Hi all,

I have a few questions about making flat carbon fiber sheets and hollow rectangular box channel.

When making a flat sheet under a vacuum, (or anything for that matter), what kind of release film should I use? From what I have read, Peel-Ply and Porous release films will allow excess resin to be pulled from the layup, but a non porous release film doesn't? But parts created with the non porous release requires less finishing, is that correct?

Second, I'm looking to make a box channel by wrapping a piece of Styrofoam with carbon fiber, then remove the stryofoam with acetone. I've already created a piece like this, but since I don't have vacuum equipment (yet) the finished part was rounded and not square like the stryofoam. I assume creating the part with a vacuum will make the carbon fiber conform to the square shape better.

I'm working on really small parts here, The box channel is made using a piece of 1/4" x 5/8" stryofoam and I wrapped it with 5 layers of 5.7 oz/sq yd .012 thick fabric. I was aiming for the side walls to be 1/16" thick. Would a thinner fabric and more layers work better to create a square part, or thicker & less layers?

Thanks for any help,
Randy
 

Non-perf release film would only require less finishing because it would make a very resin rich part. Cosmetically this is better, but it would be a weaker, heavier part.