Carbon Fiber DIY kit

madmax
madmax Posts: 12,434
edited September 2013 in Custom Fabrication
Has anyone used a "Carbon Fiber DIY kit" to make your own items? Is there such a thing?
madmax
Vinyl, the final frontier...

Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
Post edited by madmax on

Comments

  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2007
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
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  • Thom
    Thom Posts: 723
    edited April 2007
    We use carbon fiber sometimes. We get it by the yard from US Composites, and mostly use it to wrap panels. It's the same as using fiberglass mat, except that you'll spend more time because you want it to look pretty.
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited April 2007
    audiobliss wrote: »


    Nice one AB... I took the link thinking you found something. I couldn't find anything.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited April 2007
    Thom wrote: »
    We use carbon fiber sometimes. We get it by the yard from US Composites, and mostly use it to wrap panels. It's the same as using fiberglass mat, except that you'll spend more time because you want it to look pretty.

    So do you use a hardener and a resin just like you do on fiberglass? I've done fiberglass before.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,573
    edited April 2007
    www.oemdash.com

    They are OEM parts, silkscreened and shot with automotive clear and it looks real nice to me. If I owned a show car, hand laid might mean something but I'm not. Here's a couple pics of the pieces in my truck.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited April 2007
    Hand laid means nothing to me other than a lot of work because the pieces I want are not available. Nice truck!
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,573
    edited April 2007
    If it fits in a box, he can do it. Good luck :)
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited April 2007
    madmax wrote: »
    Nice one AB... I took the link thinking you found something. I couldn't find anything.
    madmax

    Hahaha. I just couldn't resist. I have nothing to offer on this subject, and you know me...I had to post something! :p


    doro - What truck you got? I can't tell. I wanna say the dash looks like the new Chevy's, though.
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB

    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii

    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
  • Thom
    Thom Posts: 723
    edited April 2007
    madmax wrote: »
    So do you use a hardener and a resin just like you do on fiberglass? I've done fiberglass before.
    madmax

    Yes, mix MEKP into your resin and wet out the dry carbon mat. It'll soak it up eventually (the heavier stuff is thirsty, we use the 19.7oz.), and add some more after that. If you were going for light weight, functional panels I guess you'd want just enough resin to wet it properly. We dump it on and then clear it so it's pretty. :D
  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,256
    edited May 2007
    Carbon fiber is great because it's stronger than steel, yet as light as fiber glass. The hard part with real carbon fiber is that it is very involved and you need some facilities. After the resin has been applied, you need to vaccum form the carbon fiber, then finish it off by baking it. Not the easiest thing to do in your garage, but I wish I could...
  • ShinAce
    ShinAce Posts: 1,194
    edited January 2008
    Just to confirm that you can use it the same way as fiberglass'in. It comes in sheets and is easy to cut. Very expensive just for a certain look(I gather this is your goal).
  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited January 2008
    I had a few pieces of real carbon fiber in my old car. Nice looking stuff. I'm not a fan of the stick on stuff that is offered for vehicles and rather have it hand made.

    That being said it is expensive to have professionally done and it is very difficult to get correct on your first try. What exactly are you trying to cover?
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited January 2008
    This was from awhile ago but since I got too busy until it got cold outside I didn't pursue it. I want to make interior door panels and a floor column. Both to replace the existing heavy parts. Since then I have put on a purchased CF hood and ordered front fenders. Still want to do the panels and column though. Strictly a weight thing but they have to look ok too.
    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited January 2008
    ThisThreadisUseless.jpg
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB

    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii

    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
  • polkaudiofreak
    polkaudiofreak Posts: 1
    edited July 2010
    Yes Virginia there is a carbon fiber DIY kit. I haven't bought one but I have seen the site www.eastbaycomposites.com. They sell molding kits and fabrication kits. Like I said I have never used one so I can't speak to the quality.
  • mole'
    mole' Posts: 3,160
    edited July 2010
    if your looking for real Carbon Fiber car parts, i know the owner of CBD and they are local to me. link is below. i get all my CF parts for my cars from them. and they will do custom stuff

    http://www.carbonbydesign.com/
    mole'
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,573
    edited July 2010
    I prefer www.oemdash.com but just preference.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited August 2010
    Does anyone know where to get black paint?
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
  • Trunkmonkee
    Trunkmonkee Posts: 15
    edited August 2010
    Lowes, Home Depot... etc. If you want higher quality, I recommend shopping at an auto-parts store, Kragen, NAPPA, etc. They will have some very nice black paints, and can probably recommend one to you. If you have a PPG paint shop near you, try that too.

    I realize the carbon fiber part of this post is old, but fyi it's very hard to lay CF in a light-weight fashion. You have to put on very little epoxy, lay it up slowly, vacuum it, etc, and you will still be hard-pressed to approach factory-level performance, since it is pretty much physically impossible to lay epoxy that thinly by hand. Don't let that discourage you though, when it comes to that amount of weight difference it should only matter in racing.
  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited February 2011
    reported spam posts 21 & 22 thalgetycle
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  • audioguy13
    audioguy13 Posts: 1
    edited April 2011
    Found this thread while looking for guides to create my own carbon pieces, this blog is a great reference fyi, carbonfiberdiy.com
  • tater6061
    tater6061 Posts: 14
    edited May 2011
    I have located small kits on e-bay. The resins are good and clear, you don't need a vac pump or autoclave to make it set. However if you are making large pieces, it gets pretty intense and if you are mathmaticly challenged you will lay up parts and they will set, but delaminate due to too much or too little resin to mat ratio. I have been glassing stuff for a long time and I am still gun shy around Carbonfiber. Try small stuff first and work your way up...
  • kick
    kick Posts: 10
    edited September 2013
    Interesting thread.. bump