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Simple methods for molding fiberglass and carbon fiber
by Honus on June 3, 2007
Table of Contents
intro: Simple methods for molding fiberglass and carbon fiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
step 1: Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
step 2: Method #1- creating a mold and pulling a positve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
step 3: Method#2- lost foam molding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
step 4: Method#3- using an existing item for a mold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
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http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
intro: Simple methods for molding fiberglass and carbon fiber
Here's a couple of low cost and quick procedures I use to manufacture simple parts using fiberglass and carbon fiber. While it's not the best method for producing parts
that see structural loads (some form of consolidation like vacuum bagging/pressure molding to reduce internal voids should be used for that) or parts that need to have
an extremely high finish leveI, I have molded everything from simple car parts to subwoofer enclosures to costuming/theatrical props using these methods.
step 1:Materials
Clear packing tape
Blue foam insulation- available at many home improvement stores
Laminating resin- polyester resin and epoxy resin ( I use Bondo polyester resin for fiberglass and West Systems epoxy resin for carbon)
Acetone
Paint brushes- I use a short bristled brush, sometimes I just cut the bristles down to anywhere between 1/2' to 1" llength
Mold release paste wax-available from Aircraft Spruce- http://www.aircraftspruce.com
Woven fiberglass cloth and/or chopped strand mat- often called CSM
Woven carbon fiber cloth- available from Aircraft Spruce- http://www.aircraftspruce.com
3M Super 77 spray glue (optional)
Rubber gloves
Filtering mask
Please use proper safety equipment when working with resins and fibers. Carbon fibers are extremely sharp when cut and the use of resins and melting of foam can
produce nasty vapors.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
step 2:Method #1- creating a mold and pulling a positve
I used this method to modify existing bodywork on a friend's Ralt R5 CSR Mazda race car. His new tire/wheel set up was causing the front tires to hit the existing
bodywork so he modified it by cutting holes in the fenders and then bolting on some plates with spacers so the front tires would clear when the suspension was fully
compressed. The modifications were pretty ugly and un aerodynamic (not to mention the tires would still rub on occasion) so he asked me to make new fender parts that
could be grafted onto the existing bodywork so he wouldn't have to buy all new bodywork for the front of his racecar. I made these modifications several years ago so I
don't have photos of the entire sequence so I did drawings to fill in the gaps.
The first thing I did was to figure out how much I wanted to raise the fender line and then cut a template to be used to cut the blue foam. The blue foam is then cut using a
hot wire cutter and is placed on top of the existing fender to check the fit.
Next the foam is taped down to the fender using clear packing tape- the tape prevents the polyester resin from melting the foam when applying the fiberglass. I then
made some vents for the new fender using some wood molding- this is hot glued in place on the taped foam.
The taped foam then gets a coating of mold release wax.
Now the fiberglass cloth is wetted with polyester resin and is applied over the foam. You can use woven fiberglass cloth or chopped strand mat for this. If you use CSM
you have to use polyester resin- the polyester resin melts the styrene binder in the CSM. All epoxy resin will do is make a huge mess.
One trick I do when using woven cloth is I pre cut my cloth and stick it down on my pattern with some 3M Super77 spray cement and then wet the woven cloth out with
resin using a short bristled paintbrush. If the cloth (or CSM) has to be applied in sections make sure the sections overlap by at least one inch.
Once the resin has cured you can pull the fiberglass mold from the foam pattern.
To mold a carbon fiber positive from the fiberglass mold you first apply a mold release wax to the fiberglass mold.
Then start wetting out the carbon cloth with resin and laying it inside the fiberglass mold. When wetting out the resin use a short bristled paintbrush and a "stippling"
action to make sure the resin has fully penetrated the carbon cloth as is placed in the mold. I tend to use epoxy resin when laminating carbon cloth as it produces a much
stiffer final product.
I usually apply layers of carbon cloth at alternating 45/90 degree positioning. This is because the woven carbon cloth only has stiffness in the direction of its fiber
orientation.
Before the resin has fully cured you can trim the excess material around the edges of the mold with scissors- this is much harder to do later.
Once the resin has fully cured the part can be removed from the mold.
After the molding process was finished all I had to do was bond the new carbon sections onto the existing bodywork and blend it in with some filler.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
step 3:Method#2- lost foam molding
I used this method to create an air duct for the oil cooler on a friend's Porsche GT5R racecar. This is a very quick and easy way to mold a hollow component or a part that
has severe undercuts that would not alllow it to be molded in a single piece female mold.
The first step is to cut a pattern from blue insulation foam and wrap it with clear packing tape.
