Don't Laugh It Just Might Work

My attempt to make a cardboard defroster duct, I wrapped the original in wax paper, put it in a box and sprayed expanding foam in it. Put a lid on it and had a form the next day. I applied fiberglass to make it stiff. Now I'm playing with wetting the cardboard and using a vacuum press to form it. More to follow

 

No, that's a form for knitting socks...........
Or, you're casting a Bigfoot (Bigfeet??) prosthetic...

 

I said don't laugh

 

Heck, cut out the middleman - just make them of fiberglas. Sell them as new and improved!

 

They sell them in plastic the whole idea is to be original. These are tuff tho.

 

I'll bet you an original D18 shift knob you can't pull this off!

Shift knob tracking number is
USPS 9505 5107 1134 8275 3710 02

 

Lol thank you sir

 

I think steam may be the key John. With proper steaming, I have been able to take white oak strips (very tough wood) and bend them back on themselves without breaking. Held until they cool and they retain their shape. Something about the heat+moisture works miracles.

I have no experience with the material you are using, but it would be easy to test. Maybe cut a 1" strip or so and hold it over the steaming spout of a rapidly boiling tea kettle for a few minutes, see if it gets pliable. If it works, you could make a steam box that will fit the larger pieces.

 

The question is, is it worth the trouble

 

I love my old Jeep, the fun I have piddling with it is worth the time, it is so antique and simple, what a great toy to play with. Good Luck

 

Appears to me the gauntlet has been thrown down. The question isn't whether it's worth the trouble, question is whether you're MAN enough to pull it off!
I'm betting you can do it, John!

 

I seem to remember my cardboard defroter dust made out of two pieces, stapled together. I can't remember if it was Willys wagon or CJ, or they might be the same part.
-Donny

 

The reason steaming works on wood is due to the resins, sap, whatever still in the wood. As it heats up it becomes pliable, then hardens back as it cools. I'm not sure the same works for the paper board he's using, but I just might. After all paper is just ground up wood. I'm betting on John. Who's call the odds?

 

Here's two different ways I steam wood

This first one I have the wood in a long pipe with a wall paper steamer plugged into one end and a pressure vavle on the other end. Can't bend thick or really tight stuff with this method but works great on the easy bends


This one the torch is heating the different size pipes and this can get some serious bending going. You have to pay attention to the direction of the grain or you will crack stuff if you cut your pieces the wrong way.


It's important to hold the wood in the bent position you want until it cools, otherwise it wants to spring back.

 

Steaming wood to allow it to be re-formed is very old technology, it has been used by ship builders for centuries.
OTOH I wonder if using PVC or ABS tubing and fittings might not be a simpler solution, of course the 100 point Pebble Beach Concours restoration types would not approve.
Another solution would be to carve a Styrofoam buck and wrap it in fiberglass matt and resin, of course it would have to be done in two pieces and then the halves joined. (probably the simplest)
Or,,,,, have it made in a 3D printer.
All depends on what materials you are comfortable with and have access to. Good luck!