I prefer a two part catalyzed product but wanted to research Flexseal as a lower cost alternative. Your opinion is very valuable and gave me something to think about. The only options I know of are two companies that do the rubber application, one on each coast, and Steele rubber. The two places that recover the boards charge around $2000 for a set and I have heard nothing but good things about their quality but $2000 is a lot of money. Steel sells rubber matting for just under $800 and it comes in pieces that have be trimmed and glued together. I've seen pictures of installations and to me they look like what it sounds like, a pieced together mess.
Just think of the possibilities. You could make your running boards using window screen and then they will float
Bobj49f2, why not apply flexseal or another product directly to the running board. Seems like the mold, reglue is adding complication. Are you considering marketing/ selling these? Heres a sprayable rubber roofing product...it may be the same stuff as flexseal https://rubberizeit.com/roofing/ Interested to see the results, wonder how much UV resistance flexseal has, if it greys or changes color with sun exposure.
I want the boards to look as close to stock as possible. The rubber on the surface supply all of the surface features. I have a '49 Ford truck and the running boards have the ribbed feature stamped into the board, with these I just sprayed chip guard on them, but metal for the Buick boards are smooth and the rubber has the ribs. I looked at the product you provided the link for. I doubt it would work. Seems like there is a long cure time. I've used roofing rubber for other project and it stays soft a long time. I think I need to use a two part product to speed the curing time.
I have two samples of Flexseal laying right here in front of me. One is about the size of a quarter and 1/8 inch think. The other same size but 1/4 thick. My opinion is it is too flexible, maybe 40 durometer. I make various shaped door bumpers for antique cars, mine are about 80 durometer, which is what I think you would want. There are castable urathanes that would work much better and REALLY stick to metal. I use Devcon and it's about $60 per pound. You will probably use 2 or 3 pounds per board. Have you looked at McMaster-Carr catalog for carpet runners? That's where most of the " restoration" companies get their's from. Comes either 36 or 48 inches wide with different patterns. PM me an address I will send you one of my pieces, The stuff I use shows every flaw in the mold, and can easily get air bubbles.
I used Forsch Polymer to cast engine mounts for my Buick some time back. I called them yesterday and their tech suggested I needed to use their 80A urethane, so you're correct. I'll look st the Devcon product. Again, with the carpet runners, I want the boards to look original, or as close as I can. I can't achieve that look with generic carpet runners. As for bubbles in the casting rubber I think that can be eliminated by placing the item being cast in a vacuum chamber. I've seen low priced home made vacuum chambers.
I masked off my running boards and had them sprayed with bed liner. I am satisfied with its performance and looks.
I'm thinking about that. I just got the forms this last weekend so I'm in the preliminary planning. One thought is to build the metal running board and then make a bracket that would suspend the board at the correct height above the form and pour the urethane around the board. I'd have to add dams to the sides to contain the urethane. If it turns out I would think about building and selling complete running boards. I'd have to see how it turns out and what my final costs would be. I know the boards on the stock cars rot out pretty good unless the car has been in inside storage. Second plan would be to make a wooden form to mimic the metal boards and use them to make a void in the poured covers so they can be glued to a cleaned metal board. Just in the planning stage, any suggestions or information is welcomed. To save on costs I think I'll cast the first sets in a cheap material to make sure of the proper quantity of produce I need.
Interesting I look forward to seeing how it all pans out. I know your dilemma I have been trying to find some fine white ribbed rubber matting to do mine and that has been nearly impossible (at least anyone who will sell to Canada) as well so I have been trying to think up ways of achieving what I want as well. I talked to two of the guys that build the running board covers, as unbelievable they are in Canada, but like you I found the cost to be excessive for one off covers. Good luck with it and keep us updated.
