How to Make a Carbon Fiber Car Bonnet/Hood - Part 3/3 : Trimming & Assembly

[@a0cdhd]

As a writer of technical manuals and probably one of the few remaining on the planet, I am relieved to see that there are still some companies in the market that are prepared to take the time and trouble to craft excellent "How To" tutorials for those with the need to know about such matters.

[@easycompositestv]

In this series we're showing how a *real* carbon fibre part would be made. This is epoxy infused 100% carbon fibre. Sadly, most of what you'll find on the market (and get sold as 'carbon fibre') is mainly fibreglass, often using polyester resin and (horror) chopped strand mat with a single layer of carbon on the surface. The steel original weighed 18kgs, the so-called carbon ones you can buy weigh about 10kg. Our part? - 3.25kg. To the people this is aimed that, that matters a lot.

[@stevesmith8588]

Your videos are the absolute best. The highest quality content.

[@joonesvlog7281]

Well done and easy to understand, very interesting... Need to know more🙏🏻

[@jrarrington3385]

Can a similar process be applied for forged carbon to make a hood?

[@drewdoestrucks]

I used to make hand laid fingerless body panels you could stand on that weighed less than “carbon fiber” body panels from NOPI and similar. They weren’t as exciting to look at, though.

[@easycompositestv]

We have had customers making large body panels straight off and achieve good results despite no previous composites experience.

[@mannewmohandas5537]

Do we get these products in India.

[@BeanieDraws]

Why did I watch a 3 part series for making a carbon fiber bonnet when I KNOW i'm never going to make one? I guess I just appreciate watching other people laying down carbon fiber for some reason.

[@96dukeboy]

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why carbon fiber body panels are so expensive.

[@alabaska182]

Lol, that is so wrong, you really think fiberglass is stronger than carbon fiber with the same weight? ROFL! Carbon fiber is stronger, lighter and more rigid.. The only reason you would ever use fiberglass over carbon fiber is if you need more flex in the application or if the application cannot have conductive properties in it (ignoring cost...).

[@joer8854]

Actually there was some research done for making sailboats and they found that (Keeping in mind it's for a boat hull so impact forces won't be the same,) a combination of fibreglass and carbon fibre has better impact resistance.

[@alabaska182]

Yes, there are of course more acceptions when choosing between the two, but I was just giving a broad reasoning for the application.

[@joer8854]

Just thought I would mention it because it's interesting and might be useful for some people.

[@dylanmoore7466]

Ryan Dukes i honestly had no clue this much went into it. IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW

[@rohanraut92]

Put it back on to the car. want to see that

[@yippeethreeeight]

No kidding!

[@4486igi]

Pretty shure doesnt fit after that unsupported mold twisted by bricks.

[@northsilkscreen8682]

@@4486igi are u sure? that cf does bending but it will stay with the shape. that's why cf is better than pu or fiberglass.

[@easycompositestv]

It is possible to laminate the hood fastener into the bonnet. You have to consider a number of things, like thickness of laminate, void space between upper and lower skins, access to finish it off, alignment etc. You can always add extra reinforcement if you are worried about strength in that area.

[@recoverygose]

This entire series was really incredible. I just recently got interested in how laying Carbon Fiber works and this video answered pretty much every question I could think of about how these sorts of carbon panels are made. The length of the videos just goes to show how detail oriented a project like this is. The more time you spend the better the result. Skip any steps or don't take your time and everything you've done has been wasted. Tons of skill and knowledge involved here, great job. The panel looks absolutely incredible.

[@DrFumesta]

LOL.. all that 21st century technology and then.... BRICKS

[@jonathanvandagriff7515]

BAHAHAHAHA

[@VenturiLife]

I was expecting lead weights myself.. but yeah bricks are cheap too...

[@spike3505]

Could you use sandbags (as long as your bags had a polythene lining so as not to leak sand) as they would follow the profile of the sub-frame to the main panel?

[@DrFumesta]

I think you could use just about anything heavy dude.

