There's a reason your company is taking off like it has! Top notch craftsmanship, clear representation of your products, and sharing the knowledge! I have learned more from your videos and forum than I thought possible without attending a specialized school! Thanks to all of you at EC!!
Using the rigid foam as a support when cutting with the Jigsaw (4:20) is a genius idea. So simple but it never occurred to me till I saw this! Way better than working off the end of the bench or trying to support on wood battens etc. Great videos and learning a lot, cheers!
I appreciate the number of details that you give us (the viewing audience)!! Great Job! The quality that comes from taking the steps you recommend will be unmatched!
It’s extraordinary how involved and time consuming these processes are, but also how high quality the results are - this is bespoke manufacturing to a commercial standard.
Completely amazing. Incredible skill. People who have a hard time visualizing surfaces and positive and negative shapes might find this challenging. Ironically someone seriously into pattern making for clothing might be good at it. I suppose, if you wanted the smooth surface inside instead of outside, you could make a split part, say with a flange seam and screws, using two inside molds.
Hi Brandon, no you definately won't have to wait a year for the next one. We're filming it at the moment. The great thing about prepreg is that we can make that airbox in about 20mins from start to finish so, even allowing for lots of filming delays, explaining and editting, it's still nothing like the time taken to make the pattern or the mould.
Thank you for bringing these things to people that on the internet want to do something but they dont know why. Also i bought from you materials and im happy. Thank you very much (this is Mindaugas)
Hi Mindaugas, thanks for the feedback. We had a lot of fun making this video (we always do) and we really do love to share this information. It's been a pleasure dealing with you and I'm sure we will again soon.
It wouldn't really matter what the shape was; you should be able to apply this technique to make a multi-part mould for any shape or sized part. It's the technique and the understanding we try to give you, then you apply this process and understanding to your own projects. In terms of shape, this airbox is about as difficult as it gets, which is why we made it! Many moulds, even for much larger parts, would be simpler. Take a look on our forum where you'll see one of our customers has made split moulds for the entire tub of a Noble; it's all the same process. He then goes on to resin infuse the whole tub in carbon fibre. Username is Andycanam - search for Noble on talkcomposites.com
well, i finally just called and ordered filleting wax on my iphone, its dirt cheapto call with att. Got a bunch of tips too. I want em to open a store in usa. Maybe easy, maybe not. These people have best quality stuff. I know. They are on top of the game of turning out good tools, parts, & helping their customers. This video is incredible.
Easy Composites Ltd Have you considered working on partnerships\distributor deals with european vendors? Speaking from experience, many italian shops either have a limited offer or have ashamingly high prices. Perhaps you could build a distribution network to help spread your winning business model. Happy new year and please keep up the good work!
i made in your place pre preg thing and that was helpfull. im trying infusion. so i hope i be at the end of perfect finish like on your tutorial. Wish you all the Best as company and guys making things clear to people who want these knowledges!!
Nice video!!! A lot of tips to apply on my own molding process. I really like this channel and I begin to use your products last week (gelcoat). So fra, so good!!!
If you mould in a tyre valve somewhere on the pattern, you can use air pressure to separate the parts, instead of having to chisel them. (Beware of excessive pressure blowing them across the room, though.)
Yes! Finally! =D This video series is really great. Can´t wait to get some parts ordered from you guys and get going my self. Thank you for uploading and taking your time for us =)
You're very welcome. I'm really pleased we've got this one 'under our belts' now; split-moulds is something that we've wanted to cover for years and where I think there was a real lack of a coimplete tutorial.
Haha, yes, this process has not changed much in a long time! Only difference would probably be the Uni-Mould rapid tooling system which is slightly different from conventional polyester gel and GP resin.
Makes me realize how foolish my teen age dream had been of me making a custom fiberglass air box for my racing motorcycle back in the early 70's ...I had thought at the time "how hard could it be" I purchased some materials and found out early on that I was nowhere near capable of producing even the most crude example of what might work ...such is the frustration of visualising exactly what one needs but entirely lacking the expertise to even begin to get there ....And that was a part that in no way needed to be visually appealing !
