Making me some new fairings i Am

[sprocket]

So was going over the bike tonight thinking bout pulling the fairings off and giving them a good clean and what not, then I happen to catch a glimmer of my carbon fiber bucket seat sitting in the corner of my garage, so i thought to myself :scratch: why not mould my fairings and make a whole new faring for it, next thing you know i have taken off 6 fairings, and i have the missus pealing off all the disgracefull sticker work the adorns my FXR, well post tense as they are no more , however im in two minds wether to do the lower fairings as a one piece or keep them seperate, also the same situation with the tail piece and placstics that attatch to it, any sugestions, they still go on sweet as a single item but was thinking ahead for the serviceability of the bike, ie: oil changes general mataince an so, time will tell i spose.

So the choice of meteral will be (seeing as im a bit of a carbon whore) 155g carbon twill weave, but first the mammoth task of moulding all the fairings which is probably 2-3 weeks work alone, but my dream of a full carbon faired bike seems to make the effort all worth it :yes:

So ill will keep you all posted on my progress as it happens and post updates ie pics, etc

beside i know that i can make it for less than $2800 which seems to be the going price for a full kit (not that they do them for a fxr anyway) so fingers crossed i im not biting of more than i can chew:eek5: :eek5: otherwise i could have a naked fxr on my hands :blip:

[aff-man]

So was going over the bike tonight thinking bout pulling the fairings off and giving them a good clean and what not, then I happen to catch a glimmer of my carbon fiber bucket seat sitting in the corner of my garage, so i thought to myself :scratch: why not mould my fairings and make a whole new faring for it, next thing you know i have taken off 6 fairings, and i have the missus pealing off all the disgracefull sticker work the adorns my FXR, well post tense as they are no more , however im in two minds wether to do the lower fairings as a one piece or keep them seperate, also the same situation with the tail piece and placstics that attatch to it, any sugestions, they still go on sweet as a single item but was thinking ahead for the serviceability of the bike, ie: oil changes general mataince an so, time will tell i spose.

So the choice of meteral will be (seeing as im a bit of a carbon whore) 155g carbon twill weave, but first the mammoth task of moulding all the fairings which is probably 2-3 weeks work alone, but my dream of a full carbon faired bike seems to make the effort all worth it :yes:

So ill will keep you all posted on my progress as it happens and post updates ie pics, etc

beside i know that i can make it for less than $2800 which seems to be the going price for a full kit (not that they do them for a fxr anyway) so fingers crossed i im not biting of more than i can chew:eek5: :eek5: otherwise i could have a naked fxr on my hands :blip:

Good idea but on an fxr??? You gonna leave the weave showing and just put a clear coat over the top?? That would look awesome.

[slowpoke]

So was going over the bike tonight thinking bout pulling the fairings off and giving them a good clean and what not, then I happen to catch a glimmer of my carbon fiber bucket seat sitting in the corner of my garage, so i thought to myself :scratch: why not mould my fairings and make a whole new faring for it, next thing you know i have taken off 6 fairings, and i have the missus pealing off all the disgracefull sticker work the adorns my FXR, well post tense as they are no more , however im in two minds wether to do the lower fairings as a one piece or keep them seperate, also the same situation with the tail piece and placstics that attatch to it, any sugestions, they still go on sweet as a single item but was thinking ahead for the serviceability of the bike, ie: oil changes general mataince an so, time will tell i spose.

So the choice of meteral will be (seeing as im a bit of a carbon whore) 155g carbon twill weave, but first the mammoth task of moulding all the fairings which is probably 2-3 weeks work alone, but my dream of a full carbon faired bike seems to make the effort all worth it :yes:

So ill will keep you all posted on my progress as it happens and post updates ie pics, etc

beside i know that i can make it for less than $2800 which seems to be the going price for a full kit (not that they do them for a fxr anyway) so fingers crossed i im not biting of more than i can chew:eek5: :eek5: otherwise i could have a naked fxr on my hands :blip:

I gotta say mate I admire your attitude...and being a boat builder I'm guessing you've got the necessary expertise...but all that effort on an FXR? Mmmmmmmmmm carbon fibre....I've built up a carboned out Duke so I understand (and sympathise) with your affliction, but I urge you to choose a more worthy recipient of your affection.
Look at it this way, you could actually make some cabbage outta this once you've completed the mold(s), but I can't see too many FXR riders wanting to fork out much folding stuff on a such a cheap bike. If you pick something a little more er, shall we say "up market", you could be on a winner.