[@mlinecomposites1]

Scott Watrous Just so u know buddy that brick doesn't hurt the carbon at all, mostly because he used vacuum bag material to cover the carbon. That bagging material is very strong, it doesn't puncture easily. Yeah u could use anything but I believe the biggest reason for the bricks are so u could see if the part is actually pressing down to the part, and make sure it isn't moving. The reason for me saying this is because I have experience.

[@trunker007]

Now I understand why carbon costs so much, a lot of work and detail goes into the making of these things👍

[@Chocolate9897]

All night I've been watching fiberglass videos, and this is the only video I've seen that does Lamination Proper. Thank you for putting my nerves at ease and doing good work.

[@Factory400]

I would never have guessed the amount of labor and sacrificial materials needed. Huge amount of skills and labor on top of the premium materials needed for a good result.

[@jeffreymoffitt4070]

Three people in a garage could make 20+ a day that would cover anything you need for the rest of your life

[@MrDanielsahne]

@@jeffreymoffitt4070 never man

[@jeffreymoffitt4070]

@@MrDanielsahne one maintaining or remaking molds, one laying fiber, and the other pulling and trimming.

[@southjerseysound7340]

@@jeffreymoffitt4070 you are talking out of your ass, to make 20 per day you'd need 20 molds for starters.

[@user-km5mu7mg6x]

İn this video I can afford just bricks

[@carlosmaldonado8600]

Lol!!! Me too!!!😂😂👏👏👏 you make me the day.. May be in the afterlife

[@Car.los.Moreira]

Me too. Those are easy to steal.

[@davidcordes9283]

You can always use Burt Rutans method and use sand bags. They are DIY friendly since you can use old t-shirts and sow them and sand is everywhere.

[@MrJdsenior]

@@davidcordes9283 Don't remember using any sand bags to build the Long EZ. Are you talking about for stress testing?

[@contytub]

Oh... stealing them from the neighbour's fence ...

[@imperitortitan205]

I just love how high tech this is and then BRICKS

[@LuisMora-er1vk]

@easycompositestv these videos are the best. I am sure every FSAE body/aero lead has seen these. They are the best.

[@easycompositestv]

Hi Luis, thanks for commenting. Yes we do quite a lot of work with student engineering teams and hopefully our content makes the world of composites more accessible.

[@koihoshi]

Me: "Oh man i would love to make my own, they are so expensive." *watch all 3 videos* Me: "You know what, I'll just pay someone to do that and now I understand why they're so expensive."

[@totam2115]

You spend a lot of time and money for this project, but not surely we are success hehe.

[@xzistpo]

hahaha exactly my thoughts !!!

[@clancyadams9074]

i think doing your own carbon one off would make a ride that much better.

[@Gendo3s2k]

Yeah, but all of the molding, you'll only do once

[@pieter-dirkbrendeke8528]

@@Gendo3s2k Well actually if it works out well, u can make more and sell them i guess

[@ZxRx7]

Buying a CF part might be expensive, but after seeing this video I understand that it takes a lot of knowledge and patience. There are many stages in the build that will screw up the whole process if not done perfectly (especially if done by a novice), leading to a very very expensive fail. Thanks for the video, it helped me understand that certain jobs are better left to the professionals.

[@easycompositestv]

@Thomas Mulloy From memory, I think the original is around 18kg and this is around 3.5kgs.

[@alexnicolaou3579]

Easy Composites 10 years ago: 'This is how you make a CF bonnet' Easy Composites now: 'this is how you 3Dprint a mould to make forged CF, also, here is what each CF weave/technique can withstand *strain gauge comes out*' and 'we have CAD and manufactured a CF mountain bike' love this channel and its progression throughout the years.

[@sayan1667]

Actually, this is very easy thing to do, not hard at all. The only thing is that you have to be very patient precise during the whole process of the making. I will try this with smaller parts so i can get used to it and then i will begin with the bigger parts and maybe start designing parts by myself. Thank you for the 3 great video tutorials! :)

[@jameswiththegermanshepherd6628]

This was the best tutorial that I have ever seen. I'm building a 2007 Crown Vic Police Interceptor and replacing the large hood and trunk lid would remove a considerable amount of weight.

