I work for Composite Envisions, and It’s really cool to see what people do with the products they get from us. We don’t see it very often so thanks for sharing!
Couldn't have done it without a lot of help from your company and friends over on DIY Carbon Fiber on Facebook. Community support is essential to making this dream come to life.
Composite Envisions?!! Heck you're right in my back yard! Matter-of-fact, some of your material already has been used in, and more will be finding its way into an airplane being built over at the Wausau Airport in the Learn Build Fly hangar.
I'm near Steven's Point and just became an EAA member, thanks for mentioning the Learn build fly program. I didn't know of it, but I'll be sure to see what it's all about. Hopefully this corona stuff blows over soon.
I can totally appreciate your excitement and enthusiasm when those babies popped out of the mold and looked as good as they did. Men can't give birth, but this has to be close... Congratulations!
Why thank you. I guess the work is finally getting some YT attention. I used to worry about the views...then that has just stopped mattering. I'm trying to learn how to make watchable content and better videos.
@@ThrottleStopGarage Your video quality is just fine, perhaps the audio could be improved a tiny bit. The way you present your content is on point and yet entertaining with some genuine goofiness that keeps you real instead of turning you into the usual "tv host". Your channel is a true gem. Perhaps it's the marketing\promotional side of things that doesn't work? I wouldn't know how to help with that, as you can see with my own channel I suck pretty hard at it!
Excellent video, I was a fibreglasser in the 90s where I got my trade we made race/rallycar seats , which were and still are the best made in Australia.. the only comment is when pulling the part out is to stand it upright and twist left to right a few times to crack the part free, but hey, the end product does satisfy after all the hard work.. Seeing a non bubbled carbon fender, bonnet, race seat is what it's all about 👍👍
Thanks for the tip. What I've gained is a great deal of respect for people that do this craft. It looks so easy - but boy - it's not. There is a lot of skill involved in making it look easy!
@@IvelLeCog exactly 👍. On long molds I stand on the end and flex the other end left to right, but not much as it can damage gelcoat in the mold after a period of time. Also fitting a tyre valve in the mold is another way to help crack the part loose
September in Canada. Raised in South Florida, Fort Lauderdale, and 60 years later living in Tallahassee with its rather mild winter. 70F inside in the winter is NOT the same as 70F outside in the summer. "Jack, why is it 78F inside your house?" The mold making was fascinating and answered a lot of questions I have BEFORE trying it myself. Great videos. Look forward to watching more.
Thanks Jack - I worked it out after your comment...I keep my shop in the winter around 48F. Crazy - but I find this a very comfortable temperature. If you have questions just ask!
Congrats on your progress man. Great video. I have a 1954 Chevy 2 door I'm planning on completely recreating in Carbon. Refreshing to see someone else doing something cool with a classic.
Hey, that is really cool, you just did it in your garage. I am a Innovative textile student and we always did it only in laboratory. Thank you so much to share your knowledge.
You were very smart to seek advice from those who do this daily, thus saving yourself money, time and probably some heartache. When I was doing similar work, I did the same thing. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask when you should.
Great job. Good video. One thing I started doing is an envelope bag. Composite envisions has a bag that is basically a tube and you just slide your whole mold in the bag and seal up the ends. Way less chance for leaks and frustration dealing with all the ears you have to use. Just make sure the back side of the mold is smooth or padded. Been wanting to do some parts for my 67 GMC and watching your videos made me more excited about it.
Excellent - when I bought the materials, I didn't know about envelope bags. They would be real time savers and ensure that you get a leak free seal every time.
Such a timely find - I want to do my own fenders, hood and trunk for my Grand Marquis, maybe even replace the metal door skins with composites. Hmmmmm... What all's in this playlist? Damn, looks like I hit the motherlode!! Thank you, good sir!
Great Job!!. One thing that I've changed in my process is that I've stopped using the blue paper shop towels except for cleanup. Solvents in many products will leach a residue out of the paper towels and leave the residue behind on your surface. You can see what I'm talking about if you put some alcohol on a blue towel and then rub it on a shiny aluminum surface (try removing some black permanent marker from the aluminum). You will see a whitish residue on the aluminum once the alcohol has evaporated from the surface. I've switched to using the boxed cotton "shop rags". They are just cut up white T-shirts and such. Keep up the good work.
I worked on motorcycle carbon exhaust cover, its very challenging. But after seeing this, its not even close. This is big part to be complete. Wow...learned a lot.Thanks. Great project... Subb
I do have to re-view this because I was busy cooking a burger patty with bacon and chugging on a cold corona. Soon after I ETS from the military I Corona. Work in a Corvette body repair shop and acquired a gang of knowledge and skill about fiberglass. I also learned to paint finishes from stock to custom and anything in between. Some of the techniques I learned in repairing fiberglass bodies I use in metal bodies. I learned to make molds so they can be used to produce many parts and I learned to maintain those molds. I learned how to use a chopper gun to lay up parts and molds. I learned to use the fiberglass cord/string that runs through the gun to re-enforce stress areas in a part. In conclusion, I did enjoy this video even though your are total novice. If could visit your shop I could teach you some really cool simple techniques to use to make your work easier and produce excellent parts.
Holy crap, Sir! Watching this video was AWESOME!!! I am very proud of the work that you have shared with us, in this video! Very good work and research. The fact that you shared this with anyone who would like to see it, is cray! The amount of time and effort that you have put into making this video is the MOST that anyone has shared with me on TH-cam! I know what you had to go through, in order to make this happen, and I truly appreciate this! This is so great. All of the details that I needed to know? RIGHT HERE! Thank you, so much! I can't believe that I had to wait for a Canadian to show me this, but whatevs. Right? Man! Those fenders turned-out perfect, from what I could tell. 5 pounds?! What a savings in weight! This is unbelievable! That laughter that you let out, when you released that first fender from the mold... I totally get that. You had so much riding on that, and it came out so perfectly, that you probably couldn't believe it! That's what that laugh was about... A good news surprised feeling, knowing that all is well, and that it was YOU that did it. I did the same thing after I programmed my first part on a CNC machine, and held the final product. I was like "Damn, all of that worry, and it was this easy". Anyway, thank you so much, Sir! I will keep this as my reference video.
