Xtra Posted February 21, 2021 Report Share Posted February 21, 2021 (edited) Now that I have explained the reason to rebuild the wood base it should be known that the carbon material only comes 2 foot wide. And I have to get this off my chest. I do not feel that calling it carbon fiber is correct even though the vendor calls that. As I have explained before it is a vacuum form able thermoplastic base with as the vendor said with a thin carbon fiber layer bonded to it with a clear layer bonded on top of that. It is not solid carbon fiber. So to avoid any confusion I am going to call it carbon fiber material or carbon fiber effect or carbon fiber look. Because it is not solid carbon fiber. It is the same great looking material as in the photos and videos. If you ordered one and thought it was solid carbon fiber I apologize for any confusion for those who want a refund please pm me Edited February 21, 2021 by Xtra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted February 21, 2021 Report Share Posted February 21, 2021 (edited) Shout out and props to DBEDGE23 for working with me and helping with the 2015 fit, those are his photos of the 2015 intake. Edited February 22, 2021 by Xtra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted February 22, 2021 Report Share Posted February 22, 2021 (edited) There is a lot of work to do with the V2 of the mold. it has to be completely rebuilt, including the wood base. The wood base on V1 was too large and the vacuum machine had trouble holding onto the 2 X 4ft material. By making the base smaller it allows the machine a better grip on the hot material. The only other choice is to use larger pieces of material and there are problems with doing that. First, the black ABS intakes would go up in price ( possibly a lot ) and second, the carbon material only comes in 2 ft wide sheets, so using the carbon material with the larger base takes a chance of the machine losing its grip and ruining the part. I have cut the new top to size and will try to frame it in tomorrow. It is much easier the second time around.. LOL Edited February 22, 2021 by Xtra 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duece McCracken Posted February 22, 2021 Report Share Posted February 22, 2021 42 minutes ago, Xtra said: There is a lot of work to do with the V2 of the mold. it has to be completely rebuilt, including the wood base. The wood base on V1 was too large and the vacuum machine had trouble holding onto the 2 X 4ft material. By making the base smaller it allows the machine a better grip on the hot material. The only other choice is to use larger pieces of material and there are problems with doing that. First, the black ABS intakes would go up in price ( possibly a lot ) and second, the carbon material only comes in 2 ft wide sheets, so using the carbon material with the larger base takes a chance of the machine losing its grip and ruining the part. I have cut the new top to size and will try to frame it in tomorrow. It is much easier the second time around.. LOL I hear that the third time's the charm... ??? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBEDGE23 Posted February 22, 2021 Report Share Posted February 22, 2021 (edited) Keep the good work! We are here to help! Edited February 22, 2021 by DBEDGE23 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted February 23, 2021 Report Share Posted February 23, 2021 (edited) Spent the day gathering everything needed to finish the wood frame. After running around there was only enough time to lay out the design and drill the mounting holes. At least some progress was made. Edited February 23, 2021 by Xtra 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted February 23, 2021 Report Share Posted February 23, 2021 I am trying to finish this week with V2 and test mold one intake sometime next week. If everything goes well then the following week production should start back on track and filling the orders. Fingers crossed ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcmawyer Posted February 23, 2021 Report Share Posted February 23, 2021 Sorry some of us are messaging rather than reading. We saw this amazing part and how awesome it is and forgot about the craftsman. Your work looks amazing, and I can't wait to sport one on my Sport... Thanks for the updates. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted February 24, 2021 Report Share Posted February 24, 2021 (edited) Today was hot!! Around 85*f , It was also productive. I was able to complete the woodwork and it is ready for the putty, sanding, finish coat, and mounting of the vacuum fittings. The base framework with handholds to protect fingers and ease of carry. Size difference between V1 and the smaller V2. Edited March 6, 2021 by Xtra 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted February 24, 2021 Report Share Posted February 24, 2021 nice 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted February 24, 2021 Report Share Posted February 24, 2021 (edited) Today was a good day. Last night I was able to Bondo the frame so it could cure overnight. The Bondo seals any vacuum leaks and smooths the seams. I was able to get a coat of varnish on it, then I was redirected to the front door to varnish it... by my better half. Lucky for me there was just enough varnish left to cover the door before it ran out. I still need to attach the vacuum fittings and get another can of varnish to finish the base. This is what happens when I apply Bondo in the dark. It makes for a lot of sanding. Sanded down the Bondo and curved the corners with a router to help release the intake from the mold. Drying the varnish in the sun next to the orange tree. That one tree produces oranges by the bushel basket, no one gets Scurvy at my house lol. Edited February 25, 2021 by Xtra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bscott94 Posted February 28, 2021 Report Share Posted February 28, 2021 I think the last count said that one black one was available. I'd like to put my name on it. This is a super cool project and it was really cool to watch it come together from beginning to end in the matter of an hour ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted February 28, 2021 Report Share Posted February 28, 2021 (edited) 45 minutes ago, bscott94 said: I think the last count said that one black one was available. I'd like to put my name on it. This is a super cool project and it was really cool to watch it come together from beginning to end in the matter of an hour ? Thanks bscott94, that