This is the best diy video for carbon fiber i have seen. This has made me make the jump to try my own carbon skinning. Love the cheap alternatives you've found. Liked and subbed
Thank you for the kind words! It’s a lot of fun and I highly recommend anyone try it out! Be sure to follow the IG @ _foxcraze and send pictures of anything you create!!
Same!! Just make sure you dont put too much resin before putting the lining hahaha mine got stuck! But i used a heat gun to take it off and it worked lol
Hi brother . So today I peeled of my fleece and peel ply . It seems this is the 2nd time I've done this now and when I peel off the peel ply it rips off the carbon from the piece . I keyed and scratched up the furnace piece really good. Not sure why this keeps happening ? Any insight would be greatly appreciated
After watching this I figured I would give it an attempt.. bought the exact same material you did at hobby lobby polyester underlining.. after I laid this down and let it dry the next day I went to peel it off and it was super glued to the surface.. after some brute strength ripping it left me with a ton of polyester fibers stuck to the carbon.. I hit it with a sander and completely removed everything then tried it again this time using wax paper and it worked so much better
Hmm that’s odd. I have used this material on everything and have had zero issues like that. But hey glad the wax paper worked out! I just saw your message and Instagram and hit you back.
@@Foxcraze hell yeah I mean hey you become a pro some how looks good keep up the good work subscribed as most of us can't pay pros that's why we watch this haha
Disclaimer: I’m not really a huge fan of “skinning” parts for purely aesthetic reasons because it’s truly the complete opposite of why carbon fiber components are generally created. Weight savings. Although I’ve watched many videos in preparation for upcoming projects, I’ve never actually attempted any carbon fiber projects, yet. But I do have plans to give it a try in the next few months. Based on this particular part, I don’t think it would have been too difficult to create a mold of your original and then create 100% carbon fiber parts. You would then have the weight savings and a mold to produce additional parts to sell. Or you could sell the mold so that someone else could produce them. This is strictly my personal opinion only, and not meant in a negative way, at all. Having said all of that, I absolutely enjoyed watching the process and how you improvised when possible/necessary. Subscribed.
I have been looking into how to mold parts, and might try it one day! I dont disagree with anything you said here at all. I would have loved to do them in pure carbon but didn’t have the capability; that said after skinning the weight difference really wasn’t much at all after sanding it all down. Thank you for subscribing and have a great Sunday!
Awesome work! I'm planning to do this to a 350z rocket bunny body kit. I've worked with fiber glass before but this will be my first time with carbon and epoxy.
I was intimidated as hell before I began but after getting it started, It was smooth sailing! Knock it out and add me on IG so I can see the progress/results!
Another awesome vid man!!! I always look forward to your vids, as you think outside of the box, and the outcome is always perfection!!! Using the shop vac and seal bags is pure genius, as the real setup could easily run hundreds!! Keep up the great content 👍🏾💯
Appreciate it brother! Just trying to be cost effective out here. I will get a proper setup eventually but do random parts, the bag and vacuum is to easy!!
Liked and subscribed! Dude, we are definitely of the same mindset! I have a 1971 C10 that Im doing a ton of carbon work on. The inner fenders are Kevlar impregnated carbon twill, the front and rear bumpers are 2x2 twill and the grill/headlight surrounds will also be 2x2 twill. Ive also made several delete plates and switch plates. I tend to lay my in a fiberglass mold that I make but I use the method you used here too.
I appreciate it, I want to do some overlays on abs plastic but I know thermal expansion is an issue. so Im researching bonding methods to make it hopefully work. I have long term concerns of these delaminating but time will tell. I want to make molds for certain things as well just gotta do my research and figure out what will work for my needs and still be budget friendly.
The benefit of plastic peel ply is that it isn't a woven fabric and leaves a smoother finish than a fabric peel ply and thus requires less finish work. Fabric-based peel ply is best used when you want to put additional layers of material since it leaves a textured surface that doesn't necessarily require sanding prior to another layer of material going down. Boat construction usually uses woven peel ply since it is cheaper, and the finished side is on the mold so texture left behind by the peel ply isn't visible in the finished product. Plastic peel ply is usually used for parts that are created using a positive mold, where the finished side is not made smooth by the mold (usually carbon, and more specifically pre-preg parts usually fall in this category). - Someone who use to build boats!
I knew there had to be a reason for the different types but wasn’t exactly sure what they were. Thank you for clarifying, the differences! this method worked in my case since I was looking for the cheapest method plus doing a little extra sanding didn’t bother me.
It’s better to polish them than to clear them. Clear coat will give you a bit of a textured finish. Polishing will give you a finish better than factory paint
Dang!! Thanks for the kind words!! I will keep going and learning and teaching what I discover as I go! Feel free to share the channel to all your buddies!! Haha
Glad to be of help. Be advised if your gonna do under hood parts make sure you buy a high temp rated resin. I will be redoing these this fall due to issues that arose from the heat limit of the resin being exceeded.
@@Foxcraze thanks for the heads up! I’m wanting to try and skin the chrome trim on our Tesla model s. Going to start with a small piece and see how it goes before messing a big trim piece up 😆
@@Foxcraze What do you think the coverage area is per pound of the chopped carbon? You had half a pound here, and covered what looks to be about 1 square foot. What was the weight of your excess? I'd like to be able to cover 2 square yards per pound.
Hello beautiful video, I would like to do the same thing though. to make more pieces, how do I clone the piece to be made and then make the forged carbon?
You would need to make a mold of the front and back of the item you want to recreate. There are a lot of good videos on here about fiberglass mold making that can help greatly!