Thanks for the kind words. I'm not concerned with those few that commented about my laughing. I left that in for folks like you and me that have DONE this and felt the relief and joy. 5/6 lbs is the final weight. So pleased with it. At last count, 180 segments of video filmed over 2 weeks - a lot of work.
Nice Work! If yo run into tear out or cracking around bolt flanges or sharp corners, add a layer of 4 Harness Satin, 5 ounce Kevlar in the area somewhere in the middle of the lay-up. Doing a whole layer of Kevlar under the foam will help with print through of the foam, and make for an astonishingly tough piece. If you go the Kevlar route, do yourself a favor and buy a pair of Kevlar specific shears, keep them clean and don't use them for ANYTHING else. I've had really good luck doing rowing shell (racing row boat) repairs with it. I must admit that while I use vacuum when practical, I haven't tried infusion with Kevlar. Keep the videos coming!
Congratulations ! I imagine this is not cheap. I went to plastics & auto body school in high school, I should've paid more attention . I'm building a 70 dart swinger with a stroked big block & would love to save big money by losing lots of weight.
Good job dude! Your vid was the first I've ever looked up regarding carbon fiber. Love how you sped things up to save viewing time! Great job making it quick, yet very informing. Too bad more other guys/videos, aren't done like that!! Again......., GREAT JOB!
Very awesome! I can't think of any project I might use this process for, but I enjoyed your humble commentary and your concise instructions. I mean really, really enjoyed it! I will be watching the rest of this series-- and anything else you might film! Than you!
An absolute master of shade tree carbon fiber build is Mike Patey, the creator of the wilga "DRACO" plane. He's just lovin to tell you how and do it right. Hellava nice guy. Looks like your not doing to bad 😀
Great video series. I'm not sure anyone has shown such a detailed series on making a composite part besides the "Easy Composites Ltd" channel. I'm not sure if I missed it in any of the comments, and I haven't seen the rest of the videos yet, but from other videos one thing that might help you get your parts out is to apply a little compressed air once you have a corner or two lifted up.
Thanks Paul - I'm now using the air trick with some success. I think the shape of the part makes a big difference - flatter parts for sure benefit from a little air.
Great job! I was smiling right along with you!!! And the fender in your left hand already has a passenger @ 29:50! A true testament to its usability! LOL!
Amazing work! Your research and methodical approach has paid dividends, as well as your tenacity to see it through; food for thought about what it takes to make a flawless quality part... Something I'm not ready for yet!
Fantastic, love the detail and learning I gained from this video, this is better than some of the instructional videos by professional and I looking forward to more
The info and products this guy got from www.compositeenvisions.com is right on spot. They have 3 videos u can buy that show u how step by step matching grains & fibers as goog as major auto whow quality. Just to get a free glimpse into how-to's with molding products and skills check out www.freemansupply.com for their free libraries.
Not bad, not bad at all! Planning the flanges out is prob the most important step in making the molds, especially if many future pulls will be done(and you will def want to if the mold is easy to use and easy to trim)
@ Lockheed we used 8 axis of frozen layers and plenty of resin with diapers before going into the vacuum heat chamber. pull the vacuum slower and roller the crap out of ut to remove all the bubbles. pull a vacuum lock the ball valve and set a timer for 10 minutes, it should not drop when locked. oB
@@ThrottleStopGarage you said you were from canada eh? Are there laws or restrictions on fiberglassing your entire car? Im in the usa and i gotta check. But im determined to loose body weight
Have you thought about using chopped carbon fiber, if your not looking for asthetic, i think it would be a good base layer to capture all those details that you needed. Then you can use your 2x2 twill or whatever for strength. I'd probably use unidirectional offset on 45. If you ever watch how fiberglass hot tubs are made in mold, they use compressed air to just pop their massive and complex parts right out.
I've honestly never thought of this. I know the air popping was mentioned several times by people with much more experience than me. I was always scared to try.
I must say, great video!! I'm planning on making a hood. If that all goes well I'll make the fenders, bumpers, and quarter panels down the road. Absolutely priceless. Thank you for your time. Subscribed!
Nice job, normaly on those last parts of the infusion (Corners )I use one hair dryer to eat litle bit the resin and it flows nicely, I use Epoxi, when heated it flows very good. nice
Really like your videos, great result on the parts. Congratulations. A couple comments on glassing. I've heard you talk about catalyst ratios a couple of times, while you can catalyze resin using weight or volume you need to be sure to reference the correct table. Most tables give ratios by volume, so be careful that you're getting what you believe your are. Duratec is correctly catalyzed by volume, as is any resin system. Also on the vail (first layer) you really should use csm to prevent print through. If your having problems getting it around corners consider a lighter weight mat. You can also thicken up some resin with cabosil (fumed silica) and putty the inside radius to soften it. One more item, you should never need to dart csm to have it conform. As soon as styrene is applied to the mat, it will loosen right up and conform to the most intricate shapes. CSM is already a relatively weak product and by cutting darts you take 100% of the strength out of that layer in those areas. Just start wetting it out and it will lay right down.
Thanks Steve. Good points on all counts. My reference to Duratec's ratios was from their video - they list weight and volume. What I read said 2 percent by weight. I wasn't able to source different weights of CSM locally. I just took delivery of some veil for my next mold. I didn't think about the strength issue when I cut it. I have a couple of different weights of cloth to do my next molds and proper tooling gel coat. Learning!
Great work,good video something you might want to try is lantor soric C.E.. sells it you might replace some of the carbon, and replace the flow medium and have more area cored.
Trying looking for "carbon fiber fabrics" and Hexcell is a good source too. You could also use fiberglass for the mistakes. Carbon fiber uses a different resin than typical fiberglass. There is also an industry magazine called Composite Materials that has great articles and sources.
