Hello All!

I decided to put up a separate thread about this side reflector saga, as it's created a bit of interest. This started with my own desire to mod my own RRS, and knowing that I wanted LED Halos. In the process, I hear of the flourescent ceiling tile mod to replace the OEM amber side markers, and I didn't like the idea (it just didn't suit the quality of the build I was looking for), so I decided to make a run at creating Silicone RTV Moulds of the OEM sidemarkers.

The first attempts were....erm....a bit 'off'. I tried to do it low-budget (using RTV "Quickset" Silicone, which didn't require a Vacuum Chamber and Pump to create the moulds, but when I filled the mould with Clear Resin, it pulled a bit of the color from the Mould (a lemon yellow), and the casting itself was very poor (bubbles/voids/golden hue).

A sane person would probably have given up, but I didn't (because I'm stubborn and pigheaded! )



I decided to invest in a big vacuum chamber and pump, better Silicone (DuPont's Silastic M2) as well as a pressure pot (the vacuum chamber is used to pull air out of the silicone, and also degas the resin before filling the mould), and the pressure pot is used to cure the newly resin-filled moulds (you have to QUICKLY put the moulds into the pot before the resin kicks off. The idea is that curing the castings under pressure crushes any remaining air bubbles in the resin mix, so that the cured part is solid, and free of defects, even though ultra-tiny defects sometimes appear if you look extremely closely). All of this was about 800US.

So: the first couple of attempts didn't go flawlessly: there were still bubbles/voids: I was using the wrong technique to cast these (I made 2 part moulds, as the reflector has an edge to it that bends 90 degrees, which in the moulding world is called an aggressive undercut - so the need to be able to pull apart the mould and remove the cured part was evident). I was trying to fill one side of the mould, and then push down the other side of the mould like a jelly sandwich. I was worried that all the tiny points in the reflector casting was going to trap air, and ruin the cast.

After realizing my technique was stupid (a couple of times, the resin squirted out and ruined my clothes, and made my wife yell at me because I inadvertently varnished her counters in the process ), I drilled a vent/pour hole on one side and tipped the moulds on their edge, and filled them from there. That finally worked:

Moulds made from LEGOS:

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I love your work mate..... Very interested in smoked for 2010

Will keep a close eye here and on RRS.net

Cheers,

Ross MY10 HSE 3.0 TDV6 : Santorini Black : Ebony Interior w/Anigre wood : Privacy Glass (total) : Sunroof : Sidesteps : Hybrid TV : Detachable Tow Kit : Spare Wheel Cover : 22" Dished Supersports

big pimp wrote:

I love your work mate..... Very interested in smoked for 2010

Will keep a close eye here and on RRS.net

Cheers,

Ross

IMMensaMind wrote:

I have a rr.net member shipping their '10+ headlights to me - allegedly - so we'll see what transpires!

I'll get around to it at some point !

keiphers wrote:

IMMensaMind wrote:

I have a rr.net member shipping their '10+ headlights to me - allegedly - so we'll see what transpires!

I'll get around to it at some point !

 I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!

How do I go about getting a pair of smoked?
I have an 05

let me know via pm

For those of you who frequent rr.net, you may have seen my thread about these reflectors there as well. I wanted to provide an update on my quest to reproduce these for RR enthusiasts:

I can now make these for any RR (any vehicle, really); but I need the initial originals so I can make moulds. Making the moulds adds a week to the lead time, however, so plan for that if you're interested! This goes for anyone who would like a set of clear or smoked sidemarkers for which I have no moulds (yet).

I have worked out all the issues I've run into. These issues (solutions in green) include:

1) Lens 'bow/sag' after install in headlights (this only happens with new lenses, which - since I make these to order - will be most of them. Using a touch of glue at the top tab from inside the headlight bezel prevents the lens from bowing out; this is only an issue if the lens hasn't fully cured.

