These videos are absolutely excellent. This type of marketing is EXACTLY what companies that sell raw materials in small quantities should be doing. I would not hesitate to order from you guys if i ever had a carbon fiber project
I agree 100%, you took the words right out of my mouth when you see this video you see all the blood sweat and tears that go into this job and you're like yep now I know why I pay for every penny lol
The weight savings is completely worth the money, or time if you do it yourself. I made a composite hood for my 240Z and lightened the front end by over 25 pounds. Zs have long heavy front ends and any weight reduction is a bonus.
And don't forget, you are also watching a pro with many months or years of training that does this type of work regularly... His hours of work on something like this definitely does not translate 1:1 with most people...
Generally, a ready-made bonnet/hood on the market will be almost all fibreglass, probably using polyester resin and possibly even using chopped strand mat (like we would use to make a mould!). They're mass produced, low spec and heavy. This is how to make a real carbon fibre part, untra-strong, light and dimensionally accurate. The original part weighed 18kgs, so-called 'carbon fibre' ones on sale weigh around 10kgs. The one we made here? - 3.25kg. Enough said :)
Fascinating! I've made smaller fiberglass moulds and parts in the past, but had no idea just how much work went into a carbon layup of that size. I know that modern tooling and jigs can speed up the process, but now I know why DECENT CF parts are so expensive.
You may joke but we have several customers who have made all the main panels of thier car from carbon using the resin infusion process as in our video.
@@JKholmatov carbon fiber has superb strength to weight ratio but only on a particular direction. In this case, the hood will have great strength against something hitting on top of it (once installed on the car), but it may crack easily in a front-end collision. In other words, you have your engine protected from the wind and environment with less weight, but safety is reduced in the case of a collision.
Really nice video for raising awareness for all the hard work that goes into making these parts by hand. Amazing stuff and the weight difference is just incredible :)
Knocked it out of the park! By far the most detailed, professional, well thought out and executed training video on producing (complex) parts I've seen on UA-cam to date.. Thoroughly inspiring. And this is from a "supplier"? Builders take note.. This is how you do it, IMHO. String a few of these vids together on DVD and the only question I would have is "where do I send the money?" :o) Companies like this deserve our business. I'm in the US but will be looking to Easy C. (in the UK) to "help" me get started. This is not the type of process where you want to skimp on price or talent. GR8T job guys (and gals). Really appreciate it. p.s. Thank God there was no music :o]
A Gelcoat was used for the surface of this bonnet so you don't need to paint it with lacquer. Even without a gelcoat, the surface finish would be very good. For motorsport parts, the parts generally get crashed long before UV yellowing will occur. Our GC50 epoxy compatible polyester gelcoat has very good UV resistance.
@@easycompositestv Thanks for reply :) I'm thinking really seriously about starting company making CF parts for cars. I would be very greatful for any advice :)
Absolutely great video series! Really really informative. But I have noticed your advertising team have spelt competitive wrong on your display in the background. It says "competative" not competitive.
Hi Elliot, yes, indeed. That video is nearly 8 years old and so unfortunately we can't sack the person that did it anymore but we are a lot more careful with our speling theese days.... ;-)
@@easycompositestv Do you need a part time writer/editor? I actually do that for a living, and for a company that manufactures composite parts. I really don’t need the job. Besides I’m in the USA and you’re apparently in the UK. I’ve been to England, nice place with friendly people.
Yes, it could although the GC50 gelcoat that we use in this tutorial doesn't stay tacky for very long. You would need to ensure that at least a couple of hours elapsed between applying the gelcoat and undertaking the resin infusion (which is quite likely on a reasonably large project like this anyway) but asside from that it would be fine to stick the carbon to the gel whilst slightly tacky.
Its not actually that hard, hence why we made the video series to show people. Each stage on its own is usually doable by most enthusiasts. We have even had customers make an entire car engine clamshell to a good standard on the first go!! That is why we like resin infusion, with a small amount of skill and a lot of planning and following the steps exactly and you can get repeatable great results regularly. Where as techniques such as wetlay require a fair bit of practice to get right.
its probably been asked a thousand times but, whats the total cost of all the products. Thanks for the superb videos, you guys deserve a medal of honor for educating the planet on composites. Thanks!!
Procedurally, doesn't look that hard, however how many man hours into that mould? I'm guessing 5-7 days and 40+ man hours? Certainly labor intensive if not technically all that difficult!!
Thank you very much for the detailed explanation and show all steps. It can be easy for you but it won't be easy for amateurs. Because it's a kind of hand made art :) I need some small trim parts for my classic car. I thought I could do it before watching the video. But now I have to buy those interior parts from the manufacturer. Most important thing is to be patient. :) Thanks again...