Amazing how a pro can make it look easy, but if you try this a home kids it’ll probably take a half dozen projects to look “pro”. Thirty five years ago I made a fiberglass console. Man that was an aggravating experience. Wish I’d seen this back then.
There's certainly some skill and experience needed to get this sort of thing right first time but hopefully these tutorials give people the best chance to learn the process and build their skills.
You guys are geniuses and I have watched these videos years prior but revisit now and then. Just wondering - you state that 18-25deg c is the optimal temperature, but if you are working at a colder temperature, could you warm the tin of resin in hot water prior, to help quicken things up? I have used this method when painting a car and it worked well.
You can certainly warm the resins to 20C or similar. Just be aware it will cool once in use so the cure times will still be extended and you may have issues curing at very low temperatures.
Hi, great video series. I like it a lot. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. One question: How do you ensure that the parts of the molds do not stick together at the bare edge where the fibreglass has open surface. The release agent won't help very much there on the rough glass. I'm considering developing a faired recumbent bike.
Hello again, at 13:08 you mention that you must make this a 3-piece mold because of 2 parallel sides. Is that because it would be really difficult to remove the master plug if you don't make this mold as 3 parts? Could you install a nipple onto the surface of the master so that later you can use air pressure to push it out from the mold? Thank you in advance!
If you have parallel sides on a mould then it will be almost impossible to remove parts from it, even with the use of compressed air. If you do manage to remove the part then it's likely there will be damage to the part and the stress on the mould will reduce its life. It's a *much* better idea to design a split into the mould for sides even approaching parallel.
Guys!.. Great video, but.. when you design the part in 3D, and use that CAD software to make the profiles of the part.. you could also make the templates the same way, for the top template, the one you made first.. just project the curve on the centerplane, and use that as a guidecurve for a sweep of a thin part that you can then convert to a "Sheetmetal-part" and Unfold to a flat pattern.. that's all there is to it.. same goes for the other templates.. (Can't help it.. i'm a designer.. :) ) your video's are a great help, teaching me things i didn't yet know.. Just thougt of this.. why not place some "Wax-wedges" around the perimeter, so after curing and cutting the mould to size, you have some recesses to pry the mould open?
These are great videos explaining the processes extremely well, I do have one question, what's the possibility at some point in the future having the option for different colour gel coats in the mould making process ? I'm making panniers for a motorcycle that I want in a black finish, but painting black gel coat on a black mould isn't ideal - I think you mention this yourself in the Dark Ice video
I try to do a split moud with a saddlebags but I don't know how or where I can split, can you have a chance to guide me the best way to do it?? I'm in Chile... very far away, but I follow all your videos... are amazing.. thanks
Hi JP, thanks for your comment. It might be an idea to post an image of your drawing or patterns on www.talkcomposites.com; on there you might get some helpful suggestions from our other customers.
can you infuse a mulit-piece mold? Not a tube like this but for say a lip for a car. I could make it 1pc but the angles of the front are too great to get my hand in there to try and make it look right.
Yes you can. By the far the easiest method is to use "envelope bagging" ie putting the entire mould into a single bag (like in this video) as it solves issues with trying to seal the join lines on a multi-part mould.
Excellent video, I have been following this for my own project your your products and so far so good, but I have a couple questions. As it's getting colder now in my garage I have been leaving each layer to cure over night. Is there a danger of leaving each layer too long? Like what if I leave the coupling layer to cure beyond a tacky state? Secondly, I have one of those nifty rollers included in your kit. Is it single use (like did you need to use 3 for this project) or did you somehow clean it? Thanks again for this content ( and for the confidence to try such things!)
Temperature reductions will slow the cure down so ideally you would want heating to keep temperature optimal. If you leave it too long, you can sand the surface but ideally try and keep it within the recommended time limits for best adhesion between layers. Acetone can clean rollers and brushes to help get extra uses out of them.
