Carbon Fiber Goalie helmet (field hockey)

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Matthieu Libeert	Matthieu Libeert posted 13 Years Ago HOT Topic Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 955, Visits: 3.4K	Hi guys, I'm going to make a Carbon Fiber replica of a Keeper helmet It will be a Gelcoated mould and so on...thats not the problem I have... The problem is: The helmet I have now is made from PE (I guess it's just thermoformed) I will need some carbon fiber and reinforcement but I don't really know what Lay-up I will need? how many sheets of Carbon fiber, Fiberglass inbetween, some core, special resin,... the helmet I have now weighs around 700grams I want to make sure the helmet is stong enough so my goalkeeper won't get hurt :p If i'm not clear enough or if you have more questions please ask and I'll answer them as fast as possible! kind regards Matthieu Libeert Matthieu Libeert Founder MAT2 Composites X Sports website: www.mat2composites.com
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Matt (Staff)	Matt (Staff) posted 13 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 680, Visits: 1.9K	Hi Matthieu, There should be no compatibility problems between a vinylester mould surface and our epoxy gelcoat although if you're only using mould release wax then I would hope to hear that the mould was very thoroughly cured before you used it because the styrene (partiuclarly from the polyester resin you used to reinforce the part) would still be leaching out of the gelcoat and through the gelcoat for quite a few days after making the mould. Epoxy gelcoat should behave, in release terms, just the same as an epoxy resin (i.e. a part made with no gelcoat). If you can normally release epoxy parts out of your vinylester moulds (which I would expect that you can) then this should be no different. It would be useful to know when the mould was made (how many days/weeks/months old is it) and also whether it has undergone any kind of a post cure. Finally, does the mould 'smell' of polyester; i.e. can you still smell the styrene in it. Regarding your use of the epoxy gelcoat, perhaps we could look closely at that for a possible explaination. How long did you leave the epoxy gelcoat to cure before you backed it up with the epoxy resin/reinforcement? The cure problems that you've had with the gelcoat I could say with reasonable confidence are down to the thoroughness of the mixing of the gelcoat - it's a very thick substance and it is difficult to get the hardener to full disperse through the gelcoat. We have been contacted several times by people who experience curing problems with all of our epoxy gelcoat and the problem is always attributable to thoroughness of mixing). I think some readers of this thread might think you're using our GC50 Epoxy Compatible Polyester Gelcoat but actually you're using our Clear Epoxy Gelcoat. The GC50 (seen in the bonnet making video) is much thinner and also, being a polyester gelcoat (so reacted with a catalyst, not a hardener) does not require such thorough mixing because the reaction is a chain reaction not resin/hardener pairs. If you could post me some answers to the above points I'll see if I can identify the problem more accurately. Best regards, Matt Matt Statham Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Sales Tags clear epoxy gelcoat coat GC50 gel problems
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Matthieu Libeert	Matthieu Libeert posted 13 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 955, Visits: 3.4K	Ok Matt, Thanks for helping me out, So maybe I'll first explain the whole proces in full detail on how I've worked. 1. The product I want to reproduce was the helmet and it's backplate (top of this topic) 2. I've waxed the helmet 5 times I think with TR 104 High temp mouldrelease 3. I've mixed some vinylester gelcoat (transparent) and added some colour (red) 4. Second layer of gelcoat once it got tacky 5. Put polyester on the gelcoat 6. First layer of Fiberglass with gelcoat 7. many more layers for a strong mould LET IT CURE FOR 2 DAYS 8. Sanded the mould smooth with sanding paper grid 600-1000-1200 9. Pollished with your Pollishing liquid (Pollarshine C20 and Pollarshine F05 TWO WEEKS PASSED BY 9. I've did a first test with just 2 thin layers of fiberglas (no vac bagging) and polyesterresine to test for the finnish 10. Product came out how I've wanted and Finish is good ONE WEEK PASSED BY (no smell) Waxed the model with the same mouldrelease 6layers I guess ( waiting for it till it dries and pollish smoothly by hand in circular movents) 11. Mixed gelcoat and apply 12. Mixed gelcoat layer 2 13. Brush epoxy (IN expoxy) 14. Add first layer of reinforcement) 15. more layers with where added 16. Bagged everything and part came out very difficulty 17. The part was strong and firmly bonded together but the first layer of gelcoat (layer on top) was still jelly and sticky THE FIRST LAYER OF GELCOAT DIDN'T CURE (probably my mistake whrong measurement of A+B) 18. Started again and mixed everything very precisely A+B and mixed it with a plexi stick (mixed for 5min by hand in a cup, stirring in all directions and scraping the entire cup from up till down) 19. Apply first layer of gelcoat and waited for 3h (in my garage at around 20degree) everything cures and got tacky 20. New epoxy gelcoat and applied on top of the first one. 21. waited for it to get tacky 22. add first layer of epoxy IN and put all reinforcement materials on top TIME FOR DEMOULDING AFTER 26h under Vacuum (bagged) 23. Had to hammer the part out with a wedge and hammer because everything was firmly stucked together. 24. I Hear some cracking sounds and got more careful 25. the part comes out but there is hardened out gelcoat sticking on the mould and missing pieces on my part. EXTRA - The fact is I have some experience with infusion and bagging and so on and everything went perfect (vinylester mould, waxed, added all materials, bagged, came out perfectly I.E carbon car model few comment above this one). - I'm surely not saying this is EC products it doesn't work out now it's just that I want to know for myself WHY it doesn't work out, so I can learn out of it and not making the same mistakes... - Thanks again for the time all of you spend helping people out! Hope I've answered many of your questions this way, I've you have more just ask Matthieu Libeert Founder MAT2 Composites X Sports website: www.mat2composites.com
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Carbon Fiber Goalie helmet (field hockey)