There are other ways to make carbon fibre parts that can be less complicated, for example you can use a conventional wet lay process or you could just skin your existing parts to give them a carbon fibre finish. If it's for a classic car and you're painting the finished panels then the pin-hole free finish isn't quite so important and therefore it's much more realistic to just use a wet-lay process (so no vacuum bagging or infusion, just resin and fibre into the mould).
Hey thanks for your reply. Actually I was thinking the same way like your advice. For example my BMW's cockpit trim panels are ok but some small parts should be changed. But a brand-new plastic trims are very expensive even in Germany. The surface is not so important for me. Matte or bright black can be ok. I will watch some trailers and then try it. But I will always follow you and your art works :)
That's Lantor Soric SF - it's an infusion compatible core material. Its purpose is to increase the thickness of the panel without adding too much weight. Resin can flow through channels in the core material but won't fill up the honeycomb shapes. By increasing the thickness of the panel, it increases the stiffness considerably.
@oppo verhoeven Core materials add thickness without adding as much weight as solid laminate. Thickness is what makes the biggest contribution to stiffness and so making something thicker without making it heavier will make it much stronger for e same weight. For this reason, core materials are important and common in many pas like this.
Wetlay as you describe, is heavier and also harder to get a good finish. Resin infusion when done correctly produces repeatable very good results and lighter parts.
I wish you guys had a US distribution to not worry about customs, etc. I've been on your website for about a week straight just looking at the options. Nobody else has the in depth product lists you do.
Hi Sean, it's certainly somewhere we'd love to expand to in the future. We are able to ship all of our products to you via FedEx, although Dangerous Goods do face an additional surcharge.
You're very welcome. Keep an eye on this channel and our website/forum for more professional composites tutorials. We're working on something very exciting at the moment and we post 'sneak preview' links on our forum (so you can give us feedback) long before the final edits are uploaded for public viewing.
@Charles Ayrton Blake Cobb you can just style the vent you want into the original pattern (i.e. graft it onto the steel original using body filler/foam and other pattern making materials) and then when you make the mould (following the process you saw in the part 1. Video) then the scoop shape will be included in the new bonnet mould.
Everyone thinks carbon fiber this-carbon fiber that costs so much because of carbon fiber, no it costs so much because of labor! Awesome video gents! Using that metal chisel was giving me anxiety..holy crap bro!!haha..parts look good!
@Silverjda Just to be clear, both infusion epoxy and the epoxy used in pre-press are both exothermic reactions when they cure. They're never endothermic, they just have a much higher cure temperature but when they cure, they give off heat, not consume it. If you post cure our epoxy infusion resin at elevated temperature you will achieve mechanical properties (hardness) the same as many pre-pregs.
Generally, matt finish parts come off matt finish moulds but if you want to make a part that's come out of a glossy mould matt then you would do the infusion with no gelcoat (gelcoat is not great for giving a matt finish to) and then 'scotch pad' the finished panel which would give it a matt finish. This wouldn't leave a protective resin layer on the surtface though so it would be more for race use than everyday use if you did this. Another option is a matt or satin finish clear coat/lacquer.
It's for the new Fiat 500. We chose it simply because it's fairly typical a most bonnets/hoods in construction but it's small enough for us to be able to work around easily in the studio. Many other cars would be bigger but the process would be exactly the same.
It depends. Good cosmetic results can be achieved with traditional wetlay processes as well as vacuum bagging. Some of the advantages of resin infusion include, good cosmetic finish, controllable fibre/resin ratio, stronger and lighter parts due to ratio and vacuum consolidation of the fibres etc. But Wet lay parts can still be perfectly adequate for some applications.
@@nasserraymond6395 We can ship to Tanzania however none of our products that are listed as DG can be shipped due to shipping regulations with our couriers.
Have a look at our beginners guide to pre-preg in the learning area of our site, which should tell you everything you need to know about pre-preg usage and how as a beginner you can make stunning parts using it. Pre-preg is marginally a higher performer and slightly lighter than a similar bonnet made by resin infusion. However it would cost at least double, if not triple the cost in raw materials for only a small benefit.
Maybe I missed this part in my 10th pass through this video, but what's the purpose of the GC50 gelcoat layer? Is this to prevent a reaction with the gelcoat used in the mold, affect surface finish, or what? (Apologies if this has been previously asked.)
It’s mainly to provide some UV protection to the epoxy and also provide some general ‘wear and tear’ protection to the panel too. The alternative is to use a clear coat. In fact, these days, we probably prefer to use a clear coat than a clear ‘in mould’ coating like the GC50 but it does vary depending on circumstances.