The peel ply def needs removed before continuing. Its only purpose is to get a good flat foundation to build from with new layers of resin and sanding.
They turned out good enough that I didn’t need to cut and buff them. That said, other things I have had to do it, it all depends on paint climate and temperature.
@@Foxcraze yeah that makes sense. I haven’t buffed any yet either but I have seen other UA-camrs sand and buff after clear. Mine has help up good in this summer and mine are mirror cap covers.
@moparrdudee87 I cleared the mirror caps for the Q50 as well and didn’t need to cut and buff those either. Been solid since 2019. Some people just don’t prep stuff well.
No not quite. If you look at the description, I outline the process in a step by step fashion. Review that and if you still have questions feel free to ask away my man!
Looks amazing and great info thanks and keep it up, love the budget tips that I will be sure to use doing my project. I am a subscriber after that video lol 👍🏼
Only on the first coat because this is the point when all the pieces are flattened down into one solid layer of carbon. After its flat, the resin is added to strengthen, smooth out and make it shine.
That all depends on what resin brand you go with. Some are a 1:1 ratio some might be 2:1. Meaning if you do 1oz of resin you would need to match it or double it depending on what the brand recommends. I don’t remember exact amount I used, if I ran out during a step I just mixed a small amount more.
I still have a lot of it left so I’m really not sure how much I used. I’m prob gonna reskin my front bumper lip on the new bumper in it also since I have so much left lol
@@Foxcraze I’m trying to estimate how many pounds I would need to do all the body parts on my motorcycle. Those two panels are a bit smaller than my side covers and if you did both with such a small amount I think I could order less than I originally thought. Thanks for the info!
Just curious, but why do you sand down to 600 before you want to clear coat it? That basically means you put a shitton of clearcoat over it so you dont see the big scratches you made. If you want to do it right you gotta sand with 1000, 2000 and 3000 and then clearcoat it
It has been my understanding that 1000 grit and up is for clear coat sanding to remove orange peel or to polish a component that isn’t getting clear coat. Sanding a component to that high a grit before clear will result in long term adhesion issues due to lack of bite. Composite envisions for example recommend sanding epoxy resin with 600 grit prior to applying the clear coat.
People have used Saran Wrap for compression before but I would def not submerge it into a bathtub if it isn’t sealed tight. Water getting into the carbon pockets and not getting fully dry before applying more resin coats can create condensation pockets under the resin and it can affect the finish of the part in the long run.
Dude that looks insane! I'm going to start doing some smaller parts in forged carbon to learn and i have some questions. Do you buy a bag of carbon fiber all chopped up like that or do you just buy the cheapest carbon fiber sheet and cut it ramdomly? This is actually a great video keep up the good work.
I appreciate that man! I bought the carbon shredded already and the link to it is in the description. You could cut it yourself but it’s not any cheaper than just buying all chopped up. Any other questions you have just ask and I will do my best to answer you as soon as possible!
You didn’t tint the resin with any pigment did you? Also once you start sanding, it should start looking differently. If you have an IG send me pics and I can try to give a better answer.
So I tried this on a project of mine but went with a different carbon fiber and it was hard and felt like little rocks. Made it extremely hard to work with and would not lay flat like in this video. My question is, was the carbon fiber that u got actually fiber like and easier to work with? And any info on what I should look for or where i went wrong when purchasing carbon fiber. Thanks
When I do this work again I will continue to use the polyester underlining I used in this video that I picked up from the fabric store. It was affordable and easily available. If you wanna pay a bit more for the real stuff and have the time to wait then I would order it from composite envisions.
Great vid! I want to try this out for myself. I ordered the chopped carbon fiber and as it’s being shipped I want to buy what i need. Have you found a good high temp resin or know of any good ones ? trying it out on mirror caps .
Some of the viewers recommended wise bond deep pour resin, stonecoat countertop resin or Max HTE. I haven’t tried any of them myself but I have been seeing good things with the stonecoat and the max hte.
I didn’t link the resin I used cause it wasn’t heat stable and clouded over time. That said, check out APX Composites on eBay they have a good uv stable clear for exterior parts.
Thanks alot for the video ! I'm just wondering , how much would you estimate your original piece grew in thickness with the added layers of carbon and epoxy? 1/8 " . 1/4" ?
No more than 1/8”. Sanding the piece down helps with adhesion but it also helps remove material that will be replaced with the thickness of the added material.
@Foxcraze thanks alot for the reply and the video . Your piece turned out amazing BTW. I'm going to be trying this as well very soon and this video has been great and super helpful, thank you
@Foxcraze Hi , I have another question for you . Could a towel be used as breather material ? Or is there something else that can substitute the fleece?
That’s a great question, the fleece was a substitute already. It needs to be a breathable material and though a towel does breath I think it would be too thick and possibly bunch up in areas of the part when applying vacuum. It is available in bulk at Walmart in the craft section all the time though.
The amount will vary with the size of the object and the amount applied each coat. I started small and added more till I got the coverage I wanted and used that number for every subsequent layer added.
I started with 120 to knock down the highs and smoothed it out more with 220 to be less abrasive while leveling it out. It may not have been necessary but it work well for me.
It could be possible. If I were to try it, I would prob wrap the wheel in pieces of the peel ply. Then wrap the peel ply in duck tape or something really tight to keep constant pressure applied to the entire wheel, then bag it.
@@Foxcraze thanks for the response I’m trying to learn how they reshape the wheels with the pistol grips for a project. If you find anything please let me know!
