The bumper of a car is an important part that gives it a special appearance and emphasizes its contours. A unique bumper made by yourself also makes the car special, emphasizing the individuality of its owner. This detail is quite difficult to make. However, a little patience and polyurethane foam - and your car will be unique.

Alternative bumper options

Many car enthusiasts do not pay attention to bumpers and other body parts, leaving them as they are. But tuning lovers are constantly looking for new and original solutions. They are tormented by the same question: how to make a car original, stylish and stand out from the crowd?

There are few options regarding the bumper. You can buy a ready-made body kit for your car model and enjoy the new look. Or you can make a bumper with your own hands. This is where imagination, the talent of a sculptor, patience, a standard bumper and a video from the Internet come to the rescue. One of the best and proven materials for making a bumper with your own hands is polyurethane foam.

Advantages of a foam-based bumper

Using polyurethane foam to make a unique bumper has its advantages:

Polyurethane foam is a relatively inexpensive material
It fills all cavities and accurately follows the contours of the original bumper
The foam hardens quickly and is easy to process
It is also quite easy to remove the foam at the final stage of making the bumper yourself

In addition to polyurethane foam, to make a bumper with your own hands, you will need some tools and other materials.

Necessary set of tools and consumables

So, what do you need to make a unique bumper with your own hands? The list of tools and materials is approximately as follows:

3-5 cylinders of polyurethane foam;
special foam gun;
masking tape;
epoxy resin;
fiberglass;
culinary foil;
sharp stationery knife with replaceable blades;
sandpaper of different grain sizes;
automotive putty.

In addition, you should prepare workplace. It could be regular table, which is accessible from all sides for more comfortable work. Not prevent good lighting, since the work is artistic and requires attention to detail.

Preparation of the base and sketch

Making the part yourself begins with dismantling the bumper. It will serve as the basis for something new. You can make this part without a template, however, such an operation requires experience. Using the old original bumper it will be easier to shape, guess with symmetry and not miss important details that relate to the fastening.

The removed bumper is covered with masking tape from the inside in several layers. This will facilitate easy separation of the hardened foam from the template. It is also quite convenient to use masking tape to mark future bumper parts. After pasting, foam is applied in an even layer. A spray foam gun will be indispensable for this. At this stage, care should be taken not to apply too much material, since a thick layer of unnecessary foam will take quite a long time to dry.

After applying the foam, it is necessary to more accurately determine the details of the future bumper. You can draw on a piece of paper all the details in the form of a radiator grille, holes for daytime running lights and other little things.

Once everything is ready and the foam has hardened, you can proceed to the next stage. It usually takes at least 24 hours for the foam to harden. It all depends on the thickness of the layer and the ambient temperature.

Shaping the part

At this stage, it is necessary to carefully separate the resulting workpiece from the old bumper, which served as a template. This is quite easy to do, however, caution will not hurt, since the hardened foam is quite fragile.

After separation, a stationery knife is used, with its help you need to give the workpiece the desired shape. This is where the talent of an artist is needed. Work through small parts quite difficult, because in addition correct form symmetry must be observed. If at this stage your hand trembles and the knife picks out excess material, then you can correct the situation with putty.

After cutting with a knife, you need to process the part sandpaper. The more accurately this process is done, the less work there will be in the future. After sanding and obtaining the desired shape, the newly made bumper is sealed with putty. At this stage, all the flaws that were made when cutting with a knife are eliminated. The putty layer is also sanded with sandpaper, gradually reducing its grain size.

Fiberglass overlay

When the shape of the future product is perfected, you can begin to apply the base material - fiberglass. This material, combined with resin, hardens, and the product is quite hard and durable.

Before applying fiberglass, the bumper is covered with cooking foil. This will make it easier to remove the hardened foam and prevent it from being destroyed by aggressive material. If there is no foil, then you can even use plain paper. On extreme case Resin can also be applied to bare foam with some caution.

After preparatory work Resin is applied to the workpiece. The first layer of pre-cut fiberglass is laid on top of the resin. The fiberglass is smoothed with a rubber or plastic scraper. At this stage it is important to ensure an even fit of the fiberglass. The formation of air bubbles and wrinkles should be avoided as much as possible.

