How to Make Carbon Fiber Parts (Including the Mold)

I walk you through the entire process of making a carbon fiber replica of a part, including how to make the mold. For a complete materials list, including links, click the link below:
docs.google.com/document/d/1y...
I failed to mention ventilation in the video, but make sure you have sufficient ventilation when working with epoxies. And PLEASE avoid contact with your skin. Some resins are worse than others, but no matter which system you use if you don't take the proper precautions then you WILL eventually develop a sensitivity to it. That can mean rashes, blisters, and even breathing problems. Take care of yourself when working with this stuff.

[@micsierra806]

Dude. Finally. A how to with no crappy music, just straight instruction and how-to. Well done. Subbed.

[@trenchtown69]

Not a single chipmunk/eurobeat in there. Agreed!

[@silversrayleigh8980]

Ya it was thorough but skipped the obvious work, while including valuable details... And a haircut ? huh

[@danielharrison7565]

Best how to ever. Period.

[@paulinadeluca9117]

Daniel Harrison yeah for someone that doesn't know what they're doing

[@mlinecomposites1]

Daniel Harrison Really?🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@cameronbeyer7687]

*looks at every body panel on car

[@joshbrock2663]

How to make my miata a rolling death wish lol.

[@livedeliciously]

This!

[@theycallmewoodstock1756]

You mean every part

[@1120mrevo]

I was wondering. What would you do for a rough surface? I noticed your piece was very smooth. Everything I want to work on is rough.

[@angrymario8259]

@@1120mrevo he mentions at the beginning that the resin will copy the texture

[@BabaG]

Love that you did not edit anything out & make it look like everything went smoothly. Also the fact that with 10 years experience you still had issues and you shared that means a lot. It looks simple but it is always in the details and you shared those. Thanks mate. Rare to see that in all the many how to videos on anything. Kudos to you. Keep it up love the transparency.

[@albandrejaj]

Honesty is the best policy. 👌

[@rongravel4585]

Good video. I like the fact you messed up so people can see how a normal process goes. It’s not as easy as some videos make it look. Good job. I’m always looking for other people’s takes on how to get it done.

[@inventor1978]

Same you

[@mlinecomposites1]

Ron Gravel I think he made to many mistakes for 10yrs of experience. Crappy flange, carbon powder for pigment🤨 I understand u wanna see mistakes, but he says he has the experience, it’s just the worst experience I’ve ever seen. It only teaches the rookie that this is all ok, it’s not Clean molds, clean parts. If u haven’t seen Easy Composites videos or Airtech videos u will or a novice will think this is ok 👌🏾, it isn’t, just sayin

[@ls680ta]

You are right but he did say it was a hard part to start with and no vac

[@espenbjrnbak3863]

If you are going to teach to make molds you have to learn to do it yourself. Remember, the kids trying this is going to spend money on their fails... -And why the hell do you use weave on the mold? -You even had problems on that easy , tiny part...

[@PorscheMonster]

Nice instructional video. I liked the fact that you discussed some of the mistakes made during the process. Awesome job!

[@johnbrevard5966]

Thank you, I think this was the first tutorial I didn't fast forward through, Your simple layman's term explanations made this one of my favorite videos, Easy Composites company does similar but fail to help us understand the principal reason each piece of material and steps value to the end result... In other words.. BRAVO!

[@Bittertokken]

This was very informative and complete while still being quite concise! Thanks!

[@FWDFanatic]

Excellent info, I'm making some custom pieces for my car (rear seat delete cover) and I didn't wanna cheap out on wood and carpet, so I'm thinking of making some CF pieces myself for a cool project, and unique look.

[@kuhndj67]

"And this is how you want it to look" he says as he pours pitch black epoxy into cup with his pitch black t-shirt in the background. :-) (great guide nonetheless but that made me laugh)

[@sebastiandellosa4616]

😂🤣😂

[@Clarence_13x]

I like how you start in the kitchen, it reeks of accessibility.