Is there a product that I can use to make high temp parts like exhaust manifold or even turbo down pipe I see a lot of intake manifolds and carbon mufflers any info would be appreciated thanks for an intuitive program keep it coming please
We have a high temperature epoxy resin that will, with a postcure, go upto 180C. That is not massively high but for some exhaust trims can be ok. You will need to measure the actual temperature the part will likely experience to decide if it is a suitable resin for you.
Great vid I never thought about making my own carbon fibre products, question though at what point is an oven used in making carbon fibre? And could you do a video on making a car bumper as that would be very informative on mould making and hen the bagging and infusion as that's what I'm interested in making but no idea where to start, can't wait for part 3 of this vid
If and when oven is used is dependant on what process is used to make the part. The part to be made from this mould is to be made in out-of -autoclave pre-preg carbon fibre and as such is cured in an oven once the vacuum bagging process is complete. You can see this in part 3 of the video series here: How to Make Prepreg/Dry Carbon Fibre Parts (Carbon Fiber Airbox Pt. 3) In terms of making a bumper, we would probably recommend resin infusion as the ideal process. You can see a complete video series on making a bonnet/hood here: How to Make a Carbon Fiber Car Bonnet/Hood - Part 1/3 which shows all the techniques and processes you would need for pretty much any body panels on a car, including a simple bumper.
Just wondering...can you do something similar and show how you would lay up this mold in fiberglass instead of carbon? It would be nice to see how to lay fiberglass in complex, multiple part molds instead of pre-preg. Thanks!
The yellow wax is our soft filleting and filling wax which you can find here: www.easycomposites.co.uk/#!/patterns-moulds-and-tooling/Mould-Making-Materials/soft-yellow-filleting-and-filling-wax.html
Hi Josh, thanks for the tip, sounds like it would make sense. A few years back (after we'd made this video) we found a new supplier of brushes and they're really very reliable now so it's very rare that we have any problems with loose bristles but I can imagine that if you do still get a bit of bristle loss with your brushes this would be helpful.
No, they are about the size of the tip of your pinky.they go on the inside of kitchen cabnet doors so they dont make a noise when you close them,there a firm rubber with a self stick back sold in big box stores cheap.
Yes you can use the original airbox as long as it is in good enough condition. You would follow the same process just skipping the carving of the foam, as you already have the basic shape. Use same release agents as the video.
Any suggestions on how to release a stuck plug from a mould? I used your release agent and followed the instructions here but it's stuck solid. I've used air, a chisel and anything to hand.
So, I can’t find polypropylene at lowes or Home Depot in usa. I buy the filling wax from this company, i love it. Shame they dont have usa east coast warehouse. I wonder if that is black epoxy tooling gel or polyester tooling gel????
In this video we used the Uni-Mould Tooling Gelcoat which is a vinylester. We would never suggest using polyester resin for prepregs, instead you should use vinylester (as we do in this video series) or better still an epoxy tooling gelcoat which we have since found is more compatible with a wider range of prepregs.
I am planning to make a 2 part mould from a foam pattern for the casting of a ca. 35x55x5 cm lit for a tool case. Can these products you use here work with casting af PUR resin too?
Is it possible to combine a mold similar to this, maybe two-part, with vacuum resin infusion? I haven't done prepreg and have done infusion. I want to end up with a hollow part (an intake primary plenum) with a slot like yours but narrower.
In theory yes it is. However it will be difficult to ensure the fabric is tightly against the mould surface, and you will have to take plenty of extra care during the vacuum pulling and infusion to ensure you get a good result. Would definitely be a challenge and take some skill!
Great video. I have one question. I understand that it would be better to make the mould out of carbon fiber prepreg (as you do in another video) instead of using fiberglass. Is that correct? If so, which would be the benefits? Thank you!
The main benefit of using prepreg carbon fibre to make the mould is improved accuracy at higher temperature because the CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) of the mould would be extremely low, very closely match that of the carbon fibre component. Additionally, you can use the mould at a higher temperature than you could with a typical 'fibreglass' resin system (although there are exceptions).
