You guys delivered on this video! Great production quality, and the parts turned out great too. Keep up the excellent work. We've enjoyed following you guys.
This video autostarted for me, and half way in I was thinking "I haven't watched DarkAero for a while, they might have something new" I'll watch them next, and here you were, in the comments.
Absolutely awesome job once again. I live in a more rural part of Florida in the US and have ordered from you guys on several occasions now and each time have received the products within 48 hours. Absolutely unreal!!! Keep it up!
Brilliant. Watching these videos over the past few months has really sparked my imagination. Can't wait to get one of those starter kits and build something!
easy composite is the number 1 composite company in the world, you always are amazing and with your help and tutorials i learned to work with composite materials and after 3 years I opened my own composite shop and all of this happened bc of you guys, you make m dream come true
Your videos are so good and professional. I could watch them all day. I have been following this build with interest. Seems like the complicated video you made. Thank you.
Thanks Carl. It’s the most content we’ve put into a ‘series’ so far and the physical scale of the component made for more work too! It’s always more interesting for us when it’s a real project, not just a demo, because real projects always throw up challenges that you would just avoid for a simple demonstration. Hopefully Alex and the team will get to have their adventure later this year which will complete the story!
I've been doing CF Vacuum Bagging Resin Infusion on and off for many years, (even at a professional aerospace company for a while) but this is the most concise instruction on this that I have seen
This is at most impressive, commercial tutorial that's a way to go. Easy, as you stand for your word. Amazing, clear series of videos, including that bike build and this, another treat. Thanks so much.
Wonderful video! Super informative. About 12 years ago I started learning composites manufacturing. This would have been such an amazing resource to have.
I'm pleased and amazed for what you have done. I'm into 3d printing and this is so usefull. I'd be delighted if you could make a video where it can be added some threaded inserts. I think that they must be placed and fixed before, laying up or infusing it. Thanks for share tour knowledge. Because of your videos I'm so interested in composites and its fabrication.
I just noticed that the Alex in this video is the same Alex whose lifeboat conversion videos I've been watching lately! The sleds turned out really nice looking. I hope to see more of them from his end. :)
Thanks Peter. First thing the Dark Ice Team need to beat, along with the rest of us, is COVID at the moment. The project is 'on ice' (pun intended) until various borders re-open. Hopefully later this year they'll be able to set off.
Your videos inspired me to start making composite components and this one is very good 👍. One development I have made that helps is to use suspended resin pots with the lines coming from the bottom. I use big squash bottles with the bottom cut out. Air comes out the lines naturally and I never worry about the lines falling out. I have them at part height. I use silicone bungs to hold the lines in place. Also I have no wasted resin. 👍. Worth an experiment, you might be surprised.
You guys make some pretty awesome projects. I work building parts for the rv industry and really wished we had demand for some of the higher end composites. It would be nice to have the challenge.
Awesome explanation of the infusion process! Your videos are a great resource. I still disagree with you about clamping off the vacuum right after infusion - but its hard to argue with the outcome! There’s always room for more right answers. Your pre-feeding resin to the clamps trick is a great idea. Thank you!
Hi, thank you for your vids on here, they are really good! I’m a boat builder and have intermittent sessions of infusing components and the like. I’m always picking up little gems from both your videos and the comments below! Like the guy above, I can’t get my head round turning off the vac once the resin’s through. In a perfect world it obviously works as you’ve proved but I simply don’t trust my ability to get it perfect 😂 I have a more Heath Robinson type catch pot made from 6” waste pipe so I’m not too bothered about replacing it if I get a bit of resin through! Again, thank you for the great videos 👍🙂
Thanks, we definitely will, it’s already being set up with the various authorities. We should be all ready to go by the end of Feb. In the meantime you absolutely still can purchase from us, there is just a small extra cost. Remember, there’s no import duty on carbon anyway so the only extra cost compared to pre-Brexit is currently around 13 euros or 2.5% 👍.
@@easycompositestv i just want to have it "easy". btw this is stiffest and lightest ak buttstock iv ever had. made with ec materials and tutorials i.imgur.com/aQCUDtb.jpg :)
I have wondered about using something like a rug machine to push bundles of fiber through a thicker core to create a triangulated brace inside the core. No clue if it would work yet, but it seems like it might have some value, especially if the core itself fails due to chemical or environmental conditions. Then you would be left with a triangulated lattice holding the skins in place...
