First of all I want to day Hi to all of you. It's been so long since I've regularly visited. I'm still in school pursuing my master's and then working fulltime and kids has really taken its toll on my quality modding time but I get a moment every now and then to tke baby-steps on a project or two. Not to mention the couple of emergency room visits (non-modding related) to put a crimp in my schedule.

I'm glad to see you guys still going at it to put some style into an integral part of our daily lives.

Back on topic I have a few questions, though on modding:

1- I have a plastic case that I cut a window design into with a jig saw. What's the best way to close up the opening? With the ribs on the back side of the panel a flat plexi panel won't sit flat against the panel's new opening (palm tree shaped) Is it best to shave off the ribs but risk losing support or try to cut the plexi to match the palm tree shaped opening but risk having it look tacky in that it may not match up right and have gaps? I'm open to suggestion.

2 - Also this same plastic panel got a few nicks from an over zealous jig saw (and maybe modder *guilty*) A buddy of mine recommended WD-40 to help with the look of the finish and it does hide some of the nicks as the plastic is translucent but now it's wearing off. What's a longer lasting resolution? It has a texture to the plastic so I really don't want to have to sand the whole thing as it is plastic.

3 - I have some other ideas for another mod but it would require some custom shaped plastics. How do you guys do it? I've seen some using Bondo to get the custom shapes and others seem to have custom molded plastics made? Is that something I can do myself or do I have to go to a platics company to get molded shapes custom made? Is it expensive?


Thanks so much in advance!

My $.02:

Personally, I'm mentally imaging what this stuff looks like. Might be able to better help if you can put up a pic or two of exactly what you're talking about...

For the plastic side panel with the ribbing... If you've already made the cut for the palm tree design, then for the acrylic/plexi/whatever, I would add another 1/2 inch all the way around (stay with me here)...

Once you have the acrylic cut, lay it on the ribbed side of the panel so that you will have about even coverage all the way around, and notch the ribs so you can see where you have to cut/shave them.

Taking your time (most important step, actually), shave or cut away the ribs so that the window piece will fit down inside, nice and smooth. Rome wasn't built in a day, so if you rush it, it will show... Once you have the window nice and where you want it, the extra 1/2 inch of window will allow you to use enough of your favorite adhesive to not only secure the window into the panel without being blatantly obvious, but may actually REINFORCE the side panel where you cut out the ribbing... Alternately, once you have the window in place, you way want to add some fiberglass into the space between the rest of the ribs. It will make the side panel heavier, but stronger by far, if that is a prime concern...

For number two, have you tried toothpaste? You don't have to get the type that would eat 20 years of crud off the bumper of a '57 Chevy in one swipe, but I believe that even with a textured surface, you may be able to remove some of the remaining imperfections with toothpaste, once you take a hobby file (think bastard file on a micro-scale) and get the big stuff taken care of.

Number 3, no clue... Hopefully someone else can weigh in with their experience...

Tricky thing to do would to cut the window exact size as the cut outs. Second thing to do would be what GPN suggested, but before you mount the window paint the back side a lighter shade of the acrylic panel. There is no real solution to this, other that the creative mind.

As far as forming acrylic, if you rough out the shape with soft wood you can use a heat gun and form it yourself.

Good luck.