Hey All,

As I had posted in an earlier thread, I'm hoping to do some carbon fiber fabrication when I get home. I've seen a couple websites that seem to offer little kits for doing it and they make it look almost as simple as doing fiberglass. Thing is all of these companies are based out of Europe or somewhere of the like.

Do any of you know of a company, website, or person the works with or knows where I could get all the materials I need, that is here in the states?

Thanks,

Dominic

 

theres tons of fiber companies that sell mat in different strands and oz. weights. yea its just lay the mat spread the resin. vacuum bag for better results. easy as pie. same as fiberglass. i dont know any companies off hand but there out there.

 

Thanks, yeah I've been doing more and more research on the subject. My internet is slightly limited here, and for some reason my server keeps thinking I'm in Singapore, so it's harder to get results for just the U.S. In any case, I've started to learn more and more and enjoyed a few youtube videos I was able to download. If I can get a good deal on a vacuum set I'd consider vaccum resin injection, like you said for better results. For the most part I think I'm going to stick to the wet-lay application. For the hell of it, at some point I might get some pre-preg, just to see how it is to work with, granted I know it can be really expensive. Plus, I'd have to make sure that whatever curing agent they use can be cooked in an oven. Most I've seen range between 300-500 degrees. If there are ones that cook higher than that, I'd have to check with the Univeristy I'm attending, in their Art Department I'm guessing, and see if they have a kiln I could utilize. I think it'll help that I'm going to the University of Akron...they are well known for advancements in polymer technology, so who knows, I might even be able to get my hands on some brand new, high tech form of epoxy that's even stronger than whats on the market... I'll let anyone who is interested know what I find out.

At the moment I'm trying to see the best way to fabricate a CAI tube out of CF. I've seen some done online, and they look like two halves "glued" together. So, hopefully I can come across a video or tutorial explaining how they did it. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to shoot them my way.

 

If you do that, that sounds like a good sticky. I am sure that it will cost more than it is worth. But I am like you and can see the want to do it. Just to do it

Keep us all posted. and if it works, I might be "ordering" from you

 

The initial set up will for sure cost more than its worth, but once you got it all together and worked out the kinks in your technique, the cost comes down considerablly, plus all the little things you can do with it after...yeah in the long run I think it's worth it, besides it's a hobby just like everything else.

 

Hell, maybe one day you can make your own carbon fiber hood!!
DGCHG06SRT8CFHD2.jpg

 

yea youd have to do 2 halves. a general rule of thumb is when doing plugs and molds, they have to snap together and apart when dry without bending.

for example if you were to make a mold of the letter M you could easily pop it off when dry. but if you try to make a mold of a "O" theres no way to get the original "O" out once the resin dries....make sense?

thats why alot of times they dont make things out of fiberglass or carbon if it has alot of complex bends and wrap around. things like hoods are easy because they pop apart really easy. same with fenders, cereal box battery boxes, consoles.

but if you look at speaker boxes. they cant use the mold and plug process because the original will be stuck inside for ever once it dries. thats why they use wood and wool to stretch over and it become part of the unit....unless you break away everything from the speaker hole and pull it out.

im rambling now lol. hope that makes sense.