@@Foxcraze try to cut a peel ply twill at a 45 degree angle. Having the rovings running around the radius makes it very easy. If u wrap it with a small strap it will leave Marks. When using weave at least. That really distracts the eyes. You could use a vac then if u do forged. For a weave its not necessary. Trust me, I spend days and like 10-15 trys optimizing it. the best way really is cutting twill weave at a 45 degree angle. Coat the wheel with resin, let it get Tacky, wrap the carbon around, wet it out, peel ply once again layed at 45 degrees so that the rovings run around the Radius, let dry and continue as usual.
The skinning and method of application itself has held up great. That said, not using a high heat rated resin was an issue as the heat caused the resin to cloud after about 8 months. Get you a high heat resin to do any engine bay panels and you should be gtg!
Normal epoxy resin is usually heat rated to around 120-130*. If it gets hotter than that inside the cabin then there’s no harm in only doing it once with the more expensive high heat epoxy.
Can you go into more detail on what you mean, like don’t use water during the process to clean it? What’s wicking? Edit: nvm I get what your saying the fabric will soak up the water and cause moisture to get under the resin which could later on cause cloudiness in the resin I’m guessing.
Yes, I can't remember all of the technical terms but water is ok if you know fiders are sealed but "wicking" is a problem hard to detect till it cost you
As you saw in the video, they come right off after the resin hardens.The polyester liner helps to smooth and even distribute the resin across the part. It does stick but not to the point that it doesn’t come off or ruin the part. The fleece goes above the polyester to soak up any excess resin that escapes when the suction is applied. This helps to cut down sanding time once hardened.
Thank you! Each layer was mixed separately. The resin only had a pot life of about 20 min before it starts to become unusable. The quantity per layer is user specific. For these parts specifically my layers varied from 10g to 14g of resin plus hardener depending on how much your specific brand calls for in the ratio.
@@Foxcraze Thanks for your response. my brand is the same as yours, 2:1. I'm planning on doing the middle dashboard for my Z. How many grams/ounces for each layer do you recommend?
For that size of the part, I would start with 12g for the first layer and adjust up or down depending on how much you have left over from that batch or if you came up short. Also I meant Grams not ounces, apologies.
The epoxy would have to be used on the surface of the carbon to get everything smooth and protect the carbon properly. Clear coat alone doesn’t have the viscosity to fill, level and smooth what would be needed to make the finish look and feel correct.
I used a polyester underlining, that says it repels water and doesn’t breath well. I would say that makes it non porous but I don’t know 100%. It was suggested as a substitute to peel ply on a forum I was browsing.
Sorry, I have no additional update for these parts. I haven’t seen them since they were clear coated and given back to the owner. What questions do you have?
@Foxcraze when it comes to the clips and or pins on the outside where it clips in or seats in to a slot how did you take care of thoes points and if there was any fitment issue on the gaps
@bigjoe420666 I covers those areas in painters tape and peeled it off between coats so the resin didn’t have time to cure on those areas. Anything you don’t want resin on just layer some painters tape on them and it will keep them mostly safe. If any does get on it a razor blade will do the trick as well.
@@Foxcraze I suggest not putting music and put the camera right in front of your work (my opinion so don’t force yourself you can do whatever you want) ♥️
I bought the fleece at Walmart and it is all the same just different colors. You can get it at any fabric or craft store though, Joanne’s, hobby lobby etc.
Проще и быстрее было изготовить матрицу и получить сразу идеальную деталь, чем потом два дня зачищать и поливать эпоксидной смолой. У вас очень много свободного времени.
hey bro, this epoxy stuff is really bad for your health. i sincerely recommend wearing at least safety goggles. also recommend gloves and a vapor mask. but if you doing this in a good vented room, you might not need a mask. Nice video tho!
@@Foxcraze YEA I WISH I KNEW THAT WHEN I STARTED trying to sand down the forged carbon pieces with the resin on it has taken days and it’s all so uneven
Yeah it’s attached to my head and I was moving as subtle as possible but its overly dramatic when sped up. I have done different fixed position time lapses in more recent videos because of that actually lol
Exactly that man, Don’t try engine bay parts or exterior trim without high heat resin. I don’t have a recommendation unfortunately since I haven’t don’t any other carbon projects since.
This was what was requested to be done. That said, some people prefer the visual depth that actual carbon produces when cleared. Some hydro prints do a decent job from a distance and does require less work. But when you get up close the hydrodip doesn’t produce the same visual depth that real carbon does.
I would recommend not wearing the camera on your head if you're gonna speed up the videos, hurts my eyes. Keep the camera on the tripod during those parts like you did towards the end and the video would be much more watchable.
There is always one in the crowd, no it’s not actually compressed carbon particles into a new solid component to make a replacement part. That process is quite costly and not necessary if your goal isn’t to make replacement parts. This is forged carbon or chopped carbon skinning, and is purely cosmetic.
That was the lighting in that garage I was renting at the time and it didn’t have easy access to install better lighting. My new garage is gtg with lighting and is much better in later videos.
![How to Make a Forged Carbon Fiber Table Top [DIY] (Forged Carbon Fiber Skinning)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D8ywlhSQ2cM/mqdefault.jpg)
This is the best diy video for carbon fiber i have seen. This has made me make the jump to try my own carbon skinning. Love the cheap alternatives you've found. Liked and subbed
Thank you for the kind words! It’s a lot of fun and I highly recommend anyone try it out! Be sure to follow the IG @ _foxcraze and send pictures of anything you create!!
Same!! Just make sure you dont put too much resin before putting the lining hahaha mine got stuck! But i used a heat gun to take it off and it worked lol
Hi brother . So today I peeled of my fleece and peel ply . It seems this is the 2nd time I've done this now and when I peel off the peel ply it rips off the carbon from the piece . I keyed and scratched up the furnace piece really good. Not sure why this keeps happening ? Any insight would be greatly appreciated
Hit me up on Instagram.