Looks great. I will take September in Canada all day to September in TEXAS. It's still almost 100 degrees out here... Working outside in the summer as a mechanic really sucked.
September is a weird month for us...winter comes fast and Canadians tend to get a little anxious in the Fall as you never know what's coming next for weather.
@@ThrottleStopGarage I played hockey in Canada over some summers for tournaments and stuff but never there for winter except Montreal.... weird using tunnels but man it was cold. Miss the hockey but not the weather.
To make things a little stronger you can take a pool noodle cut it in half and place the foam along ridge lines for more durability/strength and would highly recommend using them on carbon doors as a good crash strength. (One half on bottom, middle and along top) of course will be on the inside of the parts. We make them for stock car racing and they hold up to some serious crashes.
Thanks - much appreciated. I learned to like fibreglass...every material has it's challenges and my main learning experience was to treat fibreglass with a lot more respect. It was easier to do when I wasn't being sloppy and assuming things would turn out!
We use that same dura tech primer on all our car restoration. It's the same as body filler polyester. Do not wet sad it. Resurface with urethane after pulling it from the mold
Nice work you must be chuffed with the fenders. While learning you would well to paint the part after making and not before, reason is the grey is masking any problems below so any bridging is hidden, not a problem but you would learn more if you had a straight carbon finish. Also always good to post cure parts that are going on a vehicle, you can post cure by simply putting the mould against a home radiator (water system) and covering with a thick duvet, can easily get mid 50 degc and gives a much better part. Good luck with the build.
I'm happy with the result. I've been very careful with the layup and issues will show up as I block the fenders and other parts at a later date. In the meantime, it's an easy way to get primer on the parts and has worked great.
I love composite videos, but without production of this part was it worth it? I guess i dont know the cost of replica fenders, but this has to be upward of $2k in costs, 60 labor hours, and I can imagine hes got a few hundred hours of composite research and past experience. In the art world these are all the factors including your desire to keep the piece, at a modest hourly wage these fenders are valued at over $7k. I can imagine with this knowledge hes been asked to replicate this process for many people with the assumption they'd get this quality of a part with a few hundred dollars in supplies when in reality his time is the real cost to the outcome. That is an incredible accomplishment and really enjoyed the video.
I've thought about this a lot - thanks for the comment. A couple of things - yes - people have contacted me and I'm not willing to do these for other people and I'm especially not interested in working on other cars. So you're right - my intent is to share my journey and the things I've learned and am learning. I can't get these fenders in the aftermarket as I've changed their shape - so custom for only this car. That said - it's completely worth the effort, but only because I love this car.
There are secrets we keep to ourself just like how Lamborghini patents techniques. We dont want others copying us. We paid tens of thousands of dollars to learn techniques and methods that work best. If someone wants to pay a consulting fee.... that helps me recuperate tons of money I spent learning what works.
Awesome video, great job at explaining everything you did in detail, it's super helpful. If you're ever looking for another perspective on building carbon fiber parts, there's a guy name Mike Patey who builds his own airplanes. He's got a youtube channel and the guy is amazing at figuring out how to build things. He recently made a carbon fiber outer shell on a cub that would make anyone jealous. I think you and Mike would have a lot common. keep up the great videos.
If it helps your explanation the terms for the threads in the cloth are WARP and WEFT. The WARP threads are the ones that run the length of the roll of cloth whilst the WEFT threads run across from "WIGHT" to "WEFT" (That was how I was told to remember it almost half a century ago.)
I think what some people should understand is if you are not using carbon fiber for its strength or looks fiberglass is very durable and strong if laid up properly.
The number of K represents the number of fibers in each macro strand of the weave. A standard 1x1 weave is stronger, but looks more plain compared to a 2x2 weave. Twill isn't exactly a structural fabric because it's usually extremely lightweight and is meant to reduce imprinting. It is, however, quite pretty if you're going for that extremely fine carbon fiber finish. Spread-tow fabrics are structurally stronger than standard fabrics because the macro strands have been spread flat, reducing damage to the outer layers of the macro strands during weaving and reducing the spring effect in the final panel. They are, however, more expensive and harder to work with due to their comparatively tighter weave. Unidirectional carbon fiber is exactly as the name implies and has all the strands going in a single direction, thus providing immense tensile and compressive strength in that single direction. Unidirectional fabrics can be useful for engineering panels where you know exactly how the forces will be applied and seek to use minimal layers to combat these forces. Biaxial fabrics are filler layers for increasing strength and are two layers of unidirectional fabric crossed over at 45 degrees and then stitched together to keep them in place. These are typically made with spread-tow strands and are quite robust. Carbon fiber tape has had the edges bound so they don't unravel and can be useful for reinforcing thin edges and ensuring that you can more easily apply additional strength where needed at fastener locations. You can also buy carbon fiber tow on a spool if you want to do your own manual reinforcing of areas or lay it into tight creases where you can't get more structural fabrics to lay properly. You can also use chopped tow for filler where you need to bulk out a panel and the strength doesn't need to be as significant as if you had used woven or continuous strands. Just like with fiberglass, you can also get non-woven mat carbon fiber for when you want to add structure but also want to bulk out your panel, which for performance applications, isn't often. This stuff is mostly used for making extremely rigid, high-durability molds. One of the secrets to adding more strength to your panels is to use a heat gun to form some foam strips into your mold to form a skeletonized support webbing or matrix, pull them out, and then stick them back in between your layers of carbon fiber. If you were planning to make a 4-ply panel, put them between the second and third ply. If you want to make it easier to lay the fabric over them, chamfer the edges of the foam at a 45 to reduce how much the fabric tries to buckle and lift away from the ribbing. Look to the stamped steel hood structures on cars for an example of the forms you're looking to emulate in foam. It's also helpful to apply your epoxy to the mold before laying in your first sheet if you aren't using vacuum infusion. Getting your mold completely coated in a thin layer of epoxy will help get rid of any surface bubbles in your final panel. When you're laying multiple layers at different times, don't let them fully cure between applications because then you are relying on a mechanical bond instead of a chemical bond. Also, if you must do so, wash your panel off with some water to remove any of the byproduct chemicals from the epoxy on the surface which can impede bonding.
