Fiberglas Epoxy mounts

[WIZARDOFOZONE]

I'm experimenting with this setup, see pic below. The advantages so far are that you can enlarge the mount by pushing outward with your original metal mount to create any size or curve radius you'd like, or make it smaller or of different shape by pushing in on the mold even as the epoxy sets.
Bolts can be preset into the mold before pouring for odd situations where you want an odd bolt arrangement. Not sure of damping abilitys, and my next experiments are to add small tied figure 8's of braided fishing line like spiderwire into the mold to guard against cracking under load. Epoxy weakens and melts regular mono line. Sheet of cut old innertube at the mold curve creates a permanent built in rubber liner after epoxy is poured too. In place of the braided line, squares of screen as sold at Ace hardware can be stacked into the mold before pouring. Of great advantage too is that you can make a deeper mold which creates a taller mounting block so the curve of the block is wrapped around a larger length of your bike's frame insuring more gripping friction against that left lean I've discussed in other posts.

 

[WIZARDOFOZONE]

Added info: 2 dots of clay no bigger than a half grain of rice will suspend your first square of screen you lay into the clay form to suspend it so the epoxy flows underneath. cut all your screen a tad smaller than the mold so that when finishing/squaring up the final mount you do not expose screen on each belt sanded edge. aluminum or any dark color paint swirls into the epoxy before pouring but don't use too much or curing is affected. by the way, this screening im talking about is what you buy to repair or replace screen doors.its small and tough and I do believe the end result is probably stronger than the cast metal mount.

 

[Alaskavan]

Interesting. I'd like to see the finished product.

 

[WIZARDOFOZONE]

This one was a mock up ,thats how I just learned my mistakes about the screen edges being exposed and too much paint causes uneven curing .... I'll post a complete finished mount when I'm done.

 

[WIZARDOFOZONE]

Well its some 18 hours later and if you read my post about throwing my Woodruff key and messing up the key slot, then you know I've got a few other fish to fry that concern me right now other than this experiment. Greatest doubt I have though is the overall strength of the mold as you tighten down the bolts. Plexiglas seems reliable to me but only as a complete unit. I'd trust an entire block of it to keep a car engine supported off of the floor for example, but it occurs to me that when you start isolating pressures against fractional parts of the entire block you compromise the piece's strength.Dunno, but looks like I'm gonna be welding the engine sprocket area per everyone's advice, and get back to this molding idea later.