This is my first time looking into it. Glad to see your comment!
After watching this I figured I would give it an attempt.. bought the exact same material you did at hobby lobby polyester underlining.. after I laid this down and let it dry the next day I went to peel it off and it was super glued to the surface.. after some brute strength ripping it left me with a ton of polyester fibers stuck to the carbon.. I hit it with a sander and completely removed everything then tried it again this time using wax paper and it worked so much better
Hmm that’s odd. I have used this material on everything and have had zero issues like that. But hey glad the wax paper worked out! I just saw your message and Instagram and hit you back.
Literally first time I hit like on a video do things right and for the budget like most of us do thank you!
I’m all about budget, cause I do not have the cash to get stuff done by the “pros” lol
@@Foxcraze hell yeah I mean hey you become a pro some how looks good keep up the good work subscribed as most of us can't pay pros that's why we watch this haha
Disclaimer: I’m not really a huge fan of “skinning” parts for purely aesthetic reasons because it’s truly the complete opposite of why carbon fiber components are generally created. Weight savings. Although I’ve watched many videos in preparation for upcoming projects, I’ve never actually attempted any carbon fiber projects, yet. But I do have plans to give it a try in the next few months. Based on this particular part, I don’t think it would have been too difficult to create a mold of your original and then create 100% carbon fiber parts. You would then have the weight savings and a mold to produce additional parts to sell. Or you could sell the mold so that someone else could produce them. This is strictly my personal opinion only, and not meant in a negative way, at all. Having said all of that, I absolutely enjoyed watching the process and how you improvised when possible/necessary. Subscribed.
I have been looking into how to mold parts, and might try it one day! I dont disagree with anything you said here at all. I would have loved to do them in pure carbon but didn’t have the capability; that said after skinning the weight difference really wasn’t much at all after sanding it all down. Thank you for subscribing and have a great Sunday!
Awesome work! I'm planning to do this to a 350z rocket bunny body kit. I've worked with fiber glass before but this will be my first time with carbon and epoxy.
I was intimidated as hell before I began but after getting it started, It was smooth sailing! Knock it out and add me on IG so I can see the progress/results!
Great economy tips! Polyester and fleece. Thanks
No problem!
I didn't even know about the vacuum bag trick. Thanks for that !!!
Glad to help!
Im from Mexico, where can I buy the items and how to know how much I need? I would lik to learn and work it in my custom garage
Man I love how you show how to do it on a budget!
I’m a regular guy too! I don’t have the cash for that fancy stuff yet,so budget is where it’s at!
Be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already! Lots of other budget stuff coming down the pipe!
Another awesome vid man!!! I always look forward to your vids, as you think outside of the box, and the outcome is always perfection!!! Using the shop vac and seal bags is pure genius, as the real setup could easily run hundreds!! Keep up the great content 👍🏾💯
Appreciate it brother! Just trying to be cost effective out here. I will get a proper setup eventually but do random parts, the bag and vacuum is to easy!!
Thanks for the thorough guide man! trying this very soon on some parts😅
Glad it was helpful!
if you want to dry it faster. put it in the oven at minimum heat. it will dry for an hour and you can apply another coat
Liked and subscribed! Dude, we are definitely of the same mindset! I have a 1971 C10 that Im doing a ton of carbon work on. The inner fenders are Kevlar impregnated carbon twill, the front and rear bumpers are 2x2 twill and the grill/headlight surrounds will also be 2x2 twill. Ive also made several delete plates and switch plates. I tend to lay my in a fiberglass mold that I make but I use the method you used here too.
I appreciate it, I want to do some overlays on abs plastic but I know thermal expansion is an issue. so Im researching bonding methods to make it hopefully work. I have long term concerns of these delaminating but time will tell. I want to make molds for certain things as well just gotta do my research and figure out what will work for my needs and still be budget friendly.
Pritiey slick i like the fact that you just jammed it together prity fast and it came out nice.
Thank you!
The benefit of plastic peel ply is that it isn't a woven fabric and leaves a smoother finish than a fabric peel ply and thus requires less finish work. Fabric-based peel ply is best used when you want to put additional layers of material since it leaves a textured surface that doesn't necessarily require sanding prior to another layer of material going down.
Boat construction usually uses woven peel ply since it is cheaper, and the finished side is on the mold so texture left behind by the peel ply isn't visible in the finished product. Plastic peel ply is usually used for parts that are created using a positive mold, where the finished side is not made smooth by the mold (usually carbon, and more specifically pre-preg parts usually fall in this category).
- Someone who use to build boats!
I knew there had to be a reason for the different types but wasn’t exactly sure what they were. Thank you for clarifying, the differences! this method worked in my case since I was looking for the cheapest method plus doing a little extra sanding didn’t bother me.
@@Foxcraze for sure, it came out looking good 👌
It’s better to polish them than to clear them. Clear coat will give you a bit of a textured finish. Polishing will give you a finish better than factory paint
Appreciate the tip! I guess if it’s not gonna be in direct sun light then clear uv protection really isn’t needed anyway!
You need more recognition bro insane work ! Followed your guide to make my fiberglass speaker enclosure
Dang!! Thanks for the kind words!! I will keep going and learning and teaching what I discover as I go! Feel free to share the channel to all your buddies!! Haha
@@Foxcraze it’s the truth bro about to redo my plastics under my hood now with some forged carbon!
Hit me up on Instagram @ _foxcraze would love to see the enclosure!
Fantastic job! You are very resourceful.