I´ve done loads of carbon fiber parts without all this expensive tools like pumps and plastic bags.. Hand laminating works really good with some practice and the result is really good! No need to make it so advanced and expensive. I also worked with aircraft carbon and the method is similar to the one in the clip. One of the difference is we use pre-preg fibers, the fibers are impregnated with a special resin from the manufacturer and then we cure it in a owen with both vacuum and pressure
That's spray-tack. Scotch 77 would be OK providing you use it sparingly. If you're really serious about the engineering of it then you can use an epoxy compatible spray-tack (we'll be stocking one soon) which will fully cross-link into the finished resin matrix but these are expensive. For light work, regular spray-tacks are OK.
Not including tools or equipment (like the vacuum pump, catch-pot, dremmel etc.) a typical 59" x 44" hood (not the small FIAT 500 one we make in this demo) would cost around £400 for the mould materials (pay once) and then around £400 for the part materials (inc. bagging consumables). Call/Email us for lots more info on costings if you're interested.
This is a ton of work and I feel like most places don't do all this when they are selling rear diffusers for $300 . Is it possible to buy a cheap diffuser and then just lay carbon fiber over it , bond it and clear coat it?
You're right, often they're not - it depends on the quality of what you're buying and what you're buying it for. You could just 'skin' a cheap diffuser in carbon fibre but you would be doing it for the appearance of carbon fibre and not for the strength-to-weight ratio advantage of the material. If you're interested in the skinning process then take a look at our ua-cam.com/video/aqwhcfQZT8U/v-deo.html video which shows the process in detail.
Many of our customers have produced parts just as good as those in the video with very little practice and little experience. Sure, we all make mistakes and often when starting out it is wise to start on a smaller part but the principals are identical.
The material is "dry" as in it has no resin on it. Often people confusingly refer to wet and dry carbon fibre and by that they mean dry carbon as in pre-preg carbons. Pre-preg carbons have resin impregnated into them and infact are sticky to the touch and not dry!
If you made the part using resin infusion (like we do here) then you could choose to 'post-cure' the part in an oven. Depending on the resin you're using this might improve it's mechanical performance and its temeprature tollerance. Other ways to make carbon fibre parts (specifically 'pre-preg') mean that the resin will only start to cure once it's exposed to elevated temperature (usually around 100'C+). We use and sell pre-pregs too, see our website if you're interested/want to know more.
Did you get to make it? I made a fiberglass wrap around aero wing for my WS6 trans am, took a shitload of work because i didn't have a good base model to work with. I myself am going for a carbon version maybe next year. At least now i have a correct formed model to make a mold of as well.
David Shepard Actually, by taking the moulds off the original part, they naturally have a 'rolled edge' because we leave the radius of the original edge in the mould and therefore the parts have this same radiused edge so yes, the edges a smooth and rolled, rather then showing an obvious 'trimmed through' laminate edge.
All the fabrics shown in this video come un-pregnated and thus do not have resin in until the infusion commences. Confusingly pre-pregs are often referred to as "dry carbon" when infact they are wet with resin!!
Be as sun and weather resistant unless you sprayed it with a 2k automotive lacquer/clear coat. For race car panels then you wouldn't bother with a gel coat or paint (because they weight extra). If you watch our other infusion video you'll see a part made with no gelcoat.
@BLOBBLYBLOBBY I'm afraid not, it needs to be mixed with a catalyst, it's not the sort of material that could be loaded into a spray can. You don't need to do the bit with the gel coat, this can be skipped, the end result will look the same but it wouldn't
@@kienxdmta GC50 does not get tacky with acetone any more. Only the early version used in this video (almost 10 years old!) was able to work in this way. We don’t recommend using spray tack adhesives unless it is impossible to lay your fabric without one. And even then use only the lightest dusting possible.
By infusion I believe he means injecting the epoxy to harden carbon fibers and vacuum drop test is simply checking of the vacuum in the system to see if there is air coming in or not... If air is coming (so called "leakage"), that's no good...
On our Online Composites Learning Area we have a list of products next to each video series to help you estimate what equipment and materials you need. Obviously you will need to measure your bonnet accurately to work out how much fabric you need and then you can work from there.
Excellent vid. Just a thought though, to post cure it so your engine doesn't melt it, you'd need an oven that'll be big enough for a bonnet wouldn't you?
Why not add the extra reinforcement pieces between the 200g and 660g layers? Your videos make this look so easy. I think the major draw back is the cost for materials.
Is vacuum bagging the carbon fiber always necessary, only for large/thick parts to make sure the resin is fully impregnated, or is it just for making the best possible finish? If I were doing a variety of smaller parts that would be eventually joined together or a structure that didn't need to look all that great, would vacuum bagging be necessary?