[@SoldierFortheCross]

This is one of the greatest how to videos I have seen on KZbin. None of the usual garbage of stupid blaring music, horrible commentary, bad lighting, crappy camera work. Thank you sir! Excellent job!

[@DjJerryofficialChannel1]

i love your video and how you talk so humble and sincerety and so down to earth

[@davidt3559]

Fantastic. Thank you for taking the time and sharing your expertise. Very much appreciated!

[@ActiveAtom]

New nice good to learn the process, hope this is going to get us the teaching we are seeking. Very informative educational and step by step building up our confidence to attempt this on a piece ourselves. That ply angle difference lesson was very important to build a sturdy mold. Nice you share your mistakes, they occur even after a decade plus of knowledge and sharing the challenges you experience and why are good to actually teach the rest of us. Nice work good job. Thank you. Lance & Patrick.

[@michaelvasquez185]

Thank you for not rushing

[@PIZZA_and_NITRO]

Great vid. Best how to diy on the tube. Clear and concise. Thanks for making this. You really shared alot of knowledge

[@arthurm4709]

yea buddy...... to be honest i was impressed at first with the amount of equipment you had to use and i got to say i am going to give this a try! I wish i could give a detail examination the finished product. Great work and do more!

[@bravo4adventure988]

Just happened upon your video when I searched how to make carbon fiber parts. Clicked on yours and another dude's videos. His had a long intro and crappy music, so I watched yours. Thanks for helping me to feed my own creative juices. Subbed.

[@jamesluff8415]

Really good video. Very clear, informative and honest. Thanks!

[@pauliecabs]

Really useful guide. Thinking of doing this for part of the center console in my car

[@JLone55]

Awesome! Super helpful, thanks!!!

[@livedeliciously]

What I learned: vacuum bagging is essential for a quality finish. Vacuum bag the mold too.

[@budsbustbi6339]

that not as easy asmany make it look!! but if you can i feel best also

[@shawnprince7080]

Keep the videos coming! Well done on the tutorial..... VERY elaborate and thank you for actually explaining why you use the products that you use..... Im looking forward to more, especially when you mentioned the vacuum pump!

[@SasquatchComposites]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm looking forward to making more videos with the vacuum pump. I'm in the middle of a cross-country move, so for the next month or two I won't have a shop to make stuff in. Once I'm set up, though, I'd like to do a vacuum bagging tutorial.

[@audirx8]

A roller for installing screens in a window works very well for the sharp edges to get clean tight lines

[@malp6280]

@Ed Jack you can buy purpose made metal/alloy rollers of various shapes & sizes for fibre glass & carbon fibre however the issue with those are they do get cacked up with resin very quickly, a simple hard edge to lay & rub on the insides works better & can easily be cleaned up.

[@gravytrainexp6194]

Nice video, would love to see you wearing a mask and informing about the dangers of silica

[@bevs908]

Man, you opened my mind to a world i didn't even know. Thank you

[@Chris-hq7nl]

Thank you! I am resto-modding a C3 Corvette and I want to make reproduction gauge bezels out of carbon fiber for the interior. This video is exactly what I needed as a tutorial so I will be trying these methods out when I start rebuilding my interior! Thanks again.

[@lsedanolg]

How did it go?

[@Chris-hq7nl]

@@lsedanolg I ended up going with metal 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@X862go]

THANKS finally one with out some music !

[@BodyFracturesAlso]

Excellent video, thanks.

[@yorhomierussian]

All done in the kitchen. Thats how i do! Great video!

[@thenatedog]

Great video. I am currently doing a lost foam version of a fuselage but want to move to mold making in the future.

[@SasquatchComposites]

Awesome! I tried doing lost foam methods when I was first starting out and never could get good results. I've seen others make great ones, though. I've made two fuselage molds for DLGs by hand now and while it's a lot of work, it's worth it once you've got a design you like. The quality of parts you can make is just so much better with a proper mold.

[@michaelhockus8208]

Nice video. Well explained and edited. thank you

[@LindyDesignLab]

Useful video. Thanks!

[@shanewallace2045]

Very honest video…. Great job!!

