Hi im looking at geting a vacum pump to use when carbon skinning items. If i was to use when applying the carbon to the basecoat would i get away with just using release film? or will the bag material

work just as well?. Its just to get the carbon to stick properly on all edges to basecoat before removing from bagging and doing flood coats of resin.

Hi Fraser,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you on this one.

Whether it's possible to improve the skinning process by using any kind of vacuum assisted process is something we've been asked (and played about with ourselves) many times. The truth is that no matter which way we've tried to do it we've never really been able to get better results or reduce the amount of work involved by using any kind of vacuum bagging.

The one slight exception would be the very process that you've mentioned, which is to use the vacuum bag to press and hold the carbon down onto the basecoat whilst the basecoat cures, ensuring that the carbon follows the part's shape closely and doesn't lift off in any corners or tight radiuses. Using a vacuum bag in this way is quite straight-forward because you don't need a perfect seal on the bag and it's not over critical how well the bag is down, within reason.

You'll find that our normal vacuum bagging film doesn't stick to the resin so you wouldn't need to use a release film if you use that particular bagging film. Our 'Elastifilm' would stick to the resin (anywhere where the basecoat seaped through the fabric) and so if you did you the Elastifilm then you would need to use a release film but to me this seems like unneccessary work and I'd just use the standard bagging film.

One last thing to mention is that the pressure of the bag will cause the black basecoat to be pushed through the carbon if it's not cured far enough when you apply the carbon and do the bagging. The way to avoid this to either make sure that the basecoat has cured far enough before you do the process or to spray the part black first and then use our 'Epoxy Coating Resin' as a clear basecoat - this way if it gets pushed through the carbon it will be clear and won't effect the appearance.

I hope this helps and look forward to working with you.

Best regards, Matt

Matt Statham
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Sales

Hi there Matt,
Sorry to highjack this...
So basically from what you're saying we dont need a release film unless the epoxy wold go through the part is that correct? Now, do we need to do a foam support for the part of just the part placed in the bad would do (given that the pressure would push the CF onto the part very tight.
As for the base coat, I guess sanding the part down (and if it turns black) should be enough..I guess.
What would you recommend to get this done?


I am interested in getting a pump. Could you please contact me at your earliest.

You can use liquid adhensive for high temps,it holds on very good at temps higher than the epoxy tgs.