@@ThrottleStopGarage It looks like you already got the vast majority of that from talking with the guys at the composites company, so your choices and methodology were pretty fantastic. I especially liked how you made the panel reinforcements for the trunk lid and bonded them in. It'll help a lot to prevent twisting in the trunk lid, which is helpful since it's a panel that often experiences forces on a single corner from being opened and closed. Using foam to create structural members in molded parts is a wholly underutilized aspect of composites. Like, it is technically possible to completely recreate a unibody car out of carbon fiber if you're persistent enough, though it would likely involve a massive number of molds bolted together to get the main monocoque finished, since it needs to be laid in a single continuous session to improve bond strength between the layers of composites. Or you could do like most exotic cars with carbon fiber monocoques and cheat by using panel bond for composites and just make the pillars and roof as separate panels with large bonding faces and then just glue them together. It's not as strong as if they were a single piece, but it doesn't seem to bother the companies that use that method and it's loads easier. While I doubt that such a task is something you wish to take on, your composites projects are handled much better than pretty much any of the other youtube car builders I've seen thus far, so it seems that your discussion with that company rep and all of your research really paid off. You used foam inserts to offset layers of carbon fiber, you used biaxial strengthening layers, and you opted for the lighter and stronger resin impregnation method instead of just slapping the panels into a mold with resin and hoping for the best. It's really all good practices in one series, at least until your mold release failed to warn you not to polish it thoroughly and gave you a lot of grief, but you got the panel out and it's only minor surface imperfections which will disappear under high-build primer anyway. I think the only places for potential improvement is to use the foam inserts more creatively to create a skeletonized support structure and, optionally, to use unidirectional spread-tow filament to selectively strengthen panels in areas where you expect a lot of force to be applied. Just doing what you're already doing will make for some plenty strong panels as it is, hence why that is entirely optional.
@@mndlessdrwer Thanks so much for the insightful comments. The time I spent agonizing about this aspect of the project was pretty crazy. My objective was to try to capture that learning and present it to people like myself that have the desire but not the experience. I can see what you're saying now about the foam core design and I've wanted to experiment with different weaves. I've got a few more projects that I'd like to do in the future (years from now...when this car is done) and I'll try some different things on those projects.
Thank You, for the information. During this Covid lockdown I have found a passion for the experimental aircraft world. I have been in the certified aircraft world for 46 years. CFI, A&P and IA. Watching guys build parts is amazing, BUT!!!, how do you do it??? I have the same questions that you had, I will definitely be giving Jake a call. Great Job!!!
I work for Composite Envisions, and It’s really cool to see what people do with the products they get from us. We don’t see it very often so thanks for sharing!
Couldn't have done it without a lot of help from your company and friends over on DIY Carbon Fiber on Facebook. Community support is essential to making this dream come to life.
Love that website
Composite Envisions?!! Heck you're right in my back yard! Matter-of-fact, some of your material already has been used in, and more will be finding its way into an airplane being built over at the Wausau Airport in the Learn Build Fly hangar.
I'm near Steven's Point and just became an EAA member, thanks for mentioning the Learn build fly program. I didn't know of it, but I'll be sure to see what it's all about. Hopefully this corona stuff blows over soon.
You guys rock!
I can totally appreciate your excitement and enthusiasm when those babies popped out of the mold and looked as good as they did. Men can't give birth, but this has to be close... Congratulations!
I was almost in tears when the first one came out. Not even kidding.
Too funny.
I was going to subscribe to this channel, but I hate throttle stops. It's like rain on a parade.
This channel is criminally underserved on youtube. Please keep up the good work, you're amazing!
Why thank you. I guess the work is finally getting some YT attention. I used to worry about the views...then that has just stopped mattering. I'm trying to learn how to make watchable content and better videos.
@@ThrottleStopGarage Your video quality is just fine, perhaps the audio could be improved a tiny bit. The way you present your content is on point and yet entertaining with some genuine goofiness that keeps you real instead of turning you into the usual "tv host". Your channel is a true gem.
Perhaps it's the marketing\promotional side of things that doesn't work? I wouldn't know how to help with that, as you can see with my own channel I suck pretty hard at it!
Rock it if ya got it! It's a part of being committed and your research impelled by your desire and discipline. That's why some do better. Commitment.
Excellent video, I was a fibreglasser in the 90s where I got my trade we made race/rallycar seats , which were and still are the best made in Australia.. the only comment is when pulling the part out is to stand it upright and twist left to right a few times to crack the part free, but hey, the end product does satisfy after all the hard work.. Seeing a non bubbled carbon fender, bonnet, race seat is what it's all about 👍👍
Thanks for the tip. What I've gained is a great deal of respect for people that do this craft. It looks so easy - but boy - it's not. There is a lot of skill involved in making it look easy!
Hi there just for clarification, do you mean like how you would free up ice cubes in an ice tray? Just twist the thing a little?
@@IvelLeCog exactly 👍. On long molds I stand on the end and flex the other end left to right, but not much as it can damage gelcoat in the mold after a period of time.
Also fitting a tyre valve in the mold is another way to help crack the part loose
I’m an American but is it weird to notice how happy this guy is. At his age everyone is pissed off. Good for you and the video was awesome.
I work with those people...I try to do my best to be a positive person.
September in Canada. Raised in South Florida, Fort Lauderdale, and 60 years later living in Tallahassee with its rather mild winter. 70F inside in the winter is NOT the same as 70F outside in the summer. "Jack, why is it 78F inside your house?"
The mold making was fascinating and answered a lot of questions I have BEFORE trying it myself.
Great videos. Look forward to watching more.
Thanks Jack - I worked it out after your comment...I keep my shop in the winter around 48F. Crazy - but I find this a very comfortable temperature. If you have questions just ask!
ThankYou for taking the trouble to share the fun. You’re doing a great job.
Thanks! It's a great help to me to have people watching.
Congrats on your progress man. Great video.