Sometimes people drill small holes in thin cores so that the resin physically links from one side to the other. It wouldn't be a major stretch, although fiddly, to run fibres through gaps in a core from one skin to the other, if delamination or core failure is a worry. Although, of course if a core snaps, then either the skins have too, and it's a dead part, or they haven't and it's a minor issue only. If the core perishes or rots for any reason, again the part is likely dead, and needs to be replaced or repaired, and laboriously linking the skins would have been a waste of time.
With the Lantor Soric and 3D core, you already are left with a honeycomb lattice of epoxy resin. In theory those gaps filled also with fibres may well achieve what you desire, however I suspect the practicality of cross weaving it at manufacture or during the laminating process may be too difficult to make it worth it for all but very extreme cases.
Thanks for your videos! I took a lot of information about laminating and vacuum infusion from them! I even started my youtube channel about composites!) And it's really great to see this process again after trying it. Now I can see so much more interesting details. And special thanks for information about cutting kevlar, I had some issues with edges, now I will try to fix them.
Thank you for your videos. Could you please make a video on how to build the box around the mold to do vacuum infusion. I can’t seem to find any videos online about this topic
I learned some crucial info in this, especially the existence of that sticky spray and two of those cloths. But I think that its a lot of work to go to to save a quart of epoxy over just rolling on. Finally, admit it- those are just bath tubs. You can only fool some of us!
The upload schedule could be a bit more frequent. But the wait IS ALWAYS worth it. Great video as always, top quality and definitely the no 1 out there. Thank you👌
All you videos are fn awesome, but this one is both a perfect segue and so detailed in what to do too not screw projects up. It’s real good to be able to follow and have someone who you can trust... mistakes are pricey in this field ha! 🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀🍀🍀🤓
That's awesome explained will you make another indepth video with vacuum infusion but on a kayak covering deck and hull joint and seam doing that will be super
Hello, still very greatfull for your very informative video's, been enjoying them very much. I have a question.. I would like to duplicate som rather small vintage polyester RC Airplane landing gear. They were very nicely made and very becoming to the plane due to there shape and finish. However they were too weak by design. I would like to duplcate them in Carbon fibre but due to the LG being very thin blades (like miniature limbs of a bow and arrow) I am having trouble to come up with a plausible way of making the mould. So... I thought, maybe I can make a 2 part siliconerubber mould and combine it with infusion.. Would that work or would the mould collapse under the vacuum ?
Thanks, yes, agreed. It's actually quite limiting how much you can learn from just seeing the last stage of an infusion without understanding any of the 'why'. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks for the video. As always very informative. Thanks for pointing out all the details and thought-processes that come with experience. I've watched a lot of tutorials and I'm always pleased to discover more that I hadn't seen / considered! Just wishing you had few USA outlets.
I love your videos. They are some of the best for composites. Would it be possible to use this process to make a long tube? I'm rather space constrained here. Your input is appreciated. Thanks again.
Tubes can be infused as long as the diameter is big enough to be practical to lay up. You will likely need spray tack to hold everything in place vertically. Also you will need careful planning of the infusion consumables so that the resin actually flows on all sides of the tube.
If you make it 6ft long it can double as an emergency shelter. If that adds extra material then make up for it by making it skinnier. If you line it with millimeter-thin insulation, you now have a windproof, coldproof shelter 😊
Hi Robert, it was more than considered; we did a whole video about it. Please check out the video which comes before this in the series! The runners themselves are fixed on after but.... spoiler alert.... graphite didn't help in this situation.
Hey Paul. This tutorial is amazing. Thanks for sharing this with us! I have a quick question. What if there is a place where the resin didn't reach? Not because of leakage but for example because of a wrong setting of the resin hoses or so. Is there a way to fix that and save the part? Thanks man!
Hi Paulo, yes, you can often recover a situation like that or at least make it a bit better. It’s a bit of a messy process but you can ‘graft’ a new resin inlet and vacuum line, in situ. It’s difficult to explain but maybe I could do a short demo at some point.
