I am new here and have had a quick look through the forums and on the easy composites website/videos and I have yet to see any real advanced techniques shown (please correct me if I'm wrong and there is in fact advanced tutorials somewhere that state the techniques that I am referring to).

Hi Warren

Hi Warren

Are you really only 23?

Notwithstanding the name of the forum, this is for discussion with the odd chip in from EC... They have a separate forum for technical support.

The best thing anyone can do is read about boat building and the techniques involved iam quite amazed at people that don't understand the basics regarding fillers general bonding etc. iam no engineer but to use carbon to its full potential weighing up all the variable's and calculations is way above my head,but there is something satisfying with the finished product,many years I attended a carbonology course to try to resolve problems I was having but at the end I learnt jack s***,the only way you learn is through your own mistakes getting yourself into a mess is part and parcell.

nothing wrong with the OP's tips and they sure do have thier places in the higher levels of advanced composites.

Use of carbon and woven materials the process' used with them are by industry standards "advanced".

most the composites industry is still using pikey spec chopped strand mat wet laid with polyester.............. 

Spike rollers and breather tows are something we have never had the need to use at this level.  Im not sure there would be significant benefit in advising people to do it either. 

Same with "issues" around ramp rates and dwell times.

Sure on large production scales and in critical industries where you need the ultimate reliability, consistancy during manufacture etc it may well be a necessary process to ensure minor faults dont screw up a large expensive layup.  However that is not the case for most of our customers.

The pre-pregs we use and sell, we generally have never had issues with ramp rates needing to be too critical or dwell periods.  Perfectly good parts are being achieved daily both by us, and more importantly our customers with the techniques we advise currently.

Not saying we don't welcome further advice and ways to improve, we do and update things as and when.  But we also don't want to make things complicated when in practice its not necessary for most of the people using our products.

As said before, many techniques and processes have thier place, albeit with overlap. 

As an example, in our workshop once we had got some experience of the pre-pregs we use, we can just put them straight into our oven (which is on all the time) with no ramp up rates or similar.  The reason we "get away with it" is because a room temperature mould of any reasonable size will naturally have a reasonable temperature ramp up rate as it absorbs heat from the oven anyway.


Im sure some people will find your guide useful so we welcome extra information and advise, however what may work for you and seem the only "professional way" to do something isnt necessarily the case for others so would prefer people to be more open minded rather than saying "x is wrong, y is right, z is un-professional etc".  We try to keep it friendly here so more discussion the merrier!! We don't want to end up like some other composites forums where people get dissed and slated for not doing things one way or another.

Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

I agree with much of what Warren has said... I have never put glass tows on the flange area under the pre-preg... I understand that moulds heat up slower than the oven too so the ramp could be lower or at the right rate as the material needs... But if the mould is not thick enough it can heat up too quickly. So I always try and make the oven (cardboard box, wheelie bin or actual oven) heat up slowly to give the material the best chance. 

Although I do think de-bulking after the first couple of layers are put down does give a better part and having a perfect bag and not rushing to lay it then cook it. Take your time with the whole process. Lay down the first couple of layers, de-bulk, next couple of layers or final layers and de-bulk overnight before cooking it... If you have more layers bag it and de-bulk for every 2 to 3 layers if you have a thicker part.. But always make sure the bag is good and leave the pump running... If you are getting "smoke" or vapour from the pump you have a leak and really need to find it... The better the bag the better the part.. When you cook the part dont let it heat up too fast too.... I would say dwell it at 65 degrees for an hour too... before heating it up any higher... Also always work to the temperature of the part NOT the oven... One of these works fine but if you get one test it with boiling water and ice to check it is accurate. If it is accurate tape it to the part and work from this... It will give you better parts even working from home.... But it is mostly down to technique and taking your time...

This part is not going to be seen so the mould was dull and is made using an out of autoclave carbon that is not supposed to give a good cosmetic finish.. But it worked perfectly with no pinholes at all... 


Here is a cosmetic Out of Autoclave parts finish in a polished mould and it works perfectly fine if you take your time and do try and control how it cooks and do not rush... (No it has not been lacquered either this is out of the mould) I do work from home too even though I do have access to a larger oven for my bodywork.. but the smaller first part was made at home and cooked in a cardboard box oven.....