By JohnH - 3/19/2012 6:07:11 PM
Hi AllI have to thank Matt for his guidance and assistance with my various projects over the last six months or so, I would not have managed without your help along with this website. Up to this point I have moulded my own Carbon sheet using various thickness of "Soric" to produce truly professional finished Carbon sheet which I have used in building various Tri's Quad's and Hexacopters, I have also made Canopies used to cover the fragile electronic components, all of which have used the vacuum resin infusion technique. Now I am going for the totally moulded Quad, 500mm between motors, consisting of a top and a bottom moulded shell, with internal (own made carbon plates). Up to this point I have used the high density polyurethane foam block as a core to build a pattern, this has now been covered with one layer of 163g woven glass cloth, I will add another layer once this is cured (not sure if I should have used two layers up front). I have attached a photo of progress of the pattern, I intend to use the pattern to make internal moulds (guided again by Carbon Mods) which I will mould Carbon Fibre shells that house all equipment and hopefully will fly. I will try to let you know how I go on along the way.
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By HansenJC - 2/19/2019 8:49:38 PM
+xHi Daniel Thanks for the interest in my Quad build. If you are thinking of designing your quad in 3D (which is the way forward) I would think of using a 3D printer to make your initial pattern, this could be another useful way for someone to sponsor you in another useful project. This would allow you to make quick patterns that can be modified and printed overnight so that you can see the changes made. I made my pattern out of the the high density polyurethane foam from this website, which I hand-cut from plans that I had already drawn out, the foam is very easy cut and shape and is strong enough not to distort or dent whilst working on it. I then covered the finished pattern in the ultra light 25g woven cloth and epoxy resin, this was rubbed down and filled/primed until a good finish was achieved and then I sprayed a nice gloss colour over this so Separation would be easier. I think I have already put up photo's of these stages, but if you would like more I will see what I have on my hard drive. The Soric reinforcement is really good, but does add a thickness to the finished article, I would try to mould with several layers of cloth/carbon fibre, I have made several domes using Soric for internal reinforcement and believe me these could be used by the military, as they come out so strong. I use Soric all of the time when I am making my carbon fibre sheets, this comes out exceptionally well. I cannot seem to find any completed photo's of the Quad which has been flown very successfully, I am still in the stage of trying to source "H" section silicon rubber to use to seal the top and bottom sections of the quad (which I will have to have specially made). I have had to work away from home since the middle of last year, so this project has had to go on the back burner, but I will try to take some photo's of the finished model and post them. If you need any more info don't hesitate to ask. All the best John danielsaul (25/01/2013)
Hi John, Recently I came across your Carbon fibre quad frame which looks absolutely excellent and I am hoping you might be able to give me some tips. I am currently in sixth form at Sutton Grammar school and last year I built myself a crude, but working, quadcopter using the normal method of flat plates and tubes. I plan to make a new version this year and have managed to secure sponsorship from a composites distributor who have provided me with materials to attempt a moulded design similar to your own. I wonder if you have any further photos of your finished Quad at all that I might be able to look at? At the moment, I am looking to 3D model a design on the computer before getting a pattern or mould professionally made. However, after reading your forum thread I am very interested in how you made your initial pattern? I also wonder if you would recommend the Soric reinforcement you have used? I may have to get myself some when nearing that stage! I look forward to hearing back from you.
I see this is a very old thread and I wonder if you have flown this Quad more than a few test flights? If you have weighed the CF shell parts would you mind telling us what the weight of the shell was and also the final all-up weight of the quad? Have you done any further fabrication with Carbon Fiber? How is the weight of the shell compared to a quad that is made with the typical center frame and tubular arms?
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