Casting Carbon Fiber part from Epoxy

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Casting Carbon Fiber part from Epoxy

Author	Message
Demarco72	Demarco72 posted 7 Years Ago HOT Topic Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 3, Visits: 17	hi there, I'm trying to cast a motorcycle part in clear carbon fiber resin. its a small part no bigger then a dinner plate. it has a slight fold to it so the material ive tried just runs to the middle. I was hoping to use the same technique as the youtube video from easycomposites. brush on black base, then clear epoxy and apply carbon fiber etc. the rest I got but I think the problem is with the kind of release Ive tried and def the material. its very low vis so its not helping. the release and clear resin at smooth-on products. just wondering if anyone can recommend an easycomposite product that will work along with proper release. any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks!
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Dravis	Dravis posted 7 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 592, Visits: 1.9K	You need to explain this a bit better ... Are you "skinning" an existing part? or do you have a mould (since you are talking about "release") What is the brown stuff in the image? The original part? Could you post pictures of the other side of the part (Where the CF presumably is?) "Sapere Aude"... Dare to KNOW! The written word is the only truly efficient vehicle for transmitting a complex concept from mind to mind... 103% of all people do not understand statistics... Do not adjust our mind, theres a fault in reality :-)
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Demarco72	Demarco72 posted 7 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 3, Visits: 17	Apologies, the brown/orange part is the mold I made from the original. I thought about skinning the original part but I don't want to take a chance of a failure. So I created an epoxy mold. Attached you will see the original black part in my dilemma of how the part is shaped. The release I mention is to remove the new part once it's cast. Edited 7 Years Ago by Demarco72
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Hanaldo	Hanaldo posted 7 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 2.5K, Visits: 28K	EL2 resin and Easylease release agent are the Easy Composites that would be suitable for you. To be honest, wet laying that part isn't going to be super easy without vacuum bag to hold the fabric in place. You may want to brush a layer of resin on and let it cure until it is tacky, then use that to hold your first layer of carbon in place. Let it cure for a couple more hours before wetting out the fabric with more resin and applying more layers. The trouble with that technique is if you use Easylease, the resin won't form an even surface on the mould, it will separate into lots of droplets. So it can take some experience to learn how to use the materials.
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Dravis	Dravis posted 7 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 592, Visits: 1.9K	Back before I discovered infusion, i used to lay out a flat sheet of vacuum bagging film, then very lightly coat "the outside" of a cut to shape piece of CF and leave it to cure to a sort of "soft tacky state" .. Then you can drape/place the carbon fibre a bit like a piece of pre-preg in the mould, leave it a bit to cure to a slightly harder state of tack, then soak with resin, and add additional layers. The end product will have some slightly "dry" areas, so I always clear coated the parts. This technique can make it possible to make quite complex parts with "wet lay" only "Sapere Aude"... Dare to KNOW! The written word is the only truly efficient vehicle for transmitting a complex concept from mind to mind... 103% of all people do not understand statistics... Do not adjust our mind, theres a fault in reality :-)
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Demarco72	Demarco72 posted 7 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 3, Visits: 17	that's exactly the problem. it just beads on the surface with any release I try. I guess I'm confused because easycomposites has a video where they do exactly what I'm trying to. the part even has a higher sloop. the material seems to "bite" better with the release that looks like a wax.
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Warren (Staff)	Warren (Staff) posted 7 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Administrators Posts: 2.5K, Visits: 7.9K	Wet lay I would probably go to PVA if you are really struggling with fisheying on a wax. The surface won't be perfect but will quite easily polish up to a high gloss once it is cured. Warren Penalver Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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