This video along with all the others are so detailed and understandable. but really and truly the host is excellent. he explains the process to the tee.
ıt's a legendary series of composite works even after 10 years later . l really respect your efforts and passşons about capturing , preparing and editing skills. Thank you again....
I truly appreciate the efforts put into this tutorial video. Very well explained, clear descriptions of the steps involved to create a finished product. The “Pre Impregnated” resins leak a little that created the flashing tells me the their is enough to completely saturate the part, leaving a bubble free or void free strong part. After scraping, filing, cutting and finishing the air box after keeping the fabrics grain aligned, I wish your director would have allowed time to show the part. After all of that, we get to see the air box for 1.2 seconds! A full two or three minutes should have dedicated to the finished part. Let us see the shine, grain direction, parting line finish and I would have placed in on the floor and stood on it. These are proof of buying the more expensive product on the market, if you are proud of it! Retired ASE Master Tech of 40+ years
Thanks for your comments Dean. We'll certainly try to include more detailed footage of the finished component in the future. If you're ever in the area of our factory you are more than welcome to see the part (and other parts we've made) in person to inspect the quality first hand. Please also check out our other video on prepreg carbon fibre where you might see more time dedicated to inspecting the finish. I'm not sure than standing on an airbox would be a particularly relevant test because the whole point of light-weighting is to make something just as strong as it needs to be in order to do its job. Being strong enough to stand on would tell me that the layup of the airbox was too heavy and it needs to be lighter since this is NOT the loading the airbox would experience in service. Nonetheless, more focus on the finished component is certainly something we will keep in mind.
@@easycompositestv I enjoyed this video and have seen others. Wrapping the firearm stock starting with black pigment epoxy called “XCR Base Coat” and proper timing to begin the adhesive process to use carbon fiber cloth is exactly what I was looking for. Yes, I started a clean sheet white paper to take notes on your products, proper procedures. So I am paying attention to the product. My statement of standing on it was outside the actual air box with a single layer side was a little impracticable. Just wanted to see it better. In Omaha, I wish I was in a position to be a point of distribution as we are in the middle of the US, with major interstates and the original home of the railroads. It is 2,200 miles West to CA & 2,100 miles East to Boston, so in the middle with one of the highest rated airports at Epply. Home to SAC and Offutt Air Force Base. So dead center for product distribution while refrigeration is part of the cost, but have ever had an order from Omaha steaks? Either way, it would be nice to manufacture the product in the US and have a centralized distribution point. I understand the companies that use your unique product, as for myself, plan on future product purchase. These video tutorials in my opinion are invaluable for product application and the possibilities that car guys can dream up. I thank you for that! Motorcycle Tech, UTI Instructor, ASE Master Tech and tech instructor/tech seminar leader for ACDelco - Retired.
I truly enjoyed watching this 3-part video. It was extremely informative and succeeded in demonstrating the work involved with making a carbon fiber part. I never imagined the process was so involved. Excellent work on the part of the narrator whom is without any doubt experienced and highly qualified in working with these types of materials.
Looking at the comments, they vary from 1 month to eight years. Says a lot how your videos that keep on giving. 2022 for the win!!! Great tutorials that always inspire me to take on your composite processes. Please keep these uploads fast and strong. : )
This was an *excellent* series of videos. Your presentation is clear and very thorough. Making the three-part mold, vacuum bagging it, and joining the two halves were particularly interesting bits.
SatansSpatula Thanks a lot. As you'd expect from us, we have lots more videos on the way, including the 'complete introduction to prepreg carbon fibre' video that we mention in this tutorial. Thansk for watching.
I watch a lot videos about this topics but yours my friend are absolutely the best one I see, easy to understand ,great explication great product results .
8:45 I use a pair of scissors with a bend 'beak' that has tiny teeth on its cutting surface, to cut the lay-up flush with the square edge. Works a treat! Superb tutorial, Paul. Thanks for the upload! Cheers, Rob
I want to get into carbon fiber so bad. It's so gorgeous. The end of the video is probably the best part, too. Cool to see what the part is actually used for.
good video, and this prepreg is the best I've used untill now! If you take your time in the lay up, you will get pinhole free items coming out of the mould every time! keep up the good work guys, looking forward for your next videos ;)
Thanks for the feedback! It is great to hear when our customers achieve great results from materials we have supplied. It also lets us know we are heading down the right path and gives us ideas and inspiration for other materials and tutorials.
+Easy Composites Ltd This looks great, I've been speaking Rich in one of your departments and had me check out Matts Video as well as a few of yours!! This is awesome work...Gonna realy need to review these as my project is going to be a far shot for a first timer..I'm already an artist so...hopefully my skill will help me with this one.
It's certainly true that when you're starting out you can pick up a second-hand domestic oven very cheaply (or free) and then drill a hole through the side so that you can pass the vacuum hose through. What where you drill of course to ensure you don't damage any wiring/elements etc.
