Very special 3 part video guide showing every single product, process and step needed to start with an original steel vehicle panel (like a bonnet/hood, boot/trunk, wing/fender etc.) and make a top quality carbon fibre replacement.

We have created this video series because the questions we get asked the most are 'how do I make my own carbon fiber hood' or 'how do I make a carbon fibre boot' and clearly the answer is pretty long and complicated because there are lots of steps along the way between starting off with the original steel part and fitting a gorgeous, light weight, stunning looking carbon fibre replacement. In this video series (around 1hr in total) we show you all the materials, teach you the skills and explain the process from start to finish. If you use these materials and follow these steps correctly you will get the results you hope for.

For a complete list of all the products used in each video in the series, please view the project (in full HD quality) in our Online Composites Learning Centre.

Part 1 - Preparing the Pattern, Adding Barriers and Making the Inner and Outer Mould

Preparing the part with chemical release agent
Adding barriers using fluted sign-board
Taping off any holes/details
Using the Uni-Mould system - gel coat, coupling coat, main reinforcement
Demoulding, repairing, polishing and prepairing the moulds

Here's the video. Let me know what you think:



Part 2 - Making the Carbon Fibre Inner Skin and Outer Skin

Preparing the moulds with release agent
Spraying epoxy compatible polyester gel coat
Resin infusion of the outer skin using 200g carbon and Lantor Soric SF 2 core
Resin infusion of the inner skin using 200g carbon and 660g carbon
Demoulding



Part 3 - Trimming the Carbon Fibre Skins, Adding Bonding Fasteners and Assembling the Finish Part

Trimming the inner skin using a Dremmel with a Perma-Grit wheel
Glueing in the bonding fasteners for the hinge fixings
Glueing in the keep for the latch mechanism
Bonding the inner and outer skins to eachother
Trimming and finishing the outer skin to finish the part



Matt Statham
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Sales

Hi FLD,

The finished weight of the part was 3.25kg. The original steel one was 18kgs so we got a good weight saving. You could save more weight by dropping out the gelcoat and changing the core material to something with a lower uptake but Soric makes the process so simple that we do really like it and, as can be seen from the 3.25kg finished weight it can still allow some very light parts to be made. Warren's right about the single layer of 200g, it's touch-and-go whether you'll see the core. We didn't on this part but if you had a more curved shape then you would. That's the reason we're interested in a black Soric but we've spoken to Lantor about it and it's not something that will be a stock product for them and we'd need to buy many thousands of metres to get it made. I hope they do make it a stock product because I think it would be very useful so we'll keep talking to them!

All the best, Matt

Matt Statham
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Sales