I have a 1954 Chevy 2 door I'm planning on completely recreating in Carbon. Refreshing to see someone else doing something cool with a classic.
Hey, that is really cool, you just did it in your garage. I am a Innovative textile student and we always did it only in laboratory. Thank you so much to share your knowledge.
You're welcome Yash. Keep innovating.
You were very smart to seek advice from those who do this daily, thus saving yourself money, time and probably some heartache. When I was doing similar work, I did the same thing. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask when you should.
Great job informative and entertaining I usually skip through this type of content to find the best parts but watched your video from start to finish
Your excitement is catching. Instant sub from a messy garage owner
Great job. Good video. One thing I started doing is an envelope bag. Composite envisions has a bag that is basically a tube and you just slide your whole mold in the bag and seal up the ends. Way less chance for leaks and frustration dealing with all the ears you have to use. Just make sure the back side of the mold is smooth or padded. Been wanting to do some parts for my 67 GMC and watching your videos made me more excited about it.
Excellent - when I bought the materials, I didn't know about envelope bags. They would be real time savers and ensure that you get a leak free seal every time.
Easy composites has a really good tutorial to make the mold and part it's been up for 7 years lol
If you followed the channel you'd know he knows nothing about carbon. Easy composites is tailored to pros
I once wanted a carbon fibre factory, I believed its the new black gold of modern age.
Such a timely find - I want to do my own fenders, hood and trunk for my Grand Marquis, maybe even replace the metal door skins with composites. Hmmmmm...
What all's in this playlist? Damn, looks like I hit the motherlode!! Thank you, good sir!
You're welcome. I hope the videos are useful.
Your videos have made me realize I can make my dream build a reality. Thank you for what you do
do you know how lucky you are. the odds of you getting VRI correctly from the first try is near impossible. great work man
Honestly - I had no clue. Now that I'm starting to learn more, I'm equally shocked any of this worked.
Great Job!!. One thing that I've changed in my process is that I've stopped using the blue paper shop towels except for cleanup. Solvents in many products will leach a residue out of the paper towels and leave the residue behind on your surface. You can see what I'm talking about if you put some alcohol on a blue towel and then rub it on a shiny aluminum surface (try removing some black permanent marker from the aluminum). You will see a whitish residue on the aluminum once the alcohol has evaporated from the surface. I've switched to using the boxed cotton "shop rags". They are just cut up white T-shirts and such. Keep up the good work.
Interesting - I'll look into that for sure.
Love that this is for an Amazon. Came across this doing research for my 740 wagon
Thanks - it is my favourite Volvo.
I worked on motorcycle carbon exhaust cover, its very challenging. But after seeing this, its not even close. This is big part to be complete. Wow...learned a lot.Thanks. Great project... Subb
Thanks so much. It's great to hear from others that have done this work.
I do have to re-view this because I was busy cooking a burger patty with bacon and chugging on a cold corona.
Soon after I ETS from the military I Corona. Work in a Corvette body repair shop and acquired a gang of knowledge and skill about fiberglass.
I also learned to paint finishes from stock to custom and anything in between.
Some of the techniques I learned in repairing fiberglass bodies I use in metal bodies.
I learned to make molds so they can be used to produce many parts and I learned to maintain those molds.
I learned how to use a chopper gun to lay up parts and molds.
I learned to use the fiberglass cord/string that runs through the gun to re-enforce stress areas in a part.
In conclusion, I did enjoy this video even though your are total novice. If could visit your shop I could teach you some really cool simple techniques to use to make your work easier and produce excellent parts.
Thanks - I do the best I can to learn as I go. That's the point of the work.
i have done a few moulds, and i know the effort that goes into making a part, your results are excellent, top job
Thanks Peter. Nice to hear from those that have done!
Holy crap, Sir! Watching this video was AWESOME!!! I am very proud of the work that you have shared with us, in this video! Very good work and research. The fact that you shared this with anyone who would like to see it, is cray! The amount of time and effort that you have put into making this video is the MOST that anyone has shared with me on TH-cam! I know what you had to go through, in order to make this happen, and I truly appreciate this! This is so great. All of the details that I needed to know? RIGHT HERE! Thank you, so much! I can't believe that I had to wait for a Canadian to show me this, but whatevs. Right? Man! Those fenders turned-out perfect, from what I could tell. 5 pounds?! What a savings in weight! This is unbelievable! That laughter that you let out, when you released that first fender from the mold... I totally get that. You had so much riding on that, and it came out so perfectly, that you probably couldn't believe it! That's what that laugh was about... A good news surprised feeling, knowing that all is well, and that it was YOU that did it. I did the same thing after I programmed my first part on a CNC machine, and held the final product. I was like "Damn, all of that worry, and it was this easy". Anyway, thank you so much, Sir! I will keep this as my reference video.
Thanks for the kind words. I'm not concerned with those few that commented about my laughing. I left that in for folks like you and me that have DONE this and felt the relief and joy. 5/6 lbs is the final weight. So pleased with it. At last count, 180 segments of video filmed over 2 weeks - a lot of work.
I love how happy you were pulling the first fender out, that was awesome
I remember it well! So much work to get to that point.
Impressed. TOTALLY understand your excitement. I probably wouldn't sleep for a few days.
Nice Work! If yo run into tear out or cracking around bolt flanges or sharp corners, add a layer of 4 Harness Satin, 5 ounce Kevlar in the area somewhere in the middle of the lay-up. Doing a whole layer of Kevlar under the foam will help with print through of the foam, and make for an astonishingly tough piece. If you go the Kevlar route, do yourself a favor and buy a pair of Kevlar specific shears, keep them clean and don't use them for ANYTHING else. I've had really good luck doing rowing shell (racing row boat) repairs with it. I must admit that while I use vacuum when practical, I haven't tried infusion with Kevlar. Keep the videos coming!
For sure you've got yourself a subscriber! One of the greatest contents that I've found on carbon fiber!
Cheers from São Paulo!