Easy Composites Ltd I get a lot of scrap material from work as big as 50" by 50" I have all the knowledge to build parts except the curing material and release agent that I dont know where to buy them ! Do you guys ship material to USA or have a retail store in USA where I can order it?
your work is amazing! i think you have helped thousands of people about how to make carbon fiber parts! including me! thanks for all and continue uploading videos!! 😊
Thanks David, actually, making prepreg parts in this way is quick and easy once you know what you're doing. When we explain things in so much detail in a tutorial I think it might make it look more complicated than it is. I guess it depends on what you need from the finished part; if it's a complex shape and it's got to be as strong and light as possible then this *is* your easiest option!
i just ordered a whole cf layering kit plus epoxy mold kits... i will post my results to your FB page. thanks for offering sooooo many WONDERFUL videos on how to make all the items!
japanman1994 Thanks for liking what we do and for getting involved by purchasing products from us. We look forward to working with you and seeing how you get on. Certainly post your project on our Facebook and Talk Composites forum :)
I really wish you guys would make a video going over the various fasteners and thread inserts you can use with CF parts, and how to avoid galvanic corrosion.
It is something we may consider in the future alone with clips etc that many can struggle with making. We currently have a number of ideas for future videos we are considering producing.
Thanks David, it's great fun being able to make these and share them. We enjoy it a lot, despite the hours and hours of work they require. I'll be sure to look you up for that round!
Very helpful Could you please make more learning videos in a new playlist, explaining how to select the proper fiber with proper resin, and how to deal with each couple of composite materials? A pdf with sektches would be helpful as well. Anyway thanks very much.
Two questions.... 1. how different is the process for a wet lay up technique and 2. what is the car at the end of the video? Also, this was the absolute best, most informative A to Z instructional video on this subject I've ever seen, thanks for producing it!
Thanks very much! Q1) Well, as you can see from the video the process is quite different from wet-lay. A part as complicated as this would be very difficult to make using a conventional wet-lay process and if you could make it then it would be pretty much impossible to make something that looked commercial quality, for a part like this, if you have access to the vacuum pump and oven then prepreg is the way to go. Q2) It's an MEV Rocket. We built it ourselves and use use for fun projects like this!
I'm a do it myself type of person but after watching a lot of videos on mold making it is just easy to go buy the finished product than make a mold for one time use.
It depends on how you value your spare time and how much of a hands on person you are. For many, the DIY approach allows them to make something that does not exist or make something cheaper and to their own exact spec.
This video series was useful. I am currently designing a new desk for my room and am considering making some of the major components using this technique. The major obstacles for me to overcome are: Financial; I have a limited budget as I am a student and under 18. The machines I have access to; my college may not have sufficient equipment to emulate the process that you demonstrated. And the process of making parts using a material as complicated as the one displayed; I have never worked with Carbon Fiber, in fact I have worked with very few materials outside of basic wood and mild steel. However, I am determined to make this project a reality, I feel it would be my first legitimate make that, if nothing else, teaches me useful skills that I can transfer toward my goal of (hopefully) becoming a designer.
+Iron2Man911 Your school should have a vacuum pump. The only thing you need is an oven large enough to cure the prepreg. A desk is a pretty ambitious sized CF project. FWIW, most designers I know have never built anything themselves and never will.
Hi John, I hope there's not been any confusion, you should have learned that for prepreg you need only unperforated release film and then (usually) breather. The breather is to make sure you have open air paths but the unperforated film stops the laminate from sticking to the breather. It's important that the release film isn't perforated because the prepreg should already have the exact quantity of resin in it, we don't want to bleed any off through the release film.
I wish you didn't make it look so easy haha, I am doing something similar to this for a composites project, and it is quite the challenge! Awesome video!
Lol, Love the ending. I have an Ariel Atom and want to make some carbon fiber parts. I will be ordering your kit, Thank you very much for the Video!!!!!
I will continue to learn from your videos. Just my opinion but you guys make the most professional quality parts by investing that little extra work called Craftsmanship.
In my opinion, creating a very thin fiberglass plug from the original part, and then carbon fiber over that would be drastically simpler. It might weigh a bit more, but look exactly the same, and have the same strength, since the fiberglass would not be visible. It would also cost hundreds less in labor and materials. The only additional work would be sanding where the carbon fiber overlaps. But its possible I don't understand the process enough.
I really love this video and I’ve been following your channel long time from its 1st till now ..i like to do my own part project i have many things in my mind to do but the item your using are really way to much expensive for us as a ordinary malaysian people 😭💔
Well, we try to do a range of videos which tackle different levels of composites. We certainly plan to have more entry level videos coming soon too so stay tuned.
To be honest I would make a two piece or three piece wet lay up. The stumbling block is the industrial oven. 😢 and then somehow bond it together or fasten along a flange.
Incredible video such quality work! I have a question to verify if you don't mind: you make a hollow part out of three molds in one pull, that's great, but I assume this can only be done when the part has TWO openings? In other words I could not mold, for example, a fishbowl because I can only push in the vacuum bag into one opening but have no way to pull the bag out further to thoroughly allow the bag to expand into all the recess of the bowl?
Actually, there would be no problem at all to mould a fishbowl shape in just the same way. There is no requirement to have two opening, you would just need to make sure that your vacuum bag is sufficiently oversized to allow it to follow the shape of the inside of the bowl. If you think about it, a fishbowl would be no different to a tray shape (which is easy to imagine vacuum bagging), you would just need to allow for more oversize in the bag. Where the bag goes through the opening of the fishbowl there would be lots of pleats/folds but this is perfectly normal.
