greggors84
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| posted on 19/6/03 at 09:04 PM |
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Carbon Fibre Dash
How much does carbon fibre sheet cost, and how easy is it to curve round the bottom to make the dash. Ive seen a few carbon dashes that has a nice
shiney finish and are curved round the bottom.
I have worked with thin carbon fibre sheet at uni, but never curved it or had it finished like the dashes ive seen its had quite a dull finish. How do
you get it so shiney 
Thanks
Chris
The Magnificent 7!
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Jasper
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| posted on 20/6/03 at 09:33 AM |
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If you want a curve bottom radius, Stuart Taylor do them 'off the shelf'
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Spyderman
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| posted on 20/6/03 at 11:35 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by greggors84
How much does carbon fibre sheet cost, and how easy is it to curve round the bottom to make the dash. Ive seen a few carbon dashes that has a nice
shiney finish and are curved round the bottom.
I have worked with thin carbon fibre sheet at uni, but never curved it or had it finished like the dashes ive seen its had quite a dull finish. How do
you get it so shiney
Thanks
I think you would use it as you would glassfibre matting.
You would put a clear gel coat onto mold and then the carbon fibre as the first layer of matting. Then just continue as per normal GRP.
That is how I would go about it anyway, unless someone corrects me!
Having the gel coat gives the smooth gloss finish!
Terry
Spyderman
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Jasper
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| posted on 20/6/03 at 02:04 PM |
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From what I know you have to bake CF, but I may be wrong (I often am!)
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 20/6/03 at 02:14 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Jasper
From what I know you have to bake CF, but I may be wrong (I often am!)
It has to be baked if you want all the properties of CF - but ordinary resin is fine if you just want it to look pretty.
You might need to use epoxy resin instead of polyester - not sure about that. Hopefully not, as epoxy is 'orrible stuff health-wise - far worse
than polyester!
rgds,
David
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Alan B
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| posted on 24/6/03 at 05:34 PM |
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It has to be baked if it is pre-preg .....i.e. pre-impregnated with resin...(to retain the best properties)....most of it may well be for all I know,
but I'm pretty certain you can lay it up normally by hand with regular polyester resin. It will look OK but won't have anywhere near its
full mechanical properties...
Check out Dennis Brunton's Stalker dash....
http://www.angelfire.com/biz6/stalkerv6/compo.html
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Mave
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| posted on 25/6/03 at 07:24 AM |
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I've worked with carbon.
When using it for non-structural parts (so strength is not critical) you can use polyester. (epoxy would be better: the fibres have received a coating
to improve the bonding with epoxy).
You don't have to use an oven.
I use a clear gelcoat, and the end result is really very good. O.k. I'm not using it for strength, only for outlook.
Only use the carbon as a top-layer and build your part up to the required strength with woven glassfibre. Then you still end up with a light and
strong part. (and stunning looks).
Don't be scared: just try it, and see for yourself!
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Spyderman
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| posted on 25/6/03 at 01:18 PM |
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Carbon Fibre
My current bedtime reading is "Competition Car Composites".
Currently I am reading the chapter about material upgrades and in it the author (Simon McBeath) describes using CF in a polyester resin
construction.
He states that you can use CF as a direct replacement to Chopped Strand Mat or Woven matting glass fibres. Also that the properties of the CF will
be utilised. ie; if CF is 5 times stronger than CSM then you could make the component 1/5 of it's original weight to be the same strength as
CSM component.
The properties are within the materials being used, so if you use CF it will be stronger.
What you must do is make sure that you specify CF to be used with Polyester resin when you buy it and not get Pre-preg.
As stated above it might not be as strong as if using Epoxy or by baking, but it will still be a lot stronger than Glass Fibre.
Terry
Spyderman
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Mave
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| posted on 25/6/03 at 01:46 PM |
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As long as the bonding between fibers and polyester is good, the strength will indeed be very good. However, most available CF is treated to bond to
epoxy, and not to polyester. That's why you probably won't be able to use the strength. The fibres will simply not stick to the polyester
enough.
If you need strength, use epoxy. (or try really, really hard to source some CF that has been treated for polyester. But that won't be easy!).
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 25/6/03 at 01:54 PM |
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Trouble is, epoxy is such a pain to use - doesn't 'wet' the cloth as easily as polyester resin, and you have to be careful to avoid
skin contact and inhaling fumes (which, incidentally, have very little smell so you don't know that you're inhaling them!).
At least with polyester resins you always know that you're breathing them in! (very smelly, if you've never experienced them).
The epoxy resins make a damn good wood glue though!
cheers,
David
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andyd
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| posted on 25/6/03 at 06:42 PM |
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So where would one get some carbon fibre matting stuff either pre-pregged or not?
Andy
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robinbastd
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| posted on 25/6/03 at 09:15 PM |
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I'm planning to visit CFS tomorrow,so I'll see what they suggest. I'll be asking for the locostbuilders discount price.........worth
a try.
Ian
Only a dead fish swims with the tide.
http://smuttygifts.com/
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Humbug
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| posted on 2/4/05 at 09:41 AM |
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Re the strength of a c/f dash: I have bought a Stuart Taylor c/f dash for my ST - looks great, shiny and with a nice radiused rolled return on the
bottom edge.
It may be just that I'm not very familiar with c/f, but it seems very light and thought it might distort a bit when I fix instruments in it.
I was wondering if I should support the back, say by glueing some thin plywood on the back?
In particular, I think I am going to have to cut the bottom edge to go round the steering column, so that will weaken what would be a good strong
"beam" effect of the rolled edge.
Any thoughts?
[Edited on 13.04.2005 by Humbug]
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ned
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| posted on 2/4/05 at 09:44 AM |
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I got gts to do em a carbon fibre dash with a curved bottom edge. They are not prepreg carbon, just a wet layup with grp back iirc.
Ned.
beware, I've got yellow skin
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