I love getting new toys to play with :P

We're going to be making some molds for a couple of other items here at the shop, and since the shipment of stuff just got here today, we were scrambling to find something to mold... so, i grabbed the shift knob out of my car, and we began molding it...





The plastic used is a normal casting plastic that cures white, and the coloring comes from a dye that i poured in, but didn't mix. It came out REAL good i think.

The mold could be better (its got bubbles and stuff in it), and i was in such a hurry i didn't cast in an indexing mark, but all in all, it came out fine for rushing it. I also installed a steel core in it (read: large nut), so it has some weight to it.


Ah, the things you do when you're bored :P

 

Haha, seems like that would be really hard to due with out all the proper equitment. It doesnt look bad though!

Tyler

 

We have the right stuff but we wanted to jump in and start doing stuff to see how it came out lol

 

thats pretty cool! looks like a porcelain shift knob! hahaha
and its molded from a skunk2 knob correct?

 

cool, i want a life-size mold of myself

 

Hehe... yea, the marble effect looks really neat.

And yea, it was a Skunk2 knob that this was molded from... i'm planning on making one from scratch though, as there are a couple of things i don't like about how the Skunk2 knob feels in my hand

 

how about making a mold of the AT shift knob?

 

got one i can borrow?

 

if ur serious, i'll ship mine out tomm. =]

 

Absolutely... i'd like to see what we can do with it. We're already working on a couple of other Fit items, and an AT shift knob would be a neat thing to have as well. No one around here that we know has an AT Fit, so we don't have anything to work with.

if you would like, you can ship it to our shop:

Panducky Motorsports, Inc.
Attn: John
4220 Dow Rd.
Melbourne, FL 32934

If you have any questions about it, call us at the shop. i'd like to talk to you anyway to see what you'd be looking for out of a different knob.

Thanks!

 

On second thought, i just looked it up, and we can buy the knob brand new for like $27.... i'd MUCH rather do this, seeing as though there is the chance of the original being damaged beyond repair in the molding process...

But here's what i WOULD like...

What do you not like about the stock shift knob? What do you want out of another knob? Is it the trigger position, knob shape, would you rather have a t-handle than the vertical setup it has now?

 

I would be extremly intrested in a after market AT knob, infact theres no one who actually makes them so you would have the market pinned. Really for me its knob shape and feel.

Tyler

 

how about a knob that isn't as bulky, something that sits lower to the console. And if u could eliminate the trigger style button and make the entire shift knob be the button (pushing down on it) that would be awesome! Something in maybe black chrome or gunmetal would be sick!!

Edit: Something like this but without that additional part on the bottom.


Something that will sit LOW on the shift lever so it doesn't sit as high as the stock one yet looks like a MT Type-r shift knob but the entire shift knob can travel down. Making it 2 pieces is okay cuz i know it'll be difficult to build a shift knob that is one piece.

This is what the inside of the knob would look like:

Something like that. Now what would REALLY be awesome is if it bolted to the stock mounting location of the stock shift knob so if anybody wanted to go back 2 the oem knob, there wouldn't be any damage to the shift lever if you were to use the other kinds of tightening methods to attach it to the stock shaft.

Double Edit: DAMMIT I HAVE THIS AWESOME IMAGE IN MY MIND THAT EVERYBODY WOULD PROBABLY LOVE BUT I CAN'T GET IT TO YOU GUYS! ARGGGGGG!!! I guess i'm going to bust out the photoshop and build some wierd looking prototype lolz. Oh....I'll take any prototypes if u guys would like, i'm good at hosting GB's. =]

 

Nothing beats machined parts IMO!
BTW, height of the AT shifter is set by the shaft with a rod for the button going through it. If you wont something shorter it will take more than just a new knob.
I molded few things for my Fit, but unless you are doing pressure injection molding you are wasting your time. That requires mixing tanks, pumps, injectors, aluminum molds,....$$$$$$$$$!!!
It is fun for making key chains & souvenirs, not car parts that have moving parts and durability requirements.