Understood, thank you! I am working on a project that will allow me to mold parts as one piece instead of two as I am doing now, I just need to reshape the plug for the next mold a little better to allow the bag to get sucked into the recesses fully, and using pre-preg will give me a little bit more security in getting this done.
its a unimold system mold with prepeg, and the part looks great, i dont know why you not recommend this anymore. High temperature resin and gel coat's curing times are ridiculous.
wow, I am in Canada and I am thinking of taking my older Trans am, and making it into a Fiber glass re body. I looked up some of the parts and to be honest it was way up in price. so I been thinking of making some of the parts myself.
Thank you for this video, it helps me o lot. Specialy for my other skills to Formula Student project where we still use classic carbon fibre, Thank you so much. :)
The number of layers depends on the application and type of part. For many small cosmetic parts we find one layer of Easy-Preg Surfacing Layer and one layer of Vari-Preg 430g as a backing will provide a nice strong part with a thickness of about 0.75mm. For bigger parts or items that are more strength critical then more layers can be used as necessary.
Hi thank you again. you always do the best. I have a problem with temperature .i my self made the mould as you do it when I put it in the oven curing, As the temperature rose to 40centigrade, my mould began to bend! what's the problem?
Hi Kara, you would need to be using mould materials that can take higher temperatures. That's the reason we use our Vinylester Uni-Mould system for this component. Uni-Mould can take 90C without distortion. If you just use conventional polyester resin then the mould will soften and distort (and also epoxy prepreg will probably stick to the gelcoat). The devil is in the detail!
Awesome series. How do you manage with molds for long and slender components like handlebars where you can't fit your hand inside to actually press in the material/release film/breather layer/etc.? Most of the stuff I'd want to make would be more closed off then this.
Parts like this would require a different process. Generally, you would have a split-mould for the outside and then use an inflatable bladder (similar to a bike inner tube) to create positive pressure on the inside, pushing against the mould. You would then over cure this whilst the bladder was still pressurised.
Easy Composites Ltd is this the same method you would use to make a motorcycle gas tank? Also, would prepreg hold up to fuel with ethenol in it without another coating? Your videos make this seem much easier than I'm sure it is!
I suppose if you're making a one-off, you could just make the plug out of foam as you did in the first vid, then wrap it in carbon fiber, and destroy the plug afterward. Of course the part won't be nice and shiny but a lot faster.
Yes that is a very workable plan. Often using Styrofoam or polystyrene as they can be easily dissolved out afterwards using a strong solvent like acetone. With care, and a couple of layers of resin, you can make the outside look smooth and glossy much like you would with the carbon skinning process.
We don't have a supplier in South Africa, however we can send any non-hazardous materials such as equipment and pre-pregs no problem by courier. Hazardous items such as resins or chemicals, we cannot send at present due to shipping restrictions the couriers have.
Great video! I was wondering if hollowed carbon fibre parts are strong enough to become swingarm of a motorcycle. How many layers of it to comprehend it? anyway the close caption of 0:55, haha I thought it wouldn't be there.
+DersNoNem Thanks. Yes, it's perfectly possible to make even a highly structural component like a motorcycle swingarm as a 'hollow' component (in fact, this is how they are made) however you would need be be 100% confident of your calculations regarding the thickness, shape and ply orientation to ensure a strong and safe component. If you're new to carbon fibre fabrication that I would certainly never suggest starting with complex, structural and safety critical parts like a swingarm but there's no reason you can't work towards these sort of components as your skill and knowledge increases.
Fantastic video & very informative... I expect it is great for N/A but this wouldn't hold much pressure in a turno setup would it? If not, any other ways, suggestions or videos you have suitable?
Hi Simon, so, as you're aware, this is just an airbox for a naturally aspirated setup but the principles would be just the same for a pressurised airbox in a turbo setup, you'd just need to increase the wall thickness of the layup, which would be done by adding additional layers of the backing plies.
These videos are great, thank you so much. Can I ask do you have any videos on parts similar to this but have no wholes in the final product? How would you connect the material together like you have done inside. For example a car spoiler? Please any advice would be much appreciated
@@easycompositestv ok no worries thanks for the reply. I believe I may be able to use one of your other different methods to complete this sort of task?.
You should see if you can make a special vacuum bag size for these sorts of parts. A hollow tube which goes into the part, which then is taped to the open ends of the larger hollow tube which goes around the part. Making a doughnut shape with the hole through the part. Could save a bit of time on the work then. Btw, great video! Could you do one about how to add most strength with the least amount of material? Perhaps by using the left-over from the cuts and forming gussets, then vacuum-bagging around that.
You could indeed make the bag in this way; I'm not sure if it would be any easier or quicker but it could well save some bag which could be preferable, depending on whether time or cost was the priority. In reality, bagging up a part like this would take us around 20 mins from start to finish (including release film, breather, tape, bag and pull-down). For a £250+ part, which this would be, then it's not a big problem. You can certainly make use of offcuts of prepreg to get the most out of your material. I know of some companies who pretty-much make up the whole reinforcement layer using small 'patches' of prepreg. From a technical point of view this isn't the way to get maximum performance from the parts because continuity of fibre is important for maximum strength at minimum weight however for applications where it's not so critical and keeping costs under control is then this is certainly an option.
really great video, was worth the wait! i'm sure this is a noob question to ask but what is bridging?its mentioned numerous times in this video and i haven't come across it before? does it relate to the two different types or carbon not connecting properly? Also is the oven available to buy from the shop yet?
