Make your own Carbon parts

[Lowe119]

So I've made a couple carbon fiber parts and was wondering if any of you have also..... Since a message board is a great way to network and share ideas - I thought I'd try this topic.

I get my carbon from www.fiberglasssupply.com. It seems to be the cheapest and they are great to talk to over the phone (they have yet to answer any e-mails). They also have Kelvar for the same price as a lot of places' fiberglass. Kevlar/carbon hybrids, also.
I know epoxy is the ticket, but I have gone the cheap route and used polyester on most of my stuff.
I also know that you either need to paint carbon or use a clearcoat with a UV protector.

So any of you do this stuff? Any tricks or tips you'd like to share? Any advice on epoxies or heat-curing?

[Nate R]

I work with carbon every day.

What have you made with CF?

I'm thinking of trying to do a CF tank at some point, but I need to start smaller and simpler as far as stuff all on my own.

Advice about heat curing? When are you using it?

[MZGirl]

I just finished making my own bellypan for my MZ out of PE.  This was my first fiberglass project, and it came out pretty good.  Learned a lot the first time around.  I really don't want to mess with carbon.  I'm more concerned with functionality than looks.  I'm writing up an article on how I did everything and my "lessons learned", which I should have done this week (as soon as my husband finishes the mounting bracket modifications for the pan).

I learned a lot of good info from the book Fiberglass & Composite Materials by Forbes Aird, and the free brochures and message board on FibreGlast.com.
 http://www.fibreglast.com.

[Lowe119]

I actually have that book and I learned a lot from it.
I'm not figuring out what PE is... ??? :P  I would love to read your article.
How did you make the shape? mold? foam? I saw on Monster Garage where they had a large piece of foam to make their dash. I'm wondering if they used pourable foam and made their own or if they bought the foam.
I've used styrofoam, cause it's cheap. I use latex paint to barrier the foam from the chemicals. I would like to use the correct high-density foam, but not sure where to get it.

How would you go about making a CF tank? 2-part female molds? Top and bottom - then epoxy the pieces together?

I've just made cheesy ram-air tubes, a tail, and wrapped my tank in CF - so far. I helped my buddy make a couple fenders out of CF.

You don't need heat curing, right? Doesn't baking it at a certain temperature turn it into Graphite?

I'm getting ready to enclose my trailer with FG. I will be taking pictures of the steps and hopefully be writing an article on a successful project. My plan is to use 1" styrofoam as a sandwich core material. My buddy CAD routed the corners for me. Now I just have to glue it together and start laying up the FG.

[Nate R]

Exactly on the CF tank. Using a carbon-filled epoxy, it would be joined at the bottom.

Heat curing is unnessary unless you're using prepreg, and not wet layup.

Next time I'm at work, i'll see if I can find out where we get our foam. We've found it works better than pourable.

[SliderPhoto]

Excellent topic. I always wondered about CF but wasn't able to find much info on the Web. It would be cool to be able to design stuff like Thorsten's RC bodywork

[MZGirl]

I actually have that book and I learned a lot from it.
I'm not figuring out what PE is... ??? :P  I would love to read your article.
How did you make the shape? mold? foam?

PE = polyester

I used plaster for my mold.  I don't want to give too much away in this post, cause it's written up much better in the article.   ;)

FibreGlast.com has an online message board that's free and has a ton of good info in the automotive/racing section.  Lots of people doing CF in there.

Are you guys that are doing CF vacuum bagging it?  Just curious.  On the other message board, that's what others seem to have good success with.

[Nate R]

Where I work, we vacuum bag almost everything with CF, but that's because most applications with CF are for the lightest weight. Vacuum bagging will disperse the resin well, and compress the layers, but will also encourage more pinholing in the finish because of less resin. It's all a compromise.

[G1K@work]

I've done quite a bit of work with FG and CF, using both epoxy resin and poly.  I have another source for the CF, hybrid cloths, aramid etc.

Let me grab the link off my other computer and I'll post it this afternoon.

If anyone wants to get into vac bagging, I know of several articles which show how to create a relativly inexpensive vac system from a refridgerator compressor and some schedule 40 PVC..


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[Nate R]

I would love to see those articles.  :D

[Lowe119]

Can't wait to see this info. By buddy went to a seminar that taught him vacuum bagging and he was going to show me - that was over a year ago. He talked about getting some old refrigerator compressor .....
Pinholes? Can't you fill and buff them and still have very light and good looking piece?

[G1K]

here is a link for CF and FG
http://www.acp-composites.com/ACP-CAT.HTM

another :
http://www.shopmaninc.com/carbonpage.html

still looking for the links to the vacuum pumps..here's one, you have to look around, tons of info (and a whole different hobby)

http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/vacuumpumpsystem.htm




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