Carbon and Fiber glass

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Kevin Krogness

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
2,585
Were are all of you getting your knowledge from or did you learn from??? I would like to start something to get me more involved with this hobby and would like to learn how to use these products and the proces involved as they spark a interest in me!!!

Thanks, Kevin.....
 
Kev, Its easy come on down to lights place and I will gladly show you how I lay up a cowl and show you our molds and explain how we made then anytime.

We can even harass Mark :lol:

Tim
 
OR you could become an Aerospace composites process Engineer. I did it for about 10 years before a forced career change. Defense industry has too many ups and downs......LOL
 
OK I got me a Fiber Glast booklet. on the New products out on the market. They have a carbon fiber sample pack @ $19.95 Item # 4006-A It said a 12" x12" patch of every pattern they sell .Plus a $25.00 coupon for your next order of $100.00 or more. You get to see all the new and use it too. 1 sheet can reinforce that transome.

http://www.fibreglast.com/
 
Carbon fiber fabric is very expensive, and hard to get these days; thanks to the new Boeing 787. I'm not sure, but I think that there are only a few factories in the world that produce it.

I noticed that if you try to go to a site on line to learn about how to lay up fiberglass or composites, they are very difficult to understand and usually the information is convoluted. Laying up polyester is pretty easy. Usually Epoxy based resins are better for RC. Lighter and stronger, but expensive and time consuming. I recommend buying some light glass fabric, some mold release wax, and a quart of epoxy resin and catalyst. Practice making different ply plates. You can make mold plugs out of wood, balsa wood, bondo, plaster of Paris or whatever. As long as they finished perfectly smooth, and hard, they will work fine for making a mold. I wouldn't try carbon fabric until you are proficient with glass cloth. It really sucks when you screw that stuff up.
 
There are suppliers that sell drops from the big rolls. I used to work at Hercules Aerospace. We had several PAN based fiber lines. We took Poly Acryl Nitrile (IIRC) and then graphetize it in a bunch of ovens. The raw fiber was sold to weavers to make cloth. We made unidirectional prepreg material in house. We didn't have much use for cloth with what we were doing. The kinks caused by weaving make it much weaker than unidirectional material. We did use a fiberglass scrim cloth on the outer ply to to stop splintering.
 
Carbon fiber fabric is very expensive, and hard to get these days; thanks to the new Boeing 787. I'm not sure, but I think that there are only a few factories in the world that produce it.

I noticed that if you try to go to a site on line to learn about how to lay up fiberglass or composites, they are very difficult to understand and usually the information is convoluted. Laying up polyester is pretty easy. Usually Epoxy based resins are better for RC. Lighter and stronger, but expensive and time consuming. I recommend buying some light glass fabric, some mold release wax, and a quart of epoxy resin and catalyst. Practice making different ply plates. You can make mold plugs out of wood, balsa wood, bondo, plaster of Paris or whatever. As long as they finished perfectly smooth, and hard, they will work fine for making a mold. I wouldn't try carbon fabric until you are proficient with glass cloth. It really sucks when you screw that stuff up.
Sorry! I meant to say practice making plates on a piece of glass.
 
What is a good weight carbon fibre cloth to use for internal hull lay-up (engine compartment section on outriggers)? 2.0oz? 3.0oz?

What about thread count? 13 X 13? 15 X 15? 19 X 19?

Appreciate your input.
 
Been reading and watching videos on carbon fiber for about 4 hours now:) Think I might finally get this going in the summer!!! I just need to finish my boats up and get my 2 hobby rooms done then its time to start the new carbon hobby!!!
 
I seen that the other day Greg. I would have to do some figuring but think its cheaper to buy elsewhere due to the shipping and it isn't in the USA warehouse yet... I was going to try some cheap servos but don't have the time to wait 2 months for shipping :(
 
Were are all of you getting your knowledge from or did you learn from??? I would like to start something to get me more involved with this hobby and would like to learn how to use these products and the proces involved as they spark a interest in me!!!

Thanks, Kevin.....
Terry Keeley started me thinking while at the Internats. He suggested that I buy some 6oz woven Carbon Cloth and make some Carbon Plywood. I got a piece of glass 4' x 4' and waxed it and then put a layer of West System on the glass. Then the carbon cloth and an auto body squeege to scrape off all the excess West Epoxy. The sheet came out perfect and SUPER LIGHT. I will use it to build a new 20 boat using all the same methods, just use the .012" carbon plywood instead of birch plywood. Can't wait to see the weight savings and the strength too. Thinking of doing the same thing but bond a layer of 1/64" ply to a sheet to make it glue really well for the top and bottom of the center section. Or, I could just double the carbon layer. Just not sure how well the carbon would glue as a bottom skin without the plywood. Still thinking about that....

Thanks Terry.... !!!
 
I'm not sure how Frank made my tub other then it is all carbon fiber and the bottom is a piece of what appears to be manufactured carbon sheet.

I'm not even sure how he put the pieces toghether as it is a tight fit and he sanded any seems. The bottom and going up the sides is a 90 degree edge not rounded. I have alot to learn before I build a tub but it will be fun seeing what I come up with!!!

Right now I'm looking for the right resins...
 
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