Will need a bit of technical help with this one....

Got one of these:
http://star.herts.ac.uk/~danb/images/dsc00854.jpg

and some of this:

http://star.herts.ac.uk/~danb/images/dsc00855.jpg

To lay one on the other I'm thinking of using somekinda hard resin laquer stuff (the kind used on the skins of model 'planes etc). I'm still doing research but should look the danglies when done. ALL RELAVENT EXPERIENCES most greatfully recieved.... :D (I think I need some advice)

If all goes well I might do my sills in it as well.....

[Edited by Dan B - 4/25/2003 12:14:13 PM]

And I'm not gonna use that cr4p they sell in halfords because it ain't real CF and it costs £20 for about an A$ sheet of the stuff. This stuff is £3.50 a metre :D

I have a tip, don't bother, save yourself hours and hours of aggro, dust, itchiness and just pain old tim.

Buy one instead!

If you want a carbon finish, then you need to get one made professionally in carbon, preferably pre-preg, moulded with at least a vacumm bag.

But to do it, basically you would take a female mould in glass or carbon off the part you have, then use that mould to make more actual parts.

paul

Just twigged you want to cover the existing in carbon?

See above!

paul

Just been reading some web pages about airplane modellers who do exaclty the same as what I want to do to strengthen balsa undercarrages. Seems like a piece of pi55 mate tbo... :D

Dan B - as Pavlo has said above, the best way to get a good finish it to actually create a new mould from the existing piece. To do this you can paint your existing part with a release agent, and then lay layers of glass fibre over it. That way you will have in the end a "female" mould. Into this you can then lay your carbon fibre. And to get something half decent you should vacuum bag it. It is a long, and not an easy task - and if you havent done much glass work before I would recommend starting with something easier... Or, you could try covering the existing piece, but you will need to play with the resin mixture so as to get a good connection between the carbon and existing piece. Plus perhaps a few layers will be required so that no white shows through. A good quality glass is a good investment too (very tightly packed fibres). Otherwise it will become very messy very quickly! Oh, and you should bag this too. If you go-ahead, good luck. And have fun. (but try out some ideas first before you dive in...) :D

the model makers don't have the problem of complex bends and a requirement for good surface finish

That said, it's doable, I guess you can at least finish it with lots of laquer. Generally you would use a vacuum bag pulled in around the part, but you would struggle with the grill as it is.

Paul

Over the weekend I'm gonna practise on something less valuable, like a jam jar or something :D just to see what happens...

All that will happen is you will make a pigs ear and it will all end up in the bin pre-preg is the only way to go with a propper mould and oven

You wont get a good finish on it. It'll have a fabric texture to it when its done, and you wont be able to sand it down as the resin will go opaque.

Unless im wrong.

Err, strolled into model shop, they had the perfect resin to do exactly what is needed. Had a go, and its really quite easy as long as you are patient.

Cool dan, I stand corrected. What weight of cloth are you using? It looks like about 300gsm.

Does the method work on pistons?

Doh!

Rob told me have some other issues for now, which is a shame.

Paul

Dan, you gonna finish this??

Rob

Probably just gonna get Stuart to paint it black now though. Can't really do anything till you know what is sorted out :(

sorry Pavlo, it is 300gms... memory like a sieve... :D

Its quite doable on slightly more simple shapes with excellent results. I've done this on a Nissan 200sx rear panel - I can email you a pic if you want (I can't remember how you post pics and my brother's not around (Hades) to remind me!)

By now I guess you've found the difficult bit is getting the weave "straight" - not usually very much fun!

If you want, I can take a mould from your part and make a new one in carbon for you. And it won't be halfords prices...

"the model makers don't have the problem of complex bends and a requirement for good surface finish"

umm.... so wing planforms and and fuselages aren't complex shapes then? *cough* b*ll*cks!

My hubby makes his own vac bagged wings for competition class gliders with wing spans of up to 4 metres (sometimes bigger). Just wrapping a bit around grille - a monkey can do that mate.

Getting a gel-coat based surface that's smoother and finer than the rest of your bodywork takes skill, time, lots of mylar, and lots of kit :)

now don't do it again you bad boy!

http://www.pilotsguide.com/rc/vacbag.shtml

Its so easy I'm thinking about doing the whole car ;)

Shona,

I think you miss the point. What is required here is that same finish you get with the gel coat, but only using the carbon, and not using a female tool.

What is being talked about here, is wet laying carbon on top of the grill part.

Like everyone has said so far, if you want the finish, you need female tool and vac bags.

Paul