Carbon Fiber Overlays

[714guy]

Has anybody have experience doing carbon fiber overlays, or know of a good site that i can learn how to do it and what i would need to do it.

I hae experience with fiber fiberglassing, so i don't think doing an overlay would be to difficult, i could be wrong. Any info would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks

Jason

[CKlasse]

Jason,

You can always purchase Fiberglass/carbon fiber "how to" books. They are available at most bookstores. It's much easier when you read this in details. Application is not as simple as what everyone would tell you though. It's a matter of 'getting used to it'!

Have fun!

[qqbennyqq]

hi jason, fiber glassin and cf overlay are quit differnt, cf overlay u have to worry about weave pattern as well as the biggest problem that non quality cf manufactures run into "bubbles". i belevie there are some shops that do cf over lays here in so cali maybe u can go cehck out how the yd oit.

Benny

[MrSpace]

I do cf overlay

it's way harder than fiberglass, except if you paint it afterwards

getting the fiber to look good, and no bubbles will almost be impossible without bagging it (this means putting a venturi on a compressor to remove all the air undear a scealed bag so your resin gets all the way througfh the fiber)

Etienne

[tinter101]

What exactly do you want to overlay? Hood? Dash?

[714guy]

I just want to overlay a front lip i am getting for my friend for his birthday. Instead of painting it i'd thoughed i do CF since his car is black.

[714guy]

Originally posted by MrSpace
I do cf overlay

it's way harder than fiberglass, except if you paint it afterwards

getting the fiber to look good, and no bubbles will almost be impossible without bagging it (this means putting a venturi on a compressor to remove all the air undear a scealed bag so your resin gets all the way througfh the fiber)

Etienne

How do they do that without messing up the resin and get it to look good.

[MrSpace]

they have an air compressor, plugged into two air tanks and a venturi to keep sucking the air constantly (pressure is like -30psi)

they put the carbon, then put a plastic bag on top of it, very very flat, one wrinkle in the plastic and it shows. They do this on a very clean surface. All around the part they put "dum-dum" to stick the plastic on the table and sceal everything.

Start the compressor and the air is sucked, it keeps a very string pressure on the resin so it flows and all excess is out of the carbon.

You can use that for preimpregnated composites and even fiberglass. It gives you a perfect finish on the flat surface (table/miror/mold)

I think I can dig some pictures...

Etienne

[MrSpace]

for your front lip, it might be easier

you can get a polyethylen tubing a little bigger than the part (let's say the lip is 4 inch wide, with a 6" diameter tubing you should be ok). You can then put the cf with the resin, then slip everything in the tube, sceal one end completly, and sceal the other one with the venturi hose in it, then remove all air, it should hold pretty tight, just make sure the excess plastic from the bag is on the non visible side of the part so that the front of the lip is perfect.

Etienne