I was going to buy everything I needed to make a mould but I’m unable to purchase the mekp catalyst because I live in the US. Would any mekp catalyst work or would I have to get it from you guys
You can absolutely make carbon fibre parts using wet epoxy resin and dry fibre without oven curing. The problem is for complex parts like this, is that they really are suited to prepreg which unfortunately does need to be cured at elevated temperature. Sometimes paint curing ovens are good enough to cure prepreg and usually large enough to house vehicle parts. If you can find friendly bodyshop who may let you borrow their oven, that may be a solution for you.
For the transition from a pattern to a mould PVA can sometimes be the right choice. Personally I'm not a fan of the finish that PVA leaves on the pattern, resulting in too much work to restore a good finish. Our approach would be to use a reliable coating material on the pattern, so that the release is assured, and then use a release agent such as wax or chemical release agent (such as Easy-Lease) which will leave a better finish on the mould.
7 years later and they still answer questions in the comments, respect !
We try to ensure any questions that haven't been covered get answered.
@@easycompositestv i have a question. what is the meaning of life?
@@cvspvr 🤣😂😹😆
@@cvspvr 42
There's a reason your company is taking off like it has! Top notch craftsmanship, clear representation of your products, and sharing the knowledge! I have learned more from your videos and forum than I thought possible without attending a specialized school! Thanks to all of you at EC!!
David Williams not true at all and you know it.
Good
Using the rigid foam as a support when cutting with the Jigsaw (4:20) is a genius idea. So simple but it never occurred to me till I saw this! Way better than working off the end of the bench or trying to support on wood battens etc. Great videos and learning a lot, cheers!
Thanks Chris, glad it helped :-)
Thanks for this video series. I must have watched these over 10 times when making my first pattern/mold/part
I appreciate the number of details that you give us (the viewing audience)!! Great Job! The quality that comes from taking the steps you recommend will be unmatched!
Thanks Paul, it's our pleasure to share our love of these processes and techniques.
It’s extraordinary how involved and time consuming these processes are, but also how high quality the results are - this is bespoke manufacturing to a commercial standard.
Thank you Simon.
Excellent videos! What I like is that he gives you alternative ways to get almost the same results if you don't have the same products or tools.
With composites there are often several ways to make a part, some easier or more or less technical than other methods.
Completely amazing. Incredible skill. People who have a hard time visualizing surfaces and positive and negative shapes might find this challenging. Ironically someone seriously into pattern making for clothing might be good at it.
I suppose, if you wanted the smooth surface inside instead of outside, you could make a split part, say with a flange seam and screws, using two inside molds.
Hopefully we dont have to wait a year for the next one. Great vid though i have learned a lot from you guys.
Hi Brandon, no you definately won't have to wait a year for the next one. We're filming it at the moment. The great thing about prepreg is that we can make that airbox in about 20mins from start to finish so, even allowing for lots of filming delays, explaining and editting, it's still nothing like the time taken to make the pattern or the mould.
Amazing level of explanation and detail regarding how to create a carbon fiber 3-piece mould. Thank you for sharing!
I seriously can not thank you guys enough! You provide so much value in your content. Thank you!
You’re welcome Michael, glad you enjoyed it.
Most beautiful mold I've ever seen!
Wow, thank you!
I've never handled carbon fiber, I just love watching those videos 🤷🏼♂️
ikr 😂
I watched it with my own eyes and somehow it still feels like magic. Bravo!
Thank you for bringing these things to people that on the internet want to do something but they dont know why. Also i bought from you materials and im happy. Thank you very much (this is Mindaugas)
Hi Mindaugas, thanks for the feedback. We had a lot of fun making this video (we always do) and we really do love to share this information. It's been a pleasure dealing with you and I'm sure we will again soon.
Wow, exellent tutorial. I have learned A LOT. Very good tips and tricks. These guys know their stuff !!
clear and precise tuturial about carbon fiber.adds technics how to build.very helpful..thank you
You're very welcome, thanks!