I appreciate that!!
Amazing!!! This has helped me finally understand some of the missing links! 👍 on finding alternatives
Glad to be of help. Be advised if your gonna do under hood parts make sure you buy a high temp rated resin. I will be redoing these this fall due to issues that arose from the heat limit of the resin being exceeded.
@@Foxcraze thanks for the heads up! I’m wanting to try and skin the chrome trim on our Tesla model s. Going to start with a small piece and see how it goes before messing a big trim piece up 😆
That’s always a great idea, I did a small pvc test panel first before jumping into a larger part as well. I wish you the best of luck!
I think I'll do this to the bottom of my boat. It won't fade and will allow me to apply a gelcoat, which is easier to maintain than paint.
That would be a good use of this for sure!
@@Foxcraze What do you think the coverage area is per pound of the chopped carbon? You had half a pound here, and covered what looks to be about 1 square foot. What was the weight of your excess? I'd like to be able to cover 2 square yards per pound.
Indeed, I have over half the bag still. I will weigh what I have left when I get home and let you know!
OMG the vacuum bag was genius!! Liked and subbed.
Yeah man works great every time!!
Nice ! Get yourself some brush-on clearcoat, you will find it levels very nice and takes much less work than laminating resin for finishing.
Thank you and appreciate the tip!!
@@Foxcraze You're very welcome. Sicomin Topclear is an excellent product for this purpose but I don't think you will find it outside of Europe
Hey I hate to give pointers buy if you use a heat gun and -syranwrap- it will level out better and cut down sanding by alot
Don’t hate to give pointers man, I’m here learning as I go so any tips and tricks are requested! Thanks, I will try that out!
Well 15 years of military composites and I'm green as grass as far As knowledge of composites
Well be sure to subscribe then cause I will prob need them in projects to come haha
Hello beautiful video, I would like to do the same thing though. to make more pieces, how do I clone the piece to be made and then make the forged carbon?
You would need to make a mold of the front and back of the item you want to recreate. There are a lot of good videos on here about fiberglass mold making that can help greatly!
@Foxcraze Do I make a bivalve?
Do we need to remove peel ply? Or just add more resin and sand it?
The peel ply def needs removed before continuing. Its only purpose is to get a good flat foundation to build from with new layers of resin and sanding.
This Video helped me a lot. Thanks man!
No problem if you end up making something, give me a follow on Instagram and show me what you made!!
After you sprayed the clear did you then sand again with 2k grit and buff or stop after laying down the clear ?
They turned out good enough that I didn’t need to cut and buff them. That said, other things I have had to do it, it all depends on paint climate and temperature.
@@Foxcraze yeah that makes sense. I haven’t buffed any yet either but I have seen other UA-camrs sand and buff after clear. Mine has help up good in this summer and mine are mirror cap covers.
@moparrdudee87 I cleared the mirror caps for the Q50 as well and didn’t need to cut and buff those either. Been solid since 2019. Some people just don’t prep stuff well.
So you sand between resin coats?
Resin coat 1
Sand
Resin coat 2
Sand
Resin coat 3
Sand
Clear?
No not quite. If you look at the description, I outline the process in a step by step fashion. Review that and if you still have questions feel free to ask away my man!
What brand of respirator do you use?
The harbor freight special with the two filters. Nothing expensive
@@Foxcraze wicked mate thank you! I’ll get one of these
No prob
Do you know what size shards you got ? I don’t know whether to go with 1/4th 1/2 or 1 inch shards
1/2 I believe is what I used.
Did you remove the polyester with the fleece or leave it on and just sand down?
Yeah all the polyester pulled right off the panels and left a smooth surface to start sanding on.
Looks amazing and great info thanks and keep it up, love the budget tips that I will be sure to use doing my project. I am a subscriber after that video lol 👍🏼
Appreciate it man, I have to make more time to do the other forged parts for his car next lol
Great video! Nice.
Thank you, appreciate it!
Question if for this each time you layer up do you need to add the peel ply material or only on the first coat?
Only on the first coat because this is the point when all the pieces are flattened down into one solid layer of carbon. After its flat, the resin is added to strengthen, smooth out and make it shine.
nice, I'm getting back into fiberglassing and wouldn't mind doing some forged carbon. couldn't bring myself to doing a weave as i'll stuff it up HAHA
Forged is the best for no stress weave distortion lol I’m gonna be attempting honey comb next myself!
@@Foxcraze nice. Can’t wait to see it. Subscribed so I don’t miss it
Appreciate it man!
Did you do any polishing after the clear coat or no
No I didn’t see the need to since it looked good to me but there was more than enough clear on it that I could have if I wanted to.
@@Foxcraze thank you man
Great video. Did you ever find a high heat resistant resin for those panels? Thinking of doing some of my engine trim.
If I were to try engine bay parts again, I would probably use MAX HTE. It has good reviews in regard to high heat applications.
How much hardener and resin are you suppose to put? As in the scale each amount?
That all depends on what resin brand you go with. Some are a 1:1 ratio some might be 2:1. Meaning if you do 1oz of resin you would need to match it or double it depending on what the brand recommends. I don’t remember exact amount I used, if I ran out during a step I just mixed a small amount more.
Great video, is it neccessary to put product in vacuum bag? what if i just put resin,carbon,peel ply, role it down and leave for the night?
You don’t have to bag it but compression over time helps to better saturate the entire carbon sheet and level it out.