Congratulations ! I imagine this is not cheap. I went to plastics & auto body school in high school, I should've paid more attention . I'm building a 70 dart swinger with a stroked big block & would love to save big money by losing lots of weight.
You can definitely see a major improvement on the second fender. Man I'm proud of your accomplishments.
I was learning so much...my head hurts just thinking back!
Ive never seen the need to comment, but i had to say great video!!! Your opening statements were right out of own mouth.
Thanks Mike.
For additional info I highly recommend looking into the composite texts within the aerospace engineering textbooks.
That was one hell of a informative video👍👍👍👍
And please make a video on " How to paint them and final finishing"
Will do when ready.
Street bandito are building a carbon 240z and he has some very good info. I really enjoy your content and I hope you keep making videos for ever
Good job dude! Your vid was the first I've ever looked up regarding carbon fiber. Love how you sped things up to save viewing time! Great job making it quick, yet very informing. Too bad more other guys/videos, aren't done like that!! Again......., GREAT JOB!
Glad it was helpful!
Very awesome! I can't think of any project I might use this process for, but I enjoyed your humble commentary and your concise instructions. I mean really, really enjoyed it!
I will be watching the rest of this series-- and anything else you might film! Than you!
Thanks - much appreciated.
An absolute master of shade tree carbon fiber build is Mike Patey, the creator of the wilga "DRACO" plane.
He's just lovin to tell you how and do it right.
Hellava nice guy.
Looks like your not doing to bad 😀
Great video series. I'm not sure anyone has shown such a detailed series on making a composite part besides the "Easy Composites Ltd" channel. I'm not sure if I missed it in any of the comments, and I haven't seen the rest of the videos yet, but from other videos one thing that might help you get your parts out is to apply a little compressed air once you have a corner or two lifted up.
Thanks Paul - I'm now using the air trick with some success. I think the shape of the part makes a big difference - flatter parts for sure benefit from a little air.
nice job, I am building my custom e36, and your video are giving me much, keep on doing the nice job. tumb up from the dominican republic
Thanks and I'm glad the videos were useful.
Great job! I was smiling right along with you!!!
And the fender in your left hand already has a passenger @ 29:50! A true testament to its usability! LOL!
Jorden Epps I was looking for this comment lol glad I’m not the only one to notice 😂
Amazing work! Your research and methodical approach has paid dividends, as well as your tenacity to see it through; food for thought about what it takes to make a flawless quality part... Something I'm not ready for yet!
Best how-to video on TH-cam?? You have my vote!
Thanks! I'm thinking of doing a few shorter how-to's in the future.
Beautiful fenders
Glad you like them!
Fantastic, love the detail and learning I gained from this video, this is better than some of the instructional videos by professional and I looking forward to more
More to come. Thanks.
The info and products this guy got from www.compositeenvisions.com is right on spot. They have 3 videos u can buy that show u how step by step matching grains & fibers as goog as major auto whow quality. Just to get a free glimpse into how-to's with molding products and skills check out www.freemansupply.com for their free libraries.
Professional work is more than wonderful
Thanks.
Do something cool every day! Lots of information in this video. Worth the wait.
Thanks Paul - it's been a long time coming.
Not bad, not bad at all! Planning the flanges out is prob the most important step in making the molds, especially if many future pulls will be done(and you will def want to if the mold is easy to use and easy to trim)
@ Lockheed we used 8 axis of frozen layers and plenty of resin with diapers before going into the vacuum heat chamber. pull the vacuum slower and roller the crap out of ut to remove all the bubbles. pull a vacuum lock the ball valve and set a timer for 10 minutes, it should not drop when locked. oB
I don't usually comment on videos but this was a great learning vid. Very entertaining, i was on the edge of my seat wanting it to be perfect for ya!
Thanks Adam. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Great work...love it. Thank you for the information and demonstration.
Glad it was helpful!
Well, that easily earned my subscription. Great video
Thanks Brad.
Very good. Thank you for the video. I do wet layups. Not quite brave enough to try infusion.
Congratulations man! You look pretty professional but im still proud of you!!
Looks can be deceiving...I'm just a novice working in my garage. No fakery here.
@@ThrottleStopGarage you said you were from canada eh? Are there laws or restrictions on fiberglassing your entire car? Im in the usa and i gotta check. But im determined to loose body weight
@@youngmango4508 None that I'm aware of...our car laws are pretty relaxed where I live.
Soo much learning, cant wait to do the same with my Minitruck build
Have you thought about using chopped carbon fiber, if your not looking for asthetic, i think it would be a good base layer to capture all those details that you needed. Then you can use your 2x2 twill or whatever for strength. I'd probably use unidirectional offset on 45. If you ever watch how fiberglass hot tubs are made in mold, they use compressed air to just pop their massive and complex parts right out.
I've honestly never thought of this. I know the air popping was mentioned several times by people with much more experience than me. I was always scared to try.
You are writing the book right now.
I must say, great video!! I'm planning on making a hood. If that all goes well I'll make the fenders, bumpers, and quarter panels down the road. Absolutely priceless. Thank you for your time. Subscribed!
Thanks Joseph. Good luck with your project!
Nice job, normaly on those last parts of the infusion (Corners )I use one hair dryer to eat litle bit the resin and it flows nicely, I use Epoxi, when heated it flows very good. nice
Really like your videos, great result on the parts. Congratulations.
A couple comments on glassing. I've heard you talk about catalyst ratios a couple of times, while you can catalyze resin using weight or volume you need to be sure to reference the correct table. Most tables give ratios by volume, so be careful that you're getting what you believe your are. Duratec is correctly catalyzed by volume, as is any resin system. Also on the vail (first layer) you really should use csm to prevent print through. If your having problems getting it around corners consider a lighter weight mat. You can also thicken up some resin with cabosil (fumed silica) and putty the inside radius to soften it.
One more item, you should never need to dart csm to have it conform. As soon as styrene is applied to the mat, it will loosen right up and conform to the most intricate shapes. CSM is already a relatively weak product and by cutting darts you take 100%
of the strength out of that layer in those areas. Just start wetting it out and it will lay right down.
