Nose and nose gear - part 31

Nose bumper - take #2 (hrs - way too many)

With a raging OCD episode in full swing, I found it hard to sleep. The thought of a better, easier-to-make nose bumper kept me up at night, thinking. Rest wouldn’t be had until I settled the questions floating in my mind. Could there be another way?

Pressing the iPhone camera back into perilous service inches from spinning end-mills, I set out to prove that the hockey puck machining method was a thing of the past, and that a more production-style approach could improve the bumper quality, and make life a heck of a lot easier for me.

Much work would have to be put forward in order to reap these benefits though, so let’s dive right into it… 

Designing the mold in CAD/CAM

Machining the mold

Making a part from the mold

This experiment turned out a great success, and I loved the results, but even as the urethane was curing, ideas for improvement were percolating through my brain. 

Although I have no plans on starting a bumper business, I think this technology might still prove itself useful in the future on other needed components.

All parts of the mold before pouring urethane

Highlighting the removable parts

Urethane rubber poured in the mold

Bumper curing in the heated epoxy box

Bumper ready to be pulled from the mold, just 12 hrs later.

Urethane bumper just extracted from the mold

Closeup of the new bumper

Old vs new

A few imperfections occurred in the form of surface bubbles 

Flange will need to be trimmed with scissors