Has anyone ever though of trying to make their own carbon fibre parts? There are it would appear some right carbon fibre whores amongst us With ever increassing ease to obtain such materials it would seemanything is now possible? We all like certain parts for our Blades, engine covers, huggers etc, so i ask, is it the carbon fibre you like? or is it the name who supplied it? could it be more satisfiying to look at somthing you have produced with your own hands. And especially if it looks as good as the part you just paid out twice as much for. I know alot of us probably couldn't be bothered with the hassle of even contemplating such an adventure There are a few ways of doing these parts, you could use your origional parts as molds or just wrap them? Iv'e had a look around youtube and found some links for you to have a look, i must admit, i'm tempted to have a go. So over to you, ever considered or tried it? Carbon Fibre Skinning. How to cover parts in carbon fiber (fibre) by skinning or wrapping - YouTube Carbon Fibre Mould How to make a mould for a carbon fiber (fibre) part - YouTube
Great idea, the demonstrator made it look very easy. Not sure it is actually that easy for the layman. I trained and worked for 5 years as an architectural cabinet maker and finisher, specialising in the finishing aspect. I know from experience that working with paints, lacquers and resins etc can be very difficult and messy. Achieving the quality results your bikes deserve may be beyond most in a DIY setting. I have to admit that I've never worked with carbon fibre so can't say too much about that. Given the time and space it looks like it could be fun, though. The upholsterers among you probably have what it takes, especially for the more tricky elements. Before anyone considers me the resident expert on paints, materials and techniques etc, I've not worked in that field since 1988 - so I'm probably de-skilled and def out of touch! I like to refer to myself as 'the useless twat' by way of confirmation. Having said the above, I'm sure there are some extremely clever sods on this forum who'd make a fantastic job of it! Be interested to see what others think...... Great thread Garyb
Mate mate has done a few parts for his car and then had them lacquered .. they came out great . For me its not the brand name as my parts are from a few different manufacturers . Just love the carbon thats all lol
And another plus side, which iv'e just thought of there Dan, if you do your own, continuity of the carbon fibre pattern, how many times have you seen parts that are the same but different weave/grade etc?
There's lots on the market with different weave, and IMO, it's better to have the same weave from the same manufacturer so it matches, or at least get the same weave from different manufacturers so it can match up. With carbon though, the way it's mounted can make the weave look different, although its the same..... Horizontal vs vertical fixing etc. Lacquer makes a difference too, as more of it and harder lacquer can make te carbon look darker or lighter, but lighting can have this effect too. There's also autoclaving or wet laying that can change appearance and although it's the same weave, can look different once on. There's also Kevlar backed carbon and fibreglass backed carbon which gives a differing shading to the finish, some with Kevlar has a noticeable green cast. Uv protection also has a bearing as does heat as this can change the colour, a yellowing effect can happen. Carbon and Kevlar:
I've been experimenting with various weaves, CF and Kevlar for the passed year. So far i have managed to make a couple dozen engine casing covers, a couple fairing brackets and a subframe. The guys who work with it everyday can tell you more than i can, but in my experimenting i have discovered that if there are any air pips, through lack of a vacum pressure to draw them out, then you get weak spots. They crack first and easily. If something needs laquering its probably not made properly. I have made some tubes, but i have yet to make a reliable and strong one. My first engine case was rubbish but with only 2 weaves it takes 90 kilograms in weight before it starts sounding likes it going to crack. With 5 - 6 weaves i think it would be imensely strong. But being solely carbon the abrassion resistance would be poor.
