Making a Mold of a Plastic Part to Turn Into Carbon Fiber- step by step

[@Rokcrler]

Thank you AJ for this... This video answered a few questions ive been having. As others mentioned, it might be repetitive for you, but watching all the steps helps us noobs understand mo-betta!

[@sleepydeepy1284]

Can you do a video where you use PVA and also NOT skip any parts? Sometimes it sounds like “wipe on wipe off” is self explanatory but for beginners we’re very mistake prone lol. Thank you!

[@LunaDiego5]

Yes 🙌

[@andysracingadventure]

This!^

[@xlrationmarine]

PVA sucks, learn to use mold wax, TR High temp is best.

[@dubbleA100]

I really like that this mold was a struggle for you, because I feel like this is exactly what we will encounter when we first start molding parts.

[@RLCPLUMBINGLLC]

I have a new helper in the shop he works in all 3 companies. He has really taken to the composite shop and is good at it I will have him watch you video. On another note I'm going to sale my first part at the end of the month the water dispenser that I sent pictures of I'm supper excited. I have spent tons of money and 2 years honing my skills and now it will pay off anyone else doing this just hang in there you will get it have a great day.

[@user-pg3yg7id1z]

congrats

[@vasili1207]

Plumbing 😂

[@pablobenitez3823]

Thank you man for showing us that even as a professional there still little hiccups but all good great video

[@oscarrios001]

He telling us the most boring part,me= that look so awesome and to relax

[@buddyb4343]

A couple of questions . . . first, since your fiber mats extended past the ends of the part, and then you cut through those. Doesn't that tend to induce a frayed or rough edge? I know you sanded the edge, but don't you have to seal it in some way? (Or is the infusion so complete that the cut/sanded edge is still basically monolithic in nature?) Second, your objective in making it CFC? Looking at that part as a machine builder, I could see making it out of a piece of sheet aluminum. Then, instead of spending the time making a mold, I could have spent time machining a basket weave of material away for lightness, if that was more of the objective? I also tend to like metal if I ever think I'm going to have to modify it because I can add bosses, taps and things more easily after the fact. Obviously for curved, structural body panels, CFCs can more easily yield a stronger, more complexly shaped, light weight part, with managable tooling. (Or was this more just for the demonstration?)

[@user-pg3yg7id1z]

greatest man on youtube

[@KureijiYaroBuilds]

I believe the reason why you had those holes appear on the gel was due to the Clay releasing oxygen creating those air pockets D: I could be wrong but I do believe the clay were exposed to oxygen inside them while you were molding around the piece. Think it takes more than 24 hours for the clay to dry fully before appyling any application over it. Absolutely amazing job! Makes me want to invest in doing something like this for my future project build!

[@maryginger4877]

Why to use wax...

[@CoLiC2]

I am so here for this. Thank you

[@Jkseller12]

love the video! the reason that your gel ended up like that is from too much product applied at one time. I know it was a small part but if you used a cup gun or hvlp to spray the gel on i dont think you would have had that issue with the clay. Also id recommend using yellow plasticine wax rather than clay its much easier to work with applying and modeling.

[@ajhartmanaero]

I have a cup gun but absolutely hate the overspray issue with them and still get lifting issues. Thin coat, thick coat, doesn’t seem to make a difference in my experience. As small as this part is I figured brushing would be more appropriate. And any tips on where to find filleting wax in the US would be appreciated. I’ve found other yellow waxes but nothing seemed quite right.

[@mr2ferrari]

@@ajhartmanaero only place I've found fileting was was from Easy Composites in the UK. I treat it as if it's literally gold since it costs so much just to get it to the states, but it's honestly worth it. It's so easy to apply and work with, plus it you push the used remnants through a fine meshed colander you can remove most contaminants and reuse the wax many times

[@Jkseller12]

@@mr2ferrari exactly this, I reuse it and have had no problems

[@mporta]

Easy Composites yellow wax is Pelican Nekiplast :-)

[@mr2ferrari]

@@mporta I've searched that name without success... any ideas? Where is it made?