[@iraira7467]

Watched all 3 part videos. Simply amazing! Thanks for sharing your work and finished piece!

[@foch3]

I love the one handed hood pickup. This series is over the top.

[@fredfaour411]

Amazing video! I found this information very fascinating to watch as a fan of carbon fiber car parts!

[@JayRSausa]

I was planning to make my own DIY carbon fiber hood but after watching this, I might just need to buy 'cause the time and hustle is worth every penny.

[@beloved_lover]

I just couldn't hold it after I saw the bricks, otherwise nice tools and work space, and suddenly bricks appear :D Nice work still! I hope I have propper space to make carbon fiber parts for my car(s) some day. Man gotta have hobbies!

[@pablovalenzuela9089]

A real pro, amazing work mate!

[@thecorbies]

Hi Easy composites. I've understood the techniques you showed in this series for quite some time, but never have I heard or seen it explained so well. This series is a credit to you and your team. Having said that, I do have a couple of questions. Given that the original metal thickness would have been of the order of 0.8mm Question 1. With the thickness of the carbon fibre, the honeycomb layer (sorry, forgot the name), and the next, thin layer this will make the bonnet thickness 'appear' to be quite a bit thicker than the original. I would estimate possibly around 3mm. Not neccessarily a problem if you stop there, but now Question 2. Similar to the above, now for the build up of the underside skin, the layers will be coming out in excess of the original metal thickness. Again possibly around 2+mm Are you are not now bonding these two layers together and assuming or expecting them to match original the bonnet dimensions? I mean, if you were to measure the distance between the two skins of a given part of the original metal bonnet, it would not be the same as the same part on the plastic bonnet. Perhaps this is why you had to add bricks to the underside skin to achieve a suitable join line. Question 3. In view of this, how do you begin to attempt to 'control' each layer thickness so as to avoid this issue? Question 4. Given the strength/rigidity of the mould that you showed, is it not possible that the addition of x number of bricks could end up distorting the bonnet? I would sincerely be interested to hear your reply, and I would like to say that even though you posted this video series nearly 2 years ago, I'm asking the above questions because I see that you replied to another comment from approx' 2 weeks ago. Depending on the answers to the above, I would honestly consider this system for making car body panels. Regards Mark in the UK

[@TNTdesignBE]

the inner hood should be redesigned (re plasticine the edges so it lifts the inner hood with the extra thickness of the material) or the hood will sit 1 cm too high.

[@caddy8436]

Just used thier steps. It works. I did my 1998 Crown-Vic's hood. That shit is light as hell. My hood weighed almost 85lbs. Now only 25. Next up fenders.

[@eat808]

Excellent series of videos, I never realized just how much work goes into making a carbon fiber bonnet! Can you tell me how many times (if at all) you can reuse the same mold? i.e. how many bonnets could you make from that one mold? Many Thanks again for a very educational series of videos

[@easycompositestv]

You can reuse the moulds dozens if not hundreds of times. You will find over time the surface gloss will dull and you may get scratches in the gel, but in most cases these can be polished out to return the part to its original gloss.

[@davidtaylor351]

Excellent! And without any raucous 'music' trying to compete with the explanation!

[@easycompositestv]

Hi David, yes, we moved away from any background music a long time ago, thankfully :)

[@aaditya20g]

Easy composites you say...

[@FanatikBuilds]

Yes, if you want to make the part stronger, just add more layers. You can also glass in lengths of metal to strengthen wide areas. The videos you saw people curing their parts in an oven were probably because the CF or glass was prepreg. Prepreg already has resin impregnated in the weave, but it does not have any catalyst. The catalyst makes a chemical reaction that creates heat.. and it's the heat that cures the resin. So when using prepreg, the part must be baked to cure the resin. Cheers!

[@tannerbean3801]

Didn't show the bonnet on the car!

[@MrGetBad4u]

probably didn't fit

[@DSKiV]

:d :d :d

[@4theloveoflife]

It was made as a demonstration not promoting the hood.