Next, cover the taped pattern with a mold release wax.
Now cover the pattern with woven fiberglass cloth and wet out the resin. Make sure to leave a section uncovered- this is where the foam will be melted.
After the resin has cured, melt out the foam by pouring acetone on the uncovered section (note that in drawing #4 it says kerosene- this is incorrect). Make sure you have
a decent sized tray or bucket under your part- this will get messy! As the foam melts you can reach into your hollow part and pull out the packing tape and you are left
with a hollow molding.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
step 4:Method#3- using an existing item for a mold
In this case I wanted to make a hidden subwoofer enclosure for my car by molding a fiberglass tub that sat inside the spare tire so I wouldn't lose any trunk space.
I first started by covering the inside of the spare tire wheel with clear packing tape and giving it a good coat of mold release wax.
Next I cut a large ring from MDF and placed it on top of the spare tire.
Then I started laying up my fiberglass ( I used CSM for this) into the taped spare tire. The fiberglass was applied so that it overlapped the upper surface of the MDF ring.
This made the finished molded tub much stronger and made it much easier to remove from the spare tire after molding.
After the resin cured I cut another MDF ring to mount my subwoofer into and joined it to the MDF ring that was molded into the fiberglass tub. I used some sealant
between the two rings and also screwed them together.
Then I drilled a hole in the hole in the MDF for my subwoofer wiring and applied sealant to it after I ran my wiring to the woofer. The last step was to bolt the subwoofer
into place.
The volume of the molded tub turned out to be perfect for a 10" subwoofer and it sounds great without taking up additional trunk space- and I get to keep my spare tire!
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
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Comments
19 comments Add Comment
skaldedgrifon says: Aug 17, 2008. 12:33 PM REPLY
Thanks for this tutorial. It really helped clarify the process. Great diagrams and support text. I like the real-world examples and the open ended feel where it
almost says 'now go build what you have always wanted to with this new knowledge'..... Good stuff.
Honus says: Aug 17, 2008. 1:34 PM REPLY
Thanks- glad you like it!
Scurge says: May 29, 2008. 10:26 PM REPLY
Tip from experience:
Vacuum bag your carbon fiber (you can do it with fiberglass as well)! it makes it more lightweight by removing excess resin, and it is stronger in the end
because you get all the air bubbles out. It also looks better in the end and has a smoother finish.
The technique is described fully here: http://www.info-central.org/construction_vacuumbagging.shtml
It makes a big difference in tensile strength, more than I thought till I tried it.
all i used for the vacuum bag was one of those space saver closet bags and a shop-vac.
Honus says: May 30, 2008. 6:15 AM REPLY
I'm familiar with vacuum bagging- I've had a bagging setup since the early 90's and I used to make a rear wing for a race car. It's great for parts that see
larger structural loads, especially where epoxy resin is used.
jkinrade says: Mar 30, 2008. 1:35 PM REPLY
Here's something I've been trying to figure out for a while: When you're making fenders, is there a way to produce a 'mirror' foam mold for the other side, or
is it just a matter of eye-balling it? My project bimmer race car needs some bigger wheels.
Thanks.
Honus says: Mar 30, 2008. 4:07 PM REPLY
Hmmm... I don't know. If you had a CNC foam cutter you could probably do it.
Check out: http://gm.cnc.free.fr/en/index.html
shortshift says: Sep 24, 2007. 2:07 PM REPLY
Hey, cool that you posted this up, I like your illustrative sketches a lot, they're clear and simple to understand.
I would encourage you to break these techniques into separate instructable sections just to make them more readily searchable. While they're all related
they're also quite useful in and of them selves.
Anyway, I was going to make a lost foam page for a motorcycle tank, but you beat me to it :)
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
One challenge I've had is coming up with the correct patterns for cutting up glass when laying up around complex shapes. That air duct for instance; what
were the glass shapes that you chose for the "crotch" section where it bifurcates into two? Seems like this could be a new instructable topic altogether...
Thanks for posting.
Honus says: Sep 24, 2007. 6:22 PM REPLY
Thanks for the comments! As for figuring out how to cut cloth for complex shapes you can first cover the area with masking tape and then cut that into
sections and peel it off your pattern. Then flatten it out to give you some patterns to cut cloth from. It's not perfect but it works reasonably well.
DanDaDad says: Aug 31, 2007. 1:18 AM REPLY
Great stuff!!! You can also get supplies from Wicks aircraft supply in Highland Illinois, about 35 minutes east of St. Louis Missery. Or just order online.
http://www.wicksaircraft.com/
freewheeler says: Jun 9, 2007. 9:32 AM REPLY
u ar brilliant.keep it up,as i wanna build a carbon MTB and i need all the tips and instructables i can get.
