I'm doing my first Samurai build on an '87 I picked up at an auction in the fall of '11. Some of the things I've done so far are a new clutch and pressure plate, a different transfer case with 4.16:1 reduced gear ratio, Old Man springs and shocks, 30 inch tires on different rims, an ARB air locker in the front (found used with compressor), and more that I can't think of right now. Anyway, I needed new (bigger) fender flares...but there aren't many aftermarket flares for the Samurai that keep the stock rounded look. So, being a fiberglass guy, I decided to make my own. I've enclosed a few pics to show the method I used. I had to kind of figure out how on my own...there's not really any info out there on how to do it.

This is the flare just about complete...just needs some fill and paint.


This is the 1/4 inch plywood and sheet foam frame. Everything will be coated in fiberglass resin, so don't worry about the wood. The fender is a little offset, that's why the space in the middle of the back plate. The stock metal flare mount has been removed.

Now we need to fill in all that space with a product called Pour foam. I'm using just some scrap laminate for a dam.You can see how the flare will be attached. The scraps of wood contain a nut with a washer on the end with prongs that stick into the wood...I forget what they are called. I didn't want any bolts showing from the outside.

The Pour foam expands in just minutes, and can start to be shaped in half an hour. It's compatible with polyester products so it won't deteriorate. I'm talking about stuff like Bondo and polyester resin.

This stuff can be cut with a small saw or utility knife and sanded and shaped, and it isn't very tough. You can take your fingernail and dent it...so we'll be putting on a layer of fiberglass to protect it. But first I'll use some Bondo to fair it up as best as I can.


Two down...two to go...

Nice detail.  Keep it coming, I like what you are doing.b

Thanks, Brd Huntr!

GREAT WORK!  When you get around to making them for Trackicks, I'm first in line to buy a set!

Thanks, bentparts! I'd like to try making a set for a Tracker or Sidekick. Maybe when I finish the Sami...

Nice work! I am second in line for a trackick! Have you tried any carbon fiber work?

Thanks, mvptrukin. I have worked quite a bit with both carbon fiber and kevlar. Carbon is much stiffer than fiberglass and therefore harder to make conform to complex shapes. That's where vacuum bagging comes in. And it's not hard to do it just requires a vacuum pump, bagging plastic, and some bag tape...and a few other things. I've made a few carbon canoes in female molds where the carbon doesn't need to be vacuum bagged in place, but other things might...like a core material. But carbon is a weight saver because it doesn't absorb the resin like fiberglass does. Here's a trick...add powdered graphite (available at fiberglass supply stores) to polyester resin (the common fiberglass resin) and when you wet out the fiberglass it turns black and looks just like carbon fiber. Even a trained eye would have trouble telling the difference.

Here's a 16.5 ft. solo I made. It's carbon outside, Kevlar inside, with wood core.

Here's a shot of the core. It was vacuum bagged in place and covered in fiberglass...which wets out clear when nothing is added to the resin. The core is cedar and redwood. This canoe weighs about 38 lbs.

The canoe is a work of art! I think you could sell flairs for sammies and trackick all day. I don't know why but I like the look of carbon fiber.

Thanks for the compliment! I like the look of carbon fiber too...it looks high tech, rich, light, and has depth.

sweet looking canoe 

Thanks!

Really, beautiful work. I'd almost be afraid to put something that nice on my Tracker ( almost, but still would  .)  I happily volunteer my Tracker as test vehicle.

very nice solo canoe!

 But carbon is a weight saver because it doesn't absorb the resin like fiberglass does.  

Not actually true. I have been working with aerospace composites for decades, and have built several small home built aircraft as well as repairing military aircraft.

You probably do know this already, this is more for the edification of others.

Carbon fiber and fiberglas does NOT absorb resin, the fibers are inpenetrable, they can only be COATED, the process of adding the resin is referred to as "wetting out". The weight savings from composites using carbon fiber is due to the high tensile strength by weight of carbon compared to glass, so far less carbon is needed to make a item with similar strengths and thusly a smaller amount of resin is required to get the proper ratio of resin to fiber.

And then the choice of your resin will affect the strength and weight almost as much as the type and weave of fiber used, the HDT of the resin is very important to take into consideration.

Carbon and glass is very brittle, but with excellent tensile strength. It is the plastic of the resin that holds the fibers in the final shape and what usually fails first allowing the fibers to bend and snap/shear releasing a bunch of energy. That is why Kevlar and polyethelene has become the material of choice for safety body parts as it will not shatter or break, only the resin and prevent any Cf/glass from becoming a lethal projectile.

Well said! And thanks for the compliment.

Not sure if you were aware of US Composites urethane casting foams, the 8lb foam can be sanded and worked like a soft wood like pine, and the 16lb stuff will take a hammer strike to make a dent, but is sandable with a power sander.

what I prefer the 16lb stuff for is to add a significant amount of stiffness to female molds after all the glass and reinforcements have cured, box the back side of the molds, fill with foam.