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

Hi, Helmets are a funny one to give advice on, it's pretty important that they work! so to start I...

Paul (Staff) - 13 Years Ago

thanks a lot Paul for the information... There are some small changes Last time I took the weight...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

Hi Matthieu , It's nice to see your progress. Answers to your questions as follows: [quote]...

Matt (Staff) - 13 Years Ago

Hi guys, If interested here is the youtube video about how the mould was made ;)...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

hi guys, it's beena while but I have been quit busy for school and so on... So I have all my...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

new update on the helmet :) the backplate is ready you can see the video here...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

Hi, Mat. Too bad you had issues with the gelcoat. I hope we'll soon see the complete helmet ;)

Joe - 13 Years Ago

will be up for next week I guess... could you check this out and see if its the good way to "safe"...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

Hi Matthieu, Nice project, there is nothing wrong with easycomposites gel coat, for sure may in...

Leon - 13 Years Ago

Hey thanks for your response... the thing is, I putted 2 coatings of gelcoat, One horizontaly (i've...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

q this is what I use, does its function and very low cost ! throwaway

Manu - 13 Years Ago

Hi, Thought I would share what I have. I'm a lazy guy so I had to do something which keeps work to...

Joe - 13 Years Ago

Haha nice! :D I've just made a new layer of gelcoat added a layer of carbonfiber and putted the...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

Hi, Ok so all my projects went well untill now, but now I'm having some trouble with this gelcoat...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

are you using the uni-mould system??? that is supposed to be compatible with epoxy and shouldnt have...

Warren - 13 Years Ago

Thanks for your reponse Warren! the fact is that I'm kind of familiar with the technique and had...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

Hi Matthieu, There should be no compatibility problems between a vinylester mould surface and our...

Matt (Staff) - 13 Years Ago

Ok Matt, Thanks for helping me out, So maybe I'll first explain the whole proces in full detail...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

it's been a while, I haven't been working on the helmet since a long time but now i'm going to...

matthieutje65 - 13 Years Ago

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