After applying the first layer, the procedure is repeated 4-5 times. When all layers of fiberglass have been applied, the product must again be given time to dry and harden. After the resin has hardened, all that remains is to remove the foam, modify the bumper with putty (if necessary) and carefully sand everything. The finished bumper is primed and painted like a regular body part.

Modern car enthusiasts often perform car tuning with their own hands. In addition to modernizing the technical part, vehicle owners often pay attention to the appearance of the car. One of the most popular and effective types of car exterior modernization is bumper tuning.

During the use of the vehicle, parts of the body are constantly subject to destruction. As you know, the bumper is one of the most fragile parts of the body. Regardless of the driving style and accuracy of the car owner, the bumper constantly takes on some loads. Temperature changes and mechanical stress gradually cause the car bumper to malfunction. In addition to its protective function, the body element in question is an important part of the car’s exterior. Destroyed bumper leads to decreased attractiveness vehicle. In this regard, a rare car enthusiast will remain indifferent when mechanical damage body element.

If the standard bumper installed by the car manufacturer malfunctions, there are three ways to solve the problem: restoring the damaged body element, purchasing a new original element from the manufacturer, and do-it-yourself bumper. More original solution The question, of course, remains the independent production of protection for the front part of the body. A self-made component will make the car stand out from the crowd and make it unique. Buying new original product will cost several times more self-made. At the same time, by doing the work with his own hands, the vehicle owner gets a large field for creativity.

You can make a new body protection without spending a lot of money on materials and tools. In addition, by doing the work yourself, you can save a significant part of the cost of installing the element in a professional workshop. A considerable number of car enthusiasts successfully manufacture and install a new vehicle exterior element with their own hands. Without exaggeration, we can say that every car owner can make a new bumper. You can often find cars with original body parts on the roads. In most cases, unique element It is made by the hands of the car owner.

Let's answer a question that interests a considerable part of car enthusiasts - how to make a new bumper yourself?

DIY technology protective element body

Stages of making a foam bumper.

1. Making a mock-up of a new body element. To make the work easier, you can also put on paper an approximate drawing of a new part of the car.

2. The next step is to make a mold using the material used. The most economical and easy-to-manufacture materials are polyurethane foam and polystyrene foam.

4. After this, it is necessary to coat the manufactured part with fiberglass or resin.

5. One of the final stages will be processing finished item putty and finalizing the shape of the bumper.

6. Finally, it is necessary to prepare the new body element for painting and give it the desired color scheme.

One of the most accessible solutions would be to create a new element from construction foam.

Let's consider the technology of manufacturing an element using construction foam.

1. Polyurethane foam does not interact well with metal surfaces, so the first thing you need to do is dismantle everything attachments front part of the body and protect everything except the working surface.

2. After this, it is necessary to apply construction foam to work surface. Next, you need to wait until the composition dries completely. On average, construction foam dries in about two days. At a given time, you can make a drawing of a new bumper and think over the design of the part.

3. At the next stage of work, it is necessary to give the element the desired shape using a clerical blade. If depressions are formed during cutting, it is imperative to fill them with construction foam. Making a bumper using construction foam is quite simple; the main difficulty during the work is maintaining geometry and symmetry.

4. In conclusion, all that remains is to give the bumper an attractive appearance. The process of painting a bumper is completely similar to processing any vehicle body part.

After making the element yourself, the car will become more unique and original.

Even a novice car enthusiast can make and install bumpers with his own hands, and the result can please even the most sophisticated vehicle owner. With a new body element, you can be sure that there are no analogues on the road. A well-made bumper can please the vehicle owner for a long time. Of course, if you make an element using dubious material and tools, some doubts will arise about its reliability. But, with a competent approach and enough attention, you will definitely achieve the desired result.

Happy tuning!

Perhaps every car owner wants his car to stand out from others. Some people use vinyl covering for this, some install new light optics, and some create exclusive parts with their own hands.

Using ordinary fiberglass, you can replicate the bumpers of fashionable sports cars, or show your imagination and come up with your own design. Whatever path you take, one thing is absolutely certain - all eyes will be directed at your iron horse.

Making such a part yourself, of course, is not the easiest or fastest task. The whole process can take you from a week to a month, depending on the complexity of the work and the air temperature. However, if you have a lot of free time, perseverance and desire, everything will work out as best as possible.