***** no, bridging is the "spanning" of the material, where it does not follow the contour of the mould exactly, allowing air to occupy the space, resulting in gaps, holes and bubbles in the final product.
Hi Eamon, Stan's right, the bridging we're referring to is where reinforcement (i.e. the prepreg carbon) or the bagging materials, don't go tightly into a corner and instead they shortcut the order or 'bridge' it. As Stan says, this then manifests itself as either pin-holing of the surface (because the bag doesn't put enough pressure down into the corner) or in bad cases you can get an actual void where no material or resin are against the mould surface. As for the oven, we're just finalising a few details now (such as safe packaging for it) and then it will be on sale on the website. We will of course provide lots more information about it when we do.
I got a challenge for you, can you try to replicate an m4 gts m performance spoiler, I want to try it myself but I believe it would be very intricate with the side fins and the mounting brackets.
hi! any idea, once the oven/part reached the desired temperature, say 80 C degrees, can you shut down the pump, so that the remaining hours in the oven is without pump working? this, of course, if for sure there is no leak in the bagging. thank you very much! great work with your videos and communication!
In an ideal world, with a perfectly sealed bag, you would not need to run the pump. Unfortunately sometimes with the heat or just time in the bag, sometimes you can get a slight leak which without the pump running would ruin the part. By having the pump running throughout, such issues are not such a big problem. Most good quality pumps are capable of running for the time necessary to complete the cure cycle.
Well Stan, it's always been our plan to open outlets in other countries. There's nothing planned just yet but we have so much interest (and so many customers) from the 'States that I like to think it will happen in the not-too-distant....
heyy guys ,thank you for this whole series. I have one question that, can we use these both prepeg to male mold (made up of styrofoam) ? please make more videos on prepeg. again thank you for series.
The problem with styrofoam is the low softening point. Although Styrofoams melting point is high enough for all kinds of pre-preg, many forms of styrofoam soften and deform around 100C and as such we cannot recommend it for use in the structure of a mould intended for pre-preg applications. Pre-preg can be used on a male mould no problem. Remember that the high gloss face is then going to be on the inside of the finished part.
Easy Composites Ltd thank you for the information. I appreciate your work . And please upload more videos as you can . Because here as beginner, I am totally following your every step & learning from you guys !👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
This video along with all the others are so detailed and understandable. but really and truly the host is excellent. he explains the process to the tee.
I never thought it was possible to find such a fantastic video on this matter. Not even in my dreams.
Thank you very much!
Thanks very much, that's praise indeed. Glad it was what you were looking for.
You guys are the best when it comes to presenting the skills and techniques required for working with carbon fiber. Your work is much appreciated!
Cheers Thomas, we appreciate your feedback.
ıt's a legendary series of composite works even after 10 years later . l really respect your efforts and passşons about capturing , preparing and editing skills. Thank you again....
After watching all these steps to creating a part, I'm happy to pay a grand for my carbon fiber hood.
I truly appreciate the efforts put into this tutorial video. Very well explained, clear descriptions of the steps involved to create a finished product. The “Pre Impregnated” resins leak a little that created the flashing tells me the their is enough to completely saturate the part, leaving a bubble free or void free strong part. After scraping, filing, cutting and finishing the air box after keeping the fabrics grain aligned, I wish your director would have allowed time to show the part. After all of that, we get to see the air box for 1.2 seconds! A full two or three minutes should have dedicated to the finished part. Let us see the shine, grain direction, parting line finish and I would have placed in on the floor and stood on it. These are proof of buying the more expensive product on the market, if you are proud of it!
Retired ASE Master Tech of 40+ years
Thanks for your comments Dean. We'll certainly try to include more detailed footage of the finished component in the future. If you're ever in the area of our factory you are more than welcome to see the part (and other parts we've made) in person to inspect the quality first hand. Please also check out our other video on prepreg carbon fibre where you might see more time dedicated to inspecting the finish. I'm not sure than standing on an airbox would be a particularly relevant test because the whole point of light-weighting is to make something just as strong as it needs to be in order to do its job. Being strong enough to stand on would tell me that the layup of the airbox was too heavy and it needs to be lighter since this is NOT the loading the airbox would experience in service. Nonetheless, more focus on the finished component is certainly something we will keep in mind.
@@easycompositestv I enjoyed this video and have seen others. Wrapping the firearm stock starting with black pigment epoxy called “XCR Base Coat” and proper timing to begin the adhesive process to use carbon fiber cloth is exactly what I was looking for. Yes, I started a clean sheet white paper to take notes on your products, proper procedures. So I am paying attention to the product. My statement of standing on it was outside the actual air box with a single layer side was a little impracticable. Just wanted to see it better. In Omaha, I wish I was in a position to be a point of distribution as we are in the middle of the US, with major interstates and the original home of the railroads. It is 2,200 miles West to CA & 2,100 miles East to Boston, so in the middle with one of the highest rated airports at Epply. Home to SAC and Offutt Air Force Base. So dead center for product distribution while refrigeration is part of the cost, but have ever had an order from Omaha steaks?
Either way, it would be nice to manufacture the product in the US and have a centralized distribution point. I understand the companies that use your unique product, as for myself, plan on future product purchase. These video tutorials in my opinion are invaluable for product application and the possibilities that car guys can dream up. I thank you for that!
