. Picking up the vacuum chamber/pump. Should begin mold Sunday.
Jan 18, 2010
Grille is painted.
Jan 22, 2010
Sunday has came an gone as has the rest of the week. Rain, ice, rain, ice and the such like. Spring is just 50 some days away and waiting expectantly for the first cruse in. The motorhome sits, covered with snow instead of sunshine, wishing for relief. So goes the grille saga. As my old boss and mentor, John D, would say, "You've missed the date. When will you have it done?" Stammering, reaching for some unknown answer, I stand dumbfounded while John tells me the date. I scramble untold hours to meet this new goal only to stand before him with a still unfinished project.
With all this said, fear not, do not give up hope, sail on, sail on, sail on. I will keep you updated day by day through out the week end as to the progress of our joint project.
Jan 24, 2010
The vacuum pump we had would not pull 29" that we needed to degas the tin cure silicone rubber for the mold. We picked up a J&B pump that does pull enough vacuum. The grille will be produced. Fear not, oh faithful friend, the grille is near.
Feb 03, 2010
And the saga continues. The mother for the mold is to be lain up with fiber reinforced plastic but the resin we had in stock didn't outlive it's shelf life. It had crosslinked into a semi solid. New resin has been purchased along with more tin cure rubber to finish the mold or mould as you would prefer. The drag half of the mold will be complete before the end of business today. With that said, tomorrow should begin the cope.
The Pal Nut Sert used on the back of the grille could not be supplied by four different vendors contacted. One customer of Tinnerman has exclusive purchase rights. We are going to get them. The flat push clips are easy to get. If you have a set of the Serts, be careful when you take them off. They are hard to find.
Feb 04, 2010
Found a vendor for the Serts.
Feb 07, 2010
We finished up the mold or mould as prefered, Friday. It was a textbook experiance. Murphy was the consultant and we fired him. The new consultant will be here tomorrow and order new materials to make the next and better mould/mold. And so good captian if at the break of day, no land is sighted? And the good captain replied, "Sail on, Sail on, Sail on.
Feb 12, 2010
The materials for the mold came in today. The week has been spent making molds for the cheese graters. We will cast one or two of them today to see if the process is correct.
Feb 17, 2010
We cast a cheese grater in black and had good results. There was some porosity in the ends of the grille fins. The temperature of the materials was too low and caused an extreem amount of time for it to become ridgid. Next grille was cast without color but we vacuumed the mix to remove any extra bubbles. This grille is still pliable and hasn't become ridiged in three days. Contacted tech services. We should not have vacuumed the plastic. Will do one to the letter. When all else fails read the instructions. Hummmmm! Changed the type of silicone rubber used for the large grille mold. Should have that set Thursday. The previous mother mold was made of fiberglass and would have worked well except the mold was not thick enough. This mother will be made of a foam material created for this process. There seems to be a whole lot more to making a cast grille than just throwing a mold.
Feb 19, 2010
Success comes in small packages it seems. We made sure all temperatures were to spec. Part A = 76 deg Part B = 74 deg. Mold temp = 72 deg. Four drops of black dye in Part B. Mix well add Part A mix well. Fill mold, clear bubbles. Fill mold. Keep mold temp 70 or above. Demold in four hours. Good black cheese grater. There are a few other things that needed done to make this all happen though.
Today we will make a new mold of the Cuda grille it's self. At least it will be the back side mold that will be the drag part. Ah good captain, the storm is past. What shall we do now? And the good captain replied; "Sail on, sail on, sail on.
Feb 23, 2010
Made the backside mold yesterday. Creating the box for the mother mold today. Ordered more chemicals for the mold.
Feb 26, 2010
Changed the plastic to a stronger, tougher type.
A:B Mix Ratio | Color | Comp. Strength | Demold Time | Mixed Viscosity | Pot Life | Tensile Strength | Ultimate Shore Hardness | Weight: CU.IN./LB |
| | | | | | | | |
1:1 by volume | Clear Amber | 11000 psi | 60 min. | 300 cps | 7 min. | 7800 psi | 85D | 24.3 |
March 05, 2010
This plastic works. Made several of the small grater grilles for testing and found them to be what we are looking for. This is after making four small grilles with the previous plastic and unsatisfactory results. One was so unbreakable that you could roll it up in your hand. We removed the drag (bottom) mold from the buck today. Very pleased with the results. I'll have more information for you Monday evening as to the results by then.
March 10, 2010
Looks like monday has come and gone but the mold and mother mold is finished as of 6:00 PM. Tomorrow will be the day that the mold is broke in half and the original grille removed. Next step is pouring the first grille. Thank God. Recieved an injury from a utility knife. It bit me whle I was cutting part of the mold. Super glue works great to stop the bleeding and close the wound. We just don't have time for such thing as stiches.
March 13, 2010
Still working on the mold.
Sanding, sanding, fixing, making it right. i would love to put pictures of the buck here but i think it's proprietary.