Good luck though bro', I understand there is no fighting the disease.

[sprocket]

Yeah yeah i know why the fxr, well im doing this mainly due to my finincial situation in that, me buying a house has to come before buying a new bike so ill be stuck with this for a least the next year and a half, also the missus is keen on learning to ride so i could always hand it down to her , not to mention the yobbo that owned it b4 me droped it hard so she aint the prettest horse in the stables, yeah i maybe insane in thinking up random stuff like this to do to my bike but hey at least everyone will remember me as the mental guy that built a carbon kit for his fxr:yes:

anyway enough explaing myself

heres an update:

Ok so i cut and ploished the first article today that being the front guard, then made a stand for it to keep it nice a steady to work on, so looks like the rest of the night will be taken up with me waxing it for tooling tomorrow at work

[Mental Trousers]

Admirable. Good on ya for doing something different. How much carbon fibre work have you done before?? Is this kinda like a test run for when you do get another bike??

[sprocket]

Admirable. Good on ya for doing something different. How much carbon fibre work have you done before?? Is this kinda like a test run for when you do get another bike??


Have a fair bit of experence working with it now have built numerious car parts out of the stuff its more finding the correct weave for the tricky corners I've found in the past, that the smaller the weave the easier it is to to work with however its a tad more expensive so a bit of a catch 22

[gav]

Actually there are more and more people racing FXR150's in buckets, depending on your prices you could well find a market there. So a single seat tail section in one piece could be worth looking at. Don't think the actual carbon weave is that expensive is it? How much do you think a tail piece would work out at?

[sprocket]

Actually there are more and more people racing FXR150's in buckets, depending on your prices you could well find a market there. So a single seat tail section in one piece could be worth looking at. Don't think the actual carbon weave is that expensive is it? How much do you think a tail piece would work out at?


Well carbon prices are very dependant on the type and closesness of the weave the current weave i have in the pic abouve is $103 per meter and thats at what ever discount we get ive never paid rrp on the stuff spose thats why i take it for granted but i know at the moment the is a shortage of it in NZ well thats the rep that we get the carbon through reckons anyway

I did think to myself that there could be a market for bucket racers with various fairings so prolly could wack up some plane white fiberglass ones pretty cheap if the demand was there i lke the idea of a single piece tail aswell but that means i have to split mould it which means more work but it would look hell cool also was thinking of maybe a modified tail to incorprate a led type light, anyway im ranting on now we will see how it goes:rockon:

[Ghost Lemur]

Following with interest. Keep posting with images.

Think my baby would look hawt with carbon loving.

Interested in seeing how you go about fabricating your new fairings as I'm going to have minimal choices for new plastic for my baby. Either import from UK, hack from a different machine or make (get made).

Just out of interest what would you estimate it would cost for a set of carbon "plastics" for the CRM?

[sprocket]

Ok quick update on progress today finished waxing the front guard tonight (10 coats just to be safe, dont want any stick ups) and applied the first coat of gelcoat, so i will back it up tomorrow sometime and start to glass it on monday when i get back to work :)

anyway here are the pics

[bugjuice]

Postie managed to get incredibly lucky and got full CF for his RGV250. The difference in weight was amazing.

As 'durr' as it sounds to be spending time and money on carbon fibre for an FXR, on the upside, the weight you'll save (and you could add a bit of your own lines thru it) might actually make it a fraction more nimble!!

Plus, get this goin well, and I'm sure there's enough of us here to keep you busy! I've got a few ideas meself!

good luck!