@@easycompositestv first time doing tubes and going to try a few techniques. Wanted to order from you guys but due to the brexit i'm gonna wait till there is a definit agreement on transfers across europe.
Excellent video guys, and very well explained and delivered as usual. My latest order has just arrived, and I'm sure you'll be taking much more of my money in the future 😂 Keep up the good work
Some questions 1, is it possible to use the old acetone trick on this gelcoat? 2, Kevlar on the outside of the Core makes sense, but what's the reasoning to have it on the inner layers? Balancing the laminate? Carbon would save some weight.
2. Whilst kevlar's compressive strength is one of its few comparative weaknesses, it would still be more impact resistant than carbon, and wouldn't have a weight penalty as both materials have almost the same density.
What kind of temporary adhesive can I use in laminating fiber glass over wood? In certain awkward shapes I find very difficult to maintain the fiber in position while I'm applying resin.
I'm old school fiberglass/ polyester resin. Would love to incorporate this into what I'm doing with 16 to 18 ft fishing boats , beats the hell out of rolling out multiple layers of glass by hand.
Hi Scott, absolutely. An infusion process like this can be used with polyester resin and glass reinforcement although you’d need to be using infusion friendly glass reinforcement such as woven glass or multiaxial, not chopped strand.
I love these videos, hands and heads above anything else out there. In the USA here and sad being a customer isn’t easier. You would be my goto. I mentioned before that I’m wanting to make a Fiat 500 carbon fiber hood identical to yours made a while back. Covid has hit my family he’s and sadly my plans have come to a stop. I’m trying to source an affordable vacuum pump here and some good quality carbon chips to skin a carbon diffuser that was cracked by a hit and run idiot in a parking lot last spring. Skinning it with forged fibers and vacuum bagging it would surely make it look amazing. It’s cracked along tope edge and is all consmetic. I used a baking soda a cyanoacralte mixture when it happened to keep the crack from spreading. Eventually, I’ll remove, fill and skin and possibly tint the coating. The part is so much lighter and it was almost $1000.00 new, I’d hate to trash it. In the mean time please keep up the great work and since the forged look is in, can you do a video showing a cosmetic skinning or epoxy tuning to influence a color difference? Thank you and please keep the vids coming, the education is priceless
Thanks Sean, great to hear from you and learn what your working on. For sure this pandemic has put a lot of plans on hold, including some of ours. We’ll certainly do some tutorials working with chopped carbon but, as you might expect, ours may be a little bit of a different take compared to what’s out there already. All the best with your projects.
Amazing video, I just had one question that what are the specifications of that vaccum pump and if I had to buy the similar one, where can I get it. Thanks for everything, the video has helped me a lot to start my journey from upgrading from Hand Moulding to Resin Infusion.
We're using our EC4 Vacuum Pump; full details and specification can be found by following the link: www.easycomposites.co.uk/ec4-composites-vacuum-pump
Great video! I am trying to make my own moulds via vacuum infusion, using vinilester gelcoat, poliester resin, and glass fiber... But I am having issues from lack of adherence from resin to gelcoat... Could you give me any advice? Thank you!
Not all vinylester gelcoats are compatible with polyester resins unless they have been specifically designed to be. You may be better off using a vinylester resin on the back of the gelcoat layer and then follow that up with polyester. We have a uni-mould tooling system specifically developed for such applications.
You are awesome man, explaining things so well, hope to make my own composite products some day. Also just a question and I'm not sure if you or anyone else may be able to answer this for me: I was looking to have a set of carbon bicycle rims made and the company offered different weaves of carbon to be used as a finishing skin. When I asked if carbon-kevlar may be used they said: "The finish that you would like is not going to work as a surface layer because aramid fibers are "hairy". They are not long fibers like carbon fiber, but short and "fuzzy" so they cannot form a smooth surface layer when impregnated with resin. we absolutely cannot deliver a quality product with aramid/Kevlar as the surface layer. Laws of physics prevent this." I'm just looking for more in depth info on this, thanks !
If the resin layer is very thin and/or they do a lot of sanding to finish the surface then yes the Kevlar can end up with a "hairy" finish on the surface that would need a thick layer of lacquer or resin to hide. On a very light weight product, that would add weight to it.