Fantastic videos so far, would be good if you guys keep more of these coming regularly for different shapes etc
Look forward to the next one
It wouldn't really matter what the shape was; you should be able to apply this technique to make a multi-part mould for any shape or sized part. It's the technique and the understanding we try to give you, then you apply this process and understanding to your own projects. In terms of shape, this airbox is about as difficult as it gets, which is why we made it! Many moulds, even for much larger parts, would be simpler. Take a look on our forum where you'll see one of our customers has made split moulds for the entire tub of a Noble; it's all the same process. He then goes on to resin infuse the whole tub in carbon fibre. Username is Andycanam - search for Noble on talkcomposites.com
This is so useful. 7 years later! Thanks
Thanks Chris, it’s very much still current technique 👍
well, i finally just called and ordered filleting wax on my iphone, its dirt cheapto call with att. Got a bunch of tips too. I want em to open a store in usa. Maybe easy, maybe not. These people have best quality stuff. I know. They are on top of the game of turning out good tools, parts, & helping their customers. This video is incredible.
+Pushyhog We had the same experience with them. They truly are an awesome company!
Easy Composites Ltd Have you considered working on partnerships\distributor deals with european vendors? Speaking from experience, many italian shops either have a limited offer or have ashamingly high prices. Perhaps you could build a distribution network to help spread your winning business model.
Happy new year and please keep up the good work!
AWESOME!!! It took sometime, but it's the best easycomposite video so far! Can't wait for the third!
O u t s t a n d i n g tutorial!! - Now I understand why custom composite parts are so expensive!!
What an excellent tutorial - well done. (I believe you should give due credit to our very good instructor.)
Thanks Chris. Indeed - that's Paul; our technical director.
i made in your place pre preg thing and that was helpfull. im trying infusion. so i hope i be at the end of perfect finish like on your tutorial. Wish you all the Best as company and guys making things clear to people who want these knowledges!!
super impressed with the quality of video and explanations
Thanks, glad you like them.
Nice instruction. You have the skills to do it. Congrats from Araucaria PR Brazil.
Nice video!!! A lot of tips to apply on my own molding process. I really like this channel and I begin to use your products last week (gelcoat). So fra, so good!!!
Some of the best videos on the net. Well done and thanks.
Just bought a couple of kits from these guy, can't wait to try and make my own parts 👍🏼👌🏽
Great choice Liam! You know where we are if you need us.
Amazing stuff and high videos quality, will probably watch all of them :) Big thanks from Canada.
If you mould in a tyre valve somewhere on the pattern, you can use air pressure to separate the parts, instead of having to chisel them. (Beware of excessive pressure blowing them across the room, though.)
smart. I might use that for a bigger thing.
Yes! Finally! =D
This video series is really great. Can´t wait to get some parts ordered from you guys and get going my self. Thank you for uploading and taking your time for us =)
You're very welcome. I'm really pleased we've got this one 'under our belts' now; split-moulds is something that we've wanted to cover for years and where I think there was a real lack of a coimplete tutorial.
Man, you're my new hero.
OMG !!!!!! How perfect. Congratulations, video is so perfect, don't know what to say.... keep going.
Thanks for the praise!
god this takes me back, i used to make front splitters for touring cars and we did the same thing exactly
Haha, yes, this process has not changed much in a long time! Only difference would probably be the Uni-Mould rapid tooling system which is slightly different from conventional polyester gel and GP resin.
Top skills to make it look so easy! very well explained too. i'll know where to come for materials and advice
Excellent work. I'm very anxious to see the next part.
Master craftsmanship!
These are great tutorials. Thanks for posting them.
Thanks a lot. Rare stuffs in UA-cam. Helpful for my career..
Makes me realize how foolish my teen age dream had been of me making a custom fiberglass air box for my racing motorcycle back in the early 70's ...I had thought at the time "how hard could it be" I purchased some materials and found out early on that I was nowhere near capable of producing even the most crude example of what might work ...such is the frustration of visualising exactly what one needs but entirely lacking the expertise to even begin to get there ....And that was a part that in no way needed to be visually appealing !
That was incredible! awesome video series thank you very much
Beautiful work there.
Thank you very much Cameron!
Can you please make some video about Paul, have been learning a lot from him.
Outstanding video and instruction!
Outstanding tutorial ! Very insightful
Glad you enjoyed the video!
