Carbon Fiber Made Easy: Your Questions Answered

[@bertpulaski2492]

I’m in the middle of doing a light weight built S-10. There’s a couple things that everyone needs to make sure of that I learned from working in aviation for the last 20 years: 1. PPE - Composite dust is very bad to your lungs 2. Gloves - Your going to go through a bunch. The cleaner you are, the better. 3. Measurements - Follow the resins recommendations to a T. Some have a little leeway but there’s no guarantee if you go outside the limitations. 4. Time - This is not a fast project. Time should not be a consideration if you want it completed right. This includes cure times and heat exposure. 5. Expect to have to clear coat - the resin will harden yes but it will also yellow over time with sun exposure unless there’s some new resin that I’m not familiar with. 6. Experiments - Try it on smaller parts first. You rather screw up a small part that a few inches x few inches versus wasting all the material on a fender or hood. 7. Reinforcements - Don’t be surprised if an item flexes like crazy. An easy and cheap reinforcement is going to an archery shop and ask for their broken carbon arrow shafts. Apply the shafts under a small portion of the composite material and it will stiffen it up and give it strength with minimal weight.

[@buiItnotbought]

I got my mustang to 2150 race weight down from 3300 lots of carbon and titanium. I ended up using foam half rounds and pipe insulation halves for reinforcement. Never heard of carbon arrows for bracing sounds like a great idea.

[@bertpulaski2492]

@@buiItnotboughtthat’s an old cheap gunsmithing trick I picked up from my grandfather. We would get a plastic stock rifle and added some epoxy resin to the stock and some old arrow shafts and it would be super stiff. Plus it added minimal weight.

[@danllana8664]

Hey Bert. I have soo many questions for you. Can we connect?

[@Lot_Lizard2024]

Kevlar is a badass look also

[@sparwars]

Some epoxies don't "blush", a waxy by product. You must wash and sand blushing epoxy between cured layers. So plan on doing all layers in a single process.

[@Mynextproject_74]

It's good you shared this. I bought one and found the same problem with it. Lubing the threads does help, but it still takes some strength!😊

[@johnnymula2305]

Whoever monitors this channel needs to supply the link to the Camaro carbon fiber episodes.

[@daleknapke4981]

I completed about 2 months ago my first carbon project which was a 1972 Triumph TR6 hood. Room temperatures were 72 to 74 degrees. Will I gain additional cure and strength if I put it through an elevated heat cycle? If so any ideas on a low cost way to do this. Maybe an electric blanket under the hood and insulation over the top

[@sparwars]

72-74 perfect. I have seen a torch used in slower epoxies to take out bubbles. But.......

[@daleknapke4981]

I have seen that baking the part at 140F for a few hours will improve strength. Is this true.

[@HondaMugenrruy]

Excelente video. Muy claro las diferencias entre la fibra de vidrio Y la fibra de carbono.

[@mynamedoesntmatter9013]

Attempt No2 at asking for an episode for the cologne engine for us ranger/ BII guys.

[@byker4lyfe1]

I'm just wondering how we can get more videos out of you please post more KZbin videos

[@bryanbrewer4272]

AWWWWWW MAN! this really made my beanbag tingle!

[@joeleyendecker5346]

It doesn't make any sense at all to try your luck at laying Carbon Fiber before you can lay a Fiberglass Panel well first. Your Wallet will thank you too! There are subtle differences between the two and how they act but the "Idea" is the Same.... Once you are satisfied with the results in Fiberglass though then by all means, try your Luck with Carbon fiber. The Finished Product is much stronger and more durable and "Can" look much better too. The key to a clean finished Carbon Fiber panel is all in how it's layed down and the amount of resin is in the (1st) Surface Layer of the panel. The direction the material is facing when it's layed down is important too. It's clearly directional. It's easy to see that in the finished panel too unless you cover it with paint. (This is true if you are "not" using a Vacuum Method and/or an Oven in the Curing Process)

[@jimtifft5419]

I don't hear anything about vacuum bagging. Is this not done on cars?

[@colbydee6828]

There’s a youtube channel called “throttle stop garage” the guy has vacuum bagged a bunch of body panels for a Volvo Amazon in his home garage. It’s an extremely detailed channel and very interesting.

[@ismalinkin]

I dont really understand the strength of carbon fiber, are all the mechanical properties due to the resin? so if you use denim instead of carbon fiber but with the same resin you get the same results?

[@patrickfeuillet6878]

It is the combination of both resin and fiber that makes the composite strength. Flax is also used in composites Weight-for-weight, glass fibre is about four times stronger than flax and carbon fibre is about five times stronger. Some composites are made with cotton fiber indeed and polymer resin, but not sure of their strenth.

[@sparwars]

Epoxy itself is brittle. But that brittle keeps fibers aligned, so both are stronger. Carbon is very directional. If straight with no cross hatch or opposing layers, it is flexible. For an example of a build a friend did for me. A carbon tiller for my sailboat. My only spec was strong enough to stand on it. It began with carved foam. Covered all with a layer or two of weave . Then on the length, straight fibers were laid the length of the tiller in several layers. Then back to weave. I don't know how many. Sanded, polished and clear coated AFTER using acetone to melt the foam core. It was very light and can I say unbreakable? ✨️

[@tturi2]

very good strength in tension, terrible in compression

[@tturi2]

if you have a flat panel, only a sheet of CF will bend very easily, but if you do CF-foam-CF, the upper layer will be in tension and won't stretch and thus not bending

[@wkjeeping9053]

If you have just the fiberglass cloth and want carbon fiber get graphite powder and mix in your resin. That's how it was originally carbon fiber panels made.

[@socaldatsun8551]

First