Holy Cow! No wonder part suppliers charge so much for CF parts. friggin hell its a nma massive undertaking making it really impractical to make it yourself. I built a 30 foot boat in polyester fibreglass but wouldn't think of doing this!
At time index 15:02 - 15:15 why did you not put the extra layer of reinforcement between the 200 and 600 layers of mat? Also do you not like stretch bagging material? If not what are the advantages of this?
There is no need to. The extra layer is for thickness and general strength where the hinge bolts through. There is no mechanism for it to delaminate and peel off. Stretch bags are not great for infusion. Often they burst, and often they stretch so much into the mesh that it restricts resin flow. A stretchy bagging material will never be better than good bagging techniques in the first place.
Thank you for the great reply> I understand the use of the extra piece of carbon in those areas. My question has to do more with esthetics than the performance. It seems to me that if you put the extra mat in between the 2 you would have a much more clean looking inner surface. Plus would it not in reality increase the strength of the inserted mat and area in general by extending the distance of the surfaces from each other. Much the same as using structural honeycomb or foam between the layers increases surface torque strength. I am new to infusion, so new that I am getting ready to do my first item in a couple weeks. I have always done prepreg. I have used the stretch bag on that. Thank you for the warning when doing infusion. I will get regular bagging material on order. I also just found you guys yesterday and you have some very great sounding items. Some of it looks like things I use already from other manufacturers. I am very interested in obtaining some of your oven use prepreg as I don't have an autoclave. Having to clean up all the pits in my prepreg work is a real pain.
This is 'easy composites'!!!!! The fact that I am watching this and I will never need to make a carbon fiber anything is a true reflection of how shit my life really is!
These videos are absolutely excellent. This type of marketing is EXACTLY what companies that sell raw materials in small quantities should be doing. I would not hesitate to order from you guys if i ever had a carbon fiber project
All I’ve learned is that the amount I pay for carbon fiber parts is justified.
I agree 100%, you took the words right out of my mouth when you see this video you see all the blood sweat and tears that go into this job and you're like yep now I know why I pay for every penny lol
The weight savings is completely worth the money, or time if you do it yourself. I made a composite hood for my 240Z and lightened the front end by over 25 pounds. Zs have long heavy front ends and any weight reduction is a bonus.
@@WRMonger1 I’m thinking of doing the same for my 260, any tips?
And don't forget, you are also watching a pro with many months or years of training that does this type of work regularly...
His hours of work on something like this definitely does not translate 1:1 with most people...
Yep😂
Generally, a ready-made bonnet/hood on the market will be almost all fibreglass, probably using polyester resin and possibly even using chopped strand mat (like we would use to make a mould!). They're mass produced, low spec and heavy. This is how to make a real carbon fibre part, untra-strong, light and dimensionally accurate. The original part weighed 18kgs, so-called 'carbon fibre' ones on sale weigh around 10kgs. The one we made here? - 3.25kg. Enough said :)
Fascinating!
I've made smaller fiberglass moulds and parts in the past, but had no idea just how much work went into a carbon layup of that size.
I know that modern tooling and jigs can speed up the process, but now I know why DECENT CF parts are so expensive.
You may joke but we have several customers who have made all the main panels of thier car from carbon using the resin infusion process as in our video.
They are obviously single, don't have children, houses, jobs etc, I want theire life please
Awesome
is this hood stronger than an aluminum hood which car producers make?
@@JKholmatov its carbon fibre, lighter and stronger
@@JKholmatov carbon fiber has superb strength to weight ratio but only on a particular direction. In this case, the hood will have great strength against something hitting on top of it (once installed on the car), but it may crack easily in a front-end collision.
In other words, you have your engine protected from the wind and environment with less weight, but safety is reduced in the case of a collision.
LOL he was so happy with his work at 18:36. Rightly so! Good sir.
I'd be proud, too.
That makes me happy.
Incredible that Easy Composites has made it possible for Joe Six Pack to make carbon fiber parts for their chariot.
So professional. His work must be really expensive for the amount of time that has gone in to this. Great work.
Really nice video for raising awareness for all the hard work that goes into making these parts by hand. Amazing stuff and the weight difference is just incredible :)
This is one of the best explanations step by step on carbon creation. You are worthy of many more subs.
Knocked it out of the park! By far the most detailed, professional, well thought out and executed training video on producing (complex) parts I've seen on UA-cam to date.. Thoroughly inspiring. And this is from a "supplier"? Builders take note.. This is how you do it, IMHO. String a few of these vids together on DVD and the only question I would have is "where do I send the money?" :o) Companies like this deserve our business. I'm in the US but will be looking to Easy C. (in the UK) to "help" me get started. This is not the type of process where you want to skimp on price or talent. GR8T job guys (and gals). Really appreciate it. p.s. Thank God there was no music :o]
I am very much interested in ur tutorial
OvalWingNut
Oh come on now!