Great demo !
Amazing how a pro can make it look easy, but if you try this a home kids it’ll probably take a half dozen projects to look “pro”. Thirty five years ago I made a fiberglass console. Man that was an aggravating experience. Wish I’d seen this back then.
There's certainly some skill and experience needed to get this sort of thing right first time but hopefully these tutorials give people the best chance to learn the process and build their skills.
Great video, it is very useful for my next work about a motorcycle tank
Crazy the time that goes into making the moulds
Awesome, very helpful and professional.
Thank you.
Salim from King Saud University
You guys are geniuses and I have watched these videos years prior but revisit now and then.
Just wondering - you state that 18-25deg c is the optimal temperature, but if you are working at a colder temperature, could you warm the tin of resin in hot water prior, to help quicken things up? I have used this method when painting a car and it worked well.
You can certainly warm the resins to 20C or similar. Just be aware it will cool once in use so the cure times will still be extended and you may have issues curing at very low temperatures.
AMAZING THAT THESE EXIST.
Excellent and informative video. I learned a lot. Thank you!
Thank you for your reply I appreciate all the advice and am looking forward to purchasing your resin infusion starter kit
These are great tutorials. Thanks a lot.
Thanks Mojahed, we're glad you like them.
Very good, job and presenter
Thanks Daniel, appreciated.
Hi, great video series. I like it a lot. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. One question: How do you ensure that the parts of the molds do not stick together at the bare edge where the fibreglass has open surface. The release agent won't help very much there on the rough glass. I'm considering developing a faired recumbent bike.
Generally any slight sticking on the very edges can be trimmed off to allow access for a demoulding wedge to release the rest of the part.
GREAT VIDEO GUYS!!!! The dude is actually understandable. ;) Easy to follow along. ***
Glad you like and and pleased to hear you could understand it all clearly :)
What an artist
Hello again, at 13:08 you mention that you must make this a 3-piece mold because of 2 parallel sides. Is that because it would be really difficult to remove the master plug if you don't make this mold as 3 parts? Could you install a nipple onto the surface of the master so that later you can use air pressure to push it out from the mold? Thank you in advance!
If you have parallel sides on a mould then it will be almost impossible to remove parts from it, even with the use of compressed air. If you do manage to remove the part then it's likely there will be damage to the part and the stress on the mould will reduce its life. It's a *much* better idea to design a split into the mould for sides even approaching parallel.
Great video very cool 👍🏻
Thanks Micheal, glad you liked it.
Guys!.. Great video, but.. when you design the part in 3D, and use that CAD software to make the profiles of the part.. you could also make the templates the same way, for the top template, the one you made first.. just project the curve on the centerplane, and use that as a guidecurve for a sweep of a thin part that you can then convert to a "Sheetmetal-part" and Unfold to a flat pattern.. that's all there is to it.. same goes for the other templates..
(Can't help it.. i'm a designer.. :) )
your video's are a great help, teaching me things i didn't yet know..
Just thougt of this.. why not place some "Wax-wedges" around the perimeter, so after curing and cutting the mould to size, you have some recesses to pry the mould open?
This is great, been waiting a long time for this, Great tutorials. Thanks for making them!
Excellent and professional. Thank you
You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. Thanks for all the feedback everyone :)
Incredible videos, very well done.
These are great videos explaining the processes extremely well, I do have one question, what's the possibility at some point in the future having the option for different colour gel coats in the mould making process ? I'm making panniers for a motorcycle that I want in a black finish, but painting black gel coat on a black mould isn't ideal - I think you mention this yourself in the Dark Ice video
It is a possibility. Our epoxy tooling gel is green which provides a good contrast for darker colour part gelcoats.
Please get part 3 up soon.
Very helpful video. Thanks a lot
Excuse me, sir, I want to ask, if we don't use vacuum oven, what media can dry with yourself then how long?
I try to do a split moud with a saddlebags but I don't know how or where I can split, can you have a chance to guide me the best way to do it?? I'm in Chile... very far away, but I follow all your videos... are amazing.. thanks
Hi JP, thanks for your comment. It might be an idea to post an image of your drawing or patterns on www.talkcomposites.com; on there you might get some helpful suggestions from our other customers.
