How much materials would I need to make a mould of my Audi A5 bonnet (hood)? I'm looking to make a carbon bonnet for it and it will be my first project. I have seen the kits on sites but I'm not sure on how much of what it is I would need. Any help will be appreciated. Anthony.

You'll need a big kit. Without knowing the exact dimensions of your bonnet it's a bit difficult, but at a guess I'd estimate an A5 bonnet is somewhere in the vicinity of 1.5 sqm. So you will need somewhere around 1kg of tooling gelcoat, around 500g of vinyl ester skin coat (assuming you use EC's 100g CSM for that first layer), and somewhere between 13-15kg of tooling resin for 5 layers of 450g CSM. Not sure how big EC's kits are, but I'd guess you can probably get 1kg cans of the tooling gelcoat and skin coat, and a 20kg barrel of the tooling resin. 

Thank you for your reply. I will start to price up what you suggest. Is EC the best place to get materials from or can you recommend anywhere else? 

Isn't this a too big undertaking?
I mean, im new at this to and i ruin moulds, parts i create moulds from and the final part itself.
And i try only small parts.

I know the EC videotutorial looks simple, but it is infact alot of things that needs to be done precisely right.
So if you start on this project be prepared to spend more money on this process then buying a new carbonhood from a supplier.

However getting the hood skinned with carbon on the other hand could be possible for a first timer.

I hear you. I don't expect it to be as simple as it looks lol. 

It is actually very difficult and incredibly easy all at the same time.

if you are good with your hands a quick to learn you will succeed, if not you will fail miserably!

watch the EC videos on making a bonnet and then make a honest decision, can you do as the video or not.

you cannot cut corners and need to follow the principles accurately, it can work, ive made parts for my bike so anyone can.

read,read and then read some more.

the uni-mould kit covers .7m so two should do a bonnet.

I am rather good with my hands and a VERY quick learner. I'm a panel beater / refinisher by trade so always working to specifics. 

As a vehicle finisher you will be ok, alot of the techniques used are the same.

you will have no problems preparing the pattern and the mould itself is not hard to do, get the catalyst rates correct and work quickly.

I don't know if its possible to do a part that size using wet lay but to do it correctly you need to infuse so will have the extra expensive of vacuum and consumables be its a nice clean way to work.

You will be fine!

I would do a few smaller projects first with different moulding systems unimould, epoxy using the smaller kits to get a feel of the materials and tools needed. This will allow you to gauge future project material requirements alot easier.

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David Stevens
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