Motorcycle Tech, UTI Instructor, ASE Master Tech and tech instructor/tech seminar leader for ACDelco - Retired.
I truly enjoyed watching this 3-part video. It was extremely informative and succeeded in demonstrating the work involved with making a carbon fiber part. I never imagined the process was so involved. Excellent work on the part of the narrator whom is without any doubt experienced and highly qualified in working with these types of materials.
Thank you for the great feedback Henri, comments like this make it all worthwhile! :)
I’ve been in the composite manufacturing industry for 15 years. And I really enjoy your videos. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words, really appreciate it.
Looking at the comments, they vary from 1 month to eight years.
Says a lot how your videos that keep on giving.
2022 for the win!!!
Great tutorials that always inspire me to take on your composite processes.
Please keep these uploads fast and strong.
: )
This was an *excellent* series of videos. Your presentation is clear and very thorough. Making the three-part mold, vacuum bagging it, and joining the two halves were particularly interesting bits.
SatansSpatula Thanks a lot. As you'd expect from us, we have lots more videos on the way, including the 'complete introduction to prepreg carbon fibre' video that we mention in this tutorial. Thansk for watching.
Best ending to a youtube video I have ever seen. Damn this is inspirational. I really want to get involved. WELL DONE
I watch a lot videos about this topics but yours my friend are absolutely the best one I see, easy to understand ,great explication great product results .
8:45 I use a pair of scissors with a bend 'beak' that has tiny teeth on its cutting surface, to cut the lay-up flush with the square edge. Works a treat! Superb tutorial, Paul. Thanks for the upload! Cheers, Rob
The mould is more beautiful than the final product.
I'm impressed! Talk about a ton of work but this series leaves no stone unturned, nice job!
Watched this whole series. My goodness, so much work to create a piece of plastic.
A piece of plastic? Think you watched the wrong series
I want to get into carbon fiber so bad. It's so gorgeous. The end of the video is probably the best part, too. Cool to see what the part is actually used for.
I have no words to explain the value of your videos.
Huge respect for you sir.
Thank you Vinoth, appreciated.
good video, and this prepreg is the best I've used untill now! If you take your time in the lay up, you will get pinhole free items coming out of the mould every time! keep up the good work guys, looking forward for your next videos ;)
Thanks for the feedback! It is great to hear when our customers achieve great results from materials we have supplied. It also lets us know we are heading down the right path and gives us ideas and inspiration for other materials and tutorials.
Great Work !!
+Easy Composites Ltd This looks great, I've been speaking Rich in one of your departments and had me check out Matts Video as well as a few of yours!! This is awesome work...Gonna realy need to review these as my project is going to be a far shot for a first timer..I'm already an artist so...hopefully my skill will help me with this one.
The final part weighs 230g.
+Hakasauars You cannot make pre-preg parts without an oven...
PUU-TAAH Nin Nin darn. thanks
Get one for free on Craigslist
It's certainly true that when you're starting out you can pick up a second-hand domestic oven very cheaply (or free) and then drill a hole through the side so that you can pass the vacuum hose through. What where you drill of course to ensure you don't damage any wiring/elements etc.
Easy Composites Ltd
I get a lot of scrap material from work as big as 50" by 50"
I have all the knowledge to build parts except the curing material and release agent that I dont know where to buy them ! Do you guys ship material to USA or have a retail store in USA where I can order it?
your work is amazing! i think you have helped thousands of people about how to make carbon fiber parts! including me! thanks for all and continue uploading videos!! 😊
Thank you Vasilis, that's very kind of you.
This is so annoying to do, I have real respect for this guy
If you can find this for work it's the best job ever!
I enjoyed this. Seems a huge amount of effort, but appreciate the detail on how to do it.
Thanks David, actually, making prepreg parts in this way is quick and easy once you know what you're doing. When we explain things in so much detail in a tutorial I think it might make it look more complicated than it is. I guess it depends on what you need from the finished part; if it's a complex shape and it's got to be as strong and light as possible then this *is* your easiest option!
When you're doing it it's mostly a lot of waiting
Thomas Gionet And while waiting, other molds or other projects can be worked on :)
I thought the guy was a really good communicator. And the script was good too
Hello .... I agree 100% with you .... excellent and complete communicator in the art of composite materials.
This is an absolute masterclass. Thanks so much.
i just ordered a whole cf layering kit plus epoxy mold kits... i will post my results to your FB page. thanks for offering sooooo many WONDERFUL videos on how to make all the items!
japanman1994 Thanks for liking what we do and for getting involved by purchasing products from us. We look forward to working with you and seeing how you get on. Certainly post your project on our Facebook and Talk Composites forum :)
I really wish you guys would make a video going over the various fasteners and thread inserts you can use with CF parts, and how to avoid galvanic corrosion.
It is something we may consider in the future alone with clips etc that many can struggle with making. We currently have a number of ideas for future videos we are considering producing.
These are great videos; highly informative and a pleasure to watch. A great showcase for your company. Thank you!
Still the best video series (and the best channel) on composites on youtube
Great tutorial! One of the best and most complete with the latest techniques.
Thanks, appreciated.
This guy is an awesome instructor
You guys are nothing short of epic! If for some odd reason you come to the states in the future, I owe you a round...