@@Foxcraze Thanks for quick answer
No prob!
i've watched this 100 x and i can't bring myself to get started 0_0
Don’t think about it, just do it! Lol
How much carbon did you use for the two panels? It looked like the 1/2 pound went pretty far
I still have a lot of it left so I’m really not sure how much I used. I’m prob gonna reskin my front bumper lip on the new bumper in it also since I have so much left lol
@@Foxcraze I’m trying to estimate how many pounds I would need to do all the body parts on my motorcycle. Those two panels are a bit smaller than my side covers and if you did both with such a small amount I think I could order less than I originally thought. Thanks for the info!
@@MrSmashSr no problem glad to help, just make sure you either paint the panels black or use a black dye in the first resin coat!
Just curious, but why do you sand down to 600 before you want to clear coat it? That basically means you put a shitton of clearcoat over it so you dont see the big scratches you made.
If you want to do it right you gotta sand with 1000, 2000 and 3000 and then clearcoat it
It has been my understanding that 1000 grit and up is for clear coat sanding to remove orange peel or to polish a component that isn’t getting clear coat. Sanding a component to that high a grit before clear will result in long term adhesion issues due to lack of bite. Composite envisions for example recommend sanding epoxy resin with 600 grit prior to applying the clear coat.
Instead of a vacuum bag. Is wrapping in Saran wrap and submerging in a bathtub(for volume/weight) an option?
People have used Saran Wrap for compression before but I would def not submerge it into a bathtub if it isn’t sealed tight. Water getting into the carbon pockets and not getting fully dry before applying more resin coats can create condensation pockets under the resin and it can affect the finish of the part in the long run.
Dude that looks insane! I'm going to start doing some smaller parts in forged carbon to learn and i have some questions. Do you buy a bag of carbon fiber all chopped up like that or do you just buy the cheapest carbon fiber sheet and cut it ramdomly? This is actually a great video keep up the good work.
I appreciate that man! I bought the carbon shredded already and the link to it is in the description. You could cut it yourself but it’s not any cheaper than just buying all chopped up. Any other questions you have just ask and I will do my best to answer you as soon as possible!
Is there a reason why mine didnt come out shiny? Like youre when you took the lining out mines is kinda matte and too dark
You didn’t tint the resin with any pigment did you? Also once you start sanding, it should start looking differently. If you have an IG send me pics and I can try to give a better answer.
Can I use this method with carbon twill?
Yeah I don’t see why not, it’s all carbon and resin after all.
So I tried this on a project of mine but went with a different carbon fiber and it was hard and felt like little rocks. Made it extremely hard to work with and would not lay flat like in this video. My question is, was the carbon fiber that u got actually fiber like and easier to work with? And any info on what I should look for or where i went wrong when purchasing carbon fiber. Thanks
The carbon I bought was not hard at all and laid down pretty nice. The seller I bought from should be linked in the description of this video.
Man great job, that is so sick!
Appreciate it! Will be doing more carbon stuff this fall.
Great video!! Appreciate it!
Thank you and no problem!
This is awesome
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Hey man how do
You know which brand of resin to go with ?? I’m starting of new
If I were to try engine bay parts again, I would probably use MAX HTE. It has good reviews in regard to high heat applications.
@@Foxcraze noted. Thank you boss
No problem!
What are you using for peel ply or recomend using?
When I do this work again I will continue to use the polyester underlining I used in this video that I picked up from the fabric store. It was affordable and easily available. If you wanna pay a bit more for the real stuff and have the time to wait then I would order it from composite envisions.
on step 2 layer, is it only use resin ?
Yep once the excess carbon pieces are shaken off it’s all straight resin coats from there out.
@@Foxcraze okey, thanks for it.
Great vid! I want to try this out for myself. I ordered the chopped carbon fiber and as it’s being shipped I want to buy what i need. Have you found a good high temp resin or know of any good ones ? trying it out on mirror caps .
Some of the viewers recommended wise bond deep pour resin, stonecoat countertop resin or Max HTE. I haven’t tried any of them myself but I have been seeing good things with the stonecoat and the max hte.
Hey can u add link 2 the resin. I am planing on doin my rear diffuser front lip and other out side parts
I didn’t link the resin I used cause it wasn’t heat stable and clouded over time. That said, check out APX Composites on eBay they have a good uv stable clear for exterior parts.
Thanks alot for the video ! I'm just wondering , how much would you estimate your original piece grew in thickness with the added layers of carbon and epoxy? 1/8 " . 1/4" ?
No more than 1/8”. Sanding the piece down helps with adhesion but it also helps remove material that will be replaced with the thickness of the added material.
@Foxcraze thanks alot for the reply and the video . Your piece turned out amazing BTW. I'm going to be trying this as well very soon and this video has been great and super helpful, thank you
Best of luck to your attempt!
@Foxcraze Hi , I have another question for you . Could a towel be used as breather material ? Or is there something else that can substitute the fleece?
That’s a great question, the fleece was a substitute already. It needs to be a breathable material and though a towel does breath I think it would be too thick and possibly bunch up in areas of the part when applying vacuum. It is available in bulk at Walmart in the craft section all the time though.
Do you remove the polyester fabric
Yes at 11:32 both the polyester and the breather material are removed together as they are stuck together at that point.
how much resin do you use, how many grams
The amount will vary with the size of the object and the amount applied each coat. I started small and added more till I got the coverage I wanted and used that number for every subsequent layer added.
Wet sanding with 120 and 220?
I started with 120 to knock down the highs and smoothed it out more with 220 to be less abrasive while leveling it out. It may not have been necessary but it work well for me.
I have a important question, where did get the sanding blocks??? Thanks great work!!!
Thank you! It’s called a gator micro zip sander. They sell them at I believe Walmart, Lowe’s, etc. Amazon also has them.
