At Last! A Good Formula 1000 Video

Posted by jjludemann on December 16, 2013

I finally found a video that conveys the full speed available from a Formula 1000 race car, a Gloria F1000 doing a hillclimb in Italy (skip forward to 3:15). THIS is why I’m building a race car:

Gloria Formula 1000 race car wins Italian hillclimb competition

Last of the Molds

Posted by jjludemann on December 16, 2013

Completed set of molds

Since this is the last of the molds, in the photos below I’m showing each of the layups, for a total of three. Target thickness for the molds is 4.8mm, three times the expected thickness of the parts to be molded.

: Keel gelcoated

: 1st layup

: 2nd layup

: 3rd layup

: Mold released. Some sticking on bottom of keel.

: Cleaning the mold. Comes off easily with a scraper.

: Completed set of molds

: Another view.

: Sanity check– test fitting molds on the chassis.

Fiberglass Mold Layup, Parts 4, 5, 6…

Posted by jjludemann on December 11, 2013

Probably the main thing to explain here is how I create the overlaps in the molds. The edge of a mold is marked on the body buck with duct tape, which will leave an impression in the mold for later trimming of the finished part. Then after removing the mold from the buck, I lay in a strip of 1″ duct tape touching the existing tape, then another strip touching that one. I then remove the first two strips of tape, leaving the edge for the next mold with a 1″ overlap.