I'm new to the composites game but learning lots. I've started making a plug for my airbox on my motorcycle. It's a deep clamshell affair - like two halves of a box and a flat seam joining in the middle. The box halves are about 8x10 inches cross section and 4 inches deep.

Looking at them I would guess pre-preg oven curing is going to give me the best finish but I don't have an oven - well unless I use the kitchen oven and that means no permanently applied vacuum unless I drill a hole which won't go down very well! (can I even use the kitchen oven without messing it up for food cooking? i.e. can I do it when the wife is out shopping? :-))

So the alternative would be resin infusion but will that work for a box this shape? I guess not having tried this before I wonder if it'll pull the resin over all areas or whether it'll take path of least resistance and draw it around the top of the box shape and not go into the depths of the box structure.

I'm still sanding and polishing the plug now so thinking ahead by some margin but I'd welcome any suggestions so I can plan accordingly...




Thanks :-)

Kitchen oven - err... nope. Lots of reasons but unless your other half is shopping for 8+ hours then you won't get away with it anyway!!! you need the temperature control at lower temps and a typical kitchen oven can provide. If you have a bag burst then you could contaminate the oven with loads of nasty stuff that isn't pleasant to ingest....

Hi Moonpie

Thanks Guys - ok so sounds like the kitchen oven is not an option which means resin infusion is going to be the way to go for now. Assuming I get some reasonable results and want to make more parts I may build an oven for future pre-preg use but this has convinced me to stay with the resin infusion method to begin with.




Chris@Carbonfibreworks -  yes you're right, Moonpie = Simon :-) I take it we must know each other somehow but I'm not making the link to carbonfibreworks immediately?

PM sent Simon