@@Foxcraze Thank you
No problem!
would it be possible to use the same technique on a steering wheel?
It could be possible. If I were to try it, I would prob wrap the wheel in pieces of the peel ply. Then wrap the peel ply in duck tape or something really tight to keep constant pressure applied to the entire wheel, then bag it.
@@Foxcraze thanks for the response I’m trying to learn how they reshape the wheels with the pistol grips for a project. If you find anything please let me know!
Will do!
@@Foxcraze try to cut a peel ply twill at a 45 degree angle. Having the rovings running around the radius makes it very easy. If u wrap it with a small strap it will leave Marks. When using weave at least. That really distracts the eyes. You could use a vac then if u do forged. For a weave its not necessary.
Trust me, I spend days and like 10-15 trys optimizing it. the best way really is cutting twill weave at a 45 degree angle. Coat the wheel with resin, let it get Tacky, wrap the carbon around, wet it out, peel ply once again layed at 45 degrees so that the rovings run around the Radius, let dry and continue as usual.
@@carbonfabrik awesome, I appreciate the tips! I dunno if/when I will get around to a wheel but if I do I will def take your advice!
What kind of roller was that?
I feel like there was no need to go so far down on sand grit, if you hit it with a 300 abd up you should be good
Appreciate the feedback brother!
@@Foxcraze yea no worries but either way yours still came out beautifully I couldnt have done it any better myself🙌🙌😍
Appreciate the positive feedback!
Looks amazing. Thinking about doing this. But can I ask how it held up?
The skinning and method of application itself has held up great. That said, not using a high heat rated resin was an issue as the heat caused the resin to cloud after about 8 months. Get you a high heat resin to do any engine bay panels and you should be gtg!
@@Foxcraze I mainly wanna do some interior stuff like armrest and speedo cowl so 👍 that ks boss. Now to decided forged or traditional weave.
Forged is way more forgiving but takes more to level lol. That said I’m gonna be doing a mix of both in my Q50 subtly of course!
@@Foxcraze you think a high heat would be needed for interior parts ? Florida has some wicked heat and the inside of the car gets spicy
Normal epoxy resin is usually heat rated to around 120-130*. If it gets hotter than that inside the cabin then there’s no harm in only doing it once with the more expensive high heat epoxy.
Can this be ceramic coated? Would make an insane "paint job"
Yeah I have seen people ceramic coat carbon fiber parts that are exposed to the sun to help protect them all the time.
@@Foxcraze i might give this a go on my A6 C6 audi
Can’t hurt, I would start with something small to test like the gas filler door!
@Foxcraze will do, thanks man
Also wetting a fiber resin product can cause wicking
Can you go into more detail on what you mean, like don’t use water during the process to clean it? What’s wicking? Edit: nvm I get what your saying the fabric will soak up the water and cause moisture to get under the resin which could later on cause cloudiness in the resin I’m guessing.
Yes, I can't remember all of the technical terms but water is ok if you know fiders are sealed but "wicking" is a problem hard to detect till it cost you
That if a great point and I will def stick to alcohol till its completely sealed
Didn't see your question, it's just when you have "pitting" make sure fibers are sealed
Oh yeah nice work btw I wish I could focus on a single task
Cool video bro! Love the content my man
Thank you, I appreciate it a lot!
Do I need to do the vacuum step?
You don’t have to but the fiber won’t be compressed and could have a higher failure rate.
@@Foxcraze Okay👍🏻
And wet sanding
Sorry... I am a newbie and trying to understand better. Would'nt the Polyester and fleece get stuck to the epoxy coat when the coat is set?
As you saw in the video, they come right off after the resin hardens.The polyester liner helps to smooth and even distribute the resin across the part. It does stick but not to the point that it doesn’t come off or ruin the part. The fleece goes above the polyester to soak up any excess resin that escapes when the suction is applied. This helps to cut down sanding time once hardened.
Amazing. Do you have to mix the epoxy for each layer? If so, how many ounces?
Thank you! Each layer was mixed separately. The resin only had a pot life of about 20 min before it starts to become unusable. The quantity per layer is user specific. For these parts specifically my layers varied from 10g to 14g of resin plus hardener depending on how much your specific brand calls for in the ratio.
@@Foxcraze Thanks for your response. my brand is the same as yours, 2:1. I'm planning on doing the middle dashboard for my Z. How many grams/ounces for each layer do you recommend?
For that size of the part, I would start with 12g for the first layer and adjust up or down depending on how much you have left over from that batch or if you came up short. Also I meant Grams not ounces, apologies.
@@Foxcraze 12 grams for the resin and how many grams for the hardener?
2 to 1 ratio would call for half the quantity in grams for hardener. So hardener would be 6 grams.
Can u do it without epoxy. And just make 4- 5 layers of clear coat. Is that possible or not and why?
The epoxy would have to be used on the surface of the carbon to get everything smooth and protect the carbon properly. Clear coat alone doesn’t have the viscosity to fill, level and smooth what would be needed to make the finish look and feel correct.
u sure did improve your sanding skills lol
I was bound to figure it out eventually haha
Did you use a non porous peel ply?
I used a polyester underlining, that says it repels water and doesn’t breath well. I would say that makes it non porous but I don’t know 100%. It was suggested as a substitute to peel ply on a forum I was browsing.
No more updates on this is want to attempt my own
Sorry, I have no additional update for these parts. I haven’t seen them since they were clear coated and given back to the owner. What questions do you have?
