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  • #46
    Originally posted by Ian6xtreme View Post
    Looking superb Turk. My money has been put away ready for when these become available.



    Thanks mate ........ that's good to know !


    Apologies for the delay, hope you guys don't have to wait for too long. I'll try my best for a Christmas / New Year launch date.
    Having just said that ........ probably not a good time of year !


    We shall see what transpires







    TURK
    Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
    And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
    The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

    Comment


    • #47
      Originally posted by TURK View Post
      Thanks mate ........ that's good to know !


      Apologies for the delay, hope you guys don't have to wait for too long. I'll try my best for a Christmas / New Year launch date.
      Having just said that ........ probably not a good time of year !


      We shall see what transpires







      TURK
      Xmas, New year is good for me. Just let me know when your down to me on the list pal. I'm good to go. [emoji4] [emoji4]

      Comment


      • #48
        Originally posted by Ian6xtreme View Post
        Xmas, New year is good for me. Just let me know when your down to me on the list pal. I'm good to go. [emoji4] [emoji4]


        Thanks mate


        I'll be contacting the members on my list as I near their number, as I'm making these to order I'll just be confirming that they're still up for it.

        So get saving peeps !







        TURK
        Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
        And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
        The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

        Comment


        • #49
          Thanks for the info Turk (though I can't see the images, dunno why) and the thorough explanation of how you have researched the issues pretty thoroughly!
          I'm dropping subtle hints in my house as to what I'd like for Xmas, Birthday, Fathers Day combined for the next 3 years, in one lump as a new set of lights!

          Comment


          • #50
            Originally posted by caravellvis View Post
            I'm dropping subtle hints in my house as to what I'd like for Xmas, Birthday, Fathers Day combined for the next 3 years, in one lump as a new set of lights!

            Thanks caravellvis, good idea ........ but I think you ought to negotiate a better deal ! combining prezzies for the following year seems reasonable to me, but for the next three years !!! your lot must be a tough bunch the lights are not that expensive, nor are they just 'bling', having headlights that perform as headlights should, could be a life saver !



            Thanks for the info Turk (though I can't see the images, dunno why)

            Not being able to view the images may be down to your browser settings, can you see images in other posts on this forum ?

            Anybody else experiencing that issues ?





            TURK
            Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
            And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
            The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

            Comment


            • #51
              Have we got a rough estimate on the price Turk

              living the dream

              Comment


              • #52
                Originally posted by Dazteen View Post
                Have we got a rough estimate on the price Turk

                living the dream


                A 'rough estimate' is all we have to go by at the moment Daz ........ including myself !


                Trying my utmost to stay below the 500 quid mark for the 'basic' version. I haven't even looked at the other versions yet.
                As most companies base their retail prices primarily around profit margins, mine will based solely on the cost of the materials and parts used. And as the prototype isn't finished yet, and I'm still testing various materials, there's really no way of knowing for sure. So if you envisage £500 you won't be far off


                Also, just to add to that .......... all forum members will entitled to forum discount. So what ever price will be advertised on here will be the forum member price. As I will also be selling these on my website, at a much higher price structure ........... I've got to make a profit somewhere !




                Having said all that, the administrators of this site will have the last word. There's a lot more to be done until then, so we shall see.



                * There's a bit more info on page 4 as well daz.







                TURK
                Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
                And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
                The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

                Comment


                • #53
                  Morning all,



                  Though I'd stumbled into the wrong forum this morning !

                  The new 'R & D' section is a stroke of genius guy's




                  Many thanks to the 'Just T4s' team. Hopefully we'll begin to see many more projects.

                  .......... Somebody please come up with a decent spare wheel carrier for the rear of the van !






                  TURK
                  Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
                  And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
                  The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

                  Comment


                  • #54
                    R&D section?


                    Sent from my iPhone using Just T4s

                    Comment


                    • #55
                      Originally posted by chally69 View Post
                      R&D section?


                      Sent from my iPhone using Just T4s
                      Yup in the workshop area


                      Sent from my iPhone using Just T4s

                      Comment


                      • #56
                        Just a quick update guys to let you all know what's happening.

                        I'm having to make some new vacuum forming plugs as my original design was slightly out. By moving the inboard high beam units inward by a centimetre means redesigning the headlight brackets unfortunately ......... but that's prototyping I guess ! you continue to tweak things until you find what works. I'm also taking the opportunity in moving the high beams forward, hopefully I can solve the side-light issue at the same time. Which means the plugs will be higher, unfortunately that also creates a new set of problems when vacuum forming, but if I don't try I'll never know will I.

                        I'm also trying another method of creating vacuum forming plugs, so these should take a week or two and not a few months like the last ones did !







                        TURK
                        Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
                        And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
                        The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

                        Comment


                        • #57
                          Hi guys,


                          Just a quick update from the 'T4 Quad Headlight Project' ............



