Bodywork Development


Before I explain how I've done the bodywork I must also explain that due to lack of space and money open moulding is the only option open to me to complete the work.

The bodywork on the trike is GRP over foam formers. After much trial and error I finally decided to do it as follows. I used ply and foam to make the body panels up. When the former is sanded to it's final shape I let it rest for a few days and then cover it with aluminium tape
I then lay up the resin and matting over the former. usually two layers and allow it to cure for 12 hours. I then carefully 'pop' the GRP off the former. Any more than two layers it can crack, any less and it flops and won't hold shape while you back it out.




For large flat panels I laid 3mm core mat out on a flat surface and added resin. Once cured it's easy to mark out your panels and cut it with a slitting disk or hack saw blade in a jig saw.





 I used bits of ducting to make formers for the side ducts, again covered in foil tape. Once they were off the former I uses screws and GRP paste to bond them to the sides. Once skinned over with a couple of layers of GRP the screws are removed.



 As you can see I used the same method to build the dash binnacle and other body panels.
Even the dash panel is made to suit the job .






 The front indicators are from the rear end of a VFR 750. I used the body panels as moulds and then trimmed the indicator pods to suit. I'm pleased with the results too and think it gives the trike a little more ' Grumpy'. When viewed from the front it can look a little angry.





 The rear light pods are made up using cardboard tube taped together and then covered in GRP, the single pods are made the same way.





Obviously open moulding can mean a lot of filling and sanding but if you take a bit of time and make sure you spend the time working the matting and resin you can get a decent flat finish without having too much filler work. The last picture is of the front end after an hour or so of blocking with 40 grit and then  gently flatting it with 40 grit pads on my sander.

Once the panels are flattened off properly I'll be paining them with two pack filler primer before flatting back for paint prep.



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