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Using pre-preg for rough and ready body prototyping?
mr henderson - 29/9/08 at 07:53 AM

On a recent thread somebody posted a link to this stuff

http://www.curon.co.uk/

designed for flat roofing, this stuff comes in a roll, and when opened out and exposed to the UV in daylight it hardens.

Seems to me it could be ideal for making prototype body parts, especially in situations where the ideal shape is not yet known, and a number of different ideas need to be tried out.

I would value opinions on this subject

John

Mr Whippy - 29/9/08 at 08:03 AM

would be handy if layed up in a blacked out garage, once happy with it, you could either push the mould outside to cure or switch on a UV lamp, or do some welding

good for making your own indoor swimming pool too

smart51 - 29/9/08 at 08:10 AM

A quick glance suggests it is sticky when the film is peeled off so can be stuck to formers to hold its shape. UV cure is about 20 minutes, which is nice and quick. Can be laminated to join sheets and increase thickness, but you need to roll it to join it. I bet it is expensive

Why do you want pre-preg rather than wet lay up?

mr henderson - 29/9/08 at 08:39 AM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51


Why do you want pre-preg rather than wet lay up?


There are a number of reasons, all based on previous experience, but let's just sum it up as I don't like it.

John

Mr Whippy - 29/9/08 at 09:17 AM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51
Why do you want pre-preg rather than wet lay up?


bit less messy than drippy glass mat, this might be a nice product to lay up over foam cores, depending on what it is like to sand later and just how strong it actually is, I suspect it might be a bit flexible. Someone needs to buy some and try it out.

Vindi_andy - 29/9/08 at 10:20 AM

Read the article on this stuff in kit car magazine and thought exatly the same thing

wont shrink slightly stretchable etc looked really good.

I smell a Locost group buy

twybrow - 29/9/08 at 12:07 PM

anthing PREPREG will not be Locost!

[Edited on 29/9/08 by twybrow]

russbost - 29/9/08 at 12:40 PM

The suggestion in Kitcar mag was that although dearer (they didn't say how much dearer) the time savings could easily compensate for higher costs.
You could certainly turn round bucks/moulds/panels far more quickly. It is supposed to be very good for detail work, they showed some quite intricate shapes done with it.

mr henderson - 29/9/08 at 12:40 PM

quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
anthing PREPREG will not be Locost!



Do you have any numbers, I would be very interested?

John

Vindi_andy - 29/9/08 at 12:49 PM

You could try the distributor page on their website thats the way Im thinking

Or contact them direct:
telephone: 01926 490292
e-mail:info@curon.co.uk


[Edited on 29/9/08 by Vindi_andy]

mr henderson - 29/9/08 at 01:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Vindi_andy
You could try the distributor page on their website thats the way Im thinking

Or contact them direct:
telephone: 01926 490292
e-mail:info@curon.co.uk



I did think of that, but what I was really hoping for was a comparison with wet lay-up (which I don't have figures for either)

Something along the lines of pre-preg will cost you x times the amount of wet lay-up.

Also, as Russ points out, time is an issue so if using pre-preg saves a fair bit of it then I could tolerate quite a price premium

John

[Edited on 29/9/08 by mr henderson]

iank - 29/9/08 at 01:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by twybrow
anthing PREPREG will not be Locost!

[Edited on 29/9/08 by twybrow]


Conversely it's designed for making roofs and the building trade won't pay a big premium - especially at the moment. Minimum order quantities might be quite large though.

As for flexibility they claim you can walk on a roof made of the stuff after 20mins so it can't be super wibbly - you'll have to work fast though.

RK - 29/9/08 at 04:21 PM

anybody have any idea as to cost?? I'm kind of afraid to ask them... especially considering where I am (ie. a long ways away).

JC - 29/9/08 at 06:17 PM

As I first mentioned this on the other thread, how about I email the distributor/manufacturer to try and get 1 consolidated reply? I'll ask the price as well.......

chrisg - 29/9/08 at 07:25 PM

Good idea, we'll all be there with you in spirit.

What about a little sweepstake on the price?

I'll go for.........£50/m sq.

Cheers

Chris

JC - 30/9/08 at 03:11 PM

E mail sent, standing by for reply!!

Vindi_andy - 3/10/08 at 11:38 AM

any joy yet as I am very curious about this got some ideas that i think this stuiff will lend itself to

mr henderson - 3/10/08 at 11:51 AM

I just rang up my nearest distributor, it's the quickest way to get an answer out of just about any supplier.

Anyway, the answer is, for a 10mtr roll, £100.88 plus VAT = £118.53

That's £12.48 per square metre. What we need to know now is, how thick is it (in other words, how many layers are going to be needed for the average bodywork application) ?

John

JC - 4/10/08 at 08:53 AM

Had a reply this morning:

Is Curon suitable to lay up over a foam core in order to
produce a one-off piece?
CURON IS BEST STETCHED OVER A MALE MOULD
What is the finish on the 'UV' side like
PRETTY GOOD
how easy is it to produce a finish suitable for paint on this side?
BOTH SIDES EXCELLENT
If it is suitable to lay over foam, what sorts?
Does it dissolve any products?!
POLYSTYRENE

What is the best way of getting hold of Curon? Is it direct from yourselves, or from local suppliers? What is the minimum order size and most importantly, how much is it?
10M X 930MM X 1MM THICK GREY IN COLOUR
WILL SEND A QUOTE SHORTLY



mr henderson - 4/10/08 at 11:07 AM

quote:
Originally posted by JC

10M X 930MM X 1MM


1mm??? Sounds a bit thin to me, even for it's original use

JC - 5/10/08 at 11:35 AM

There was something in the original article that alluded to the fact that 1mm of curon was the equivalent of 2mm of 'normal' GRP. Didn't make it clear whether it was weight or strength though!!!!!

JC - 9/10/08 at 05:03 PM

Samples have now arrived - some made parts and some samples of the stuff to make something with. Haven't got time to post more now but will keep you updated!!!

Vindi_andy - 4/11/08 at 08:31 PM

any more news on this still interested in maybe doing something with it