I thought I would post this here instead of in the Yamaha forum because of all the VERY knowledgable people that ride DSs. I am trying to/or am going to start making my own carbon fiber parts and haven't been able to come up with much info on how to do it. I found one good article in an SCCA magazine but thats about it. Can anyone offer some insight? From what I take of it its almost like fiberglass, right? Any info would be helpfull.
Thanks

 

Yea, It's kinda like fiberglass. It get the best results vacume bag the parts and use cabosel in the sharp corners.

Smitty

 

Thanks for the quick reply, but you are talkin Latin. What is cabosel? I think I read a little on the vaccum pumps but not the bag. How does it work and is it something feasable for just a few parts?

 

It all depends on one thing.......How much Money you want to spend.

Cabosil is a powder you mix with the resin and it acts like a filler into any shape corners.

Here's a quick run down.

1. Make Plug. The plug if the positive image of what you want.
2. Make Mold. The Mold is the negitive image of what you want.
3. Cut Glass or Carbon to fit mold there should be 1-2" on overlap on the mold.
4. Mix up some resin and put some cabosal in it, mix to a cake icing texture.
5. Place that into a throw away cake decorating bag, cut a small corner off bag and squeeze into sharp corners.
6. Place carbon/ glass into mold and pour your mixture of resin over the glass.
7. Take a paint brush that you trimmed down to 1/2" Bristels and force resin into glass.
8. Make sure that there is enough resin in all the areas.
9. Place mold into sealable bag and Turn on Vacume pump.
10. Wait until all the air is sucked out and than 1 hour to make sure.
11. Seal vacume line from pump to bag and turn off pump.
12. After resin cures, remove from bag.
13. Trim glass from mold.
14. Remove from mold.
15. Sell and make lots of money.

Parts will be easier to remove if you use a mold release agent.

Good luck.

Smitty

 

Thanks again Smitty911. I am going to make a CF hood first, then I am going to try a grab bar. I know the bar might break if I wheelie to hard but oh well. I thought about using balsa wood for the positive image and coating it with resin then wrapping it with fibers, for the grab bar. I think I will try to make a negative mold for the hood out of styrofoam, I read that it works well for molds.

 

If you use the styrofoam make sure it is the blue high density type. make a Hot wire to cut it to rough shape. Get out that can of Bondo and cover it. Smooth to shape and there is your plug.

The quick way would be to smooth the shape out of white styrofoam, wrap the carbon around that put on your resin and pour gas in it to eat the styrofoam.

Remember that Carbon Fiber sucks as a single layup and for good solid piece if should be sandwhiched between something.

Smitty

 

Huh??????????[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

 

Huh????????? What????

Smitty

 

were can you get flat sheets of carbon like 1/8 thick allready made?

 

Could you define already made??

Are you talking flat sheets that already have the resin in them? No-one I know. You can buy rolls of the stuff and layup yourself. It's noy that hard.

Smitty