[@bonovoxel7527]

From what I learnd today you need Pva if you have some deep parts that wont easily leave the mould. PVA can guarantee some decimals of flex when you demold a piece with two straight edges.

[@maryginger4877]

PVA is also water soluble, given some patience.

[@johnrisher3007]

Hey AJ what did you coat that with. Was it urathane or something else

[@zexbaxtiam5741]

Muchas gracias por tu aporte en los videos me motiva a intentarlo

[@davecaresforyou7606]

Those different levels got me

[@santoscamacho3361]

Thank you for your videos!.. priceless info...Ive been wanting to carbon fiber copy my car body parts but been clueless where to start

[@RobertFickes-f7w]

Great videos… one question I have is carbon fiber itchy? Like fiber glass…

[@JonasE-l7q]

Hello sir, i just found your channel and like the videos, you definitely gained a subscriber :) However i do have one quesion: Are you not concrened with the health risks of Glass fiber exposure? Right at the beginning (0:05) you can see the open goll of glass fiber Mat and i was really suprised by this. I always make sure to store my stuff in some plastic bag or box to minimize the exposure of glass fiber.

[@ПавелСлезко-ю3т]

Hi. Please make a video about how you make matrices (forms) for vacuum infusion🙏🙏🙏

[@davecaresforyou7606]

Man you are fire! I love this

[@jr3628]

waiting to see that undertray

[@wdiv]

Same 🎉🎉

[@charlesbrewer6552]

An interesting video. I just wonder how much lighter the carbon fibre access door is compared to a fabricated sheet aluminium part?

[@GrindHardChamp]

Hey I want to start making a mold Im just a little confused about the gelcoat the one Im looking at is a polyester gelcoat will it bond well with the epoxy resin when adding the fiberglass?

[@kloyder]

Super video!!Thanks a lot!!!

[@kenmcdonough2868]

The adhesive on many masking tapes do not play well with styrene. I know the masking tape was under the clay but the vapor may have permeated it .

[@ajhartmanaero]

Hmm. Never heard of that one but may be worth a small test sometime.

[@Architect172]

Mucho gräcias brah.

[@beasten14]

How much epoxy do you use for a part? Is there a specific chart you follow for each part?

[@Kurzawaa]

I believe the reason for the gelcoat reacting with the clay is because of either moisture or oils in the clay itself. When I use PVA, those issues go away.

[@ajhartmanaero]

Agreed. But then you have all the time and texture from pva so was trying to get away without it. I’ve also had plenty of gel coats lift while using pva so still trying to nail that down.

[@carbonfiber8071]

@@ajhartmanaero I spray my PVA with a paint gun. Works great. Ends up like smooth paint. Just don't spray too heavy on the first coat so it won't create open areas in the coverage. A mist coat will help the PVA bond to the wax. I spray gelcoat (gel-coat gun of course) and PVA even with small parts now.

[@ajhartmanaero]

@@carbonfiber8071 that’s exactly how I used to do it but trying to find an easier/quicker way.

[@Kurzawaa]

@@ajhartmanaero yeah I understand, I don't like PVA texture either. I personally use a sealer on my plugs. If I used that much clay though, I personally would use a brush and pva only over the clay.

[@ajhartmanaero]

@@Kurzawaa Funny enough thats one of the solutions I want to try.

[@jree7983]

Hello, is the process the same if the piece you want to re-make is metal instead of plastic?

[@davidkeenan5989]

Good job!

[@johnthompson9918]

Just before you lay down carbon fibre sheets, do you have to put a clear gel coat down first?

[@ajhartmanaero]

@@johnthompson9918 only if you want to

[@johnthompson9918]

@@ajhartmanaero what is the alternative? Spray a clear coat on the finished product? ✌🏼

[@ajhartmanaero]

@@johnthompson9918 yes

[@johnthompson9918]

@@ajhartmanaero thanks for your reply 👍🏼

[@oh5148]

At what temp should I post cure and for how long ?