Thanks Steve. Good points on all counts. My reference to Duratec's ratios was from their video - they list weight and volume. What I read said 2 percent by weight.
I wasn't able to source different weights of CSM locally. I just took delivery of some veil for my next mold. I didn't think about the strength issue when I cut it. I have a couple of different weights of cloth to do my next molds and proper tooling gel coat.
Learning!
I thought he was infusing with epoxy? No styrene
I can't wait to do my whole PT Cruiser.
Wow. That was a lot of work. Subscribed.
Just want to say thanks of the great information. That's a fantastic video and amazing result. Well done great channel
Thanks Kevin. Just trying to help out the other DIYers out there.
Great work,good video something you might want to try is lantor soric C.E.. sells it you might replace some of the carbon, and replace the flow medium and have more area cored.
Trying looking for "carbon fiber fabrics" and Hexcell is a good source too. You could also use fiberglass for the mistakes. Carbon fiber uses a different resin than typical fiberglass. There is also an industry magazine called Composite Materials that has great articles and sources.
Thanks for the tips!
Looks great. I will take September in Canada all day to September in TEXAS. It's still almost 100 degrees out here... Working outside in the summer as a mechanic really sucked.
September is a weird month for us...winter comes fast and Canadians tend to get a little anxious in the Fall as you never know what's coming next for weather.
@@ThrottleStopGarage I played hockey in Canada over some summers for tournaments and stuff but never there for winter except Montreal.... weird using tunnels but man it was cold. Miss the hockey but not the weather.
Cool!
Nicest looking Volvo of all times.
Cheers from Sweden.
Subscribed!
To make things a little stronger you can take a pool noodle cut it in half and place the foam along ridge lines for more durability/strength and would highly recommend using them on carbon doors as a good crash strength. (One half on bottom, middle and along top) of course will be on the inside of the parts. We make them for stock car racing and they hold up to some serious crashes.
What a GREAT JOB, and video. Those fenders look Fantastic! I will watch a few Xs to maybe try. Cause I dont like Fiberglass! Cheers from N.Y.
Thanks - much appreciated. I learned to like fibreglass...every material has it's challenges and my main learning experience was to treat fibreglass with a lot more respect. It was easier to do when I wasn't being sloppy and assuming things would turn out!
Love the videos! A great inspiration for when I start making some needed CF parts for my 66 Datsun Roadster!
That is awesome! Have fun!
23:30 wow! Nice job!
We use that same dura tech primer on all our car restoration. It's the same as body filler polyester. Do not wet sad it. Resurface with urethane after pulling it from the mold
Great video!!! Great explanations!!! Keep up the great work!!
Also use a heat gun to take out the Inka fusion, heat helps so much
Beautiful job. They look superb.
Nice work you must be chuffed with the fenders.
While learning you would well to paint the part after making and not before, reason is the grey is masking any problems below so any bridging is hidden,
not a problem but you would learn more if you had a straight carbon finish.
Also always good to post cure parts that are going on a vehicle, you can post cure by simply putting the mould against a home radiator (water system) and covering with a thick duvet, can easily get mid 50 degc and gives a much better part.
Good luck with the build.
I'm happy with the result. I've been very careful with the layup and issues will show up as I block the fenders and other parts at a later date. In the meantime, it's an easy way to get primer on the parts and has worked great.
WOW! Impressive work and absolutely enjoyable and educational. Thanks!
Thanks for watching.
I love composite videos, but without production of this part was it worth it? I guess i dont know the cost of replica fenders, but this has to be upward of $2k in costs, 60 labor hours, and I can imagine hes got a few hundred hours of composite research and past experience. In the art world these are all the factors including your desire to keep the piece, at a modest hourly wage these fenders are valued at over $7k. I can imagine with this knowledge hes been asked to replicate this process for many people with the assumption they'd get this quality of a part with a few hundred dollars in supplies when in reality his time is the real cost to the outcome. That is an incredible accomplishment and really enjoyed the video.
I've thought about this a lot - thanks for the comment. A couple of things - yes - people have contacted me and I'm not willing to do these for other people and I'm especially not interested in working on other cars. So you're right - my intent is to share my journey and the things I've learned and am learning. I can't get these fenders in the aftermarket as I've changed their shape - so custom for only this car. That said - it's completely worth the effort, but only because I love this car.
There are secrets we keep to ourself just like how Lamborghini patents techniques. We dont want others copying us. We paid tens of thousands of dollars to learn techniques and methods that work best. If someone wants to pay a consulting fee.... that helps me recuperate tons of money I spent learning what works.
You should try using stretch bagging material. It is far more forgiving on jobs like this.
Awesome video, great job at explaining everything you did in detail, it's super helpful. If you're ever looking for another perspective on building carbon fiber parts, there's a guy name Mike Patey who builds his own airplanes. He's got a youtube channel and the guy is amazing at figuring out how to build things. He recently made a carbon fiber outer shell on a cub that would make anyone jealous. I think you and Mike would have a lot common. keep up the great videos.
Just subscribed! You're my new hero! Thanks for the all details!!!
Awesome! Thank you!
I know it has been over a year since you posted this video, but Mike Patey does some awesome carbon fiber work. He builds airplanes...
Well, a couple of months...it only feels like a year.
@@ThrottleStopGarage Oh I guess looked at the date wrong I saw the 8 and my mind said 2018........ My bad!!!
Simply amazing! Appreciated all of the information shared.
Glad it was helpful!
If it helps your explanation the terms for the threads in the cloth are WARP and WEFT. The WARP threads are the ones that run the length of the roll of cloth whilst the WEFT threads run across from "WIGHT" to "WEFT" (That was how I was told to remember it almost half a century ago.)
That's a great tip...I'd be able to remember it now! I never could keep it straight (sorry...bad joke)!
This is awesome!! I am going to try making my own carbon fiber. Thank you so much!
Have fun!
Great job! Only thing I would have done differently is put on the metal legs before removing the part. Don’t know how easily it warps. But looks good!
