Managed to get three jobs done today, first was to modify the headlamp shell mould by glue-ing some 1mm polypropylene to the leading edge of the mould. Hopefully I can now make the shell without the right angle turn at the brim and the CF part will come out without delamination between the gel coat and the CF. It took a while as I hot glue gunned the plastic to the mould and had to do it in one inch sections waiting each time for the glue to cool down and harden whilst holding it in position.
Then I machined up two aluminium cups to hold the rubber mounts for chain oiler reservoir. These will be bonded through the outside face the CF reservoir attaching to the rear face, it seems rather a convoluted way to do it but it is Hobson’s choice as there is very limited space behind the reservoir where the rear suspension rocker pivot bolt is located.
Finally I spent some time chopping up scrap CF cloth and mixed it with some EL2 laminating resin. I used the resulting paste as a filler to repair some of the less successful first pass CF parts. The paste looks as though it has sufficient viscosity to be used satisfactorily for joining the two halves of the petrol tank and the chain oiler reservoir. What I did learn is that cutting the CF at c 4 to 6mm meant the paste was very fibrous and not at all good at being a cosmetic filler. It had the consistency of Gun Gum exhaust paste and was not workable easily. I think it would work better if the CF was chopped up finer say about 1mm but wielding the scissors for about an hour is hard on my repetitive strain injury.