Grubbster Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Just bought a pair of these from CC so I can have a practice at vinyl wrapping them (planning to DIY wrap my Academy car before I build it so I'm in the learning stage!). They are cheaper and lighter than fiberglass ones (although certainly won't be as strong) just wondered if anyone here has used them? It says race use only on the website, any idea why they can't be used on the road? I'll also have a go at sticking bigheads on and see if the usual adhesives actually stick to ABS. Edited by - grubbster on 22 Jun 2012 22:23:02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Ford Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Yes, I've used them. They're made by Steve at YC Plastics who also makes the ABS half-doors. Sadly his deal with CC means he can't sell them direct anymore and I refuse to pay CC's markup! They're actually tougher than fibreglass but not indestructible. Don't see why you shouldn't use them on the road. Tigerseal or Sikaflex works fine to stick them on, don't know about whatever glue you might use with bigheads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnv Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Steve I have 8 bigheads that I'm sure I owe you if you don't have any Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Thanks Roger, I'll be using them as spares for next years academy, good to hear they are reasonably tough. Cheers John, very kind of you - I'm happy to pay you for them though. No rush, the academy kit won't be here till the autumn, gives me a bit of time to learn how to wrap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pendennis Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Steve, I have used them in the past, they are great, don't crack and light. Better than GRP IMHO. I got mine from here Superb service and clever people, seems reasonable price as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 I've just finished my first go at vinyl wrapping, frustrating at first but it came good in the end. Quite chuffed to be honest Edited by - Grubbster on 22 Jun 2012 22:18:37 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljclark Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LesG Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 looks good to me mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Whitley Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 but you must have been 😔 at the crinkly stage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 Quoting Tony Whitley: but you must have been 😔 at the crinkly stage! I was! The vinyl is quite amazing, you can give it a lot of abuse and it still comes out OK. I wouldn't say it is easy to get rid of all the crinkles, but with a bit of patience and a hair dryer I got there in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlesElliott Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Looks excellent! Where did you get the vinyl from Steve? Edited by - CharlesElliott on 23 Jun 2012 08:07:29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 I got mine from here, the one I used in this trial is the Countach Green near the bottom of this page. I watched a lot of wrapping videos, there is a good one of someone carbon wrapping a wing , it's only the last stages but shows how tough the vinyl is. He makes it look a lot easier than I found it. I need to decide on what colour to go for now and whether to use a fancy wrap or plain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Auton Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 *thumbup*Steve, I am sure you can only find it easier & more satisfying the more you do. Form an orderly queue behind me please 😬 Edited by - Jerry on 23 Jun 2012 14:41:28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 23, 2012 Author Share Posted June 23, 2012 I just tried to wrap another wing using a different type of material and failed miserably! This was a fluorescent vinyl from a different manufacturer (from the same supplier) and I couldn't work with it well at all, I very quickly damaged the vinyl. So I need to be very careful which I choose to do the whole car with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z3MCJez Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Very impressed with the work on the wings. Indeed, sufficiently impressed to think I could have a go. How long did it take and how long might you expect it to take once you'd done a few? Jez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted June 25, 2012 Member Share Posted June 25, 2012 Quoting Roger Ford: They're actually tougher than fibreglass but not indestructible. Don't see why you shouldn't use them on the road. Is ABS in this context acrylonitrile butadiene styrene? Is the unsuitability related to polymer degradation, as in seat belt buttons? Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 This one took me about 90 minutes, I reckon with practice that could come down to half an hour. The choice of material is very important and 3 hands would be helpful! I've been in touch with MDP where I bought the pieces to experiment with and now I understand why I had problems with the fluorescent vinyl. It is a cast film suited to car wrapping but it doesn't have an air release system so it's a bit harder to work with, more suited to people with experience! So I'll be sticking with the slightly more expensive films with air release. I also tried some carbon effect filem, that was the easiest so far and looks very good but quite expensive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Auton Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Interesting observations Steve, keep it coming please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter clarke Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 ABS is as you say. Basically it is polystyrene which is stiff but brittle so polymerise with rubber to get impact then add acrylonitrile to in crease stiffness a bit and increase chemical resistance. Bit more complex than that to make. The additive package is key to weathering and these days can be good. This is the key to prevent degradation. Most long term exterior parts should be painted or otherwise protected to retain properties. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Very tidy result, Steve. I believe ABS polymers are also soluble in ketones, so best go easy on the nail-varnish remover! JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blade_runner Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Steve- any pics of the finished Carbon effect vinyl wing? and details of which vinyl it is on the website? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 I'm away from home again now so no pics of my carbon wing yet - but you can see one on , very clever stuff. I don't know the manufacturer of the piece I had to play with (was an offcut sent to me by a mate ages ago) but I suspect it could be one of these or maybe 3M like this. I'll drop him a note to ask what he sent me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlesElliott Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 The manufacturer does also make them in carbon effect, but I don't know if Caterham sell those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rattie Posted June 29, 2012 Share Posted June 29, 2012 OOh, if the carbon effect is anything like the Westy carbon effect , you'd be better off with plain ABS... or the rather fetching wood finish wraps from MDP 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grubbster Posted June 29, 2012 Author Share Posted June 29, 2012 Carbon effect wings and headlamps are very different to carbon effect vinyl wrap (which is textured) - I'm not going to get either, I just happened to have a bit of vinyl to play with - it was from Hexis. My freind who wraps vehicles in Kent is going to give me a lesson before I tackle the 7, he offered to do it for me but I'm going to have a go myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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