Hi Everyone,

Hopefully a few of you have noticed that we've been publishing a number of new video tutorials recently. I've now published the first two (out of three) of a new series which shows the end-to-end process for starting from a CAD design, CNC machining the pattern from epoxy block then sealing and preparing the pattern before taking a prepreg carbon fibre mould off the pattern. In the next video (not done yet) we'll finish off by using the prepreg mould to produce a carbon fibre part.

Essentially, in this series what we're trying to demonstrate is the 'other way' to make composite parts, using technology and high tech materials to replace the more manual traditional methods. This is a topic that comes up every time during our training courses and so hopefully this is a process (and tutorial series) that people will find interesting (and maybe useful). The price of perfectly usable CNC equipment is coming down all the time and the quality and availability of 3D CAD systems (like Fusion360) is moving the baseline of what is achievable at home or in a small workshop or business. Our new products and tutorials aim to support this revolution. Also, in this current climate where people are very focused on the idea that 3D printers are the answer to everything, hopefully we can steer a few people towards the understanding that for most composites processes a CNC router is a far more suitable piece of kit to invest in.

So, this first tutorial in the series we demonstrate how to CNC machine epoxy tooling board and then seal and finish it using epoxy board sealer.


I'd be very happy to discuss any of the topics raised in the videos including how these processes and materials might be used in your projects.

Matt Statham
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Sales

Yeh I considered it for that purpose, but I think if I'm going to spend $1500 on a machine (as well as dedicate a relatively large footprint of my quite small workshop) then it needs to do more of the job than what realistically only takes me 20 minutes to do by hand.

Really I wanted to skip the pattern making process altogether and go straight to machining small female tools for low volume production runs. Things like intake pipes for various vehicles, where they are so small and simple to do, but there's enough little variations between models that you would need dozens and dozens of moulds. If I could do that sort of thing quite quickly then it becomes more realistic to offer it for under 20 pieces, but otherwise I can't warrant making a mould unless I'm going to use it for dozens of pulls.