You know you miss all that F***** up music 🎶 😂
This series is absolutely GREAT! We appreciate your efforts in showing us all the steps! I am getting pretty psyched about this! Thanks again guys!
Why do I need to know how to make a carbon fibre hood when what I desperately need is sleep?
because u r a MAN!
Lol I am in the same position
No lie.. I stayed up for an hour watching this series.. went to work with just 2 hours of sleep.. Lol.
@@Sigrafix And, lemme guess, You're a Nuclear Safety Inspector, AmIRite?
~( 8-{0 >
@@RogerBarraud Can't BELIEVE you've gotten NO thumbs up for that comment. I thought is was golden. ;-)
A Gelcoat was used for the surface of this bonnet so you don't need to paint it with lacquer. Even without a gelcoat, the surface finish would be very good. For motorsport parts, the parts generally get crashed long before UV yellowing will occur. Our GC50 epoxy compatible polyester gelcoat has very good UV resistance.
Hello, I'm curious if this gelcoat can be applied also by brush or only by spray gun?
@@ElMosqito Hi, the GC50 can be applied by either brush or spray gun.
@@easycompositestv Thanks for reply :) I'm thinking really seriously about starting company making CF parts for cars. I would be very greatful for any advice :)
@@ElMosqito If you need any advice it would be best to email technical@easycomposites.com
you guys are genius. the most convincing action i have ever seen in youtube.
Thanks for your kind comment, comments like this are the reason we continue to make videos!
Absolutely great video series! Really really informative.
But I have noticed your advertising team have spelt competitive wrong on your display in the background. It says "competative" not competitive.
Hi Elliot, yes, indeed. That video is nearly 8 years old and so unfortunately we can't sack the person that did it anymore but we are a lot more careful with our speling theese days.... ;-)
@@easycompositestv
Do you need a part time writer/editor? I actually do that for a living, and for a company that manufactures composite parts.
I really don’t need the job. Besides I’m in the USA and you’re apparently in the UK. I’ve been to England, nice place with friendly people.
Yes, it could although the GC50 gelcoat that we use in this tutorial doesn't stay tacky for very long. You would need to ensure that at least a couple of hours elapsed between applying the gelcoat and undertaking the resin infusion (which is quite likely on a reasonably large project like this anyway) but asside from that it would be fine to stick the carbon to the gel whilst slightly tacky.
must say, you make it look much easier than it is! but this series of yours is both informative and inspirational, thanks for the upload
I just ordered my first real Carbon shifter and I’m very excited
It's already up there so I hope you enjoy it!
Can't wait to make my personal Super Car.. Watch out Kongdgg, Vugatti and Bagani.
Love the avatar. Start slow but go big 👍
wow man... good tutorial at all... so this is what carbon fibre all about... hope you enjoy and success with your job... thanks you very much
Its not actually that hard, hence why we made the video series to show people. Each stage on its own is usually doable by most enthusiasts. We have even had customers make an entire car engine clamshell to a good standard on the first go!! That is why we like resin infusion, with a small amount of skill and a lot of planning and following the steps exactly and you can get repeatable great results regularly. Where as techniques such as wetlay require a fair bit of practice to get right.
its probably been asked a thousand times but, whats the total cost of all the products. Thanks for the superb videos, you guys deserve a medal of honor for educating the planet on composites. Thanks!!
Procedurally, doesn't look that hard, however how many man hours into that mould? I'm guessing 5-7 days and 40+ man hours? Certainly labor intensive if not technically all that difficult!!
Exactly the same as anything else... Why would you even want to? It's GORGEOUS!
Thank you very much for the detailed explanation and show all steps. It can be easy for you but it won't be easy for amateurs. Because it's a kind of hand made art :) I need some small trim parts for my classic car. I thought I could do it before watching the video. But now I have to buy those interior parts from the manufacturer. Most important thing is to be patient. :) Thanks again...
There are other ways to make carbon fibre parts that can be less complicated, for example you can use a conventional wet lay process or you could just skin your existing parts to give them a carbon fibre finish. If it's for a classic car and you're painting the finished panels then the pin-hole free finish isn't quite so important and therefore it's much more realistic to just use a wet-lay process (so no vacuum bagging or infusion, just resin and fibre into the mould).
Hey thanks for your reply. Actually I was thinking the same way like your advice. For example my BMW's cockpit trim panels are ok but some small parts should be changed. But a brand-new plastic trims are very expensive even in Germany. The surface is not so important for me. Matte or bright black can be ok. I will watch some trailers and then try it. But I will always follow you and your art works :)
That's Lantor Soric SF - it's an infusion compatible core material. Its purpose is to increase the thickness of the panel without adding too much weight. Resin can flow through channels in the core material but won't fill up the honeycomb shapes. By increasing the thickness of the panel, it increases the stiffness considerably.