Thanks David, it's great fun being able to make these and share them. We enjoy it a lot, despite the hours and hours of work they require. I'll be sure to look you up for that round!
Very helpful
Could you please make more learning videos in a new playlist, explaining how to select the proper fiber with proper resin, and how to deal with each couple of composite materials?
A pdf with sektches would be helpful as well. Anyway thanks very much.
YOU ARE A GENIUS IN FORMING CARBON THINGS
Haha, thanks a lot.
Two questions.... 1. how different is the process for a wet lay up technique and 2. what is the car at the end of the video? Also, this was the absolute best, most informative A to Z instructional video on this subject I've ever seen, thanks for producing it!
Thanks very much! Q1) Well, as you can see from the video the process is quite different from wet-lay. A part as complicated as this would be very difficult to make using a conventional wet-lay process and if you could make it then it would be pretty much impossible to make something that looked commercial quality, for a part like this, if you have access to the vacuum pump and oven then prepreg is the way to go. Q2) It's an MEV Rocket. We built it ourselves and use use for fun projects like this!
I'm a do it myself type of person but after watching a lot of videos on mold making it is just easy to go buy the finished product than make a mold for one time use.
It depends on how you value your spare time and how much of a hands on person you are. For many, the DIY approach allows them to make something that does not exist or make something cheaper and to their own exact spec.
Also you learn some valuable lessons :)
This video series was useful. I am currently designing a new desk for my room and am considering making some of the major components using this technique.
The major obstacles for me to overcome are:
Financial; I have a limited budget as I am a student and under 18.
The machines I have access to; my college may not have sufficient equipment to emulate the process that you demonstrated.
And the process of making parts using a material as complicated as the one displayed; I have never worked with Carbon Fiber, in fact I have worked with very few materials outside of basic wood and mild steel.
However, I am determined to make this project a reality, I feel it would be my first legitimate make that, if nothing else, teaches me useful skills that I can transfer toward my goal of (hopefully) becoming a designer.
+Iron2Man911 Your school should have a vacuum pump. The only thing you need is an oven large enough to cure the prepreg. A desk is a pretty ambitious sized CF project.
FWIW, most designers I know have never built anything themselves and never will.
+Iron2Man911 Forgot to mention - for your desk, you can use a "carbon fiber" vinyl wrap.
ou i see. i was your client. WISH YOU LONG YEARS IN BUSINESS YOU HAVE VERY GOOD WAYS TO REACH OUR BRAINS!
love these videos. thanks a million for these. just learned need the perferated breather then the other breather for the prepreg process.
Hi John, I hope there's not been any confusion, you should have learned that for prepreg you need only unperforated release film and then (usually) breather. The breather is to make sure you have open air paths but the unperforated film stops the laminate from sticking to the breather. It's important that the release film isn't perforated because the prepreg should already have the exact quantity of resin in it, we don't want to bleed any off through the release film.
Cool that you always use these made items.
Best instructional videos on TH-cam my a country mile! Well done.
I'm searching for mold making for our RC drone . your video is absolutely amazing, thank for instruction.
After this series i understand the prices of carbon fiber pieces
Wow that was way cool, especially with the car taking off at the end!
Thank you for this super interesting and informative tutorial serie.
You're very welcome. Thanks for your support.
Thats a great video tutorial with a vast of details and technics for a beginner to start with, thanks for making and sharing that.
Great video! Very good presentation!!!
sweet the final product, bad ass! thank you will deff be making some sick parts thanks to you guys and these videos... more!!!
I wish you didn't make it look so easy haha, I am doing something similar to this for a composites project, and it is quite the challenge! Awesome video!
Gosh damn this has been so fasinating to watch! Bravo!
Thank you! That's very kind.
brilliant idea of the alignment
Thank you very much for all these usefull information ..
Lol, Love the ending. I have an Ariel Atom and want to make some carbon fiber parts. I will be ordering your kit, Thank you very much for the Video!!!!!
I will continue to learn from your videos. Just my opinion but you guys make the most professional quality parts by investing that little extra work called Craftsmanship.
Very good channel.... I learn so much from here..
Nice result
Will this method work in producing single skinned car panels?
Yes it will
a perfect video! I have learn many things from you! thank you!
I tig weld my air boxes out of aluminium. Just something to consider as it may save you some time on the next one.
That was a great series
Please do a video on infusion with a split mold
Good idea, we'll add this to the list. We are planning several more videos at the moment and I agree that this would be a good one.
Great. Looking forward to it. Thank you so much
In my opinion, creating a very thin fiberglass plug from the original part, and then carbon fiber over that would be drastically simpler. It might weigh a bit more, but look exactly the same, and have the same strength, since the fiberglass would not be visible. It would also cost hundreds less in labor and materials. The only additional work would be sanding where the carbon fiber overlaps.
But its possible I don't understand the process enough.
I really love this video and I’ve been following your channel long time from its 1st till now ..i like to do my own part project i have many things in my mind to do but the item your using are really way to much expensive for us as a ordinary malaysian people 😭💔
Well, we try to do a range of videos which tackle different levels of composites. We certainly plan to have more entry level videos coming soon too so stay tuned.
Outstanding! I use to have a GRP laminates shop.