Très bon travail.
That is amazing!!
can you infuse a mulit-piece mold? Not a tube like this but for say a lip for a car. I could make it 1pc but the angles of the front are too great to get my hand in there to try and make it look right.
Yes you can. By the far the easiest method is to use "envelope bagging" ie putting the entire mould into a single bag (like in this video) as it solves issues with trying to seal the join lines on a multi-part mould.
thanks for videos.
Could you upload pt.3??? how you close the open part in the molds for have the same part as original?.
Nearly there with it. Just a bit more editing and we'll be uploading it!
Excellent video, I have been following this for my own project your your products and so far so good, but I have a couple questions. As it's getting colder now in my garage I have been leaving each layer to cure over night. Is there a danger of leaving each layer too long? Like what if I leave the coupling layer to cure beyond a tacky state? Secondly, I have one of those nifty rollers included in your kit. Is it single use (like did you need to use 3 for this project) or did you somehow clean it?
Thanks again for this content ( and for the confidence to try such things!)
Temperature reductions will slow the cure down so ideally you would want heating to keep temperature optimal. If you leave it too long, you can sand the surface but ideally try and keep it within the recommended time limits for best adhesion between layers. Acetone can clean rollers and brushes to help get extra uses out of them.
Is there a product that I can use to make high temp parts like exhaust manifold or even turbo down pipe I see a lot of intake manifolds and carbon mufflers any info would be appreciated thanks for an intuitive program keep it coming please
We have a high temperature epoxy resin that will, with a postcure, go upto 180C. That is not massively high but for some exhaust trims can be ok. You will need to measure the actual temperature the part will likely experience to decide if it is a suitable resin for you.
If ever you guys would like to do carbon fibre reinforcement of some 3D printed objects we at MEOE would love to help.
Great vid I never thought about making my own carbon fibre products, question though at what point is an oven used in making carbon fibre? And could you do a video on making a car bumper as that would be very informative on mould making and hen the bagging and infusion as that's what I'm interested in making but no idea where to start, can't wait for part 3 of this vid
If and when oven is used is dependant on what process is used to make the part. The part to be made from this mould is to be made in out-of -autoclave pre-preg carbon fibre and as such is cured in an oven once the vacuum bagging process is complete. You can see this in part 3 of the video series here: How to Make Prepreg/Dry Carbon Fibre Parts (Carbon Fiber Airbox Pt. 3)
In terms of making a bumper, we would probably recommend resin infusion as the ideal process. You can see a complete video series on making a bonnet/hood here: How to Make a Carbon Fiber Car Bonnet/Hood - Part 1/3 which shows all the techniques and processes you would need for pretty much any body panels on a car, including a simple bumper.
Just wondering...can you do something similar and show how you would lay up this mold in fiberglass instead of carbon? It would be nice to see how to lay fiberglass in complex, multiple part molds instead of pre-preg. Thanks!
So delightful to watch
hi great video, loved to watch it, i don't find that wax in your site, what should i look for? thanks
The yellow wax is our soft filleting and filling wax which you can find here: www.easycomposites.co.uk/#!/patterns-moulds-and-tooling/Mould-Making-Materials/soft-yellow-filleting-and-filling-wax.html
Hola buenos días,que resina es la de color amarillo??
Big respect!
using superglue on the base of the bristles where the fibers meet the metal, will help keep them from pulling out.
Hi Josh, thanks for the tip, sounds like it would make sense. A few years back (after we'd made this video) we found a new supplier of brushes and they're really very reliable now so it's very rare that we have any problems with loose bristles but I can imagine that if you do still get a bit of bristle loss with your brushes this would be helpful.
No, they are about the size of the tip of your pinky.they go on the inside of kitchen cabnet doors so they dont make a noise when you close them,there a firm rubber with a self stick back sold in big box stores cheap.
Right, got it, yes, I know the ones you mean. Good tip!