                          As I've been designing and fabricating various headlight mounting bracket prototypes for a while now, I can certainly say that the final part is almost there. I don't rightly know if this latest one will work as I envisage, but it will be the best version so far. Space is so limited behind there, that a centimetre out in any direction makes the prototype useless ......... and then you have to start again. I've tried various materials to build mock-ups leading up to making a prototype, but nothing seems to work too well. I did try sheets of 1.5mm aluminium a while back ( as the template has to support the weight of two headlight units ), but that worked out twice as expensive as making some moulds. Also, if you profiled ( bent ) and shaped the aluminium at the desired angle, and then decided to readjust, the aluminium would simply break apart, like in 'metal fatigue'. So until I find another medium for prototype mock-ups, it's back to the true and tested procedure I did last time.

                          Only this time, I would perfect the procedure in order to gain time. My previous headlight mounting brackets took almost four months to make, these new ones with new dimensions took me only a week ! In my previous update I mentioned that the inboard units ( high beams ) needed to moved 'outward' a bit, and forward by at least 20mm. As I was back at the drawing board ( quite literally ), I decided to make the biggest change of all .......... and that is, I would make these moulds ( or 'plugs' if you prefer ) male plugs. I'll go into greater detail about why at a later date, but it's 'structural'.



                          As you all probably know by now, the brackets for mounting the headlights are of a 'modular' construction, and the reason for this is rigidity. So they're basically two box sections bonded together, but they also have to be a particular shape and size as they have to fit inside a headlight assembly. In engineering terms this is a very strong structure, so I can can get away with using 3mm ABS plastic for their construction. The only other method of construction was also tried and tested a few years back when I first began the project, but using 2mm galvanised steel was very expensive ( £120 each headlight bracket ! ) ......... so this was the only way I could keep the costs down. But I did have to buy a five grand vacuum forming machine ! ........ but at least this way I could fabricate every part of the assembly myself at home.

                          The mould ( plug ) begins life as 9mm MDF, after all your measurements have been confirmed it's just a case of cutting out some templates >>




                          One of the biggest differences from my previous moulds that I constructed, is my 'tooled-up' workshop, whereas I did everything using hand tools last time, this time I had the necessary machines to tackle every task, you simply can't beat machines for accuracy. No more Jig Saw for me ........ now it's a Bandsaw >>





                          Then it's straight onto the combination sander >>




                          Every single template required to make the box section has to be millimetre precise. And some of the edges also have to have various degrees, in order for correct assembly >>




                          Then it's just a matter of assembling the whole thing. Already you can see how much bigger the new plug is compared to the previous prototype. >>




                          The headlight mounting brackets have to be a bizarre sort of shape also, not only do they have to clear that panel that runs along the bottom of the vans front end, but you have to incorporate 'draft' angles on your moulds, without which vacuum forming parts wouldn't be possible. I'm already running a great risk having straight edged sides, but that's required as they will be bonded into the rest of the assembly. So here I'm using 'High Density Polyurethane Foam, it's rated at 96Kg/m3 so even firmer than the foam they use to construct surfboards out of >>




                          Last time I built-up that stepped area with body filler, that took almost a week itself ! this time, all I did was to glue the foam and sanded it down >>




                          And then you simply sand the moulds down to the required shape and dimensions. The other thing to note here is, these plugs are actually 3mm smaller than the previous plugs I have made, as the other plugs were designed for making female moulds that I vacuum formed. As these are the 'inside' of the part, you have to make an allowance for that >>




                          Now all I have to do is to apply a skim of body filler to fill the gaps between the MDF templates, and on the PU foam to harden it further >>




                          Sand everything down ......... and then I'm ready for the next stage .......... >>









                          TURK


                          * Robot text - vw t4 transporter, t4 headlights, t4 quad headlights, headlight brackets, transporter headlights, headlight vw, t4 *
                          Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
                          And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
                          The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

                          Comment


                          • #58
                            I'm assuming this is to form a Jig Turk? I'm impressed every time I see an update, and am hinting to my Yoot that a Headlight upgrade would be of significant use to both me and their Mother on both a comfort and safety front.
                            Enough for them all to consider this as a combined Present to us both, for Mothers day, Fathers day, combined Birthdays and Xmas presents, as we get older and less able to deal with the switch between daylight and twilight.
                            An ocular situation which becomes more difficult to manage with every passing year.

                            Comment


                            • #59
                              They're known as 'plugs' in the vacuum forming industry Caravellvis ......... you can think of them being 'moulds' really.

                              I'll post the rest of the procedure later.




                              SAFETY first .......... Very early one winters morning I was on my way to work, it had been raining, it was still very dark, it was cold. An unlit country road I took for years four times a day, I knew every bump every pot hole. I wasn't travelling at a high rate of knots that morning........... all of a sudden, I thought I saw something move in the darkness, so close it was near my left wing of my van, I had to swerve so abruptly that I steered directly onto the opposite side of the road ........ had there of been another vehicle coming in the opposite direction it would of been a head-on collision !

                              It turned out it was a guy in dark clothing riding an unlit bicycle !!! I almost killed him.

