Celica Forums General Discussion Exterior DIY Carbon Pieces

I've gotten quite good with the fiberglass recently while working on my kit, was wondering if anyone had tackled carbon fiber parts on their own.

It runs fairly cheap, 50" by 1 yard is only $21.50 Can. Would like to make my own engine bay dress. IPT Motorsports offers them I know... but as a student.. key is cheap

Anyone tried???

ummmm, i think that its the same as fibergalss mat, but im not sure.

i think you lay it where you want it and then pour and smooth the resin over.

anyone else know?? i was kinda wondering this myself

SIR Isaac knows...

Is working with fiberglass difficult? I honestly know nothing about it at the moment, but have been thinking about learning.

i dont think so. my brother (who is completely un crafty) reglassed a part of his surf board and it didnt look too hard. i am gonna try it someday, simply becuase it looks so cool. maybe i will get enough courage to bondo and fiberglass the hatch. maybe that will be a summer project.

i want to learn how to do fiberglass and bondo soo much.

carbon fibering is the same as fiberglassing...

1. prep the area where the carbon fiber will be laid down
2. lay the carbon fiber mat down where you want it
3. pour and paint resin all over it
4. repeat step 2
5. sand the (dried) resin with fine sandpaper
6. cover with a few coats of clearcoat paint

i want to carbon fiber something. hmm...

With fiberglass, you don't have to worry about the weave because you will sand and paint over the working area to complete the project.

With carbon fiber, your entire piece is exposed and cannot be sanded or painted over to hide any flaws in the layers. So once you lay it down and then form it by stretching or pushing into the form you want it at, your are pretty-much set with that.

In addition, by stretching your Carbon Fiber material, you are distorting the weave - it becomes much more obvious when you are dealing with large pieces such as engine side cover or hoods.

Another thing to think about - is the material you use to seal your pieces. If you have ever looked at Carbon Fiber hoods that have been installed for daily driving, over periods of time, the hood will turn 'smokey' white or 'creamy' yellow in different places. If there are air bubbles or pin-holes in your product because they havent been set correctly, these areas will be the first to change color. Unlike fiberglass, you cannot just fill the pinholes on clear coated items with putty.

The correct coating must also be chosen correctly - if you use low cost material, your parts may begin to crack during or within a few weeks of completion. If you use an inexpensive gel coating that cannot hold up to high heat (such as your engine), your pieces may warp and become deformed.

I would suggest that before you tackle this, purchase some less expensive material and practice on that piece first - you will soon know the difficulties involved and why some retailers sell certain pieces for much more than other pieces (the price is in the manufacture difficulty level)

But by all means - please do try making your own pieces - you could be much better at working with material than someone who has less perfection skills

you are doing the right thing - ask allot of questions, test out your options and read what many others have noted in their articles... people dont become "masters" over-night - they practice and over time, they get better and better than everyone else who does not practice.

...

Theres a book in bookstores, "Fiberglass and Composite Materials" by Forbes Aird (thick magazine size) thats good.

This page might give you a head start (its not automotive related - but is a crash course in working with fiberglass)
http://www.thinkcomputers.org/beta/home.php?x=guides&id=6-1

all hail SIR Isaac

you're the best!

Wahoo!!! Been tons of help! And all hail indeed

I have been poking around as much as possible too... check this URL, the guy basically is converting his bike to carbon. He's done gas tank.. fenders.. you name it.

http://www.mci.i12.com/carbon/

Since it's fairly cheap, I'll try it maybe and keep you folks posted.

If anyone in Ontario is looking for the stuff, let me know, because it's been impossible to find so far, BUT I DID

Thanks again!!