[R6_kid]

what is the cost difference between CF and fibre glass per/m? Thinking of doing this kinda thing on the FZR400 as it sorta needs some new front fairings.

[sprocket]

what is the cost difference between CF and fibre glass per/m? Thinking of doing this kinda thing on the FZR400 as it sorta needs some new front fairings.

The difference would be about $90-95 a meter, fiberglass is pretty cheaps unless you are one of those suckers that get it from mitre 10 or ripco and various other home hanyman outlets.

[degrom]

Yeah yeah i know why the fxr, well im doing this mainly due to my finincial situation in that, me buying a house has to come before buying a new bike so ill be stuck with this for a least the next year and a half, also the missus is keen on learning to ride so i could always hand it down to her , not to mention the yobbo that owned it b4 me droped it hard so she aint the prettest horse in the stables, yeah i maybe insane in thinking up random stuff like this to do to my bike but hey at least everyone will remember me as the mental guy that built a carbon kit for his fxr:yes:

anyway enough explaing myself

heres an update:

Ok so i cut and ploished the first article today that being the front guard, then made a stand for it to keep it nice a steady to work on, so looks like the rest of the night will be taken up with me waxing it for tooling tomorrow at work

No need to explain your self... I respect your ideas and really want to know how it turned out. Good luck!!!

[sprocket]

Update: just finished glassing the mould, so should be ready to clean up an release tomorrow. Might have a test run and make some plain fiberglass ones first before I get into making the CF one so I can plan how everything will go, thought it might also be a good idea to keep track of the man hours involved in such a task for anyone else that would want to give it a go

mould #1 : labour so far is 6hrs 30mins

Anyway pics :blip:

[degrom]

The difference would be about $90-95 a meter, fiberglass is pretty cheaps unless you are one of those suckers that get it from mitre 10 or ripco and various other home hanyman outlets.


I don't want to sound like one of the suckers you mentioned before but what is the RRP on fiberglass and what places would be the best to buy it from?

[sprocket]

I don't want to sound like one of the suckers you mentioned before but what is the RRP on fiberglass and what places would be the best to buy it from?
Um ripco etc sell kits consisting of resin 1ltr from memory,catalist,1m of choppy and a brush for like $50 and to be honest I've never paid rrp on glass probably somewhere in the rage of $10 a meter or something, best place to try would be nuplex they will courier stuff to you door if need be.

[Mattzxr750]

really interested how this turns out

might have to try and do some for the zxr

[sprocket]

ok released the first mould today and im very pleased with the results so on to the next one i guess

labour: 7hrs

pics

[crazybigal]

glass comes in a few weights, i think the light stuff is about 7 buck a meter.
ive used glass for making stuff with a layer of kevlar in it, way cheaper than carbon.
try these guys for products, they have loads of stuff.
http://www.highmodulus.co.nz/productlist.asp?group=Reinforcements&rng=1009&r=23&g=22



Um ripco etc sell kits consisting of resin 1ltr from memory,catalist,1m of choppy and a brush for like $50 and to be honest I've never paid rrp on glass probably somewhere in the rage of $10 a meter or something, best place to try would be nuplex they will courier stuff to you door if need be.

[imdying]

Keep the pics coming mate, brands and types of product you're using would also make this thread a mine of info.

[degrom]

Ok quick update on progress today finished waxing the front guard tonight (10 coats just to be safe, dont want any stick ups) and applied the first coat of gelcoat, so i will back it up tomorrow sometime and start to glass it on monday when i get back to work :)

anyway here are the pics

What do you mean by waxing it? I guess it's so it will not stick to the mold?
What kind of wax are you using? (Candle? LOL)

Thanks, keep it up!!!

[degrom]

Ok quick update on progress today finished waxing the front guard tonight (10 coats just to be safe, dont want any stick ups) and applied the first coat of gelcoat, so i will back it up tomorrow sometime and start to glass it on monday when i get back to work :)

anyway here are the pics

Sorry it's me again... LOL

Gel-coat? What is the wax for and what is the gel-coat for?

What is the mold made of? Fiberglass?

Thanks. (Sorry for all the question's, I am really interested in the topic..)

[sprocket]

Sorry it's me again... LOL

Gel-coat? What is the wax for and what is the gel-coat for?

What is the mold made of? Fiberglass?

Thanks. (Sorry for all the question's, I am really interested in the topic..)

Well .......where do i start firstly the article no matter how highly polished it is it will always be pouris even though not visable to the naked eye on a micoscopic level there are tiny pin holes on any surface (even window Glass has pouris on it) so this is why we wax it with a special release agent what this does is infact fill the pouris in the article which doesnt allow the gelcoat to fill the pouris resulting in a stickup (ie not releasing the article) which is a worst case scenario.

Ok so whats gelcoat you ask well, gelcoat is modified resin which are applied to moulds in the liquid state, they are cured to form crosslinked polymers(provided by mekp) and are subsequently backed up with composite polymer matrices, this is usually pigmented to provide a coloured, glossy surface which improves the aesthetic appearance of the article, so thats the technical term to simplify its a polyester resin with pigment in it, the reason its used in fiberglassing is because it has very high levels of durability to overcome the mechanical and thermal stresses encountered during the curing and demoulding processes.

And lastly after the gelcoat has cured ie gone hard you lay fiberglass over the top then brush catalised polyester resin over it, then you roll it with a metal roller (specialised fiberglass tool) to remove excess resin and air bubbles then allow to cure basicly thats it in a nut shell that is i could sit here all night trying to explain it :wait:

[SuperDave]

Kickass project man, following with interest. :rockon:

[sprocket]

Keep the pics coming mate, brands and types of product you're using would also make this thread a mine of info.


As requested

Resin:6430 nuplex polyester resin
Catalyst(hardner): Lurox M200 (properly know as mekp= methyl ethyl ketone peroxide C4H16O4 )
Realease agent(wax): TR mould release
Gelcoat: Pj hobbs white 90
Fiber glass: 450g E matt, 600g wovin roving, 450g E matt (layed up in that order)

[Sketchy_Racer]

Dude you relly know you stuff!!

Good Shit Man!!

[imdying]

As requested

Resin:6430 nuplex polyester resin
Catalyst(hardner): Lurox M200 (properly know as mekp= methyl ethyl ketone peroxide C4H16O4 )
Realease agent(wax): TR mould release
Gelcoat: Pj hobbs white 90
Fiber glass: 450g E matt, 600g wovin roving, 450g E matt (layed up in that order)
You sir, will have green rep coming out of your backside by the time this thread is over! Keep it coming!

[sprocket]

You sir, will have green rep coming out of your backside by the time this thread is over! Keep it coming!


Lol thanx, im not doing it for the rep im just doing it cause....er cause i can, and well if it helps you all learn and understand the process a bit better well its been worth it , not to mention ill have carbon fairings:rockon:

[Sketchy_Racer]

good attitude man!

[imdying]

Lol thanx, im not doing it for the rep im just doing it cause....er cause i can, and well if it helps you all learn and understand the process a bit better well its been worth it , not to mention ill have carbon fairings:rockon:
You'll take your damn green rep and you'll like it :lol:

Really really appreciate you taking the time to post the steps/products etc mate :thumbsup:

[sprocket]

You'll take your damn green rep and you'll like it :lol:

Really really appreciate you taking the time to post the steps/products etc mate :thumbsup:

Lol yes sir ....pitty i cant see whos gving me the rep dammit ....when does that happen

[degrom]

Lol yes sir ....pitty i cant see whos gving me the rep dammit ....when does that happen

Only senior members can se it...

"A Senior Member is a user who has been a member for at least 140 days, has at least 240 posts and has a positive reputation. Once a user is a Senior Member they are able to set their own, custom user titles. Also, Senior Members are able to use larger avatars, their maximum stored pm's increases as well as other benefits."

[sprocket]

Howdy guys quick update im starting the second mould today and as before in the previous process i have to cut and polish the article I will be moulding the lower fairing so hopfully ill have some pics tonight when i get home

:rockon:

[degrom]

Hi.
Is it possible to build a tank from carbon fibre? (I know its possible with fiber
glass,but you will have to seal it somehow...)
Thx.

[sprocket]

Hi.
Is it possible to build a tank from carbon fibre? (I know its possible with fiber
glass,but you will have to seal it somehow...)
Thx.

yes it is possible but it requires expensive equipment some sort of vacumme setup via resin infusion maybe, i would also imagine that an autoclave would be involved i would have to look into it but you couldnt hand lay one

[Pixie]

The difference would be about $90-95 a meter, fiberglass is pretty cheaps unless you are one of those suckers that get it from mitre 10 or ripco and various other home hanyman outlets.

Nuplex has CF twill 196 gm 1270mm wide for $72.05/m

Glass cloth is $8.06/m

[Pixie]

I don't want to sound like one of the suckers you mentioned before but what is the RRP on fiberglass and what places would be the best to buy it from?

Nuplex is at unit 1,6 Hurring place Newlands
ph 4777040

[sprocket]

Nuplex has CF twill 196 gm 1270mm wide for $72.05/m

Glass cloth is $8.06/m

yeah 196g ...im using a fine weave 155g twill which is more expensive, plus there was no 196g in the country when i ordered it

and that price you gave on the glass ...can you be more specific ie: weight and type

[Pixie]

What do you mean by waxing it? I guess it's so it will not stick to the mold?
What kind of wax are you using? (Candle? LOL)

Thanks, keep it up!!!

I used candle wax on my pixie ears mold,but that was because I could heat the mold and apply the wax as a liquid.

[Pixie]

yeah 196g ...im using a fine weave 155g twill which is more expensive, plus there was no 196g in the country when i ordered it

and that price you gave on the glass ...can you be more specific ie: weight and type

3 oz,6 oz and 9 oz are all $8.06 in their cattledog
165 gm kevlar is $45.27/m

Pre-preg twill 198gm carbon is also $72.05m

[sprocket]

3 oz,6 oz and 9 oz are all $8.06 in their cattledog
165 gm kevlar is $45.27/m

Pre-preg twill 198gm carbon is also $72.05m

arh ok boatcloth you mean, as for kevlar not a big fan of the stuff, how olds ya catalog? you got any hybrid cloth prices in it?

[Pixie]

arh ok boatcloth you mean, as for kevlar not a big fan of the stuff, how olds ya catalog? you got any hybrid cloth prices in it?

May 2006
No hybrid stuff that I can see.
The dude at the Patiki rd store did say they are low on carbon products stock

[sprocket]

May 2006
No hybrid stuff that I can see.
The dude at the Patiki rd store did say they are low on carbon products stock


Yeah there is a nationwide shortage i think to many ppl doing homers with it me thinks:laugh:

[Pixie]

It's a global shortage.The aircraft/armaments industries are sucking it up as fast as they can make the stuff.
It's harder to grow hair on lumps of coal than it is to grow it on glass.

[sAsLEX]

It's a global shortage.The aircraft/armaments industries are sucking it up as fast as they can make the stuff.
It's harder to grow hair on lumps of coal than it is to grow it on glass.

Dont forget cars as well
<img src=http://www.koenigsegg.com/graphics/ccx_design_grey_side.jpg>

[degrom]

Hi,any new news on your project?

A bit of topic... Do you know where I can buy grid for a sand blaster?
I have a new tool to test out but no ammo...

[Kyle]

Fletcher steel does grid, but problery a local engineering shop would be better for a smaller piece, or scrap metel yard.

Nice project Sprocket, your making it look easy. Keep those updates coming :yes:

[Kyle]

ahh you problery ment "grit" not grid, that i have no idea sorry.

[sprocket]

yeah sorry no updates as of yet im in the process of trying to make a diy vaccume bag system pitty i dont live in the states you can buy DIY kits off the sheilf over there

[degrom]

Fletcher steel does grid, but problery a local engineering shop would be better for a smaller piece, or scrap metel yard.

Nice project Sprocket, your making it look easy. Keep those updates coming :yes:

Thanks... I will give them a call.

[degrom]

yeah sorry no updates as of yet im in the process of trying to make a diy vaccume bag system pitty i dont live in the states you can buy DIY kits off the sheilf over there

LOL... So what is involved with the vacuum bag project?

[Pixie]

I vacuum bagged my hand guards.Used woolworths supermarket bags and a compressor from a blood cell counter.

[imdying]

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=145975&perpage=15&pagenumber=5

This dude made a carbon fibre tank for an SV, wet lay up stz... that's determination.

[sAsLEX]

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=145975&perpage=15&pagenumber=5

This dude made a carbon fibre tank for an SV, wet lay up stz... that's determination.

What a use for a Busa engine!

<img src=http://www.dpcars.net/dp1bld/dp1167.jpg>

http://www.dpcars.net/

[sprocket]

here is a explanation on vacuume bagging very good article recomended read for all that are intrested

http://www.fibreglast.com/contentpages-Vacuum%20Bagging%20Equipment%20and%20Techniques%20 for%20Room-Temp%20Applications-230.html

[sAsLEX]

here is a explanation on vacuume bagging very good article recomended read for all that are intrested

http://www.fibreglast.com/contentpages-Vacuum%20Bagging%20Equipment%20and%20Techniques%20 for%20Room-Temp%20Applications-230.html

The thread imdying posted has some good real world vacuum baggin in it!

[imdying]

The thread imdying posted has some good real world vacuum baggin in it!
Ahhh, but his article explains why you'd want to go to the trouble ;)

[sprocket]

Well I have been offered the services of a friend who happens to be an engineer to help me construct my frankenstein vacuum bag system, however rather than buy an off the shelf vacuum pump for $600 ive decided to go with an 1800watt vacuum motor which will be plumbed into a expired 9kg gas bottle with valves in between the motor and cyclinder then another valve between the cyclinder and the bag .

So the theory is while both valves are open the better part of 99% of the air will be evacuated from the bag then when you shut the first valve between the cyclinder and bag, the cyclinder becomes the acumulator then shut the second valve turn off the vacuum motor and open the first valve again to matain a constant vacuum there will also be a vacuum guage attached to the cyclinder to detect leaks via pressure drops:scratch: and if all else fails ill add another vacuum motor


keep in mind im trying the cost effictive way first as to keep the cost of the project down to a minimum.

[jade]

I made carbon fibre fairings for my nsr, I made them heavy.. Hit a car at 90k and didnt even break them
Im a boatbuilder in auckland.. 20 yrs old - Ive used carbon fibre/epoxy resin systems everday for 4 years now..as well as vacuum bagging and resin infusion.
at work currently building team nz's 100% cf yacht for the americas cup 2007
as homers.. made some clearcoat twill little fairings for my rs250 - just had it written off so hope to get another rs250 and do some work on it
also I may be looking to moonlight making some fairings for other people... paid work of course.. if your interested pm me with the details of what you want to do, keep in mind there IS a shortage of twill for clear coat work but there is plenty of carbon.
As for the carbon fibre fuel tank.. its easy.
Take a block off polystyrene - shape it to the same shape as your fuel tank -
cover your polystyrene block with a fibreglass boatcloth and epoxy resin, make sure there is plenty of resin, roll all the excess bubbles out and cover this with a 400gm double bias carbon cloth, you could cover it in twill if you wanted to clearcoat it - or you could just put on another 200gm carbon cloth,
once its all cured drill a hole into your cloth and into your polystyrene - pour in acetone - melt the styrene - you now have an empty carbon tank - paint it, clear coat it.. choice is yours

[Mattzxr750]

wheres the best place to get a big square of polystyrene?

and the best way to shape it?

[sprocket]

hey cjade1 so i take it you work @ cookson boats on hill rd in GF ?
unfortunatly where i build boats we dont have much use for vacuum bagging as i would imagine the tollerance in weight for the ACB is pretty stricked hrm.... you dont know jarrod gibson do you ? the reason i ask as he told me he had a friend that wrote off a bike that worked for cookson's are you that person?
anyway would be intrested in touching base with you on the do's and dont of vacuum bagging etc

[degrom]

Scalpel or really thin wire might work... If the wire is hot it will be like cutting butter...

[sAsLEX]

Scalpel or really thin wire might work... If the wire is hot it will be like cutting butter...

What about an angle grinder? You would need something more severe than a scapel on starting out

[jade]

you can cut polystyrene on a ban saw to get close to the shape...
but yes heated wire works real well..
yes thats me at cooksons, I could help you with bagging... i do it daily
the carbon tank is alot of effort for what it is, depending how good you are, youll probably end up using so much resin to fair it out that you might not really save weight... sanding the stock tank back and cover ing it in twill for clearcoat would be just as good _b

Its not a very good picture for seeing my work but if you check out my profile, the black fairing around the seat is twill... has about 5 coats of clearcoat to really mirror it up...
wasnt concerned with weight, purely cosmetic..
plus the more weight on the ass end... the easier it is to wheelie!

[spudchucka]

wheres the best place to get a big square of polystyrene?

and the best way to shape it?

Hot wire & planer. Google "surf board shaping" or something like that should give you heaps of info.

These guys sell large blocks of polystyrene.


Insulation Panel & Door Company

Phone number: 0800 373 393

[Mattzxr750]

thats some bling fairings cjade1:rockon:
will it also work if you do a fibre glass tank?

and how would you make the conneter for the fuel?

[Kyle]

Dont you need a special type of resin for making petrol tanks?
I used to make water tanks for ribtec and we had to get some special resin to make a diesel tank once, not sure what it was but it was really thick and quite a hassle to lay up. That idea of just laying glass over your standard steel tank sounds like a good idea though. Would solve both problems of leaks and putting fittings in.

[Pixie]

Well I have been offered the services of a friend who happens to be an engineer to help me construct my frankenstein vacuum bag system, however rather than buy an off the shelf vacuum pump for $600 ive decided to go with an 1800watt vacuum motor which will be plumbed into a expired 9kg gas bottle with valves in between the motor and cyclinder then another valve between the cyclinder and the bag .

So the theory is while both valves are open the better part of 99% of the air will be evacuated from the bag then when you shut the first valve between the cyclinder and bag, the cyclinder becomes the acumulator then shut the second valve turn off the vacuum motor and open the first valve again to matain a constant vacuum there will also be a vacuum guage attached to the cyclinder to detect leaks via pressure drops:scratch: and if all else fails ill add another vacuum motor


keep in mind im trying the cost effictive way first as to keep the cost of the project down to a minimum.

Does a vacuum cleaner unit reach much of a vacuum?
The unit I use has a Gast pump in it and reaches 27" mercury easily.
You could use a $90 compressor from the warehouse.Put hose fittings onto where the air filter is fitted for a vacuum source

[Mattzxr750]

just woundering how the project is going Sprocket. havent heard any updates for a week or so

[sprocket]

UPDATE.... after being a bit of a slacker lately, decided to focus back on my front guard tonight, so after a few hours dicking round i've patterned the mould fairly accurate so i can have the best possible efficent use of the carbon with minimal waste

Pic:yes:

hopefully ill get around to cutting the carbon and glass tomorrrow.

[Ghost Lemur]

Excellent sproket. Looking forward to seeing how it's done.

[R6_kid]

how many hours all up now?

[sprocket]

Update: cut the first lot of boatcloth (6oz/ec200) to make sure my patterns are correct, and it's looking good for me to start on the carbon, so far its taken me three hours to the pattern and mark and cut the cloth I could do it faster, BUT i'm trying to be stingy on the wastage, so hence why I have taken extra time, so all I got left to do is cut the carbon and wax the mould then im all set to make the front guard............... wonder if i should hold out on the finished pics till the entire bike is done :scratch:

Labour: 10hrs


PS: I forgot to explain the reason behind taping the glass, this is done to keep the weave intact hence it will no fray, and the weave will not move, all I do when I copy the pattern, well for the carbon anyway is put it face down so the tape is on the inside not the face and no one is the wiser, also you can, once finished spray bomb the inside black to hide any see through bits(sneeky sneeky trick of the trade)

[smokinrubber]

Hi Sprocket, been reading your article for some time with great interest and am looking forward to more of it. How is the progress going ??. I to have a carbon fettish and are going to make some parts myself. Do you know if the same resin can be used for fiberglass & carbon fiber, or do you need two types ??. Would love to know how your vacum system is going. Not sure if i read it here or somewhere about using the supply air side of a cheap compressor. Has anyone heard of this ??

[Pixie]

That will work.A compressor can be used as a vacuum pump

[sprocket]

yes well this project has been a bit long in the tooth now, as other commitments have ment that i have had to put it on the back burner, however i will endure to bring you all an update with in the next week, im in two minds wether to use epoxy or polyester clearcast, I have done some more research in prepreg but am at a dead end when it comes to an autoclave.......I vow to you that the one fiddy will have something carbon on it before the year is out:rockon:

[smokinrubber]

Thanks Pixie, have you seen it work ? It would need to get to 20" - 28" Hg vacum pressure from what i have read. I believe this is required for more complex shapes, like a screw recess in a guard for example. Am i on the right track do you know ??.

[Ghost Lemur]

Have you been following that thread that was posted earlier on Sproket? That guy knows his shit. May be worth registering on their forums and pm'ing him some questions if you hit a wall.

I'm certainly looking forward to some updates.

[Pixie]

I'm doing a front mud guard extension at the moment and took a pic of the vacuum bagging.
This is under 24" of vacuum.
After a few minutes the vacuum will flatten out the creases that are visible and force the resin out to all the extremities of the mold and cloth.Actually I'll correct myself and say that it is atmospheric pressure that does this.I'm a pedant.So sue me.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

I have found this fascinating - that is pure skill! look forward to the updates. I have just had my front fairing done - the bottom part the guy has yet to pick up.

[vifferman]

I'm doing a front mud guard extension at the moment and took a pic of the vacuum bagging.
This is under 24" of vacuum.
So what stops the bag sticking to the resin? Or does it not matter?

Oh - and by the way, peoples: I hate to be a SafetyNazi (because we hatesss SssssaffffetyNazzzissss, yess we doessssss) if you're making your own vacuum system, you HAVE to have the tank and the valves each side, as using a vacuum cleaner directly would mean sucking resin fumes into the cleaner, and we know what THAT means (even though MuthBysters(TM) didn't manage to get one to explode, doesn't mean it can't happen....)

[Pixie]

So what stops the bag sticking to the resin? Or does it not matter?

Oh - and by the way, peoples: I hate to be a SafetyNazi (because we hatesss SssssaffffetyNazzzissss, yess we doessssss) if you're making your own vacuum system, you HAVE to have the tank and the valves each side, as using a vacuum cleaner directly would mean sucking resin fumes into the cleaner, and we know what THAT means (even though MuthBysters(TM) didn't manage to get one to explode, doesn't mean it can't happen....)

The bag peels off the cured resin and is disposed of.
I use a vacuum pump.I don't think a vacuum cleaner achieves a very high vacuum

[Pixie]

This is the cured cast,removed from the bag and the mold.
Next step is to trim the edges and paint

[jade]

[QUOTE=vifferman;843892]So what stops the bag sticking to the resin? Or does it not matter?

QUOTE]
Resin wont stick to plastic, or anything shiny for that matter, for instance if you had a cured piece of resin or cloth and it was shiny - you would have to sand it or grind it before you could bond to it

[smokinrubber]

How did you get on with your economy vac pump & set up ??. Can any one advise on a cheapish set up either with a proper pump set up or an alternative that does work ??. I have made a couple glass molds & are ready for having a go with vac bagging.