@@caluzzucarrazzi5549 It is certainly possible yes but needs a little more TLC during the lay up and trimming processes than you would need for carbon fibre.
Its largely dependent on the actual mould; the bigger the mould, the more unwieldy a large bag can be and whilst you of course never want to be too small, you can have as many issues if its too big so in this case, we prefer more frequent but smaller pleats but of course, there is no perfect answer, it really comes down to both personal preference and project.
Hi Beau, yes, we do use that technique sometimes. In the case of this project, the bag is so big that we need a relatively efficient pleat scheme so as not to need to join the bag. I'm not sure but I suspect big corner tail pleats would need more than the 3m width of bagging film that we have on the VB160 and adding a join in the bag would take more time than that saved by a less bag-efficient (but more time efficient) corner pleat.
Generally-speaking, do the molds being used for resin infusion (or simply vac-bagging) need to be rigid, or can a silicon mold with a rigid mother mold be used? For instance, if I have a relatively thick silicone rubber mold in a fiberglass mother I use for hand layup, could that be used? I'm wondering if pulling vacuum could noticeably deform the part, especially if the rubber wasn't fully degassed and more than likely has air entrapment. Truth be told, I'd rather spend time on my stack-up and prep than tapping glass, especially if my final product is of better quality and less heavy.
Hi Thomas, we have not seen silicone moulds for vacuum bagging processes like infusion. The flex is likely to cause issues with inconsistent surface finish and part distortion.
Loving your videos. I want to start making composite things now lol. I do have a question. Would it make sense to use a combination of materials to improve strength? For example, make it with Kevlar, but use carbon sandwiched in certain areas to increase rigidity? I am naive on the subject which is why I ask. One problem I see with this is that the outer Kevlar layers could deflect, without damage, further than the carbon can be deflected without failure. In this scenario, you could have hidden carbon damage and not realise it. Probably bad.
Its all relative to the specific project; Kevlar is usually used where abrasion or puncture resistance is the main requirements so the likes of rally car undertrays and guards. Often a hybrid material will be used in these kinds of situation whereby the strength and stiffness of carbon is the requirement but the above resistance from stonechips or other damage drives the use of the kevlar - if the item is damaged in that instance, it would be repaired or replaced but the combination of materials is there as a fail-safe.
@@easycompositestv Reminds me of my Mini Se7en days in the 90's when the rich guys were running carbon/Kevlar hybrid front ends (Curley mouldings). I could only afford a Kevlar/FG one :(
You guys delivered on this video! Great production quality, and the parts turned out great too. Keep up the excellent work. We've enjoyed following you guys.
Thanks for following guys; glad you’re enjoying it.
@@easycompositestv
"How to laminate large composite"
please respond to my comments...
please ...ㅠㅠ
This video autostarted for me, and half way in I was thinking "I haven't watched DarkAero for a while, they might have something new" I'll watch them next, and here you were, in the comments.
I don't know why TH-cam suggested these videos to me, but they're fascinating and brilliantly done.
Hands down the best composites videos online, clear, concise and no wasted time with the edit or narration. Awesome mate.
Wow, thanks, that's pretty good feedback. I'm glad we're getting it right.
Unbelievable how you are putting out so much of industry knowledge out in the public domain for free... Kudos!!
Hi Amit, comments like this are the reason we keep producing more content! We'll have new videos out soon
Excellent attention to detail.
You look heaps happier and less stressed in this video, compared to a couple years back uploads.
I hope life is giving you heaps of hugs.
🤜🏼🤛🏼🍀🇦🇺🤓
Absolutely awesome job once again. I live in a more rural part of Florida in the US and have ordered from you guys on several occasions now and each time have received the products within 48 hours. Absolutely unreal!!! Keep it up!
That’s great feedback, thanks for being a customer all the way from Florida; it’s great to hear that we’re getting deliveries to you so quick 👍
Thats a beautiful bathtub.
Brilliant. Watching these videos over the past few months has really sparked my imagination. Can't wait to get one of those starter kits and build something!