[@FBS_raceteam]

Amazing video thank u

[@motorsports_culture]

May I ask you, why in some cases you firstly apply a top coat on the mould before applying the carbon fiber and in this case you didn't? Thanks.

[@oscardemorizi9653]

Como pode ser aplicado em peças confeccionadas?

[@patriotkieler9750]

Good job

[@josephoneill2957]

Does this work with rc cars? I want to build a little bodykit for my rc drift truck, can I skip parts? Is it like fibreglass? It doesn't have to be perfect, can't I just mould the bodykit from clay, then just brush it on? The fibre will be getting painted, I'm more concerned about the strength and weight

[@josephoneill2957]

Yeaaaaaahhhh, I'm just going to use fibreglass fluff! 😂😂😂

[@darrellwatts1281]

can you do a video on when your making a carbon fiber part how do you know how much resin and hardener do you use for the part I guess you could say the formula for each part that you make. Thanks

[@ajhartmanaero]

No need. Just weigh your carbon and start with a 1:1 and adjust from there.

[@crabsae3623]

thank u for knowledge

[@ulisesgarcia1450]

Can you please list the materials you use to mold ?

[@dubbleA100]

So you may have been asked this a thousand times too, but with the parts you use to create the mold, like this cover... Are they useable if you're not needing to sand them and mod them too much, such as a body panel or interior trim? Thanks

[@VileAce]

Your clay has contaminations in it. Time to get new clay. Make sure to vacuum bag the clay between projects so you do not contaminate it with dust and chemicals from the shop

[@WatchRichRebuildsChannel]

👍 👍 Thanks 👍👍

[@IngeBall]

Try to get hold of Pelikan Nakiplast. It's a filleting wax.

[@ajhartmanaero]

I’ll check it out. Thanks.

[@jree7983]

@@ajhartmanaero hello, can you please let me know if the process is the same if the piece you’re trying to remake is metal instead of plastic? Thank you!

[@mr2ferrari]

I've had many molds "lift" during the tooling gelcoat stage for reasons i just can't nail down. I originally thought I applied too much release wax or pva... or even my gelcoat was too thick in that area. I've yet to get a concrete answer as my "lifting" point changes each time 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ajhartmanaero]

Yeah I can’t quite hammer it out either and it’s fairly annoying when it happens. Doesn’t happen all the time tho.

[@huizdeeze1075]

do you have prevate classes on how to make carbon fiber

[@ajhartmanaero]

No. Only videos.

[@huizdeeze1075]

@@ajhartmanaero Thanks

[@andyb7754]

I found your video and the part came out great. I'm not fond of "wiped it down with acetone" and then keep touching it with your bare hands. No matter how clean your hands are they still have oils on them. Wear gloves and a respirator. Working with glass and carbon fiber (I'm and aircraft mechanic) you need PPE. Thank you for the interesting video.

[@Kurzawaa]

How are you going to take a mold of the undertray when generally it's pretty floppy?

[@ajhartmanaero]

Simple. Support it so it’s not floppy

[@lmSteveo]

What’s the point of the primer? Why not just put the gel coat on the part? How many layers of fiberglass did you apply? What’s the gsm of the fiberglass sheet? What epoxy/ resin did you use? The us composite gel coat can be brushed on and not sprayed?

[@CP-zi3eg]

Nice works. But you could probably avoid the spray coat and use packing tape to cover the surface and have a ready to use nice surface

[@ajhartmanaero]

If you can live with the ridges from tape lines, sure.

[@CP-zi3eg]

For an undertray lid sure one can live. Packing tape exists in different sizes and if you don't find it , there are out there many cheap kind of tapes , adhesive and not, in rolls large enough to entirely cover easliy that geometry.

[@rawrtravisrawr]

any suggestions on a lower cost gelcoat? found the one in your video and its 200 for it, curious if there are more cost effective options or if thats something not worth cheaping out on

[@markluna6271]

If you're using a gelcoat just for a mold, you can mix your own using 1ltr polyester resin + 20% calcium carbonate + few table spoons of aerosil. Calcium carbonate is just a filler to make it viscous and have more volume. Basically you can use any fine powder such as talc, lime whichever is available to you. Aerosil (most commonly known as cab-o-sil or fumed silica) is important because it makes your gelcoat sticky and non-sagging. I don't know any alternatives to aerosil but it is an important ingredient since having a runny gelcoat would just make it flow to the bottom of your mold, making it thinner at the topmost part. If it's really not available, filler alone would be fine just make sure you don't add too much of it.

