Hello Forum,

                I came across the work of Belgium Designer Peter Dondas who has used what appears as Carbon tow or ribbon to make a bench around

a multi piece  polystyrene form or pattern to enable removal. see link https://blog.carbonfibergear.com/the-making-of-peter-donders-carbon-fiber-bench/ . I have some experience in making simple items using carbon cloth with Lantor Soric as a core using vacuum infusion with some success, though I still class myself as a 'newbie', but this method leaves me scratching my head! 

How do you wet out the tow with the correct amount of resin? Do you think they are winding it dry or wet as a 'prepreg' over the polystyrene former? On construction sequence on the  they do not appear to bag the bench or show how the resin is applied. How does the bench get its strength  without a core material?

I seem to remember seeing a  similar process to make fuel tanks. 




Trevor

From the picture in the middle of the article, it looks like they have made a resin bath to run the tow through before it is wound around the polystyrene core. The wetted out tows will then cure as is. 

A core is not needed when there is enough material to provide adequate stiffness on its own.  In fact in this case a core would detract from the deliberate hollow nature of the furniture.

Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

Hi Warren,

                I thought someone would have an answer, though I can understand some designers showing enough to demonstrate the innovation

in their work but still not showing enough for others to replicate. The carbon fibre tow seems to be used in  just a single thickness with just the crossing wire mesh effect providing strength. It seems to me that the more crossings you have to stronger the finished article.Thank you for your prompt reply.




Trevor