@oppo verhoeven Core materials add thickness without adding as much weight as solid laminate. Thickness is what makes the biggest contribution to stiffness and so making something thicker without making it heavier will make it much stronger for e same weight. For this reason, core materials are important and common in many pas like this.
Wetlay as you describe, is heavier and also harder to get a good finish. Resin infusion when done correctly produces repeatable very good results and lighter parts.
I wish you guys had a US distribution to not worry about customs, etc. I've been on your website for about a week straight just looking at the options. Nobody else has the in depth product lists you do.
Hi Sean, it's certainly somewhere we'd love to expand to in the future. We are able to ship all of our products to you via FedEx, although Dangerous Goods do face an additional surcharge.
You're very welcome. Keep an eye on this channel and our website/forum for more professional composites tutorials. We're working on something very exciting at the moment and we post 'sneak preview' links on our forum (so you can give us feedback) long before the final edits are uploaded for public viewing.
@Charles Ayrton Blake Cobb you can just style the vent you want into the original pattern (i.e. graft it onto the steel original using body filler/foam and other pattern making materials) and then when you make the mould (following the process you saw in the part 1. Video) then the scoop shape will be included in the new bonnet mould.
Everyone thinks carbon fiber this-carbon fiber that costs so much because of carbon fiber, no it costs so much because of labor! Awesome video gents! Using that metal chisel was giving me anxiety..holy crap bro!!haha..parts look good!
He knew it was the excess he left on the edges. Scared me too though.
badass , and a shopping list! thank you ....carbon fiber used to seem out of reach to work wit..not anymore
Approx. cost of materials = ????. Thanks Great work !
@Silverjda Just to be clear, both infusion epoxy and the epoxy used in pre-press are both exothermic reactions when they cure. They're never endothermic, they just have a much higher cure temperature but when they cure, they give off heat, not consume it. If you post cure our epoxy infusion resin at elevated temperature you will achieve mechanical properties (hardness) the same as many pre-pregs.
Entire process is really well explained in your video. Thank you and well done!
Generally, matt finish parts come off matt finish moulds but if you want to make a part that's come out of a glossy mould matt then you would do the infusion with no gelcoat (gelcoat is not great for giving a matt finish to) and then 'scotch pad' the finished panel which would give it a matt finish. This wouldn't leave a protective resin layer on the surtface though so it would be more for race use than everyday use if you did this. Another option is a matt or satin finish clear coat/lacquer.
very memorable for me personally .... and usually I have enough difficulty using a suitable candle ... whether the brand of wax that is used
You`re videos is most informative and easily understood. I`m looking foreward to part 3. Greetings from Norway
It's for the new Fiat 500. We chose it simply because it's fairly typical a most bonnets/hoods in construction but it's small enough for us to be able to work around easily in the studio. Many other cars would be bigger but the process would be exactly the same.
It depends. Good cosmetic results can be achieved with traditional wetlay processes as well as vacuum bagging. Some of the advantages of resin infusion include, good cosmetic finish, controllable fibre/resin ratio, stronger and lighter parts due to ratio and vacuum consolidation of the fibres etc. But Wet lay parts can still be perfectly adequate for some applications.
How do i get easy composite products in Tanzania?
@@nasserraymond6395 We can ship to Tanzania however none of our products that are listed as DG can be shipped due to shipping regulations with our couriers.
Have a look at our beginners guide to pre-preg in the learning area of our site, which should tell you everything you need to know about pre-preg usage and how as a beginner you can make stunning parts using it.
Pre-preg is marginally a higher performer and slightly lighter than a similar bonnet made by resin infusion. However it would cost at least double, if not triple the cost in raw materials for only a small benefit.
Maybe I missed this part in my 10th pass through this video, but what's the purpose of the GC50 gelcoat layer? Is this to prevent a reaction with the gelcoat used in the mold, affect surface finish, or what? (Apologies if this has been previously asked.)
It’s mainly to provide some UV protection to the epoxy and also provide some general ‘wear and tear’ protection to the panel too. The alternative is to use a clear coat. In fact, these days, we probably prefer to use a clear coat than a clear ‘in mould’ coating like the GC50 but it does vary depending on circumstances.
I’ve done the coating after demolding and the clear gelcoat is actually better. It stays in place without yellowing
Nice job done one more fayes of completion
Wow! Amazing! Incredible!
Thank you for these invaluable lessons!