[@johncuervo3019]

It did not line up

[@wanderingbufoon]

They’re still moulding the entire car

[@reignstrange1243]

This really makes you appreciate full body cars for example like full body carbon fiber koenigseggs

[@silvesken]

Let's see what I need for this project: a hood to sacrifice + all the materials + tools + the guy in the video to do the job. Yeh, that's all.

[@silvesken]

Seriously, this is one of the best video tutorial I have ever seen. Even if I don't need a carbon fiber hood, it was worth watching. Well done!

[@aemravan]

i don't think you got the point of making the mould.. lol. you dont sacrifice the original hood.

[@MrJdsenior]

You don't have to sacrifice the hood. ;-)

[@TWX1138]

@@aemravan In many cases there are enough hoods available that it doesn't matter if a hood gets sacrificed. If you're concerned about your own hood, then find an auto wrecking yard with a hood and use that one.

[@aemravan]

@@TWX1138 a) a hood doesn't have to be sacrificed, that was my point. b) It wasn't my concern about sacrificing a hood or not. c) lets see you sacrifice an MKIV supra hood that you found a junkyard :)

[@mirabellasmilestones2484]

This is why premium vehicles are sooo expensive!! Thanks for this very informative tutorial.

[@TWX1138]

It wouldn't surprise me if for premium vehicles, they have double-layer moulds where they don't have to use a bagging and vacuum process, but instead can use a squeeze process. That would cut down dramatically on the consumables and would probably yield nicer finishes on both sides of the part.

[@imafirinmalaser]

I wanna see the bonnet fitted to the car it was from :( haha this series was amazing. I am so down to do this one day (Y)

[@mi16t]

Live Wire fiat 500 lol

[@macktack2851]

a pleasure to watch very well explained am getting ready to do MGA fenders

[@cro508]

So I watched all 3 tutorials and I'm now curious how much would a project like this cost including all chemicals and tapes used?

[@hfranke07]

+cro508 Just what I would know too... I know it is not cheap, but just a rough prize.

[@ACTIVEGAMER298]

+hfranke07 he said in another video, 1000£ (1300 usd or so) not including resin or carbon fiber so I would say around £2000 total

[@BandXTube]

Wow. Might as well just buy a carbon hood. Cheaper than making it yourself.

[@ACTIVEGAMER298]

BandXTube yup, but some cars don't have that

[@BandXTube]

ACTIVEGAMER298 True. I feel like if my Jeep Wrangler has carbon fiber parts just about every other car does though.

[@aemravan]

hands down one of the best carbon videos around. Who are the 142 morons to have disliked this?? Probably the guys that are pissed off that they'll never be able to afford the material to do this or have the skills to even if they could. lol. One of the best, clear, easy to follow videos for carbon.

[@dsofe4879]

I always wanted to buy a car, pull it completely apart and turn it into a Le Mans GTE-style race car, just as a weekend project over a few years. I never knew that you could actually make carbon fiber parts this easily, that's amazing. How long did it take for the entire part? A week?

[@easycompositestv]

nj4ck Hi Nick, yes, it was probably something like that. There's a bit of waiting between stages so it's certainly not a week of solid work; the part itself is only maybe 3 hrs start to finish, once you've got the moulds. Making the moulds is always more work than making the part but you only need to do it once :)

[@dsofe4879]

Easy Composites Ltd Thanks! By the way, do you plan on making more of these videos in the future? This is by far the most informative and well-made tutorial on making carbon fiber that I have seen so far.

[@rafaeldarezzo]

nj4ck I could'nt agree more with you!

[@evo9687]

+Easy Composites Ltd Awesome, be nice to see some more tutorials on other parts you make.

[@erickrayos]

starting from making the mold? to finished product? 3 days since you gotta wait for cure times and whatnot. First day you can get mold done and the next morning its ready. 2nd day you can get the actual part done wait til next day to fully cure then the 3rd day is cutting it to size and whatnot. And if you want a carbon fiber look lay a clear coat on top of it.

[@YMastersWRC]

ASTONISHING! And yes, I think it will be much easier to get a brand-new part rather than making it buy yourself. Buying all the chemicals and carbon fiber itself will cost you around 70% of a new bonnet. And I am absolutely sure that you have to be a well experienced to gain such ASTONISHING quality.

