Problems and Solutions…
- PROBLEM - Enclosure is too long.
Parts: eboosted Evolve Bamboo GT enclosure + LY Drop Carve 38 deck
I knew it was going to be tight when I ordered the enclosure, but I was at least happy that the width worked out perfectly per the calcs.
To choose an enclosure from the limited availability of high quality fiberglass enclosures on the market, I overlaid a stock photo of the deck, calibrated from actual measurements, with a picture of the Evolve.
- SOLUTION -
With the electronics mostly assembled:
- 10s4p Molicel P42A battery from @thisguyhere w/ 10s smart BMS (charge only)
- Xenith VESC
- VX2 bluetooth dongle
- lots of wiring, loopkey loop, etc
There was still room to spare / cut off in the enclosure.
I plan to mount everything to the underside of the deck, so if the enclosure takes a hit, it won’t immediately transfer to the electronics. I’d rather the enclosure only act as a weather seal and physical barrier, rather than a support structure on top of that.
Laid out the component spacing on the deck and calculated how much I need to chop:
A table saw makes quick work of fiberglass. It took longer to setup adequate airflow and put on PPE than it did to make two cuts.
Test fit:
Now for the fun part - playing with epoxy. After some advice in the Fiberglass Repair thread, I got to work. I decided to have some fun, learn some new skills, and do all the things:
- Prep: scarf cut / beveled edge on each piece
- Reinforcement 1 - light epoxy coat
- Reinforcement 2 - heavy, thickened epoxy coat
- Reinforcement 3 - fiberglass cloth layers
- Finish - paint
Materials:
- System Three Silvertip Epoxy with Slow Hardener, 1.5 qts, $55 - Amazon - Manufacturer
- System Three 3200A04 White Paste Pigment Coating, 2 oz, $16 - Amazon
- System Three 3105S16 White Silica Thickener, 1 Quart, $9 - Amazon
- Bondo 6oz Fiberglass Cloth, $4 - Amazon
- Plastic mixing cup, 1 qt, $1.50 - HomeDepot (epoxy won’t stick to this, and can be peeled out once dry and reused)
- Mixing Sticks, $1 - HomeDepot
- Digital scale
- Sand paper (80, 120, 220 grit)
- Disposable gloves
- Packing tape
- Duct tape
- Paint
- Isopropyl alcohol and simple green for cleaning
Prep:
This did not go well. I attempted to hand sand opposing edges in order to overlap the two pieces. Flat sections were fine, but the curves were impossible to do without some sort of jig. Oh well, live and learn.
Epoxy:
I already had a large bottle of the System Three Silvertip epoxy w/ slow hardener, purchased to eventually skin and frit the top of the deck. This was perfect for the enclosure as well. Easy to mix (by weight, 100:43) and use, even in small quantities, dries clear.
Epoxy doesn’t adhere to packing tape, so it works well for created a boundary. Although packing doesn’t stick well to the rough surface of the enclosure.
After the first application to stick the two sides together, I realized I had large gaps at the curves.
Enter silica thickener:
This stuff is amazing. With carefully additions of silica powder, I was able to turn the liquid epoxy into a peanut butter consistency and smear it into all the gaps and crevices of the enclosure.
(Duct tape + packing tape combo solves the previous oozing problem)
If you overdo it it turns to clumpy oatmeal…
After ~12 hours it’s cured enough to remove the tape and sand.
Fiberglass:
What repairs fiberglass better than more fiberglass?
2 layers of cloth:
