DIY carbon fibre

[hayd3n]

yeah mek is bad it eats your fatty tissue drys your hands out real quick give ya dermatitis i work with this shit everyday wear gloves chemical resistant stuff and its also good for fixing crack in your abs fairings you can mix it with abs offcuts and make a great glue for repairs and it sandable/ paintable

[hayd3n]

bump !@#$%^

[98tls]

Without being able to ride my bike and no commitments, I've got a fair bit of time on my hands now and am considering giving Carbon Fibre fabricating a bit of a nudge. I remember watching a YouTube video on how to do it (maybe before my accident not sure) and it does look a little involved but I was wondering what you guys thought.

• Had a go and found it too difficult?
• Materials just too expensive/hard to obtain?
• Have a garage to do this in, but not a huge amount of space... problem?
• Watch more YouTube vids to learn how, or maybe a book?

Thought I would start with something simple like some heal-guards, ultimately nothing more serious than a hugger, or front-guard I think.

Thoughts?

Good luck and post up the results of your toil,fwiw heres a pic of a carbon screen i bought.

[Madness]

Here is someone close to where you are Skel that might be worth a visit?. Viv is the guy's name from memory.

[nudemetalz]

I got a tabletop made by that person Madness mentions and I had to cut it up for scrap as the weaves were not parallel and all over the place. Was very unimpressed.
So, I got a new one made by Brian Terry (brianterry1013@hotmail.com).
He does a lot of Racetech stuff and did an excellent job of my new tabletop.


I don't actually mould it myself but fabricate shapes from my carbon fibre pieces for bracketry for Lady Penelope (the Bucket racer).

[ManDownUnder]

a wee note of caution. I understand it were CF (and/or the chemicals involved?) that brought Britten's life to an untimely end.

I hope I'm wrong - but it's a caution worth checking out...

[Ocean1]

Sounds like bags of fun ...yeah like the look of CF, not trying to save weight. I'm shallow like that.

Fashion victim huh? *sigh*

I've got some woven stuff here you can play with if you want dude.

Might be able to scare up a vacuum pump...

Well in that case, you can do the outside layer in carbon, and the internal layers in fibreglass... that'll save many dollars

You can get woven fibreglass, which effectively is like carbon to work with (as opposed to the chopped strand mat).

Can get glass designed to look indistinguishable from CF, quite likely most items you think look like CF actually aint.

[imdying]

Can get glass designed to look indistinguishable from CF, quite likely most items you think look like CF actually aint.

Yep, black dyed 2x2 twill woven glass is a pretty close match, and very hard to tell apart. There's also other stuff like the texaluminum which although isn't carbon, is still kinda neat.

[pete376403]

a wee note of caution. I understand it were CF (and/or the chemicals involved?) that brought Britten's life to an untimely end.

I hope I'm wrong - but it's a caution worth checking out...

C/F causes melanoma?

[imdying]

If working with carbon fibre helped contribute to his cancer, then it wasn't the materials themselves that were to blame (if his biographies are to be believed), it was just improper handling that did it. A respirator is cheap, use one.

[skelstar]

Can get glass designed to look indistinguishable from CF, quite likely most items you think look like CF actually aint.

Well I'm not too fussy to take this route as its more form/function for me.

O1, where is the source for this stuff?

[driftn]

Deano and myself have found that fiber glassing is not all that hard. One one would assume that it is pretty much the same. We could help you mate cause we are good bastards

[skelstar]

you are a good mate

[Ocean1]

Well I'm not too fussy to take this route as its more form/function for me.

O1, where is the source for this stuff?

Pretend carbon?

For the quantities you want best go talk to Viv at Carboglass in Peterkin St.

I've got some heavy woven E glass at home if you want to practice different techniques.

Important to realise that, generally speaking if you're working with polyester you're using chopped strand mat. If you're using woven roving then you're using epoxy. Quite different methods req'd.

[CookMySock]

Layups for beginners are easy.

Get this stuff ;

Flat sheet of glass about 300mm square and get it really clean and dry.
one meter of fibreglass cloth - preferably stuff thats not been folded into a tiny square, ugh..
500mL tin of polyester resin + MEKP catalyst (Repco et al)
75mm ish plastic scraper (Mitre 10 et al)
ten small paper cups (beg some off your mobile espresso vendor)
a bag of ice block sticks from the supermarket
Sharp box cutter
Clean and dry 50mm paint brush (cheap one)
Material called Tafetta - cut to 30mm larger than your fibreglass cloth square. You can skip this stuff if you like, but its the fun part I reckon.

To do a trial learner-layup ;

Cut out three squares of glass cloth 1cm larger than the glass square and set them down where they wont get get dirt on them or get knocked on the floor.

Get a clean paper cup and ice block stick and put two fingers (only!) of resin in the cup, and when you are ready, set the resin off by adding catalyst and stirring it in promptly. Don't whisk it or you will add lotsa bubbles. Scrape the sides and stir in well. 60 seconds stirring time ish.

Spiral half of the catalyzed resin onto the glass and spread with the scraper. Drop a layer of cloth accurately into place and tamp it down with the tip of the brush - try not to wet the brush. Scrape (with the scraper!) the cloth down gently until it goes clear-coloured. You dont need much resin! Add another layer of cloth, tamp down, and scrape until the resin comes through. If the layup wont wet properly, then add a little resin. Overall, you will be surprised by how little resin you need. Make sure each layer is fully transparent and wetted (no opaque dry spots) before you add another later of glass cloth. Repeat for all the layers, making the last layer a little wetter. If you run out of resin (you will) use a clean cup and stick and make a fresh batch. Dont make large batches! It will go off in the cup in only minutes coz of the heat it generates.

Now lay the Taffeta over the top and stretch it out and tamp/scrape it down quite firmly. Resin will come through this new layer.

If the layup is not starting to set after 15-20 mins, the put the whole layup somewhere warmer (15 degC ish).

Once it starts to set like firm toffee, use the sharp box cutter to knife the edges along the edges of the glass. Skip this step if your layup is much smaller than glass. Be careful, the spikes are sharp.

Leave it until its fully set hard, 2-5 hours depending on temperature. Best leave it until the next day.

Peel the edge up carefully on the taffeta and tear it back - sticking-plaster stylez.

Slip a blade in between the layup and the glass pane, and seperate the two, and carefully pull them apart. Sand the edges smooth and you have your first practice layup.

Using a release agent (like PVA glue, but solvent based), you can mold a part off anything at all using the same or similar procedure. Glass doesnt really need a release agent coz glue has problems sticking to it anyway.

Corrections invited. Abuse will be completely ignored.

Fibreglass is fun.
Steve