Simply allowing the lens to cure over time - or accelerating the cure by 3 cycles of a hairdryer [at a bit of distance] and then submerging these in cold water immediately after - makes these lenses much stiffer. It is easy to mar the lenses - they soften - when they get heated up by a hairdryer, so those who do this have to be careful about it by holding the lens only by the top tab when they're warm.

If someone orders these lenses, and then doesn't get around to their headlight project immediately, they'll cure to OEM stiffness over time. I would advise that they be kept wrapped as I sent them - or supported in their shape - so that they hold their shape firmly as they fully cure. I learned this with one of the early experimental sets which I left on a granite countertop: they laid flat, and cured totally flat. This wasn't actually a problem for installation in the RRS headlight - it may be advantageous, in fact - because slipping them in the slots provided a spring-like 'pre-stressed' load on the reflector: it wanted to stay flat to the headlight bezel.

2) Sets with flaws. After the initial runs - without good equipment - in which all the reflectors were unusable due to excessive bubbles/incomplete mould fill, I made about 10 flawless sets in a row, so I thought I had it figured out. It was essential to pre-heat the moulds in order to ensure the full catalytic reaction and get sufficient hardening. After those 10 sets, I started preheating the moulds in an oven, rather than a microwave. It turned out that the oven was heating the moulds about 25 degrees hotter than the microwave, leading to nearly instant curing of the resin...prior to the moulds being completely filled, and prior to getting them quickly put in a pressure pot @ 70psi. This was frustrating, as I wasted a ton of material wondering why each set came out flawed.

Since I went back to microwave pre-heating, the process has not produced a bad set, so hopefully I truly have this down now.

3) One set arriving warped. This was a function of the first problem on this list, where I didn't realize that these need sufficient curing to hold their shape. Once I realized this problem, I started bubble wrapping them paired up with each other - spooned, if you will - so that they hold their shape when shipped. Even the warped set wasn't ruined, however. It was heated and manipulated back into its original shape.

It's odd, because when you pull these out of the mould, they feel rather stiff, but - like really hard taffy - they can sag/warp/twist if you do not take care to keep them supported in their original shape until they cure on their own sufficiently, or they get heat/cold treated. Either way, the problem appears to be solved.

So: there's a full update! I believe I have solved production/curing/shipping/installation issues to ensure that those who want these will be happy with them; feel free to drop me a PM if you would like a set of these! Pricing is as follows:

Clear Set - '05-'09 RRS - shipped in the US: $100US
Clear Set - '05-'09 RRS - shipped overseas: $110US

Smoked Set (declare light/medium/dark): add $10US to the above.

Delivery in the US within about 10 days; delivery overseas determined by Customs (some people have had up to a 2 week delay due to Customs).

All other models ('10+ RRS, FFRR, etc): same cost, but I need your original reflectors sent to me to make moulds, which adds a week to production/delivery time. If I sell enough of these, I'm sure I'll just become a site sponsor instead of just an enthusiast!

Mike I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!

How do these fit, do they require the headlights to be removed and split in order to install?

chris mc wrote:

How do these fit, do they require the headlights to be removed and split in order to install?

IMMensaMind wrote:

chris mc wrote:

How do these fit, do they require the headlights to be removed and split in order to install?

Yes, though heating the lens seal is easy - and the headlights are incredibly easy to remove as well.

Very much looking forward to receiving my clear set of reflector lenses, preheat to 200 degrees and bake for 20 mins!!  Range Rover Sport HSE and for a bit of weekend fun a S1 Lotus Elise with a few track biased additions!

i want to get a set of those clear reflector... how can i get them? thanks KML4EVER

pm mike (OP)

he makes them to order and ships them from the states  RRS gone
Audi SQ5...Gone Audi Q7 S-Line 240 3.0TDI Gone
Audi A6 Allroad Sport 270 3.0TDI

Thanks for the referral, awdman!

I sent kml a PM in response, but haven't heard anything. I'm just putting this note here in case he doesn't check PMs... I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy!

np Mike

Very pleased with mine

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