[@easycompositestv]

You would be surprised at the good results many of our customers achieve with a little practice. The advantage of resin infusion is it is a process very highly focussed on closely following the procedure and steps to the letter. If you do so you will almost always get good results. Other techniques such as wetlay often rely on the laminators skill and experience to get a great finish.

[@Rich77UK]

That was awesome. I do suspect you have made it look simpler than it is for a laymen though :)

[@aazarrasheed4255]

Such a detailed video and explain so easily that anybody could understand, but I think people will eventually be asking you to make them a bonnet, instead of purchasing every tool that you used.

[@easycompositestv]

Well, we do get asked occasionally but that's not something we can help with unfortunately. However, have also supplied hundreds (maybe thousands) of individuals and startup companies with full sets of materials, equipment and support and many of these startups have gone on to become established manufacturers which is always great to see and hear.

[@jayphilipwilliams]

Great series!

[@johnwilson4564]

Jay Williams Seems like a lot of work lol

[@imVexedBruh]

John Wilson with a great pay off

[@FJRDavid]

fabulous and I will never question again the price of Carbon parts, knowing I long it take and the skills required...well done:)

[@anetworkservice]

Well done! Very impressive. I'd really like to attempt a large hood duplication using the same techniques you have applied here. I just need to try and figure out how much material I would need. The problem is that this hood I want to replace is not just big, but it is very heavy. I need to pick up a couple of your kits and do at least one or two smaller projects to perfect my skills first. Thanks for you great video series! Mark

[@crave8687]

Great job. I've watch from part 1 straight to 3 and I must say after watching it I can see why carbon fiber is so expensive because it's a lot of time and effort and once done right, looks fantastic.

[@Almazk9]

I like how he is telling about the safety without even wearing a gloves 😂

[@rummy98]

As he finishes talking about safety precautions, he begins cutting, pulling a 35k RPM sawblade towards his other hand.

[@dh66]

Ever use a dremel? they only skip out if you dont hold it steady, and when it does catch, it pops up and forward only a couple inches (5cm)...notabigdealyo

[@AdrianPurcell916]

But hes a pro obviously

[@ipsyop]

@@dh66 accidents always happen, especially with complacency, cutting towards yourself if never a good idea no matter how confident or experienced you are.

[@dh66]

@@ipsyop ever use a dremel?

[@ipsyop]

@@dh66 yeah, and I still cut away from myself its not hard and it prevents injury from an accident. Why are you so adamant on cutting towards yourself ? Lol

[@rallyboy88]

the cleanest composite lamination video I've ever seen, very professional good job!

[@skyty0]

1:58 looks like a Stanley kubrick movie lol

[@jh0742]

I would get myself small bags filled with sand that will have a soft non scratch outside material. Fantastic video by the way.

[@easycompositestv]

Thanks and yes, good tip.

[@AudioTones67]

Thank you for a brilliant introduction to CF production. So here's a rookie question: I thought ALL carbon fibre production involved baking of the product to cure it. Were these bonnet parts just left overnight on the bench and they cured?

[@easycompositestv]

Anthony Bowe Most typical epoxies will cure fine at room temperature although a postcure at elevated temperature will produce stronger parts. Also a postcure can be useful for bonnets or hoods which may be exposed to high temperatures either in hot sun or from the engine. By postcuring the parts, the part will not soften the first time it is exposed to heat.

[@AudioTones67]

Easy Composites Ltd Thank you!

[@xBIGMUSCLEx]

Easy Composites Ltd What is postcuring?

[@CarbonGlassMan]

***** Postcuring is where you bake the carbon part at a higher temperature. If your part cures at room temp, taking it up to something like 150 degrees will make it soft and rubbery. If you postcure it at 150 degrees, it will stay stiff at that temp. The parts and molds I make I usually postcure at 200 degrees for 8 hours. The reason for that is I use prepreg carbon that is cured at 190 degrees.

[@xBIGMUSCLEx]

GunsNpolitics Ah ok thanks. So if I make a hood out of carbon fiber, I need to cure it at the temperature the inside of my engine bay would be while running?