[@natelaflex7486]

Do you do custom orders??

[@ajhartmanaero]

How custom?

[@gelleg1]

была нормальная крышка, её никто не видел и не увидит,никакой роли её прочность и или вес не играют, но, мы истратим море времени, кучу материалов и энергоресурсов, создадим гору мусора и неперерабатываемых и в том числе токсичных отходов, и сделаем крышку из композита придуманного и рассчитанного на создание деталей к которым предъявляются особые требования по физико-механическим характеристикам, при этом всем покажем как делать не надо, а потом всё это выбросим, ну что, мы молодцы?, ну конечно же мы молодцы!

[@IamtheLordofDoom]

How long do these molds last?

[@ajhartmanaero]

Probably a few hundred pulls if done properly.

[@martygt3357]

I think that the carbon oil door is cool and stronger than the plastic but a big reason for carbon fiber is the weight reduction. Even if the weight savings is only 1 ounce on this 5" x 6" part, I can scale up for the whole undertray. Please tell the weight savings of this 2 layer carbon vs. original plastic.

[@ajhartmanaero]

I actually did weigh them. It was about 100g for the original plastic and 50g for carbon. I don’t thing that would scale across the entire splitter blade as it would need to be thicker to handle the loading properly.

[@martygt3357]

@@ajhartmanaero Thank you, This is such a real world example with accurate weights. I have yet to do any carbon fiber but I enjoy learning and will apply this knowledge in the future.

[@gzcwnk]

nice......

[@fcknhellmate]

Why not fill those light scratches with hard wax? Seems like reasonable solution.

[@ajhartmanaero]

I think any time saved there would have been lost with extra work polishing the mold surface.

[@maryginger4877]

At this point we are ready to coat it ---- "WITH WHAT ?"

[@ajhartmanaero]

Time stamp?

[@theoaf8785]

@1:56

[@Anton-zb9dc]

it would be faster and probably easier to skip most of coating steps and instead add scotch tape that would give nice finish and easy release

[@ajhartmanaero]

If you can live with the lines, maybe.

[@andrewcoombs8801]

Try using splash zone (2 part) instead of clay .....the gelcoat won't act funny on splash zone

[@stuartarneaud218]

Nice quiet a bit of work 😅

[@xpnuggetbear]

Use sulfer free clay

[@bradr539]

Correct 😊

[@djremotion2]

I have never made traditional mold. I just 3D-design and 3D-print the mold, negative or positive.

[@ajhartmanaero]

I've done that a few times now. Definitely a viable solution for certain things.

[@liciniooliveira-becas3618]

The reason for the pores seem to be because of the clay not being dry.

[@EDUBS2000]

Fast forward tutorials are frustrating......lol

[@franseresplandor8591]

"AL" METAL MUSIC

[@johnrisher3007]

Hahaha a clay joint

[@gokhanceterez1043]

sorry but waste of the time and material for this part. it is already plastic light. functionless.

[@ajhartmanaero]

I’m sorry but your comment is a waste of time and functionless. It’s about the process. Not necessarily the part.

[@thediscoman2001]

terrible

[@ajhartmanaero]

Greatest comment ever.

[@xlrationmarine]

Clay sucks. When the gel kicks it gets hot, that heat will cause the clay to sweat, and then the gel will release. There is a better way to make that flange with very little to no clay at all.

[@TankToChest]

To simplify this process and to make it more rigid I would have ditched the single bolt for a 3 bolt with no lip and reached for a sheet of flat carbon and cut it out. And used some click bond fasteners. No sanding no finishing no tool making

[@ajhartmanaero]

In one off world, sure. But you’re missing the end scope of the project so that wasn’t a viable solution here.