Features of fiberglass power bumper

Fiberglass is very often used for car tuning. Most parts can be made from it, such as spoilers or roof linings. Some craftsmen even use fiberglass to create bodies. Very often it is used to repair rust holes. However, most often new bumpers are made from this material. There are many reasons for the popularity of fiberglass.

Fiberglass has a relatively low cost. Making a part from this material will cost much less than buying a new one.
At correct processing its strength is higher than that of aluminum.
A fiberglass bumper is much lighter than a steel one.
It is not subject to rotting or corrosion.
Able to restore its original shape after minor damage.
With its help you can give your car an original look.
Fiberglass is easy to use even at home.

Video: Crash test of a fiberglass bumper

In addition, if such a part is damaged, it is quite easy to repair it: to do this, you need to add a layer of fiberglass to the damaged area and strengthen it with resin. Well, if the design has completely fallen into disrepair, the bumper can be easily replaced with a new one, and this will not make a hole in the family budget.

The only significant drawback of fiberglass is its high toxicity. Be sure to use a respirator and protective gloves when working with it.

I myself am engaged in the production of fiberglass body kits. Its main advantages: lightweight, easy to repair, wide choose tuned parts, and most importantly - relatively cheap compared to the tuned original, which, by the way, is also made of fiberglass. My stamps are all made of glass. If you don’t want your car to look like everyone else’s, there is only one way out - fiberglass.
CARLSON
http://forums.drom.ru/gt-forum/t1151775101.html

DIY fiberglass bumper

Making a fiberglass bumper is a simple, but rather painstaking process. It consists of several important stages.

Making a sketch of the future bumper.
Assembling a layout or matrix based on a sketch.
Creating a part from a matrix.
Cosmetic treatment.

Before you start manufacturing, decide on the reinforcing materials. The reinforcing material is the same fiberglass from which you will create your part. Depending on the composition, it can be of three types:

glass veil;
glass mat;
powder glass mat.

The bulk of the part, as a rule, is ordinary glass mat. Powdered glass mat is the most durable, so it is recommended to alternate it with regular glass mat to increase durability and maintain low weight. Glass veil, as the name suggests, is the lightest and most flexible of all types of materials; it has the least strength. For this reason, an outer layer is created from the veil and the relief of the part is formed.

Required Tools

Be prepared first necessary tools. These include:

sharp scissors and a stationery knife with a supply of blades;
long ruler;
tweezers;
brushes for laying and impregnating fiberglass;
a set of metal and rubber spatulas;
drill with a set of drills;
sandpaper P800
grinding bar;
styling roller;
Bulgarian;
jigsaw or hacksaw;
Resin dishes with shallow depth and large surface area;
masking and regular tape;
gloves;
respirator or protective mask.

Necessary materials

To make the matrix and the bumper itself you will need the following materials:

polystyrene foam or technical plasticine, which are necessary for making a model or matrix of the product;
polyurethane foam is also useful for creating a layout;
reinforcing materials (fiberglass, glass mat, fiberglass) - all at the same time or optionally;
resin (both epoxy and polyester can be used);
hardener for hardening the resin;
gelcoat for leveling the surface of the matrix (can be replaced with putty compound);
a release agent (paraffin, stearin or regular parquet polish) will be needed when removing the finished bumper from the matrix;
acetone or solvent (in some cases).

I would like to dwell on the use of solvent in more detail. Very often the resin thickens quickly when used. That may be why different reasons: low quality, large portions, lengthy process and even incorrect utensils. In this case, you can use acetone or a solvent to dilute the composition. However, they significantly reduce the impact resistance and durability of materials. In addition, the amount of thinner should not be more than 5% of the total resin weight.

Some types of resins do not tolerate solvents, so pay attention to this point when purchasing.

Manufacturing process

It is best to create a new part in a well-ventilated place with sufficient lighting. Comfortable temperature air should be about 20° C. Residential premises should not be used for these purposes, as the materials are toxic.

If you have a ready-made layout sketch, the task will become much easier. Of course, you can do without it, but then be prepared for unexpected consequences.

Creating a layout or matrix of a product

There are two ways to make a bumper: using a matrix and using a layout. The difference between them is that the layout follows the shape of the bumper, and fiberglass is glued over it. And the matrix is something like a negative and is filled with fiberglass from the inside. If you want to make a bumper that repeats the shape of the previous one, it is most convenient to use the matrix method. And to create new forms - a breadboard one.