@Foxcraze when it comes to the clips and or pins on the outside where it clips in or seats in to a slot how did you take care of thoes points and if there was any fitment issue on the gaps
@bigjoe420666 I covers those areas in painters tape and peeled it off between coats so the resin didn’t have time to cure on those areas. Anything you don’t want resin on just layer some painters tape on them and it will keep them mostly safe. If any does get on it a razor blade will do the trick as well.
Subscribed!!
I appreciate it brother!
Nice!! Great walkthrough and budget tips!! Just curious about that roller, is it just a regular roller?? Or is it specific for fabrication?
It’s a specific set that I for some reason forgot to add to the description. I will update it in about an hour!
i am not familiar with the blue stuff under the part, can anybody tell me what that stuff is ill be very greatfull if anyone did 🥺
Are you referring to the painters tape that was put on the places of the part that I didn’t want the carbon and resin to adhere to?
@@Foxcraze ty very much I thought it was a mold
I thank you for helping me save money ha I’m wrapping an electric skateboard deck
Well hell yeah that should be a good time!
Make a flat plane crank out of forged carbon
my only two complaints are the music and the pov camera other than that the video is excellent
What would have been your music preference? I considered a stationary camera but a lot of the hands on work would not have been captured.
@@Foxcraze I suggest not putting music and put the camera right in front of your work (my opinion so don’t force yourself you can do whatever you want) ♥️
I have done similar to that camera wise in newer videos. Also now when I have music I have turned it down so it’s not so overpowering.
When you used the fleece, where can I buy some? And is there a particular kind to get?
I bought the fleece at Walmart and it is all the same just different colors. You can get it at any fabric or craft store though, Joanne’s, hobby lobby etc.
Hello matey, where did you get the shredded carbon from please?
An eBay store! They sell different lengths for quantities for different size
projects.
www.ebay.com/itm/113719188146
@@Foxcraze ..... thanks my friend, was that the actual store that it was purchased from for that project?
I purchased it from the eBay store that I dropped the link to above. It’s
innovativecompositetechnologies
@@Foxcraze ....thanks a lot for the info
No Problem!
I just wanna see the light
Hahaha
Your a carbon god!
I appreciate that man! I got a lot to still learn but am having a good time with it!
The real question is how badly does he want to see the light?
It’s a good song!
Hello bro can you give me a list with names of all the product. Thanks
The list of everything I used with links are in the description of the video brother.
The list of everything I used with links are in the description of the video brother.
The list of everything I used with links are in the description of the video brother.
The list with links to everything I used are in the description my man!
Проще и быстрее было изготовить матрицу и получить сразу идеальную деталь, чем потом два дня зачищать и поливать эпоксидной смолой. У вас очень много свободного времени.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the materials to make molds quite yet but it’s something I plan on getting into eventually!
hey bro, this epoxy stuff is really bad for your health. i sincerely recommend wearing at least safety goggles. also recommend gloves and a vapor mask. but if you doing this in a good vented room, you might not need a mask. Nice video tho!
i tried this on my center console but didn't vacuum bag it and its fucking awful been working on it for 2 weeks now
Damn that’s sucks! The vacuum process is extremely helpful especially when smoothing out the chopped carbon.
@@Foxcraze YEA I WISH I KNEW THAT WHEN I STARTED trying to sand down the forged carbon pieces with the resin on it has taken days and it’s all so uneven
Looks great but all the camera shaking is driving me mad! Keep the camera still man!
Are you referring to the time lapses?
@@Foxcraze Yep! I know it's a new modern trend in cinematography but it's annoying as heck! Otherwise it's a great video!
Yeah it’s attached to my head and I was moving as subtle as possible but its overly dramatic when sped up. I have done different fixed position time lapses in more recent videos because of that actually lol
Can I just ship mine to you and pay you to do them haha
If I had the time I would say yes but I unfortunately do not lol
@@Foxcraze haha no worries, you make it look really easy. i’ll just mess up my panels it’s fine lol
If you do decide to give it a try use a high temp resin for all engine bay parts! That was the one mistake I made not using high temp resin.
Only for engine bay parts ? Everywhere else is okay? Like the interior plastic. I figured engine bay and exterior parts you’d need high temp
Exactly that man, Don’t try engine bay parts or exterior trim without high heat resin. I don’t have a recommendation unfortunately since I haven’t don’t any other carbon projects since.
i don't understand carbon skinning
why you are using it ?
isn' it better just using hydrodip
This was what was requested to be done. That said, some people prefer the visual depth that actual carbon produces when cleared. Some hydro prints do a decent job from a distance and does require less work. But when you get up close the hydrodip doesn’t produce the same visual depth that real carbon does.
I would recommend not wearing the camera on your head if you're gonna speed up the videos, hurts my eyes. Keep the camera on the tripod during those parts like you did towards the end and the video would be much more watchable.
Appreciate the feedback, I’m learning and adjusting how I document for every video. Thanks for watching!
@@Foxcraze no prob...dont get me wrong, loved the video besides the sped up head mounts.
Good job but I absolutely do not like that look
Thanks, forged carbon isn’t for everybody if you like patterns to be even and symmetrical forged def isn’t for you.
So, not actually forged
There is always one in the crowd, no it’s not actually compressed carbon particles into a new solid component to make a replacement part. That process is quite costly and not necessary if your goal isn’t to make replacement parts. This is forged carbon or chopped carbon skinning, and is purely cosmetic.
Take the camera off your head man, it’s too hard to watch. Great video though!
I learned from my mistakes after this video to stop mounting it to my body. I wasn’t happy with the video result but couldn’t fix it after the fact.
Must be dark there! Someone turn the freaking light on
That was the lighting in that garage I was renting at the time and it didn’t have easy access to install better lighting. My new garage is gtg with lighting and is much better in later videos.