Excellent job
I´ve done loads of carbon fiber parts without all this expensive tools like pumps and plastic bags.. Hand laminating works really good with some practice and the result is really good! No need to make it so advanced and expensive. I also worked with aircraft carbon and the method is similar to the one in the clip. One of the difference is we use pre-preg fibers, the fibers are impregnated with a special resin from the manufacturer and then we cure it in a owen with both vacuum and pressure
That's spray-tack. Scotch 77 would be OK providing you use it sparingly. If you're really serious about the engineering of it then you can use an epoxy compatible spray-tack (we'll be stocking one soon) which will fully cross-link into the finished resin matrix but these are expensive. For light work, regular spray-tacks are OK.
Another great video. A little surprised that you don't wear nitrile gloves to keep finger-grease off the CF cloth whilst handling it . . .
Great intro to carbon fiber
Not including tools or equipment (like the vacuum pump, catch-pot, dremmel etc.) a typical 59" x 44" hood (not the small FIAT 500 one we make in this demo) would cost around £400 for the mould materials (pay once) and then around £400 for the part materials (inc. bagging consumables). Call/Email us for lots more info on costings if you're interested.
how are the prices now? still that high?
No way!? Wow and brilliant!
This is a ton of work and I feel like most places don't do all this when they are selling rear diffusers for $300 . Is it possible to buy a cheap diffuser and then just lay carbon fiber over it , bond it and clear coat it?
You're right, often they're not - it depends on the quality of what you're buying and what you're buying it for. You could just 'skin' a cheap diffuser in carbon fibre but you would be doing it for the appearance of carbon fibre and not for the strength-to-weight ratio advantage of the material. If you're interested in the skinning process then take a look at our ua-cam.com/video/aqwhcfQZT8U/v-deo.html video which shows the process in detail.
Before watching this I thought "I can't do carbon fiber parts"
After watching, learning, seeing all the explanation... I'M CERTAIN I can't.
Haha, well, it's not for everyone wade. I thought that about plastering my wall ;-)
Many of our customers have produced parts just as good as those in the video with very little practice and little experience. Sure, we all make mistakes and often when starting out it is wise to start on a smaller part but the principals are identical.
This is like preparing manned flight to mars... :D. Fascinating to watch though. Thank you for excellent video.
Amazing result. Professionally done.
That made making my carbon fiber trimaran look simple in comparison.
The material is "dry" as in it has no resin on it.
Often people confusingly refer to wet and dry carbon fibre and by that they mean dry carbon as in pre-preg carbons. Pre-preg carbons have resin impregnated into them and infact are sticky to the touch and not dry!
Daaaamn it's just amazing technology :)
again, just amazing, i had know idea that this is how it was done
That smile at the end ,hehe
I've done the same process in a lab, and this was for intro to composites.
Very nicely presented! Well done!
18:34 look at that happy face 😂😃
That’s the face of *relief* 😉
This is really amazing. I'm so impressed! Now onto final Video #3
If you made the part using resin infusion (like we do here) then you could choose to 'post-cure' the part in an oven. Depending on the resin you're using this might improve it's mechanical performance and its temeprature tollerance. Other ways to make carbon fibre parts (specifically 'pre-preg') mean that the resin will only start to cure once it's exposed to elevated temperature (usually around 100'C+). We use and sell pre-pregs too, see our website if you're interested/want to know more.
Most F1 teams use a variety of techniques. Having crazy budgets means they can choose any technique they wish.
Awsome tutorial. I'm thinking about making some carbon fiber spoilers and this video helped a lot!
Hey Thomas, that's great. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope we can supply you for your project.
Did you get to make it? I made a fiberglass wrap around aero wing for my WS6 trans am, took a shitload of work because i didn't have a good base model to work with. I myself am going for a carbon version maybe next year. At least now i have a correct formed model to make a mold of as well.
X Burst Where did you find the sheets of carbon fiber at im looking for a few big enough for my hood
also, I'm going to subscribe, youve inspired me to make carbon fiber bonnets as something to keep me afloat during uni ahah
Thank you mate! Excuse me, I am still working on my spoken English and sometimes I miss words when somebody is explaining something.
I give anyone who actually did in their garage mad props
Are the edges "rolled" with this process? To give it that factory quality look?
David Shepard Actually, by taking the moulds off the original part, they naturally have a 'rolled edge' because we leave the radius of the original edge in the mould and therefore the parts have this same radiused edge so yes, the edges a smooth and rolled, rather then showing an obvious 'trimmed through' laminate edge.
Lot of thank man. Sorry for my English.
No problem, thanks for watching.
YOU ARE DOING A GREAT WORK. WHER I CAN BY ALL THE GOOD TO CARBON FIBRE MY HOODE THANKS.
