/r/CarbonFiber
Love the weave? Post up your pics and vids of anything made from the shiny black!
Did you do a project? Post the link! Got a question? see if we can answer it!
Rule 1: There is no metal in carbon fiber. Forged Carbon fiber is NOT FORGED. Forging is only done in metalwork, so please, never ever use this term here. It's false, misleading, and just a cheap marketing term.
Rule 2: Be nice, be clear, and help people! We all can learn from everyone!
/r/CarbonFiber
8,658 Subscribers
Weird imperfections in epoxy.
I applied my first two layers of epoxy over my carbon fiber. I sanded and cleaned the first layer, and now the second layer is on, but it’s very uneven. Is there a way to fix this, and how did it happen? Could it be from some protruding fibers/hairs?
20:29 UTC
Tip on filling clear coat pinholes?
19:17 UTC
Carbon fiber filament winder
Hi, I'm trying to make so carbon fiber tubes from winding the filament on a mandrel. Anyone got any tips?
12:22 UTC
Epoxy right after peel ply w/out sanding? HELP!
getting ready to do a forged carbon skinning project, and i’m trying to figure out what the best way to get the carbon tight on the parts so that they still fit like normal. i am between using a fiberglass roller to flatten everything out and using peel ply+breather cloth in a vacuum bag but the issue is i don’t want to sand until the last layer;to keep from damaging the carbon or making cloudy epoxy. has anyone done either of the two? will i have to sand out the peel ply or breather? i need some insight! i’m at a crossroads and I don’t wanna redo it once it’s done
17:14 UTC
What can I finish this mold with?
This is a close-up of a mold. The glossy surface on the left is the flange and off the part. This was cooked against melamine board. The matte surface on the right is where the part will be layed up on. It was againt the pattern which obviously should have been coated with something like a marlborough coating.
What can I coat this with to get a high gloss finish?
The part was going to be carbon but now it will have jesmonite poured in. Jesmonite is a gypsym based product which is 85% plaster and 15% acrylic. It will not be cooked, the jesmonite gets a bit warm to the touch but goes off on its own after 20 minutes.
So the new coating doesnt have to be a high industy standard, but something that can withstand several jesmonite parts being pulled off it. I think the mold is epoxy prepeg but not sure
12:15 UTC
Anyone got advice for small batch tooling gelcoat?
Hey all. I've got a decent amount of experience with fiberglass and some as well with carbon fiber skinning.
I would like to make some moulds for future projects but I don't have any experience with gelcoat. I am pretty sure I understand the working needs of gelcoat as they are basically the same as all composites. Controlling temp,humidity, mixing ratios ect.
I've seen many recommendations for spraying gel coat but I don't have the HVLP set up and I don't want to use one for now. I'd like to try my hand at just brushing some gelcoat on a piece for a mould and being careful with the brush so as not to introduce microbubbles.
I usually source from composite envisions as I like their products but they only sell gallon amounts of gel coat and with its short shelf life. I'd like try a small amount so I don't waste money.
Do you guys have any recommendations on what products I could buy that would be brush friendly, and buy able in small amounts? I'd still like it to be tooling gelcoat as I need to learn how to polish it and work with the harder material.
05:35 UTC
Help
im starting to try and make and sell stuf made of carbon fiber, i want to start with wet lay vacuum bagging but i dont know if im over spending or underspending on a pump, im looking at a 1.5 hp pump that does 15 microns and .2pa? i cant find a way to convert it to hg so im stuck and dont know if its good enough for wet lay.
01:05 UTC
Easiest way to make flat panels from prepregs.
What are the best practices for doing this? I'm new to composite making and from what I read it seems to be a relatively "easy" task. I did some experiments with envelope vacuum bagging and cured the prepregs on my 3D-Printer heat bed. This works OK but I will need to get some proper tools as the next step.
One idea was to use a thick alu plate as a flat mold, add the prepregs etc., seal it with vaccuum bagging film from the top and put the whole thing into an oven for curing.
Could I also just attach a silicone heat mat to the bottom of the alu flat-mold, add some insulation and cure the laminate this way or will the panels warp because of uneven heat distribution?
19:59 UTC
Help making mold
So for mold making do, I just get the part degrease it, apply the wax around the edges put gelcoat over it and then fiberglass and I’m good to go. Am I missing anything?
16:45 UTC
Bonding two pieces together
Hey guys! Do you have any suggestions of how can i join those two sphere halves together? I thought of making a 3d printed frame that both pieces would glue to it but maybe you have a better sollution
07:23 UTC
Help Finding Poisson's Ratio
Hello all, would anyone know how to find Poisson's Ratio for this specific type of prepreg carbon fiber? This would be for finding the ratio without having to layup the carbon fiber ourselves. I was thinking of either preforming a simulation with the properties of the carbon fiber, or by searching for an online datasheet which contains the ratio. Thanks!
06:16 UTC
Composite Skid plate for motorcycle
Hello All,
I'm interested in making a composite skid plate / bash plate for my bike so that it covers the engine underbelly, clutch cover & gear box cover.
I've designed the part by myself in CATIA around the scanned engine environment. I have taken lot of reference from Acerbis, KTM Dakar rally bike, P3 Carbon fiber & Pro carbon.
My questions are related material selection and mold creation.
Q1. Design considerations around the impact energy absorption
Q2. What should be the materials, hybrid / single composite fiber, with / without core materials, layup sequence if hybrid composite are used, fiber orientation ?
Q3. Mold creation. 3D printed mold or MDF ?
Q4. How to create flat patterns from the mold to cut the fabric for the layup?
Q5. How to analyse the part in Abaqus software or similar softwares for impact loads?
I have pasted some screeshots of the model.
Thanks.
00:54 UTC
Is this real carbon fibre? Thanks
14:24 UTC
Vacuum Bag Directly On A Car’s Roof
Looking for some input. Has anyone vacuum bagged an entire roof panel directly on a car roof as the mold?
I want to make a carbon roof for my Mk1 VW because I’m 6’6” tall and it’s a little tight with the sunroof. I was planning on doing a wet layup of spread tow carbon directly on the existing roof and using it as a plug mold. Then removing the carbon fiber panel, and cutting out the metal roof except for a 3” bonding flange all around.
The Mk1 roof is pretty simple, but the spread tow doesn’t really like to wet out smoothly over hard edges. I feel like with the windshield removed I have space to run bagging tape all around the car and get a good seal.
I’ve never tried this approach though, but I don’t really want to make a mold for the one part. Thanks.
02:43 UTC
Needing a Piece Made
Hey all... I need a skidplate made for a bag. Ive previously had one made from here in this group for a reasonable amount but the guy who made it is mia. Its worked so well that i want one for my new bag. Please dm me if you're interested in the job.
Heres a pic of my current bag and skidplate. Im an airline pilot and tow this backpack behind my suitcase from a j-hook. This one cost me 60 bucks plus shipping...well worth it.
00:55 UTC
Research project Questionaire
Hi! This is Osten Jap, a student currently studying Mechanical Engineering at HTW Berlin. I'm researching carbon fiber manufacturing, and I would love to learn from your expertise.
If you have 20 minutes available sometime next week, I'd appreciate the chance to discuss the challenges in carbon fiber production, particularly regarding scalability.
Looking forward to hearing from you. Many thanks!
this is my Calendly for time booking : https://calendly.com/ostenjap/meetup-online?month=2024-10
13:02 UTC
I need help with carbon fiber splinters
I think I have carbon fiber splinters up and down my lower thighs and upper calves. However, I can't see them so maybe they are something else. Is there an easy way to remove small splinters from a large area of skin?
02:41 UTC