Nice one Brendon. Can’t wait to see and hear how you get on 👍
Always pleasure to watch someone enjoin of their work result.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU, FOR THIS VERY DETAILED, AND AMAZING DEMONSTRATION OF THIS "HIGH-TECH" PROCESS!!!! MUCH APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!!
easy composite is the number 1 composite company in the world, you always are amazing and with your help and tutorials i learned to work with composite materials and after 3 years I opened my own composite shop and all of this happened bc of you guys, you make m dream come true
Thank you so much Amir, that’s amazing to hear. We appreciate your business and comments.
Your videos are so good and professional. I could watch them all day. I have been following this build with interest. Seems like the complicated video you made. Thank you.
Thanks Carl. It’s the most content we’ve put into a ‘series’ so far and the physical scale of the component made for more work too! It’s always more interesting for us when it’s a real project, not just a demo, because real projects always throw up challenges that you would just avoid for a simple demonstration. Hopefully Alex and the team will get to have their adventure later this year which will complete the story!
"I'm really pleased how it's turned out"
Even without polishing this looks amazing
I've been doing CF Vacuum Bagging Resin Infusion on and off for many years, (even at a professional aerospace company for a while) but this is the most concise instruction on this that I have seen
I can't stop watching these videos
Another brilliant video and brilliant customer service on the phone today. Looking forward to the next video
Thank you Liam, it’s great to hear we’re getting it right.
Fantastic work. This is a perfect example of a skilled craftsman.
the absolute best tutoial I have ever seen !
This is at most impressive, commercial tutorial that's a way to go. Easy, as you stand for your word. Amazing, clear series of videos, including that bike build and this, another treat. Thanks so much.
Hi Jan, thanks for your comments. That's praise indeed. We'll try to keep it up :)
I know I've said it before, but thanks for these fantastic videos. It really adds a value that few suppliers offer.
Thanks, that’s what we try to do 😃
Fantastic work easy composites! A great final product from a professional company.
Cheers Tim 👍
An outstanding effort, beautifully filmed and highly educational. Thanks for the lesson!
Thanks for the feedback John - its this kind of comment that makes us want to make more videos :)
That was awesome!!
I have seen it done in bits and pieces in the background. This is the first time having it explained in detail. Thanks
Wonderful video! Super informative. About 12 years ago I started learning composites manufacturing. This would have been such an amazing resource to have.
I learn so much more from these videos than from my university teachers.
Thanks for sharing these!
that's Right!
Unbelievable quality, thanks for taking us along on this remarkable journey. I have learned so much. Thanks again!
Appreciate the comment, I'm glad you managed to learn something new :D
Good job guys! Great video with an amazing result!
Thank you Matthieu!
well done sir. all your productions. professional, practical, and wealth of knowledge.
I'm pleased and amazed for what you have done.
I'm into 3d printing and this is so usefull.
I'd be delighted if you could make a video where it can be added some threaded inserts.
I think that they must be placed and fixed before, laying up or infusing it.
Thanks for share tour knowledge.
Because of your videos I'm so interested in composites and its fabrication.
Perfect timing, I just finished watching the other videos :)
mind blown. still learning but hope to integrate whatever parts of the process that would improve my surfboard construction/design
What a fascinating process. Thank you for showing me.
Very impressive craftsmanship and materials science! Great video production and editing along with professional presenting skills.
I just noticed that the Alex in this video is the same Alex whose lifeboat conversion videos I've been watching lately!
The sleds turned out really nice looking. I hope to see more of them from his end. :)
Hi Hugo, yes, I’m sure Alex is keen to get out and use them. Just waiting for the COVID situation to resolve before some borders are reopened!
another great presentation - good luck to the Dark Ice Team
Thanks Peter. First thing the Dark Ice Team need to beat, along with the rest of us, is COVID at the moment. The project is 'on ice' (pun intended) until various borders re-open. Hopefully later this year they'll be able to set off.
That is so satisfying to watch! Such a comprehensive, in-depth series - thanks.
Thanks Mceajc, it’s been a ‘deep dive’ for sure.
I like that the channel is posting more frequent again
Thanks William, we aim to keep more content coming as best we can.
amazing!!!!! I really enjoy this video series, great work!
