Tried several times to set up this post correctly, but still misalignment of material..sorry but for now, this is it. We are on the road up in the mountains. ;)
Initially, when I was rebuilding the cab over section last Nov/Dec., I ran new wiring up to the forward clearance lights but never got to install the LED Clearance lights I had bought. I had decided to install the new lights in a custom fiberglass bubble I would build later. The reason was to install the lights in a more waterproof manner, add better lighting and have zero maintanance in the future. Well, now, is 'later'. I've been putting this project on the back burner, but it has dragged on too long.Top Photo: Backside of the Tear Drop mold, reinforced with a thick layer of bondo, to keep if from flexing when trying to pop the new part out of it.
Inside of the Mold
The basic shape for these tear drop shapes was sculpted from some 1.5" closed cell extruded polystrene foam I had in the garage.(same stuff I used to insulate the roof during it's rebuild this past spring, the "Pink" stuff.)
A small 1.5" thick piece about 8 x 12, were used to get the shape I desired.
The Backside of the L.E.D. lights are potted, so these lights should be impervious to any water intrusion...even if they were never sealed/which they will be!
I worked this until I had a perfect little tear drop shape that conformed to the
curvature of the top of the cab over section. Now all I had to do is make 5 of them out of fiberglass.. Yeah... that's all! ;)Needing a final 'trim' on the edges is needed, but here is an almost complete Clearance Light mount.
Well, more than once I screwed up.
Problems in early pieces required
fixing some pin holes in material. I should have just slowed down and been more careful, but I eventually got it right.
Messed up the mold 3 times at least, first making it too fast, too thin and also not reinforced. All added to the workability of the project and headaches. Spent more time fixing glitches than building the 5 parts needed for the 5 clearance lights!
Finally got my head together and reinforced the mold with bondo on the backside, to make it inflexable. Then gave it 4 good coats of wax, polished well in between.
Then....the final few pieces popped out properly and I finished making them today(leaving tomorrow for the Grand Canyon!) Might go down tonight and paint them, and then again, might not.
Painted white and pre-drilled for the L.E.D. Clearance lights , as well as 3 holes-one on each corner for #8 stainless steel Pan Head screws for mounting. These were installed at my brother-in- law's Tiki and wood carving shop on Hwy. 98, near Gulf Breeze, Fl.
3 Tear drop style Clearance light mountings for the Forward Cab-Over, in mid stage of construction.
When finished, they look fine!
That is..... the Clearance Lights, the Window Replacement and the Corner Moldings.
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