                              You could argue that it would of been his fault, dark clothes at night and on an unlit push bike. But you can't get away with the reality of it ......... I almost killed somebody ! I got to my place of work, and sat in my van for what seemed an eternity, my heart still pounding. A person almost ended up under my van ! A life changing experience I'm sure you'd agree.


                              I swore to myself I would never again go through that, or even put myself in that same situation. I also knew what the problem was .......... I really couldn't see where I was going at night, because my headlights really didn't illuminate the road properly. Even at 30 miles per hour, you would hit something in the dark even before you saw it. Just consider this for a moment ........ at 50 mph your stopping distance is about 55 meters once you slam on the anchors, add to that your reaction time, another 15 meters or so even before you apply the brakes. And if the road surface is wet or damp, double that stopping distance.

                              Something had to be done.

                              I bought just about every headlight available for the T4 at the time, including the DRL type headlights, that turned out to be even worst than the original headlights ! There was nothing available for the T4 ( and still isn't ) to improve lighting performance. I even considered buying a different vehicle ( only for just a while ! l love my T4 far too much to just sell it because of poor headlights ), then I thought ......... sod that, I'll make my own. How difficult can it be !?


                              The rest is in 'The Quad Headlight Project' here, the humble beginnings > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064



                              I've based my design on what I think decent headlights should be, and not what a manufacturer would deem a profitable product with low manufacturing costs and a high retail price. For me, a good set of headlights perform better than they look, the aesthetics come after. But I do agree that they must also look good, in the sense that they don't spoil the look of the vehicle.






                              TURK
                              Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
                              And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
                              The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

                              Comment


                              • #60
                                Hi folks,



                                Continuing on from my previous update, now that the 'plugs' are formed and sanded, there's the finishing to complete. The basic idea is to construct a solid shape that is also very smooth, in order to vacuum form a prototype part. My previous headlight bracket module that I had made was based on a female mould, that, for people who do not know, is a part that is vacuum formed on the 'inside' of a mould. This prototype part that I'm currently working on is a 'male' mould. So the vacuum formed part is formed on the 'outside' of the mould. The main reason for this is, vacuum forming on the 'outside' of a mould gives the moulded part more rigidity, because there is less thinning of the plastic material. This also means that the mould in question has to be slightly smaller, as it's the internal dimensions of the part require.


                                The first step is to cover the mould ( or plug if you prefer ) with resin, here I'm using 'Pattern-Coat-Primer'. The resin is a specially formulated resin designed for vacuum forming and prototyping, as it cures much harder than regular resin, as it contains aluminium powders that give it a high heat resistance. Ideal for thermoforming parts >>




                                Once the resin has cured, usually 24 hours ......... you have to sand back ( known as 'flattening' back ) so eliminating the the high spots, being careful not to sand too much.
                                The sanded 'plug' is the light grey one >>




                                I've skipped the second coat in the pictures, on this resin coat ( third coat ) I've added a black pigment to my mixture. So that's 65 grams of Pattern Coat primer, 1 gram of black pigment and 0.5 gram of MEKP Catalyst as the hardener. As your top coat is now virtually black and the under coats are light grey, it's much easier to identify the lower coats if you happen to sand too much, known as 'guide coats' >>





                                And then you 'flatten back' again. You continue to build up the layers with the resin and sanding back till you have a uniform top layer >>





                                At this point it's a good idea to check your dimensions, as it's very easy to build up one side of your 'plug' too much compared to the opposing side. In this picture you can definitely see the differences from the current prototypes ( foreground ) that were created using the 'female' mould technique. As I had to move the headlight units forward by 20mm and over ( inward ) by 10mm, that the new plugs are slightly higher and the angle is much more acute on the module on the left >>





                                So I continued doing that for a few days, till I got to what I considered to be a nice smooth finish. The 'A' Module ( on the left ) is now at a stage where it's ready for polishing, having gone through 120 grit wet and dry sand paper, then 400 grit W & D and then 1000 grit W & D .......... the 'B' Module at this stage just needs a final sanding >>





                                Next up is the polishing stage ......... I found that using a rubbing compound like 'Farecla' works very well on resin, then I use a finer rubbing compound like 'G-Forge' to bring out the shine even more works extremely well, then I finish off by polishing the plugs using Brazilian Carnauba wax. The plugs now feel more like a piece of glass, or a chunk of plastic. This is the type of finish you need, it all leads to a plug ( or mould ) that can be released after being vacuum formed >>





                                To get to this this stage I also did a quick video clip, my intention for the video clip was to show the Proxxon WP/E hand polisher I had just bought. Great little tool, I actually bought it to polish my alloy wheels ........ but that's for another thread I'll be showing at a later date >>





                                Now I'm ready for the next stage ......... vacuum forming the actual part >>









                                TURK
                                Last edited by TURK; 27 October 2016, 01:06 PM.
                                Yeah, baby ! ........ new Multivan 151bhp AHY 'BigBlue' ; ) >> http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1023689
                                And ......... Lulu, T4 2.5 TDi short nose 126bhp > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=276554
                                The T4 Quad Headlight Project > http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=249064

                                Comment

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