Really good advice. Thank you.
can i use the original metal air box as a pattern to make the mould? any suggestion about particular release agent to use on it? thanks
Yes you can use the original airbox as long as it is in good enough condition. You would follow the same process just skipping the carving of the foam, as you already have the basic shape. Use same release agents as the video.
@@easycompositestv thanks a lot. gonna try on my Alfa 105 airbox as soon as i can.
Any suggestions on how to release a stuck plug from a mould? I used your release agent and followed the instructions here but it's stuck solid. I've used air, a chisel and anything to hand.
Is it possible to make a shape like this but also control the internal dimensions through calculated the thickness of the carbon fiber? Thanks!
Yes, absolutely, the internal dimensions will simply be the outside dimensions minus the laminate thickness which can be precisely controlled.
@@easycompositestv That's great. Thank you. You all don't have a US location do you?
So, I can’t find polypropylene at lowes or Home Depot in usa. I buy the filling wax from this company, i love it. Shame they dont have usa east coast warehouse. I wonder if that is black epoxy tooling gel or polyester tooling gel????
In this video we used the Uni-Mould Tooling Gelcoat which is a vinylester. We would never suggest using polyester resin for prepregs, instead you should use vinylester (as we do in this video series) or better still an epoxy tooling gelcoat which we have since found is more compatible with a wider range of prepregs.
I am planning to make a 2 part mould from a foam pattern for the casting of a ca. 35x55x5 cm lit for a tool case. Can these products you use here work with casting af PUR resin too?
I'm interested in getting a fiberglass frame of a jet ski built. How much would something like that cost to have done professionally?
In fibergrsss parts manufacturing.more pin holes are visible during paint. How to avoid yhat
hi, a gelcoat finish will eliminate any pinholes on the components surface
@@easycompositestv thank you for the reply bro. Can we apply gelcoat finally after putting body filler
Is it possible to combine a mold similar to this, maybe two-part, with vacuum resin infusion? I haven't done prepreg and have done infusion. I want to end up with a hollow part (an intake primary plenum) with a slot like yours but narrower.
In theory yes it is. However it will be difficult to ensure the fabric is tightly against the mould surface, and you will have to take plenty of extra care during the vacuum pulling and infusion to ensure you get a good result. Would definitely be a challenge and take some skill!
Great video. I have one question. I understand that it would be better to make the mould out of carbon fiber prepreg (as you do in another video) instead of using fiberglass. Is that correct? If so, which would be the benefits? Thank you!
The main benefit of using prepreg carbon fibre to make the mould is improved accuracy at higher temperature because the CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) of the mould would be extremely low, very closely match that of the carbon fibre component. Additionally, you can use the mould at a higher temperature than you could with a typical 'fibreglass' resin system (although there are exceptions).
I was going to buy everything I needed to make a mould but I’m unable to purchase the mekp catalyst because I live in the US. Would any mekp catalyst work or would I have to get it from you guys
The MEKP we use is standard grade. Brands such as Andanox KP9, Akperox A30, Butanox M50 (Akzo Nobel) are all suitable and very widely available.
@@easycompositestv ok thank you for the help!!
It's art!
I don't have an oven large enough to accommodate the tubes I want to make. Can I cure carbon fiber without heat?
You can absolutely make carbon fibre parts using wet epoxy resin and dry fibre without oven curing. The problem is for complex parts like this, is that they really are suited to prepreg which unfortunately does need to be cured at elevated temperature. Sometimes paint curing ovens are good enough to cure prepreg and usually large enough to house vehicle parts. If you can find friendly bodyshop who may let you borrow their oven, that may be a solution for you.
Hi what's your opinion on PVA release agent? I like to spray it on my bucks & moulds & haven't found anything else you can put through a gun.
For the transition from a pattern to a mould PVA can sometimes be the right choice. Personally I'm not a fan of the finish that PVA leaves on the pattern, resulting in too much work to restore a good finish. Our approach would be to use a reliable coating material on the pattern, so that the release is assured, and then use a release agent such as wax or chemical release agent (such as Easy-Lease) which will leave a better finish on the mould.