[@zorngottes1778]

a great tutorial, a great surface, great craftsmanship. This is really a whole lot of work with some risks especially while infusing and trimming the final product.

[@easycompositestv]

To be fair, the final trimming is not difficult, it just takes a bit of time and patience! but it is right near the end when the finished part is almost in sight, so the temptation to rush it is quite high and must be resisted.

[@zorngottes1778]

Easy Composites Ltd Did You try a multimaster or another vibrating and not rotating tool? These fast rotating lightweight tools have the disadvantage of easily jumping around and making a lot of dust.

[@easycompositestv]

Yes, we've used most types of tools. Each have their advantages. In our production environment we normally come back to using rotary cutters but we have good localised extraction and air-fed masks.

[@Onhaey]

I wonder if the cost in materials would equal that of an aftermarket carbon fiber body panel.

[@erickrayos]

starting up it would cost more than buying a quality finished product, thing is doing it like this gives you the mold at the end which you can make another piece which you can sell :P I do this on interior trims, haven't done a big part like a hood since I don't have the place to do so but for the interior trims I've made I got my money back off the materials and tools I used and more. it does take experience tho to get a perfect looking piece, this video he made it look easy but its not that easy. It is not that hard either, just experience.

[@rumreach3950]

nobody does a quality job like in this video, they use fiberglass inner layers.. This video shows actual 100% cf part (apart from gluing 2 parts with glue)

[@Broadpaw_Fox]

Rum Reach - there is no 'apart from here. Bonding parts together as was done in the series is exactly how all complex carbon fiber parts are made. From McClaren cars to Pagani's- they're all made from simpler panels bonded together. And if you're concerned about strength, don't be - these aren't your standard 'glues, but are designed for this purpose- the bonds are actually stronger than the base materials most of the time.

[@rumreach3950]

Apparently you never saw how the urethane glue looks in 10 years, it becomes very brittle and starts to fall apart. Not the case with epoxy, when the part becomes one solid epoxy/cf piece, so why not spend a little extra and do the right thing? Whats the point of doing all this work just to put glue in there and screw everything up.

[@Broadpaw_Fox]

Rum Reach - I'm confused now... From what I saw, they did use epoxy in these vids. He used a mixing nozzle, but he was using a 2 part epoxy to bond them together...

[@ptcfreak]

damed, so many special and only for this and that words :D I saw tons of videos on youtube where u can do same quality thing 1000000000 times easier and cheaper :D but respect good job !

[@randalljames1]

I built some wings for a UAV.. The process is actually kind of fun.. Might want to note that radio waves and CF are not exactly the best of friends (enter learn mode).. A proper mold is important when bonding so that the pieces do not flex while being bonded (weight holding pieces together can distort the mold).. Best video series yet of how to do this in clear and simple terms... great job!

[@nzpork1]

I got carbon splinters just watching this. Cool shit though.

[@clancyadams9074]

Tip: putting painters tape on your bonnet-mount drill points to drill through will help with edge chipping and uneven walls in your drilled holes. :D

[@easycompositestv]

Thanks, yes, good tip, in fact we show this technique in our 'How to Cut and Drill Carbon Fibre' video.

[@FrozenHaxor]

I guess it would take me less time to go onto the Mars on foot and come back again than it would take me to accomplish this process, lol.

[@oscarwielie7236]

In one week my new job starts. I am gonna make all kinda stuff of this materials. I'm realy exited

[@easycompositestv]

Good luck in your new job Oscar!!

[@ymehair]

Wow this process is amazing! It's so beautiful! Thanks for taking the time to do this. Now I understand why it's so expensive, well worth it. :)

[@ahmetkipkip]

Learning something is always good, thanks to easycomposites for explain.

[@leloodallasmultipass]

this is really incredible. thanks so much for putting this out there. i feel like i know so much about vacuum bagging that i am going to start bossing other people around on the subject.

[@jonathanjuarezgarcia579]

Ohhhh Hi-Tech bricks... 7:00

[@lastsparks6447]

He should make carbon fiber bricks.