[@guysmiley7957]

great video. i actually learned something. no weirdness, just a great how to.

[@brallantp.2812]

He chose a good piece for this. Really complex, not just a plain board

[@jv-iq9uz]

Good job! Really informative... I've never done any of this stuff... I just have some projects in mind for later... I thought this might be a good idea: Powder plaster clay for molds (just shape-n-bake) Carbon fiber clay sheets (just wrap-n-bake around the mold) Then drill out the inner powder plaster with a rotary brush. ;) Thought this might be alot more fun to do...

[@zanderxxx2076]

Thank you so much mate, appreciate this vid.

[@tirsomejia1949]

This was an Awesome HTDIY, I've been wanting to learn the how to process of making a Mold to a carbon fiber part. Your the man, thank you. I'm trying to find a trade school that has metal fabrication, fiber glass and carbon fiber in Florida but there are none here

[@ErMeGeDDoN]

Man, you have such a Bob Ross Style.. thank you for the Video!

[@jamejobs4909]

This looks very helpful，thanks!

[@hch142]

this is the way all video tutorials should be

[@rubenmborgesmusic]

Awesome tutorial.

[@Henry11111]

Great video, thank you!

[@brandonfowler5428]

Thanks so much I never new how that was done thanks

[@jweissy]

nice video. i would of liked more shots of the final product though. Never got to see what it looked like finished

[@Korupshenv1]

Chopped Strand Mat will handle those contours better. Thanks for the video!

[@videossimon4288]

Thanks. Really great

[@jabeamasalo6073]

Very informative Thanks for the tutorial

[@volvo24091]

Good job. Great video

[@PaintballShyguy]

Awesome video, I'm about to do some panels in my boat and maybe the consoles if I get brave. 👍🏻

[@hendrikhanso]

Hi Thanks for the very instructional video.

[@brianpearce7434]

Awesome info bro! Thanks!

[@dhowting]

This is awesome stuff.......I have zero composite experience but would a heavy duty plastic bag and a vacuum help keep the plies from lifting?

[@llNATEDOGGll]

no joke this looks like a trap house for carbon fiber manufacturing lol

[@mikej7237]

LOOK AT THE FLICK OF THE WRIST!

[@danhammond9967]

sometimes the best results come from the most unlikely of places

[@habib1971]

@@danhammond9967 works on two levels

[@tonizippar4523]

This made.mme lose my shit

[@tonizippar4523]

He's right. Like this is our best comment boys.

[@anthonyletourneau2696]

Great video! So how many pulls can you do off of a mold made like this? I love the fact that you don't have to use gel coat

[@williammolchan3883]

Always use tooling jell coat ! Also use a fiberglass roller to get the bubble's out !

[@budsbustbi6339]

keep reading the sale brochures!! millions of jobs done with brush ans many done with just hands! rollers are for big jobs!

[@patrickmitchell100]

I appreciate you not editing your mess ups to make it look like it doesn't ever happen. Subscribe and now everything i own is carbon fiber😋

[@mlinecomposites1]

Patrick Mitchell I just had to add that the mistakes wouldn’t have happened if he would’ve used the proper materials from the beginning For instance: instead of foam board- styrene sheet, smooth is better, always care about your flange Carbon fiber for pigment- or how bout just black pigment, much cheaper than actual carbon graphite powder. The powder can be used for whatever but the true intention is a filler where carbon is truly needed For the mold woven fiber throughout- how about a couple of layers of woven, the rest chopped strand mat, it’s cheaper I just think it could’ve been a lil better

[@simsyndicate8444]

Excellent video

[@epastorejr]

Nice vid, thanks very much !

[@riogrl324]

I’m a nurse but I love learning. Always loved the carbon fiber design very masculine but any who, super cool detailing!

[@carlosgarza8441]

Awesome video. It actually explains what is going on lol and how to.

[@jackimo22]

Best using a layer of tissue (or you may call it veil) continuous fibre mat, directly on the back of your tooling/gel coat, followed by 225gm csm before your woven layers. Very rare to get the gel coat separating and you can use one less layer of woven mat.