The main difficulty in manufacturing a part is to make it of the appropriate shape and size. Often motorists are faced with the fact that the new element does not fit into its proper place. Therefore, if your car already has a whole bumper, it can serve as a good basis for creating a matrix.

First of all, remove the part and remove all damaged and unnecessary elements. Cover the bumper with masking tape and apply a warm layer of special plasticine to it. Now you can proceed directly to sculpting: use cold plasticine to carefully work the entire surface of the bumper. The material must be compacted and smoothed well, so help yourself with rollers and spatulas. As a result, you will get a cast, the inside of which follows the shape of the bumper. The matrix, unlike the layout, will be filled with fiberglass from the inside.

After the materials have hardened, carefully separate the original bumper and the matrix.

The matrix can be useful if you are going to make several parts and use it repeatedly in the future. Otherwise, you can use another method and make a layout.

The model can be made from small-ball foam or polyurethane foam. The foam sheets must be joined using liquid nails, and then, according to the sketch, make markings on it. Using this marking, excess parts will be cut off. When working with polyurethane foam, you must first apply it generously, and then follow the same procedure as with polystyrene foam. The finished model needs to be puttied or covered with plasticine, and then sanded.

As a rule, making a blank takes several days, taking into account careful development of the molds and drying of the materials.

Creating a part from a matrix

If you have chosen to make a matrix, the further process will be to fill it from the inside.

Smear inner part matrix with paraffin, stearin or polish. This will help you easily remove the finished part.
Apply a thick layer of gelcoat, it will help level the surface of the matrix.
After drying, apply a layer of resin with hardener. Follow the proportions indicated on the package. Do not prepare portions larger than 300 g.
Lay down the first layer of reinforcing material (it's best to use glass reinforcement since you're forming the outside of the part), pressing it firmly against the matrix. Do not allow air bubbles to get into the material, otherwise the product will swell.
Add layers, alternating between high- and medium-strength fiberglass, to create a strong but lightweight bumper.
Coat each layer with a roller or brush. Slightly thickened resin can be useful when processing bends.
Before each new layer, let the previous one dry thoroughly. This can take on average 2 to 4 hours.
Build up the fiberglass until the desired thickness is reached. Three or five layers are usually sufficient.
Impregnate the layers with resin. Your movements must be careful so that the coating does not move and wrinkles do not form.
After the fiberglass fabric has completely hardened, separate the mockup from the product.

Video: Removing the finished part from the matrix

To create a bumper of complex shape, you can make a composite matrix and glue the elements of the part together.

Creating a part from a layout

If you decide to use the layout method rather than the matrix method, the process of forming the part will be slightly different: fiberglass should be applied not from the inside, but on top of the layout.

Apply a release layer (paraffin, stearin, polish).
Cover the model with a thin layer of fiberglass.
After drying, remove a thin layer of fiberglass from the blank.
Glue it from the inside with several layers of durable reinforcing material with resin.
Cut off all unnecessary elements. Treat the surface with sandpaper and putty.

To make your bumper more durable, add stiffening ribs to the design. It is best to do this before the last layer of glass mat.

Buy metal fastenings for a bumper, since plastic ones may be too fragile.

Coloring

After the fiberglass has completely hardened, you can begin the creative part - painting. It all depends on your taste and choice. You can choose a paint that best matches the body color, or you can choose a bright contrasting color. Someone will want to make not only a bumper, but also a spoiler, hood trim and other styling elements, and then paint them in the same color scheme and give the car a sporty look.

Required Tools

For coloring fiberglass bumper You will need the following tools:

a set of sandpaper;
orbital sander;
gray scotch-brite;
several spatulas of different sizes;
blow gun;
gun for soil;
spray gun or spray paint.
paint brush.

Necessary materials

Prepare all materials for painting in advance:

putty;
priming composition;
degreaser;
solvent;
dye;
varnish hardener.

It is best if the varnish and paint are from the same manufacturer.

Process

The process is not much different from the usual painting of a car part. It can be divided into the following stages:

Sanding the surface of the product.
Puttying.
Cleaning the putty.
Padding.
Coloring.
Varnishing and polishing.