If they turn out I might try to expand out. I just have to learn how to build forms. There's a lot of information on the HAMB for that. I have my own business doing something completely different but I do tend to have dead periods and this could be a good way to supplement my income.
noboD, who does rubber parts casting sent me a sample of cured Flexseal and the urethane he uses for his parts. Won't be going with Flexseal if anyone is interested. First thing I did when I received the sample was bend the Flexseal in half and it easily split into two. I was able to dig my thumb nail into it. The samples the urethane took everything I could do to it and came right back without a sign of damage. I guess that answers my question, thanks Doug.
Hunley Acuff was the running board guy for a long time. He vulcanizes rubber to running boards for about 1k per pair. They look like factory brand new. See if you can find him.
I know about Hunly Acuff. Also Running Board Rubber. I think the cost is closer to $2K per set. Acuff has also retired, I have heard his son may be taking over but I haven't heard any more. Steele Rubber sells a kit to glue on but I don't like how they look.
I believe that flex seal is a moisture cure polyurethane. It absorbs moisture out of the air to cure. It basically is two part, the second part being moisture. As such it, probably will cure full thickness. I had a gallon can of moisture cure polyurethane floor varnish once. I opened the can, used about an ounce and re-sealed the can. Next time I opened it, it was fully cured all the way thru. Similar to polyurethane caulk. Once you open it, you can't seal it well enough to keep it from hardening in the tube. The only way I have ever been successful is to vacuum pack the whole tube. But there is still enough moisture to cause it to cure sometimes. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
For fiberglass mould release, use pure waxes without additives (no car waxes) like furniture wax, bowling ally wax as some one mentioned. Wax the mould a couple of times. For added insurance, you can spray in PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). It is a greenish liquid that air dries to a plastic film. Once dry, you would pour in your material. When removing from the mould, it will probably pull right out. However, PVA is water solvable (but not solvable in solvents) so water can be used to help release. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I underatsnd moisture cure products and how they work. I was basing my comments on their literature which says it will skim coat in the can and requires multiple thin coats. Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
POR-15 rust encapulator is the same, once the can is open the material will start to harden. Simpsonrl thanks for the tip on the release, I will try it.
One of my buddy's after sanding the letters off his tires sprayed them with flex seal in a spray can and they came out great. So you might want to try a trial piece with the spray can to see how it holds up.
I used flexseal on the inside of my beadblasting cabinet to seal the seams. It actually didn't work too bad. Now I'm going to cut in-half, bond it back together, and float it down the river.
OK, I had a chance to dig out my rusty, crusty original running boards out and see how they fit the forms I bought. Looks pretty good. I think just pouring a rubber product is not going to work because of the different angles involved. Building dams to contain the rubber would also be quite complicated. I've poured small amounts of urethane and the stuff is like water before it sets up and will seep through the smallest crack or hole. What I think would work is a material I can spray using a shutz gun, the spray gun used to apply undercoating and chip guard. Something like a two part bed liner like mentioned early on in this discussion. My thought is to spray layers of the material on the forms until I achieve the desired thickness and let it set up and then apply a wet coat on the metal of the running boards and lay them into the forms on the set up material. I've used pourable urethane and it would set up too fast to be able to properly spray it, also the urethanes offered have very specifically measured out quantities that you have to mix together all at once, it wouldn't give me time to spray the molds, let them set up and then spray the boards. I anyone spray a urethane type material into forms?
I wondered if this might be an issue. The guys I talked to that make the custom covers actually mill the covers out of solid sheets they don't cast them. One would think there must be some type of product to do this with. I am not sure if there is a max film build for spray on bedliners where they start to become brittle like there is for urethane paint as none of the companies seem to give any data on max film build like they do with paint.
i wonder if you prepped the mold and brought it to a spray bed liner outfit, if they could spray it for you when they were doing a truck bed. might not be too expensive.
I don't know, I suppose the only way to find out is to buy some and do a sample. I am just hoping with the HAMB brain someone has done this. Someone who will say whether this material will hold up or not before putting the money out to find out. I a DYIer whenever I can. I am also a cheap SOB and want to do it myself. I will have to use some kind of release wax, earlier there were are few suggestions that I need to look into using.
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