All the materials and equipment used in this tutorial series are available from our website at www.easycomposites.co.uk
All the fabrics shown in this video come un-pregnated and thus do not have resin in until the infusion commences. Confusingly pre-pregs are often referred to as "dry carbon" when infact they are wet with resin!!
Be as sun and weather resistant unless you sprayed it with a 2k automotive lacquer/clear coat. For race car panels then you wouldn't bother with a gel coat or paint (because they weight extra). If you watch our other infusion video you'll see a part made with no gelcoat.
@BLOBBLYBLOBBY I'm afraid not, it needs to be mixed with a catalyst, it's not the sort of material that could be loaded into a spray can. You don't need to do the bit with the gel coat, this can be skipped, the end result will look the same but it wouldn't
wish they made parts like this for my car :(
Man, what a crazy process!! And we can buy these for under $1k? Crazy
spectacular work
Thank you Wagner, cheers!
You can use spray tacks but most of them on the market will cause some surface imperfections needing polishing out.
After fully cured, sprayed GC50 gelcoat didnt get tacky with aceton sprayed on. I have to 3M spray tack. is there anything wrong with GC50 ?
@@kienxdmta GC50 does not get tacky with acetone any more. Only the early version used in this video (almost 10 years old!) was able to work in this way. We don’t recommend using spray tack adhesives unless it is impossible to lay your fabric without one. And even then use only the lightest dusting possible.
You got it. I think it's a bit more durable than bare resin as well.
I want my entire car remade from carbon fiber this way!
Well David, you know where we are :)
Top job and great video. No shortcuts EXCELLENT Mate!
DAMMIT!!!!!...ADDICTED!!!!
By infusion I believe he means injecting the epoxy to harden carbon fibers and vacuum drop test is simply checking of the vacuum in the system to see if there is air coming in or not... If air is coming (so called "leakage"), that's no good...
Excellent engineering
Damn, No wonder carbon fiber parts are expensive. It is a lot of work and time consuming.
he did it in like an hour piece of cake... hold my beer
The material is also very expensive
#NSS :-/
Keep in mind if you had the molds already it'd be a lot easier.
This part could cost more than the car itself.
at minute 12:55 are many bubbles between gelgoat and carbon
It’s very beautiful to look at
That looks absolutely amazing!! Great job!!
On our Online Composites Learning Area we have a list of products next to each video series to help you estimate what equipment and materials you need. Obviously you will need to measure your bonnet accurately to work out how much fabric you need and then you can work from there.
Excellent vid. Just a thought though, to post cure it so your engine doesn't melt it, you'd need an oven that'll be big enough for a bonnet wouldn't you?
If you do an oven post cure yes. You can use heat blankets to achieve the same thing.
Why not add the extra reinforcement pieces between the 200g and 660g layers? Your videos make this look so easy. I think the major draw back is the cost for materials.
Is vacuum bagging the carbon fiber always necessary, only for large/thick parts to make sure the resin is fully impregnated, or is it just for making the best possible finish? If I were doing a variety of smaller parts that would be eventually joined together or a structure that didn't need to look all that great, would vacuum bagging be necessary?
Holy Cow! No wonder part suppliers charge so much for CF parts. friggin hell its a nma massive undertaking making it really impractical to make it yourself. I built a 30 foot boat in polyester fibreglass but wouldn't think of doing this!
At time index 15:02 - 15:15 why did you not put the extra layer of reinforcement between the 200 and 600 layers of mat?
Also do you not like stretch bagging material? If not what are the advantages of this?
There is no need to. The extra layer is for thickness and general strength where the hinge bolts through. There is no mechanism for it to delaminate and peel off.
Stretch bags are not great for infusion. Often they burst, and often they stretch so much into the mesh that it restricts resin flow. A stretchy bagging material will never be better than good bagging techniques in the first place.
Thank you for the great reply>
I understand the use of the extra piece of carbon in those areas. My question has to do more with esthetics than the performance. It seems to me that if you put the extra mat in between the 2 you would have a much more clean looking inner surface. Plus would it not in reality increase the strength of the inserted mat and area in general by extending the distance of the surfaces from each other. Much the same as using structural honeycomb or foam between the layers increases surface torque strength.
I am new to infusion, so new that I am getting ready to do my first item in a couple weeks. I have always done prepreg. I have used the stretch bag on that. Thank you for the warning when doing infusion. I will get regular bagging material on order. I also just found you guys yesterday and you have some very great sounding items. Some of it looks like things I use already from other manufacturers.
I am very interested in obtaining some of your oven use prepreg as I don't have an autoclave. Having to clean up all the pits in my prepreg work is a real pain.
This is 'easy composites'!!!!! The fact that I am watching this and I will never need to make a carbon fiber anything is a true reflection of how shit my life really is!