Those materials are top notch. The surface coat epoxy graphite? Beautiful workmanship. Great presentation smart and neat.
Thank you for the feedback Carter, appreciated.
Great job, but why not an expansion bladder or balloon of sorts in place of the vacuum bag?
Simply not needed.
@@easycompositestv thank you
Your voice makes this feel like Art Attack for adults.
Draw a giant parrot using only salt.
That was exactly what I thought 😂. But honestly, best instructional video I have ever watched. If only we could get their materials in Australia....
I been to three county fairs and ain’t seen nothing to beat it.
Excellent explanation
To be honest I would make a two piece or three piece wet lay up. The stumbling block is the industrial oven. 😢 and then somehow bond it together or fasten along a flange.
Incredible video such quality work! I have a question to verify if you don't mind: you make a hollow part out of three molds in one pull, that's great, but I assume this can only be done when the part has TWO openings? In other words I could not mold, for example, a fishbowl because I can only push in the vacuum bag into one opening but have no way to pull the bag out further to thoroughly allow the bag to expand into all the recess of the bowl?
Actually, there would be no problem at all to mould a fishbowl shape in just the same way. There is no requirement to have two opening, you would just need to make sure that your vacuum bag is sufficiently oversized to allow it to follow the shape of the inside of the bowl. If you think about it, a fishbowl would be no different to a tray shape (which is easy to imagine vacuum bagging), you would just need to allow for more oversize in the bag. Where the bag goes through the opening of the fishbowl there would be lots of pleats/folds but this is perfectly normal.
Understood, thank you! I am working on a project that will allow me to mold parts as one piece instead of two as I am doing now, I just need to reshape the plug for the next mold a little better to allow the bag to get sucked into the recesses fully, and using pre-preg will give me a little bit more security in getting this done.
its a unimold system mold with prepeg, and the part looks great, i dont know why you not recommend this anymore. High temperature resin and gel coat's curing times are ridiculous.
Vinylester Gelcoats don't work particularly well with our XC110 PrePreg.
wow, I am in Canada and I am thinking of taking my older Trans am, and making it into a Fiber glass re body. I looked up some of the parts and to be honest it was way up in price. so I been thinking of making some of the parts myself.
Very cool stuff! Way to cut down on magazine cost?
would love to see how to make complex intake tubing in carbon fibre.
I love watching these! Very inspirational and motivational! :D
Wouldn't it be easier to use an elastic balloon and pump air inside the mould?
You could also get a higher pressure that way
Thank you for a very detailed video
Thanks for watching, glad you found it useful.
Beautiful street lamp!
Exactly Wojciech, just think of the weight we could save if we replaced all streetlights with these!
Thank you for this video, it helps me o lot. Specialy for my other skills to Formula Student project where we still use classic carbon fibre, Thank you so much. :)
Thank you for this video.
I appreciate that you tell me if all the pieces have to be built with three layers.
Regards
The number of layers depends on the application and type of part. For many small cosmetic parts we find one layer of Easy-Preg Surfacing Layer and one layer of Vari-Preg 430g as a backing will provide a nice strong part with a thickness of about 0.75mm. For bigger parts or items that are more strength critical then more layers can be used as necessary.
Hi
thank you again. you always do the best.
I have a problem with temperature .i my self made the mould as you do it when I put it in the oven curing, As the temperature rose to 40centigrade, my mould began to bend! what's the problem?
Hi Kara, you would need to be using mould materials that can take higher temperatures. That's the reason we use our Vinylester Uni-Mould system for this component. Uni-Mould can take 90C without distortion. If you just use conventional polyester resin then the mould will soften and distort (and also epoxy prepreg will probably stick to the gelcoat). The devil is in the detail!
Awesome series. How do you manage with molds for long and slender components like handlebars where you can't fit your hand inside to actually press in the material/release film/breather layer/etc.? Most of the stuff I'd want to make would be more closed off then this.
Parts like this would require a different process. Generally, you would have a split-mould for the outside and then use an inflatable bladder (similar to a bike inner tube) to create positive pressure on the inside, pushing against the mould. You would then over cure this whilst the bladder was still pressurised.
Easy Composites Ltd is this the same method you would use to make a motorcycle gas tank? Also, would prepreg hold up to fuel with ethenol in it without another coating?
Your videos make this seem much easier than I'm sure it is!
i need to make the exact same thing for my car. Love your videos m8!
I suppose if you're making a one-off, you could just make the plug out of foam as you did in the first vid, then wrap it in carbon fiber, and destroy the plug afterward. Of course the part won't be nice and shiny but a lot faster.
Yes that is a very workable plan. Often using Styrofoam or polystyrene as they can be easily dissolved out afterwards using a strong solvent like acetone. With care, and a couple of layers of resin, you can make the outside look smooth and glossy much like you would with the carbon skinning process.
First off, best workmanship. I'm from South Africa, do you have a supplier were I can buy your product straight from. Thank you.
We don't have a supplier in South Africa, however we can send any non-hazardous materials such as equipment and pre-pregs no problem by courier. Hazardous items such as resins or chemicals, we cannot send at present due to shipping restrictions the couriers have.
Great video! I was wondering if hollowed carbon fibre parts are strong enough to become swingarm of a motorcycle. How many layers of it to comprehend it?
anyway the close caption of 0:55, haha I thought it wouldn't be there.