[@ntrddragn]

Great video. Do you have a tip or how make mold of the backside of car trim parts? Those trim pieces have tiny plastic prongs so they can latch onto the car.

[@thomasharrison2407]

youre a legend mate

[@Albert87nl]

great video. usefulle information (y) thanks man !

[@bravo4adventure988]

I would like to see how do make parts with a vacuum pump too, since I have one, and I really want to make show quality parts for my bike. Thanks!

[@iamerighi]

Great video man🤙🏻just a white t-shirt would've been a great idea 😉

[@simpilot001]

I just suffered through 30 seconds of a meaningless ad to give money to a complete stranger, this vid better be good Edit: I am glad I gave a random person money it was worth it :)

[@twentylush]

wow this was, easier than i though it was going to be (though mold making does take practice!)

[@jordanfresquez3848]

Thank you man I know it’s 3 years old but this is so helpful subscribing forsure I have a few questions on what I’m going to need for a project I want to make first

[@besteriophonic]

very nice and original. thanks

[@jetskechers5354]

I love this... Thank you

[@SasquatchComposites]

You're welcome 😊

[@emberducati9237]

Thank you for this.

[@cjpixel]

nice walk through of the techniques, looks like it could be use to make model fuselages. Your other video on the dlg tail is really good too (inspired to give that a go at some point). Only suggestion is PLEASE use breathing protection when using coloidal silica... it gets airborne easily and is really bad for your lungs.

[@SasquatchComposites]

Yeah, I really ought to. I've never worried about it since I'm always mixing such small batches, but you're right. Exposure over time is probably what'll end up getting me if I'm not careful.

[@leegrattan467]

Great Video, don't worry about any of the issues you had as they are more informative and helpful compared to a perfect job. Only suggestion would be to get a better microphone and maybe show a few close ups during the job. Will definitely look out for more of your videos. Thank you

[@captainmh8417]

Brilliant!

[@OCofthe3]

Most of the resins I have run into mix by volume, not by weight. This is because they are designed to have pumps that allow for quick dispensing. Check with your resin manufacturer. Also, pva stands for polyvinyl alcohol.

[@Carrizales-bn5dm]

You can also use a paint roll to get out the air from the fiber instead of your finger or the brush ,works better just saying 😁

[@fgroen1225]

You're missing a coupling layer between the tooling coat and the first layer of glass laminate. I tend to wet out the tacky tooling coat with a mix of resin and cotton flocks (renders the resin also a thixotropic depending how much cotton you add), the resin still being quire runny so that is also a first wet layer for the next layer of glass. Then the steps that cause air bubbles can be filled by taking some of the coupling coat mixture and adding more cotton flocks and some micro ballons. This will make it into a putty that you can fillet into the edges to smooth out the curve of the surface. Since it's all still wet the first layer of glass (I tend to start with a thinner cloth 80-100 g/m2) will follow the contours perfectly and will allow for subsequent layers to conform as well.

[@SpaceHunterLPSpaceHunterLP]

I have a question, what if on the backside you have got tabs to keep the part in place in the bike itself? How do you attach the part now and is there a way to create new tabs,

[@primate2744]

You've really put together an excellent instructional video on this process. Thank you very much. Do you think that starting your layup with a lighter cloth would help with the tight areas? I've been meaning to do a plug and a mold for a couple of micro edf projects for some time but I'm still working on getting my cnc mill, 3d printing and my 3d modeling up to spec before getting into the actual tooling. Thanks again!

[@SasquatchComposites]

Yes, lighter cloth can conform to tight areas easier. Using a twill weave can help as well.

[@jaketank3217]

You provided great technique, we appreciate your honest assessment of your mistakes. Your work area looks very nice, I hope that is not your kitchen. You should protect your counter tops from all of those chemicals and fiberglass!

[@pierreduplessis1507]

Cool vid. Learned alot. Have you made anything longer than 90inches?