If everything works OK, I will have some stuff soon. I have no doubt you guys will like it. Autodesk Inventor is one nice program once you get a grip on it. Blows Autocad 10 I got certified on 13 years ago out of the universe.

 

Your going to start making some stuff too?
That would be sweet, keep me posted man!

 

Yep, we're just wasting our time, no biggie.. thanks for letting us know before we ruined our lives... how could we have ever thought we could succeed at something so futile...




c'mon man, if you know anything about plastics, you know that a full injection molding setup is not REQUIRED when you are using catalyst/mixed plastic... only if you are using injection equipment that melts the plastic, injects it, and then it cools, and the part is made.... thats high-volume stuff... but the plastics that mix are just as durable, and you can make parts that work just as good... just not in the highest production figures, becuase you have to wait for them to cure... but the plastics are extremely durable and usable.

And who said we weren't using things like aluminum machined molds, or pressurized injection, etc... i just said that THIS knob was done quickly...

but anyway, quit dogging our stuff just because you are planning on making your own... you're just starting out on the bad foot. We're just trying to make some cool stuff, and help people out at the same time, and more importantly, have FUN!


Lighten up :P

 

Dude, Ciburri was just giving his input and telling you hes going to try it. I think you took it the wrong way.

Anyway, while sitting in my car i noticed how high the AT knob comes up. If you could make a lower fatter knob that would be great. And then wrap it in some leather and id buy it.!

 

I took it the wrong way also. This was a thread about us trying something and he made a comment about our methods are a waste of time because he used them and didnt like the results and that he is doing this as well to make his own products...

It's all good we are all trying to make better parts and such for the better of Fitkind. No ones feelings hurt here

 

ComposiMo & Hocker,
I apologies for the wrong choice of words and not being clear enough!
I have no intention on pouting you guys down. Power to you and go for it!
I am sick about companies with money that have no clue about cars they make "bling" for! I absolutely love the fact that we, as Fit enthusiasts, took upon ourselves to make parts that solve quirks our car came with. Who better to do it than Fit owners/drivers themselves!
I honestly do not know enough about plastics to judge it as well as you guys do. You obviously did your research and know what you are doing.
After all pics I have seen of your project CRX and your shop speak for themselves. Like I said in your CRX thread, I envy your resources. I wish we were not on the opposite sides of the country, because I would love to hang out with you guys and give you a hand with anything on the weekends for free. Heck, I'd pay to do that! LOL!
Like I said, "IMO, nothing beats machined parts" for durability and safety. New composites are rivaling metals if constructed with planed forces in mind. I happen to have a friend that owns high end machine shop in Los Angeles who made everything from titanium hips for medical industry, camera housing for extreme deep submersibles for Cousteau, trick stuff for military, NASA,... He is well off and bored to death. He has been after my best man and myself for years to start making something. I am finally taking his offer. I got frustrated with BS at my daily job and with my wife's support I quit and started refreshing my CAD skills and drafting some parts for my Fit. I would prefer to machine them considering what they are for durability first and array of possible finishes metals can provide. That does not mean some final pieces might not end up being made of something else to keep cost down as long safety is not compromised. With that said metals and plastics have their advantages and limitations. Some stuff you can make out of plastics, metals can't match and vice versa.
You guys are obviously having aesthetic pieces in mind. Now you mention that you will be using metal molds and injection. You obviously have more on your mind than what your first post disclosed. Go for it guys!
Enough of Chinese made bling. Time for some top quality, fully functional USA engineered and made parts only daily Fit drivers can come up with. I have no doubt FitFreak members will recognize and appreciate what we are trying to do. Quality will cost money, but personally I am willing to pay for something made right and functional.
I just hope more of us FitFreak members get into it and make things. I will do business with fellow members over somebody else any day.
I also hope this thread encourages more members with resources to get creative.
Guys, once again, I apologize for coming across the wrong way. I am looking forward what you come up with. Based on what pics of your projects you posted in the forum so far look like, I have no doubt it will be worth spending our money on!

Ivan

 

ComposiMo & Hocker,

If you make a replica 2009 GTR shifter ill buy it for fat money, thats by far the sickest AT shifter out there. Let me try to find a pic.