Hey everybody!
I think some of you may have read the Tank wrap thread, and since that isnt finished.. i thought that i would start another thread. :thumbsup:
I am waiting to do all the final sanding at the end.
anyway, this thread is about making an actual carbon fiber part. a complex one. I am making the tail section on my bike. I already made the tail in Steel and bondo... but as it isnt very resilient, too angular and REALLY heavy... i want to replace it with Carbon. so... the first thing to do is make a mold. the problem is that it has to be removable.. so. it has to be made in two parts.
That is what this thread is about.. so if you are looking for hookers and blow... well....
Anyway,
First, i got the tail section sanded smooth and then polished it. You want this original part to be as perfect as possible. I am going to have to do body work to the mold but you dont want to HAVE to even touch the mold.
Then, i made a splitter-plate template.
Transferred it over to masonite, and i used some thin plastic on the side that the fiberglass would be on so it wouldnt stick
I used bondo to hold it in place, but on top of tape so i didnt damage the other side. You need to protect the other side like your beer at a concert. NOTHING TOUCHES IT BUT YOU. protect it.
I used a razor blade to trim any bondo that had squished out under the board so that i had a clean flat surface, and then filled any gaps the bondo might have left with clay.
Then, i figured out what shape of cloth i was going to need and cut out all my layers. One light layer to go on first, three medium layers and then one heavy layer.
I got all my resin stuff ready to lay-up
Then, i mixed my resin and brushed it on the whole part. I did this with the bike on its side for ease of spreading and so that gravity would be working with me. i KNEW that physics class would come in handy one day.
the first layer of glass goes on. the fewer bubbles you get in it the better. this is going to be the surface of the mold. take your time to get it right.
And..... here we have the first side laid up
I removed the splitter-plate and the tape. make sure that the surface is clean and ready and then wax and release the remaining side and the flange surface.
Second side is laid up exactly the same way as the first
Now i am trying to remove the first side. i have already stuck a popsicle stick in between the flanges, and you can see where it has separated from the tail near the flange, but is almost all attached to the part still.
After pushing pulling and coaxing, i have gotten the whole mold separated from the part. Notice the color difference.
And.... we have the mold off. not perfect, but not bad.
and.. second part off and bolted together. the holes are drilled before anything is separated.
Here you can see i have laid bondo into the corners and begun to sand it down. I am just trying to get some radius in the corner so that it isnt so angular. The angles just dont match the curves of the tank. LOTS more work needed.
I will update soon
thanks for looking!
~Chris
I think some of you may have read the Tank wrap thread, and since that isnt finished.. i thought that i would start another thread. :thumbsup:
I am waiting to do all the final sanding at the end.
anyway, this thread is about making an actual carbon fiber part. a complex one. I am making the tail section on my bike. I already made the tail in Steel and bondo... but as it isnt very resilient, too angular and REALLY heavy... i want to replace it with Carbon. so... the first thing to do is make a mold. the problem is that it has to be removable.. so. it has to be made in two parts.
That is what this thread is about.. so if you are looking for hookers and blow... well....
Anyway,
First, i got the tail section sanded smooth and then polished it. You want this original part to be as perfect as possible. I am going to have to do body work to the mold but you dont want to HAVE to even touch the mold.
Then, i made a splitter-plate template.
Transferred it over to masonite, and i used some thin plastic on the side that the fiberglass would be on so it wouldnt stick
I used bondo to hold it in place, but on top of tape so i didnt damage the other side. You need to protect the other side like your beer at a concert. NOTHING TOUCHES IT BUT YOU. protect it.
I used a razor blade to trim any bondo that had squished out under the board so that i had a clean flat surface, and then filled any gaps the bondo might have left with clay.
Then, i figured out what shape of cloth i was going to need and cut out all my layers. One light layer to go on first, three medium layers and then one heavy layer.
I got all my resin stuff ready to lay-up
Then, i mixed my resin and brushed it on the whole part. I did this with the bike on its side for ease of spreading and so that gravity would be working with me. i KNEW that physics class would come in handy one day.
the first layer of glass goes on. the fewer bubbles you get in it the better. this is going to be the surface of the mold. take your time to get it right.
And..... here we have the first side laid up
I removed the splitter-plate and the tape. make sure that the surface is clean and ready and then wax and release the remaining side and the flange surface.
Second side is laid up exactly the same way as the first
Now i am trying to remove the first side. i have already stuck a popsicle stick in between the flanges, and you can see where it has separated from the tail near the flange, but is almost all attached to the part still.
After pushing pulling and coaxing, i have gotten the whole mold separated from the part. Notice the color difference.
And.... we have the mold off. not perfect, but not bad.
and.. second part off and bolted together. the holes are drilled before anything is separated.
Here you can see i have laid bondo into the corners and begun to sand it down. I am just trying to get some radius in the corner so that it isnt so angular. The angles just dont match the curves of the tank. LOTS more work needed.
I will update soon
thanks for looking!
~Chris