Raw black rubber

Yeah but it wont fit a mk1 though . The seller is using " Mk1 " to grab attention .

Early mk 1 had skinny bumpers ..the foglight sat above the swage line ,the gasket was a simple U shape . Facelift Mk1 had thicker bumpers , the fog had to go lower right on the swage line ..like mine , The Mk2 used the ebay item you've linked ..fitted even lower on the rear valence . They cant be mixed and matched...the tilt wedge bit is all wrong..

The remould tyre place is posting me the un vulcanized stuff, he was quite confident it will work . I'm making them to sell. Tried PU already but its not stable enough

The real deal have been seen to go for daft money..£70 !!!  "classic Ford tax " though a fiesta is hardly a classic is it ?  Big money too, for old pale blue ford grill badges ...

Edited By Hacksaw on 31/08/2017 20:12:16

Edited By Hacksaw on 31/08/2017 20:14:27

I doubt if it's made from rubber. Rubber has largely been superceded by neoprene as rubber is now quite expensive..

Not necessarily. NR (natural rubber) and SR (synthetic rubber) are traded on the stock market as commodities. Both prices follow the price of oil. Sort of. And obviously supply and demand. Synthetic rubber is oil based. When the oil price is high, manufacturers will switch to natural if their product allows it and vice versa. Certain applications will always recquire either only one NR or SR or the other. Certain o rings produced are always NR and ditto some are only SR due to heat amongst other things.

On a small average hatchback car, there is not more than 1 kilo of natural rubber per tyre. Competitive racing tyres and commercial aircraft tyres carry a much higher NR percentage in the tyre's make up.

Take a look at **THIS** it looks like it could do the job.

I'm a bit late to the party.

I've had great success using 2 pack urethane - it's as tough as old boots and can be coloured. Available in a range of hardness, I get mine from Bentley Advanced Materials, it isn't cheap but it is good quality - their colour pigments are UV resistant which is important for your application!

Silicone has a much lower resistance to hydrocarbons/oils/fuel - I wouldn't advise it on a car, but on the back lights, maybe ok?

I 3D print the moulds and give them a final finish (what ever is needed, a bit of sanding, a touch of filler, a coat of XTC3D and a final spray of release agent (as urethane is a very strong adhesive IIRC)

I cast a seal face on a 3D printed conical sealing head, using a 3D printed mold, for a 1 ton per hour pulverised coal injection machine running at upto 7 bar, the seal head is on the main bulk material inlet, I built the machine a few years ago, and it's still running today.

Sorry Hacksaw I didn't see your post regarding having already tried PU!

This unvulcanized rubber sounds like the business. I might investigate further although I believe it's not capable of retaining pressure which would be of some importance to me. How much was this stuff and does it have a shelf life?

Hi most parts like these are moulded in an injection moulding tool and I have made tools for pump seals, pipe flange gaskets, and conduit seals. Short run dies were cut in dural aluminium and were very basic. The material is very easily available to moulders and comes in a small pellet form.

David

Hacksaw,

Before you go to any work or expense, especially if this is something you're planning to sell, would suggest you ascertain the hardness of the parts you're trying to replicate (usually measured in Shore, but important to know which scale it is measured - commonly type A or D, but also type O and others - a tyre might be 70 on Shore A, but 70 on Shore D is a hard material like a plastic safety helmet). Once you know your target Shore then you can source materials, and check your end product matches the original.

Backing "cushions" are usually molded in compression moulds, at least those made by PMG Thorpe and Rubberlite were. Dump a lump of the black stuff into the cavity put the lid on a squish and bake. Excess was/is catered for with a spew groove and when cured, the excess is torn off.

(Second company I worked at after my avatar name)

Regards Ian.

 Would be surprised if there isn't an original manufacturers logo on the inside of the molding. Fords wouldn't have made it.

Edited By Circlip on 01/09/2017 14:53:32

Well ,that is what i'm doing...

Remould tyre goo is just right... just waiting for it to arrive.I'll post up my results when i'm done..

Some other Mk1 parts i remade ..Thermostat housings for 1600 xr2 and 1300 . Like this, but a smaller outlet elbow . Cast dozens and sold them all on ebay and the club . I made this one for an Escort 1600 Xflow with a temperature take off modified for an electric fan . Cast and machined in da forge !!  No CNC here...

XR2 round headlight adjusters and clips ...in HDPE . For these I bought a benchtop injection machine from a school, made the moulds and made hundreds of the pesky things !! Screws were modified stainless items . Made more money by selling the machine back to another school ..

Edited By Hacksaw on 01/09/2017 17:10:41

Did a bit of corner filling of the mould ,with weld .. and power filed it back to a better radius . Made 2 plates , to fit the front and it bolts together ok... then i gravity filled it with 2 part urethane / silicone stuff i had , clamped it together and left it to cure..what a mess !!

1/2 hour later I HAD to see what it looked like...Too  soon , the rubber had stuck to the bolts and as i undid them , it tore the casting .. and there are a few voids , but hey ho , it's looking promising . Can't wait till i get the vulcanizing rubber and cast it under pressure

Edited By Hacksaw on 02/09/2017 18:48:55

Edited By Hacksaw on 02/09/2017 18:57:15