Honus says: Jun 9, 2007. 2:43 PM REPLY
There's more info and pics here:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/howibuil.htm
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/
Hope this helps!
freewheeler says: Jun 10, 2007. 1:43 AM REPLY
thanx vry much
freewheeler says: Jun 9, 2007. 9:34 AM REPLY
although what i really need is a frame jig and where i can get epoxy.
and carbon sheets.
Honus says: Jun 9, 2007. 2:36 PM REPLY
You can buy all the materials you need from Aircraft Spruce:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com
The jig you'll need to construct yourself to suit your particular frame design.
You might want to check this out for a home made carbon frame:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/carbon_fiber.htm
mf70 says: Jun 7, 2007. 9:01 AM REPLY
This is a wonderful idea, but... KEROSENE? I've never seen any foam product that would dissolve in kerosene.
Mind you, I HAVE melted foam with solvents by accident. The solvents have generally been really "hot" paint additives.
Mark
Honus says: Jun 7, 2007. 9:07 PM REPLY
You're right- I forgot I used acetone when I did this. Don't know what I was thinking.... I'll change it- Thanks!
trebuchet03 says: Jun 3, 2007. 11:21 PM REPLY
producing parts that see structural loads (some form of consolidation like vacuum bagging/pressure molding to reduce internal voids should be used for that)
Vacuum bagging is used when you want to remove lots of resin and reduce weight....
If you want structural members, you'll want to use an autoclave -- a chamber that applies heat and pressure ;)
But that's not to say you can't do both vacuum bagging and curing in an autoclave. You can wet your cloth -- bag it to remove excess. Lay it up -- then cure
in an autoclave. I've never done it, but a friend explained the entire process -- it's rather intensive :p Works especially well when you use cloth bulkers :)
Also, for the mask... Anything but a organic filter will not protect you. That is, regular dust "comfort masks" won't cut it ;) You'll know quickly as styrene acts
fasts and makes fairly stupid for awhile.
If you can get it (a big if), biaxial woven carbon is strong in two axial directions -- rather than one. You can also lay up a layer of Kevlar to give it a springy
characteristic (that is, if it's thin -- you can dent the fairing -- then pop it back out ):)
http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-methods-for-molding-fiberglass-and-carbon-f/
To be thorough... I did a series on making an HPV fairing -- making a negative tool and such (I actually need to write one more instructable to finish up the
series :p). While the overall process is not as simple as what you've outlined here (we made a tool) -- it's just another way to get a product :)
trebuchet03 says: Jun 3, 2007. 11:24 PM REPLY
Damn, forgot the link
Videos for Making a Fairing
And I forgot to mention -- nice car :D
Honus says: Jun 3, 2007. 11:58 PM REPLY
Thanks! I guess I should have clarified that point as I have done a fair amount of vacuum bagging in the past. My point was that unless you do
something to consolidate your wet layup you can have internal voids which can lead to structural failure. Vacuum bagging also improves the wetting
out of the fibers.
A great many carbon composite structures have been built without the use of an autoclave (autoclaves are primarily used when using prepreg
materials- I'm not too familiar with people using one for wet lay up) and while they may have been less than structurally "optimal" from an engineering
point of view they certainly do exist. Many carbon bicycle frames have been built this way, some using bladder molded lugs bonded to filament
wound tubes. Some have also used resin transfer molding (RTM). For optimal tubular structures filament winding is really the way to go on a
cost/performance basis- you can get very precise fiber orientation and resin volume.
When I worked in the bicycle industry I remember talking to a couple of engineers from Lockheed and the guys at Spyrotech in the early 90's about
producing a filament wound composite crankset..... now carbon cranks are pretty commonplace. All the latest pro roadie carbon frames are amazing
in their strength/stiffness to weight ratios......
The biggest thing when designing carbon composite structures is to remember that carbon is anisotropic- it's greatest strength is along the direction
of fiber orientation.
Vacuum consolidation while using an autoclave is very common in the racecar and aerospace industries but most of those guys are using very high
modulous prepreg material. I think my wife might give me trouble if I tried storing some prepreg in our freezer! I've still got a big roll of Kevlar out in
the garage..... :P
I'll have to check out all the HPV stuff- I've always been really intrigued by them- plus I like going fast! The Ralt belongs to my dentist- it's powered by
a Mazda rotary- about 200hp and 1300lbs. The Porsche is a 914/6 that belongs to a longtime friend of mine from the bike business- it's a 2.2 liter-
about 230hp and 1700lbs.