+DersNoNem Thanks. Yes, it's perfectly possible to make even a highly structural component like a motorcycle swingarm as a 'hollow' component (in fact, this is how they are made) however you would need be be 100% confident of your calculations regarding the thickness, shape and ply orientation to ensure a strong and safe component. If you're new to carbon fibre fabrication that I would certainly never suggest starting with complex, structural and safety critical parts like a swingarm but there's no reason you can't work towards these sort of components as your skill and knowledge increases.
Fantastic video & very informative... I expect it is great for N/A but this wouldn't hold much pressure in a turno setup would it? If not, any other ways, suggestions or videos you have suitable?
Hi Simon, so, as you're aware, this is just an airbox for a naturally aspirated setup but the principles would be just the same for a pressurised airbox in a turbo setup, you'd just need to increase the wall thickness of the layup, which would be done by adding additional layers of the backing plies.
Excellent and neat tutorial!!!
Once again awesome job......
Awesome indeed. A clump guy could never do it well, put me on that list.
These videos are great, thank you so much. Can I ask do you have any videos on parts similar to this but have no wholes in the final product? How would you connect the material together like you have done inside. For example a car spoiler? Please any advice would be much appreciated
We don't have any videos on spoilers or other "closed" parts as yet. It is something we are looking at in the future.
@@easycompositestv ok no worries thanks for the reply. I believe I may be able to use one of your other different methods to complete this sort of task?.
You should see if you can make a special vacuum bag size for these sorts of parts. A hollow tube which goes into the part, which then is taped to the open ends of the larger hollow tube which goes around the part. Making a doughnut shape with the hole through the part. Could save a bit of time on the work then.
Btw, great video! Could you do one about how to add most strength with the least amount of material? Perhaps by using the left-over from the cuts and forming gussets, then vacuum-bagging around that.
You could indeed make the bag in this way; I'm not sure if it would be any easier or quicker but it could well save some bag which could be preferable, depending on whether time or cost was the priority. In reality, bagging up a part like this would take us around 20 mins from start to finish (including release film, breather, tape, bag and pull-down). For a £250+ part, which this would be, then it's not a big problem.
You can certainly make use of offcuts of prepreg to get the most out of your material. I know of some companies who pretty-much make up the whole reinforcement layer using small 'patches' of prepreg. From a technical point of view this isn't the way to get maximum performance from the parts because continuity of fibre is important for maximum strength at minimum weight however for applications where it's not so critical and keeping costs under control is then this is certainly an option.
really great video, was worth the wait! i'm sure this is a noob question to ask but what is bridging?its mentioned numerous times in this video and i haven't come across it before? does it relate to the two different types or carbon not connecting properly?
Also is the oven available to buy from the shop yet?
EDIT: ignore
***** no, bridging is the "spanning" of the material, where it does not follow the contour of the mould exactly, allowing air to occupy the space, resulting in gaps, holes and bubbles in the final product.
Hi Eamon,
Stan's right, the bridging we're referring to is where reinforcement (i.e. the prepreg carbon) or the bagging materials, don't go tightly into a corner and instead they shortcut the order or 'bridge' it. As Stan says, this then manifests itself as either pin-holing of the surface (because the bag doesn't put enough pressure down into the corner) or in bad cases you can get an actual void where no material or resin are against the mould surface.
As for the oven, we're just finalising a few details now (such as safe packaging for it) and then it will be on sale on the website. We will of course provide lots more information about it when we do.
easycompositestv thanks!
Stan Dudinski thanks!
How did you mount the airbox to the itb's
I got a challenge for you, can you try to replicate an m4 gts m performance spoiler, I want to try it myself but I believe it would be very intricate with the side fins and the mounting brackets.
hi! any idea, once the oven/part reached the desired temperature, say 80 C degrees, can you shut down the pump, so that the remaining hours in the oven is without pump working? this, of course, if for sure there is no leak in the bagging. thank you very much! great work with your videos and communication!
In an ideal world, with a perfectly sealed bag, you would not need to run the pump. Unfortunately sometimes with the heat or just time in the bag, sometimes you can get a slight leak which without the pump running would ruin the part. By having the pump running throughout, such issues are not such a big problem. Most good quality pumps are capable of running for the time necessary to complete the cure cycle.
These videos are always great. This guy always looks like he just woke up from a 7 day bender lol 😆...
i do wish you guys had a distributor in the US, it costs a bundle to ship things here
Well Stan, it's always been our plan to open outlets in other countries. There's nothing planned just yet but we have so much interest (and so many customers) from the 'States that I like to think it will happen in the not-too-distant....
heyy guys ,thank you for this whole series.
I have one question that,
can we use these both prepeg to male mold (made up of styrofoam) ?
please make more videos on prepeg.
again thank you for series.
The problem with styrofoam is the low softening point. Although Styrofoams melting point is high enough for all kinds of pre-preg, many forms of styrofoam soften and deform around 100C and as such we cannot recommend it for use in the structure of a mould intended for pre-preg applications.
Pre-preg can be used on a male mould no problem. Remember that the high gloss face is then going to be on the inside of the finished part.
Easy Composites Ltd thank you for the information.
I appreciate your work .
And please upload more videos as you can .
Because here as beginner, I am totally following your every step & learning from you guys !👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
This is the fare best video!