First of all, take a walk grinder by detail. Even if its surface seems perfectly smooth to you, there may remain some small cracks or bumps. When finished with sanding, blow out the bumper using a special gun. This will help remove dust and also get rid of air bubbles.

After this, thoroughly putty the part. If there are any unevenness left on it, they need to be smoothed out at this stage. Let the putty layer dry and then sand it with a P220 grit abrasive.

When working with putty, use only the dry sanding method. The putty actively absorbs water, which can negatively affect general view details.

Priming can begin one day after filling. First of all, degrease the surface of the product. Next you need to apply a thin layer of sticky primer over the plastic. This layer will serve as a kind of base (or primer) connecting the fiberglass fabric and the main layer of soil. You can skip this step, however, this will cause the paint to chip and crack quickly.

Next, apply a layer of pore-filling primer. You should not use compounds with an anti-corrosion effect, as the substances they contain may conflict with epoxy resin. Allow 10-15 minutes between each new coat.

When the primer is completely dry - usually up to 16 hours - sand it thoroughly with first 800 and then 1000 sandpaper to remove any minor imperfections. Finish with gray Scotch Brite. Thoroughly clean the primed surface from any accumulated dust, and then degrease it.

All surface leveling operations are best carried out in bright directional lighting. This way you will be better able to see all the imperfections of the coating.

After all these manipulations, you can proceed to the staining process. Decide on the color and type of coating: now there are regular glossy, metallic and even unusual prismatic paints on sale. Each type must have a special approach, so consult with the employees of the automotive studio.

Add solvent to the paint according to the instructions on the package. Apply the composition from the spray gun in an even, thin layer. Since the bumper has a complex shape, start painting by working on the ends and contours of the part, and then move on to the main area. Each new strip should partially overlap the previous one. Apply the second layer perpendicular to the first, creating a kind of lattice.

Hold the tool at a 90° angle to the surface so that the paint is distributed evenly. Avoid leaks. The number of coats usually depends on the type of paint and the desired effect.

When the coating is completely dry and matte, you can start varnishing. To do this, add a special hardener to the varnish. It can be applied using the same tool as paint. The first light layer is applied quickly, because it should lie quite thin. After a few minutes, add another layer, but more dense.

At this stage, it may be difficult to select the optimal speed: if the movements are too fast, bald spots may form in the varnish layer, and if the speed is too low, it may flow.

Video: Applying primer and painting the bumper

The paintwork should be allowed to dry for several days. Then, if desired, the part can be lightly polished, however, do not get carried away with this process: under abrasive, the thickness of the varnish layer decreases, which will lead to a decrease in wear resistance.

To protect the part from harmful moisture, cover it from the inside with anti-gravel.

As you can see, making a bumper yourself is difficult, but possible. Materials and tools are easy to obtain. And if you comply correct sequence By following these steps, you will most likely end up with an updated car part the first time. Well, if not, you can always repeat the process, taking into account previous mistakes. By creating a bumper with your own hands, you can give free rein to your imagination and realize even the most daring ideas.

Well, if long and painstaking work is not for you, you have the opportunity to contact a car workshop, where they will produce a bumper in accordance with your wishes with the highest quality and speed.

To make a bumper using polyurethane foam, you need to have skills in working with it and sculpting skills. After all, the part should turn out smooth and symmetrical. Sloppy flaws can ruin all your hard work.

When creating a bumper, we will need polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam. Therefore, we take into account their physical qualities. The foam dissolves upon contact with polyester resin, which we will apply to the bumper later, if we do not protect it with technical plasticine. And polyurethane foam is aggressive towards metal, so when working with it, we hide everything metal under penofol. We remove the old bumper. Then we start designing a new one. From sheets of plywood or pieces of clapboard we install a kind of lower and upper side of the bumper. On paper we make sketches of what we want to get in the end: the shape of the bumper, the location of the air intakes, the side curves, the place for the foglights (if necessary).

Let's move on to design: we give our bumper a shape. Along the lower border marked earlier, we lay out a layer of foam plastic as the future “bottom” of the bumper. Directly to it, using “liquid nails,” we glue vertically directed “jumpers” - the frames of the main air intake, the side ones, and the places for the foglights. Glue on top horizontal panel from polystyrene foam and leave to dry until the next day. The exact proportions are not important here; we will adjust everything later. It is important to create a kind of frame for the future bumper. Using a marker and a knife, slowly and very carefully, we adjust our frame: with a marker we mark the necessary boundaries, and with a craft knife we cut off the excess foam. It is better to devote several days in a row to this activity than to make mistakes in a hurry or completely ruin the entire workpiece.