Very cool lesson.
Amazing work and great video. well done!
Awesome video I am definitely going to try and tackle fenders on my car now. Thanks for the content.
Great! Good luck Kyle.
Just what I've been looking for. Very awesome video and nice work!
Great! Glad it was helpful.
Brazil precisa de mais pessoas como vc ....parabens pela arte
Thanks!
I think what some people should understand is if you are not using carbon fiber for its strength or looks fiberglass is very durable and strong if laid up properly.
Sure thing...no question.
really cool to see the whole process good for you
amazing work. really something to be proud of
The number of K represents the number of fibers in each macro strand of the weave. A standard 1x1 weave is stronger, but looks more plain compared to a 2x2 weave. Twill isn't exactly a structural fabric because it's usually extremely lightweight and is meant to reduce imprinting. It is, however, quite pretty if you're going for that extremely fine carbon fiber finish. Spread-tow fabrics are structurally stronger than standard fabrics because the macro strands have been spread flat, reducing damage to the outer layers of the macro strands during weaving and reducing the spring effect in the final panel. They are, however, more expensive and harder to work with due to their comparatively tighter weave. Unidirectional carbon fiber is exactly as the name implies and has all the strands going in a single direction, thus providing immense tensile and compressive strength in that single direction. Unidirectional fabrics can be useful for engineering panels where you know exactly how the forces will be applied and seek to use minimal layers to combat these forces. Biaxial fabrics are filler layers for increasing strength and are two layers of unidirectional fabric crossed over at 45 degrees and then stitched together to keep them in place. These are typically made with spread-tow strands and are quite robust. Carbon fiber tape has had the edges bound so they don't unravel and can be useful for reinforcing thin edges and ensuring that you can more easily apply additional strength where needed at fastener locations. You can also buy carbon fiber tow on a spool if you want to do your own manual reinforcing of areas or lay it into tight creases where you can't get more structural fabrics to lay properly. You can also use chopped tow for filler where you need to bulk out a panel and the strength doesn't need to be as significant as if you had used woven or continuous strands. Just like with fiberglass, you can also get non-woven mat carbon fiber for when you want to add structure but also want to bulk out your panel, which for performance applications, isn't often. This stuff is mostly used for making extremely rigid, high-durability molds. One of the secrets to adding more strength to your panels is to use a heat gun to form some foam strips into your mold to form a skeletonized support webbing or matrix, pull them out, and then stick them back in between your layers of carbon fiber. If you were planning to make a 4-ply panel, put them between the second and third ply. If you want to make it easier to lay the fabric over them, chamfer the edges of the foam at a 45 to reduce how much the fabric tries to buckle and lift away from the ribbing. Look to the stamped steel hood structures on cars for an example of the forms you're looking to emulate in foam. It's also helpful to apply your epoxy to the mold before laying in your first sheet if you aren't using vacuum infusion. Getting your mold completely coated in a thin layer of epoxy will help get rid of any surface bubbles in your final panel. When you're laying multiple layers at different times, don't let them fully cure between applications because then you are relying on a mechanical bond instead of a chemical bond. Also, if you must do so, wash your panel off with some water to remove any of the byproduct chemicals from the epoxy on the surface which can impede bonding.
Thanks - that's some fantastic information.
@@ThrottleStopGarage It looks like you already got the vast majority of that from talking with the guys at the composites company, so your choices and methodology were pretty fantastic. I especially liked how you made the panel reinforcements for the trunk lid and bonded them in. It'll help a lot to prevent twisting in the trunk lid, which is helpful since it's a panel that often experiences forces on a single corner from being opened and closed. Using foam to create structural members in molded parts is a wholly underutilized aspect of composites. Like, it is technically possible to completely recreate a unibody car out of carbon fiber if you're persistent enough, though it would likely involve a massive number of molds bolted together to get the main monocoque finished, since it needs to be laid in a single continuous session to improve bond strength between the layers of composites. Or you could do like most exotic cars with carbon fiber monocoques and cheat by using panel bond for composites and just make the pillars and roof as separate panels with large bonding faces and then just glue them together. It's not as strong as if they were a single piece, but it doesn't seem to bother the companies that use that method and it's loads easier.
While I doubt that such a task is something you wish to take on, your composites projects are handled much better than pretty much any of the other youtube car builders I've seen thus far, so it seems that your discussion with that company rep and all of your research really paid off. You used foam inserts to offset layers of carbon fiber, you used biaxial strengthening layers, and you opted for the lighter and stronger resin impregnation method instead of just slapping the panels into a mold with resin and hoping for the best. It's really all good practices in one series, at least until your mold release failed to warn you not to polish it thoroughly and gave you a lot of grief, but you got the panel out and it's only minor surface imperfections which will disappear under high-build primer anyway. I think the only places for potential improvement is to use the foam inserts more creatively to create a skeletonized support structure and, optionally, to use unidirectional spread-tow filament to selectively strengthen panels in areas where you expect a lot of force to be applied. Just doing what you're already doing will make for some plenty strong panels as it is, hence why that is entirely optional.
@@mndlessdrwer Thanks so much for the insightful comments. The time I spent agonizing about this aspect of the project was pretty crazy. My objective was to try to capture that learning and present it to people like myself that have the desire but not the experience. I can see what you're saying now about the foam core design and I've wanted to experiment with different weaves. I've got a few more projects that I'd like to do in the future (years from now...when this car is done) and I'll try some different things on those projects.
Nice job!
Easy Composites has a detailed series on making a carbon fiber hood.
Not as detailed as mine.
Mike petey aircraft builder is a wonderful source and is amazing at carbon fiber work
Thank You, for the information. During this Covid lockdown I have found a passion for the experimental aircraft world. I have been in the certified aircraft world for 46 years. CFI, A&P and IA. Watching guys build parts is amazing, BUT!!!, how do you do it??? I have the same questions that you had, I will definitely be giving Jake a call. Great Job!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Mad props man you did an amazing job and explained and gave very good examples and reasons thanks.
Thanks Joe.