New Project by MikeP

[MikeP]

The more I pile in, the more epoxy seems gets squeezed out.

 

[MikeP]

Clamp it good and tight.

 

[MikeP]

Finished mount sanded and trimmed out.

 

[MikeP]

Close up

 

[MikeP]

Skinned with CF weave.

 

[TimD]

Mike that turnfin mount looks sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet B)

 

[TomMoorehouse]

i thought the shape looked wrong.... i see now that you have it trimmed why i was thinking that.... you sure do some cool stuff mike!

 

[MikeP]

Thanks

 

[MikeP]

After a couple years of messing with CF sheeting, I finally figured out that if I cover the nice glossy finish with tape I don't have to sand and polish after sheeting. Dah!

Got the rear sponsons done, time to stop dinking around and finish this thing.

 

[MikeP]

Just peel the tape and there almost ready to run.

 

[Bart Drieghe]

Nice Working Mike , really nice , Im following u all the way even though im not into this kind of boating .

KEEP on doing this great stuff , its really nice

Bart

 

[ClayGlover]

Ditto. Carbon just looks cool as hell. Really neat stuff Mike

 

[MikeP]

Thanks Bart and Clay,

I got to say something here that's been on my mind for a while, I am using the FF .21 kit for patterns and set up. This kit designed by Tom Moorehouse is really a nice kit. The design and construction is very strong and light, the simplicity of construction is also note worthy. It has given me some really good ideas during the construction of the molded version. I was intending on a lighter stronger composite hull, it is a challenge to keep it as light as the wood kit version.

-MikeP

 

[TomMoorehouse]

TimD says his weighs in at 3.3lbs ready to run except fuel! i dont have a scale worth a darn to weigh mine.....

but i did try a few tricks to make it lighter and it appears to have worked. Also even at this light it is very strong for heat racing.

now if I could just get Peter to cut me 1 more proto so i can take pictures for the building instructions the kit will be ready to be released! nudge ndge hint hint!

Thanks for the kind words Mike... I'm sure you can make one lighter! and with that tub mold..... you just might have yourself the firefighter aftermarket business wrapped up!

 

[PHM Racing]

Mike the rear sposon's you made out of carbonare they put together from seprate part's of carbon and do you have pic's of them going together.

Great work

Mike

 

[MikeP]

Mike the rear sposon's you made out of carbonare they put together from seprate part's of carbon and do you have pic's of them going together.Great work

Mike

I make sheets of CF and use it the same as plywood. I didn't get any pics of the rear sponson assembly. I will get some pics of the front sponson assembly.

I have made changes in the way I make the CF sheets. They used to be 2 layers of 5 oz. 3k CF weave laid out on glass and then vacuumed bagged with peelply and breather cloth on top. This was a very expensive process. The thickness was from .030 to .035

The latest method is 1 layer of 3.5 unicarbon and 1 layer 6oz fiberglass, laid up on a piece of glass, the resin is rolled out evenly with a foam roller. No vacuume bag. The results have just as good, in fact the thickness of the layup is more consistant and much cheaper, you just have to be careful you don't have gaps in the unicarbon fibers.

Mike

 

[Tony Jacuzzi]

"3.5 unicarbon" Mike what is unicarbon ? Thanks Tony J

 

[MikeP]

Hey Tony hows it going?

Here is a picture of unicarbon it has carbon tows running in one direction, the other direction is s glass. The glass disappears when you wet it out.

5.0 oz CF is the most popular so the price is usually lower, if you stray from it the price goes up quite a bit.

I was looking for some CF that was a little lighter weight so it wouldn't hold in so much epoxy. I found alot of guys using 3.5 unicarbon. Just the right weight and half the cost of 5.0 bi-directional. It does change the properties of the lay up and you will need to lay it in the correct directions regarding the direction of the tows. In most cases it will work in your favor.

 

[MikeP]

Here are 2 finished sheets. The bi-directional is just a bit nicer than the uni-directional

 

[Terry Keeley]

I like the 3.8 oz, 24x25 1K cloth, much finer than the average 5.7 oz stuff. Quite a bit more $$$ though so I only use it to make cowls finish up nicer...