[@analiliafloresortega8520]

but carbor fiber bricks have no weight

[@FanatikBuilds]

Yes, it is paintable! Scuff the surface lightly with 320grit sand paper first though. I use paint that is designed for use on plastics. I would suggest priming the part with a primer for plastic, and then paint with whatever base color of standard urethane or acrylic you want. Happy glassing!

[@houseofno]

I'm not sure a plastics based paint would be the universal solution for an automotive panel, as that paint may not be designed to handle the sort of environmental challenges that an automotive body panel will experience (road debris, road salt, extreme heat and cold from seasonal environmental changes). Then there is the additional challenge of matching a color to an OEM paint code in case a customer wants that carbon fiber panel to match the rest of the vehicle. The more limited variety of pigments available for plastics based paints may not make this an ideal match for OEM paint colors.

[@kurtkaster5666]

I actually watched all 3 parts to see how you bonded the inside and outside together...and you just used bricks.

[@ZxRx7]

Yeah, he should have asked models to sunbath on the thing! or even better, weigh it down with double Ds (No time-lapse for that though).LOL! :-)

[@miikaeatsbagels7320]

Honestly this is great! I wanted to try to make a hood for my car, but the $1500-2000 hoods are expensive! That’s not even counting freight costs 😢 but this shows WHY the craft is so expensive & I respect the people who put the time and effort to make em!

[@houseofno]

I'm pretty sure those costs are inflated to reflect the various profit margins of the producer of those hoods. Looks to be primarily labor intensive, which makes the final highly flexible. The maker can put whatever value on their workmanship that they choose. While there are a number of these carbon fiber part producers worldwide, the actual quality depends on the maker themselves and the skills used in making them. Might actually be worth it to produce it yourself if you find the prices objectionable. It's a relatively new industry, and quality will vary widely.

[@kriskorsmo]

Makes me want to go buy everything and get started immediately!

[@easycompositestv]

Well, there's a plan Kris :)

[@CorvusCorps]

These videos are gonna get me in trouble

[@PressurenFlames]

Would love to try this, even when the first hood would take two weeks to finish in total. I am amazed by the craftmanship and the detail work (beside the usage of bricks :)) ), because I am a detail freak myself.

[@easycompositestv]

The bricks are just there to bring some real science to the process! ;)

[@adrianstephens56]

Nice expert job. I don't understand the dislikes. Surely somebody who disliked the first in the series would stop watching long before now.

[@easycompositestv]

Haha, yes, you'd think. Well, that's the internet for you. We're happy that most people watch and enjoy. You can't please everyone :).

[@skyhacker6]

After weeks of curing process and 2 grand spent you finally get your carbon bonnet for your car ... not for amateur I guess so !

[@JerseyMikeP]

Why even bother cutting out the center section of the inner part? It would be easier to glue together/Look better (IMHO) and be stronger ...without much added weight.

[@easycompositestv]

It's personal choice. We were looking for a close copy of the original so cut the centers out. Even without them, this bonnet is plenty stiff enough even for road use.

[@JerseyMikeP]

Thanks for the reply, I'm just worried...If I build one....it won't hold up to the Underhood temps without a Post oven curing?

[@bentnickel7487]

I'll never complain about wet sanding again after watching these 3 videos.

[@mybeatmhz]

Now I know why is so expenssive :p

[@mwatkins2464]

This is a great video that I had to go back and watch it again. I wish I could do this to build a dash for my 2001 dodge truck. The old one broke in 50 pieces like regular glass would do. Thanks again for this video 👍👍👍👍

[@rogerj412]

The way he pronounces adhesive really bothers me but I'm just a stupid American.

[@Energi2DmaxX]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@judworx]

What? Properly you mean..

[@fastingpinoy546]

Damn, i made it to part 3. Awesome video series mate.👍

[@easycompositestv]

Haha, thanks. Gold star if you battle all the way through nearly an hour of solid tutorial!

[@easycompositestv]

Many of our customers have done just that. Some working in less than ideal conditions. As long as you can keep your working conditions clean and have a suitable temperature environment for curing, then with a bit of practice and experience, anyone with a basic bit of common sense should be able to achieve good results. We know of one customer who does smaller parts in the kitchen and bigger parts on the dining room table!!