We fill all the provided space with polyurethane foam. We apply the foam in a moderately thick layer on the surface of the foam and where there are no holes. We leave the workpiece to dry for a couple of days.

Using a sharp knife, cut off the excess foam and apply it to the future bumper necessary forms. Perhaps we will cut off the excess somewhere, then we will have to apply an additional amount of foam to such areas, in which case the process will take another two days. This stage is the most painstaking, because it is necessary to take into account symmetry and all the gaps. Open areas cover the foam with technical plasticine or putty (preferably in several layers). We treat all rough places with fine sandpaper. Apply several layers to the bumper polyester resin and fiberglass to add strength to the structure. Leave until completely dry. Then we prime and paint the bumper. We install meshes in the air holes.

The process of creating a bumper with your own hands is a complex and lengthy process. At the same time, the huge advantage of such a bumper over purchased ones is its cost. A well-made bumper after painting does not reveal itself in any way, but it gives the car uniqueness and pride to its owner.

Almost every car owner wants his car to stand out from others. The bumper is precisely the part through which you can change not only the appearance of the car, but also make it more exclusive and original.

In order to independently upgrade a car, you need to have some knowledge, which can be obtained in this article.

There are two ways to make a bumper unique:

Create a bumper from scratch;
Make tuning of an existing bumper;

In the first case, what you definitely cannot do without is experience, high precision and patience. In this case, it is necessary to adjust everything as precisely as possible in size and mounting location, without gaps or distortions.

Also special attention deserves to mount the bumper, since it is attached either to the original mount or to additional points located on the body. On the bumper you need to accurately find a place that would correspond to the fastening in the metal of the car and place special flanges.

The second option is to embellish the bumper and add new elements to it (new shape, skirt, air intakes, new openings). In this case, the joints of the car body and fastenings remain factory.

You will not need the same amount of effort and money as with the first option.

What material can a bumper be made from?

Today, the most popular materials without any doubt can be called polystyrene foam and polyurethane foam. This is largely due to the availability, ease and relatively low cost of these materials. But to modernize a car bumper, the following steps are performed:

With help suitable material a new form is created;
The surface is properly prepared for the application of resin;
Fiberglass and resin are applied (in several layers);
Fiberglass is treated with putty and a new shape is created;
A primer is applied to the treated surface;
The modernized bumper is being painted;

Note! Some drivers who are planning to do their own bumper tuning have a question: how does polyurethane foam differ from polystyrene foam as components for a new bumper? Unlike foam plastic, polyurethane foam does not require dissolution with polyester resin.

Therefore, if polyurethane foam is used, the resin can be glued onto it directly, but if polystyrene foam is used, we cover it with technical plasticine.

DIY foam bumper

So, everyone who likes the foam bumper option needs to do the following:

Using “liquid nails” we glue several sheets of foam plastic together;
While the glue is drying, we draw a sketch of the foam, after which we take a knife and a marker in our hands and begin to make a bumper;

It is worth recognizing that with this option you also need to be patient, be precise and attentive, since in this case the work is quite troublesome and time-consuming.

After the sketch is ready, it is necessary to apply technical plasticine to the foam plastic (in the absence of plasticine, you can also apply putty in 2-3 layers). After complete drying, we treat it with small sandpaper, after which we apply resin and fiberglass.

Note! Instead of glass wool, you can also use newspaper, but in this case we also treat it with putty.

DIY foam bumper

I would like to immediately note that polyurethane foam can harm metal, and therefore we cover all metal particles with penofol. Apply the mounting foam slowly and carefully. But while the foam is drying, we are preparing a sketch of the modernized bumper on paper. Using a sharp knife, we cut out the bumper according to the project and sketch.

In addition to the above, there is another option for making a bumper yourself - a bumper made from polystyrene foam. The process of its manufacture is similar to the previous two.

The size and shape of the bumper, depending on your fantasies, can be very different. The main thing is that the mount matches the factory one on the car.

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