[@carbonzoidproductions4266]

seriously thank you sooo much for this detailed video, I really appreciate a lot, please make more, I been working with carbon fiber for a while but this helps me up my skills thanxx

[@ryanwolfe911]

The problems you described when making the mold is why I always use chopped strand mat when working with curved parts, it doesn't have problems with lying flat over curves, and why wouldn't you use a tooling gelcoat for the mold?

[@Dr.Velcro]

Hey do in u have any tutorial vids?

[@craigmonteforte1478]

good video thanks a few months ago i had a lengthy discussion about Carbon Fiber with a cousin of mine who is a Engineer by trade he warned me about the sharp edges of the fibers and told me how nasty they can be on our skin i have had a lot of fiberglassing experience because of my boating hobby and of course my Cousin knows that ironically for one of his Cpllege projects he and group of Engineers did do a Carbon Fiber project that was a man powered boat so he not only knows the technical side of it but has some hands on experience as well

[@niles8582]

Great video. And nice haircut at 23:07 😂

[@jonathanpham7397]

Would using the Vacuum method help with the lifting and rounded corners in general? Great video. Do fenders and side skirts plz

[@baronvonlimbourgh1716]

Yes, the vacuum bag would pull tight into those corners and so would also push the carbon under it tight into the corner. And it honestly is not much more complicated then doing it this way. You just need proper vacuum bags or tape and a pump. And use resin fitted for vacuum suction. The hard part of doing this is the prep stuff, which is the same as shown here. This is perfect for more flat parts with no hard details. But things with corners or complicated details are far easier with a vacuum pump. Also, you could use thinner fiber weave for the first layer as it is easier to bend into tight places. And it looks better in my opinion. After that just lay up the thicker stuff unto that.

[@cheetahgaming3642]

dont do carbon fenders please... don't do any sufficient body parts unless your gonna do the entire car, rear quarters, roof and all... keep it to Bonnets, Lips and Mirrors. TRUST ME doing half the body parts Carbon and half the car parts Painted. It looks terrible

[@kawasakicruisader5600]

Would vacuum sealing the mold while you were layering the fiberglass face helped prevent the bubble?

[@T88M3]

Gotta love DLG's.

[@mlinecomposites1]

Good vid, my opinion is that the flange should be clean as well, I believe it should be as clean as the part. If u ever decide to use bagging tape, or overhang of glass fibers it can lay minimal on the flange. When your laying bagging tape u want a smooth surface prep, u don’t want to have to work the tape into too many crevices or uneven pavement. For overhanging of glass fibers onto the flange, again u want that smooth as well for ease of release once cured. If it’s too ruff or patchy or uneven your going to gouge the flange which needs to stay smooth for the future possibility of vacuum bag, or again bagging tape, My opinion, everything needs to stay smooth&clean. Oh and it’s never a bad thing to make a big flange, at least 2-3 inches. If the flange isn’t large now you’ll have to worry about mixing the bagging tape too close to fiber&consumables, do it once you’ll never worry again!

[@jayinmi3706]

Would using a fiberglass cloth of a lighter weight (i.e. more flexible) for the first layer help in the tight corners? Seems like it would.

[@alextoader2880]

Great video thanks! Is it possible to make a mold out of chopped GF and resin? Won't it be structurally the same? If strength is not a huge factor (I don't think it is for a mold?). Is it not easier to spread chopped GF than put multiple layers of CF? Or maybe chopped GF is more expensive?

[@despizedicon]

no vacuum bag...or resin rollers?

[@formulaboy88]

How much of resin hardener would I need to do this with say a big piece like a bumper? Theres a bumper I like but no one makes a carbon fiber version

[@houseofno]

Necessity is the mother of invention. Good luck!

[@jonnytentpeg]

You might want to try looking into consolidating between layers mate look into consolidation bags and there uses all the best 👍

[@torchgoat1707]

Ty I've been interested in doing this for some time be a cool hobby to get into I can think of lots of things to be making lol for drones my car ect

[@ekhles104]

Very Excellent

[@derekmeeks4006]

Your part came out much better than some other vids. Glad I watched.