It didn't look that hard when they did it on the discover channel in the show "How it's made".

They made a CF cello. The vacuum forming may be an issue, but the rest seems okay. Well, maybe the baking in the auto-clave seems a bit hard as well.

But it otherwise looks pretty fun. I could make the CF dash I have been looking for, and the door panels, and a center console. And a lower front splitter. I could use the original dash as a mold and make a metal mold around IT, and then reverse the mold with the CF.

Maybe I should start with doing a hatch.

Any advice?

 

Fenders and front/rear bumpers are a start too.

 

Take a class from Abaris up in Reno.

KK

 

Does not have to be vacuum formed; I understand you can also lay strips on a foam former.

I believe it is quite a simple process but getting a quality finish can be harder

marton

 

you can use a wet lay up.

Carbon strips come pre impregnated with resin, you have to freeze them until which point your ready to lay them, then you just lay it down and it dries. This is not as strong as the stuff that goes in the autoclave but it would be fine for a dash, but its still very expensive.

 

Just use a space bag...

 

were you planning on leaving it exposed or were you going to upholster it. If its exposed it will most likely be glossy to show it off. But that will give you huge glare issues as the carbon weave will show up[ pn the glass as your trying to drive. If you upholster it then why bother with carbon, i would just stick with the much cheaper fiberglass.

 

You may want to pm Ron V. on some of the intricacies, but wet layup is not too bad. You can make porcelain molds for smaller parts. Making the molds for the larger parts is going to be your biggest challenge along with the material cost. Working with it can be fraught with annoyances as it is very abrasive to tooling and the dust gets into everything, along with being toxic... Wet layup will be nowhere near as light as prepreg in vacuum bags, in an autoclave.

 

Wet layup does not look very good unpainted.

 

I have no idea. I watched a few TV shows, and I think I am an expert.

Just kidding.

The dash is too heavy. The center console is too heavy. The hatch is too heavy. I am happy with the doors, hood, and fenders. Possibly to change the fender widness, but thier weight right now is perfectly acceptible.

 

Maybe a thin aluminum for the dash to have Paul cover with alcantara. Just a small version of the dash to cover some of the unsightlies. But the doors and center console could be CF. As could the rear hatch. And a lower valance for the front.

 

Hit this once on a driveway or curb and you'll wish you hadn't!

 

Well, how much is this stuff? If I am making them, I'd make two or three, and just say to myself "Maybe next time you'll learn,"

But if the car is too low, thats my fault. The 78 will not be as high as they were stock, thats for sure, but after driving around the Rice-mobile for a year or two now, I also don't want the 78 too low.

 

Yeah i would never suggest it right out of the mold, when i said unpainted i meant the clear coated look. Unpainted would have been without a cover color. Yes when it comes out of a mold it has to be finish sanded and preferably clear coated.

 

Brendan check out Aircraft Spruce they supply the Homebuilt aircraft market and have LOTS of information. Many of the kit airplanes are foam and composite construction with CF Kevlar S glass....