Hi there,

Is there a reason NOT to use a perforated heat shrink tape when doing a wet layup around a cylindrical object to get rid of the excess resin?

As I can't see it on the Easycomposite website, can I use standard tape and make holes with a pin? Or will the tension tear the tape off the part once heat is applied?

Many thanks,
P.

Standard shrink tape is fine.  It is only 25 or 50mm wide so as it shrinks down, the excess resin squeezes out between the tape overlaps.  As such you would not have much to gain from a perforated version.

Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

Hi Warren, many thanks for your reply.

I did a test yesterday with perforated tape, and it wasn't very conclusive.
Very difficult to remove, as it tears in small pieces.

Cheers,
P.

The excess resin squeezes out in between the tape layers.

I have done this plenty of times with wet resin layups to reinforce tubes and for break repairs.

Usually I will wrap the tape with 50% overlap to be two layers but also I do more overlap to be three layers thick. Tape the ends really well and use a hot air gun to shrink the tape, working from one end and turning the tube/mandrel as you go. You can see the shrink happen and the resin shooting along the tube under the tapes.

This type of tape are is powerful and I would worry that perforating it yourself might be a risk to tear apart/snap when the heat shrinks it??

Many thanks for your suggestions. I think overall my project worked reasonably well, with a lot of learning.

Some pictures to show what can be achieved with this method.




Yes I'm a bit obsessed by weight, agreed, hence this project

<5kg bike for my 3y old son:


Many thanks again.
P.

He will mit be allowed to compete in cycling events with this machine.