[@MrJFoster1984]

I see why race cars cost so much to make, such a labour intensive process. Great informative video and an interesting insight into the process. Thanks

[@haro10100]

I like the induction of the resin via vac pump verses hand laid on high visual parts thanks for tutor.

[@paulevetts9771]

George Osbourne has many talents.

[@wanglee21]

Dang this is so cool! Wow it takes some time and investment to finish those. Now I see why they are so expensive.

[@ungc0]

Its been a long journey, but ive finished watching this. Such a great video, might try this out one day in the near future.

[@easycompositestv]

There are special tinting pigments available, but generally pigmenting carbon parts rarely works as the black carbon tends to show through most things. A lot of the tinting effects are achieved by spraying the part in a tinted lacquer.

[@stjepanivancic3354]

The best commercial Ive seen so far. Good job lads. Now, can you make a video for peasants like me who dont want to spend more money on tools than on the actual bonnet? It can be called... lets say "How to Make a Carbon Fiber Car Bonnet/Hood - poor people version".

[@BrianWerner]

I enjoy all your videos. They're really informative. You make it look easy, but that was a crazy amount of work and skill. I'd really like to make a small boat mold, but I have no experience with any of these techniques. The only thing I've ever done is cover a plywood boat with fiberglass using a roller.

[@easycompositestv]

Hi Brian, well, we’d certainly encourage you to give it a go. Start with something small, it keeps the costs down whilst you make mistakes, but you still learn the same amount. If you get your materials from us then we can help you through the process too.

[@shenzhenpingpong]

Amazing. Can tell it's not his first time. For first time amateurs, I bet it there's no way it turns out that good.

[@easycompositestv]

Well, of course that is right to some degree. However, in the 7 years or so since we made this video, we have seen and heard from hundreds of customers who have produced their own parts by following these methods. They may not be quite as good as this on their first try but they look very good. Some customers have made entire car shells!

[@shenzhenpingpong]

@@easycompositestv , I am encouraged to try to make bits for my carbon fibre velomobile using some of the techniques you've illustrated beautifully. Unfortunately, I'm not in the UK, otherwise I'd certainly be a customer.

[@MrSFSTUDIOS]

So cool! Great job!

[@websimple]

A really useful tip - at 8.20 its a good idea to trim the sharp edges off the excess before attempting the close cut to the part edge. It prevents those nasty carbon cuts while concentrating on the important stuff.

[@n20cpri]

Amazing series. WOW you make it look so easy. lol. Makes me want to replicate my hood.

[@easycompositestv]

Thanks. Lots of people comment that we make it look really complicated (which of course it is) but when it’s broken down it’s just a series of steps, like anything. Give it a go!

[@artbysteve215]

Excellent video, it cleared up a lot of questions I had concerning building a part using carbon fiber and vacuum bagging/resin infusion.

[@cd8247]

Must say, this is some fine work...

[@michaelric3540]

“So can you!” Ha! I appreciate your faith in me.

[@easycompositestv]

Not everyone likes the bonnet pins. You can add extra reinforment in hinge and catch areas to take into account extra loading. Also you can get modified catches for carbon/composite bonnets with lighter springs so that the pressure put on bonnet to shut is not so high.

[@Alex-vz2jz]

I want to start a project that no one has attempted. Well one person has but with Fiberglass but has ended with a bad finish. I want to make a Carbon Fiber hardtop for my FC Rx7 Convertible because it just hasn't been made. And if it works out and is loved and people are interested i can make more and sell them. But first im going to make custom panels and parts before i actually start this project because i have no clue what i will be doing so a few practice runs isn't going to hurt me as i will learn from my mistakes. So thanks a lot for this tutorial i learned so much in such a short time.

[@easycompositestv]

Hi Alex, I'm glad the tutorial has given you the inspiration to make your roof panel, if you have any questions regarding the materials/processes used to manufacture the panels or moulds please feel free to contact us

[@atmospherejo]

all i can say is that this is the perfect job , u r my cf man matt