info was on the last run of V1 made and is no longer valid. No worries, once V2 is complete and tested, I will begin taking orders for the next run, and I will announce it here in this thread. Stay tuned and keep checking in. Edited February 28, 2021 by Xtra 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 1, 2021 Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 (edited) Had a couple hiccups with the new wood base. Apparently there was a very small bit of rain/ drizzle overnight a few days or so ago that I was unaware of. It was just enough to mess up the varnish before it could dry. I had varnished it 4 or 5 days ago but did not discover this mess until tonight. I was expecting the varnish to be completely cured and ready for the fittings. Now I have to sand and refinish it. It is disappointing but in reality it only cost a few hours of work, and no real damage was done. In the meantime work on the fiberglass part of the V2 mold continues. ? Edited March 2, 2021 by Xtra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 1, 2021 Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 (edited) This is what I am dealing with. 6 days later and the varnish never cured properly. It can not be sanded and touched up because the varnish is too soft to sand, it clogs the paper instantly. It has to be completely removed, scraped off, and then re-finished. This problem has definitely thrown off the schedule of making a test intake this week . I did not expect this, at least the varnish scrapes off fairly easily. Okay, back to work I’m burning daylight . Edited March 2, 2021 by Xtra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 2, 2021 Report Share Posted March 2, 2021 (edited) Managed to prep the wood for another try at finishing today. The varnish was a time killer so this time I used gloss surfboard resin. Because the resin is activated with a catalyst it will completely cure in an hour or less. Tomorrow I will lightly sand it then decided if it another coat is needed. Once a smooth even coat is achieved It can be polish to a high gloss finish that should help with the release the intake. Baring any other unexpected setbacks, I should be able to mount the fittings and be done with this part of the project by tomorrow evening. ? Stripped and prepared Surfboard resin Coat of resin applied Edited March 2, 2021 by Xtra 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 2, 2021 Report Share Posted March 2, 2021 (edited) Checked the alignment on the hood rubber bump stops, to see if anything could be done to help with the 2015 alignment. The smaller hole in the mold is by design to help get a tighter fit on the larger 2016 and up bumpers. As the 2015 bumpers are much smaller, enlarging the hole would not help the 2015 or the 2016 and up years. So this part of the V2 mold will remain as is, and the 2015 bumpers will fit, but not be centered in the hole. I post these little things because I feel a responsibility to those that have ordered an intake. This has taken much longer than anyone expected, especially me, and I want them to know that progress is being made. Edited March 2, 2021 by Xtra 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 2, 2021 Report Share Posted March 2, 2021 (edited) It was a very good day . Turns out that resin was the way to go all along, having the varnish go bad was a blessing in disguise . The resin cures harder, faster, and has a smoother surface than the varnish. I was able to sand and get the final coat of resin on the wood base today. All the base needs now is to cure completely overnight and then I can attach the vacuum fittings. The shaping is complete on the V2 mold and the first thin finish coat was applied. Getting closer every day, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Edited March 2, 2021 by Xtra 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 3, 2021 Report Share Posted March 3, 2021 (edited) Rain delay today. This time I made sure everything was under the awning and stayed dry. Lesson learned. lol Edited March 3, 2021 by Xtra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 5, 2021 Report Share Posted March 5, 2021 (edited) Managed to accomplish a little today. I was able to install the vacuum fittings to the wood base. I apply a hefty coat of silicone sealant to them and then loosely tighten the bolts. I make sure to not squeeze out all the silicone and leave a nice even layer to act as a gasket. After the sealant drys I torque down the bolts to create an air tight fitting. Tee nuts installed Flanges are bolted down and waiting for the silicone to dry. The base needs some sanding to get rid of the drips, but my palm sander will make quick work of that. Edited March 5, 2021 by Xtra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 5, 2021 Report Share Posted March 5, 2021 (edited) There are vacuum slots cut into the bottom edge of the mold to help pull in the ABS around the base. I have plugged every other one along the long sides, 30 of them in total. This is an attempt to have more vacuum available to the top of the mold to give better overall definition to the smaller details of the intake. Edited March 5, 2021 by Xtra 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) I just completed work on the V2 mold . Now a test intake can be made next week and checked for fit. If all goes well I can finally do a run of them. Again it will be the black ABS first, then the carbon ones. Edited March 6, 2021 by Xtra 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 sweet 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xtra Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 (edited) 20 hours ago, WWWPerfA_ZN0W said: sweet Thanks WWWPerfA_ZNOW, I appreciate it. Today I dropped off the mold at the shop and ordered up a V2 black ABS intake. My fingers are crossed that everything works out. The shop said it will be done this week ( I hope before Friday at 6 pm ). Is there anyone in the San Fernando Valley or los Angeles area with a 2015 > 2018 Edge that is willing to let me test the intake for fit on their car. It will only take a few minutes and I will do the work. I can give a discount on the intake as a thanks for your time and help with the project. Please PM me if you are interested. Edited March 8, 2021 by Xtra 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CARR142 Posted March 9, 2021 Report Share Posted March 9, 2021 "And Away We Go" Best Wishes To you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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