Your videos inspired me to start making composite components and this one is very good 👍. One development I have made that helps is to use suspended resin pots with the lines coming from the bottom. I use big squash bottles with the bottom cut out. Air comes out the lines naturally and I never worry about the lines falling out. I have them at part height. I use silicone bungs to hold the lines in place. Also I have no wasted resin. 👍. Worth an experiment, you might be surprised.
Hi Chris, thanks very much for your comment. That does sound like an interesting idea, we'll do some experimentation some time and see how we get on.
You guys make some pretty awesome projects. I work building parts for the rv industry and really wished we had demand for some of the higher end composites. It would be nice to have the challenge.
Hi J; thanks for your comments. Yes, it's nice to have some challenges to get stuck into. I hope they come along for you :)
Awesome explanation of the infusion process! Your videos are a great resource.
I still disagree with you about clamping off the vacuum right after infusion - but its hard to argue with the outcome! There’s always room for more right answers.
Your pre-feeding resin to the clamps trick is a great idea. Thank you!
Personal choice which method you choose or find works best for you. Leaving the pump running is fine when you have a decent resin break.
Hi, thank you for your vids on here, they are really good! I’m a boat builder and have intermittent sessions of infusing components and the like. I’m always picking up little gems from both your videos and the comments below!
Like the guy above, I can’t get my head round turning off the vac once the resin’s through. In a perfect world it obviously works as you’ve proved but I simply don’t trust my ability to get it perfect 😂 I have a more Heath Robinson type catch pot made from 6” waste pipe so I’m not too bothered about replacing it if I get a bit of resin through!
Again, thank you for the great videos 👍🙂
Always extremely informative ! This young man knows his craft well !
Honestly thank you for all your videos and all your work. It has taught us so much! You are a brilliant person!
Wow, that's very generous, thanks :)
Awesome video!!! Easy to follow and love that you show the part afterwards!!
Thanks Jacob :)
Thanks for the very informative video! My masters thesis has to do with resin infusion and this gave me a really good overview of the process.
Hi Clara, I'm glad that this was useful in your research!
i hope u find new eu frictionless delivery method soon. need to order more black stuff :)
Thanks, we definitely will, it’s already being set up with the various authorities. We should be all ready to go by the end of Feb. In the meantime you absolutely still can purchase from us, there is just a small extra cost. Remember, there’s no import duty on carbon anyway so the only extra cost compared to pre-Brexit is currently around 13 euros or 2.5% 👍.
@@easycompositestv i just want to have it "easy". btw this is stiffest and lightest ak buttstock iv ever had. made with ec materials and tutorials i.imgur.com/aQCUDtb.jpg :)
@@BrzydkiBurak Understood. Well, from end of Feb it should be perfectly simple :) - Thanks for the project pic it looks good.
@BrzydkiBurak Nice to see you here :D
I have wondered about using something like a rug machine to push bundles of fiber through a thicker core to create a triangulated brace inside the core. No clue if it would work yet, but it seems like it might have some value, especially if the core itself fails due to chemical or environmental conditions. Then you would be left with a triangulated lattice holding the skins in place...
Sometimes people drill small holes in thin cores so that the resin physically links from one side to the other. It wouldn't be a major stretch, although fiddly, to run fibres through gaps in a core from one skin to the other, if delamination or core failure is a worry. Although, of course if a core snaps, then either the skins have too, and it's a dead part, or they haven't and it's a minor issue only. If the core perishes or rots for any reason, again the part is likely dead, and needs to be replaced or repaired, and laboriously linking the skins would have been a waste of time.
With the Lantor Soric and 3D core, you already are left with a honeycomb lattice of epoxy resin. In theory those gaps filled also with fibres may well achieve what you desire, however I suspect the practicality of cross weaving it at manufacture or during the laminating process may be too difficult to make it worth it for all but very extreme cases.
you are so good, so pro... with these videos, how you make them, the content inside of them - quite rare these days. big congratulations! ;-)
Thanks very much. We put a lot of work into them, it’s great to hear they’re appreciated.
Thanks for your videos! I took a lot of information about laminating and vacuum infusion from them! I even started my youtube channel about composites!)
And it's really great to see this process again after trying it. Now I can see so much more interesting details. And special thanks for information about cutting kevlar, I had some issues with edges, now I will try to fix them.
Thanks for the comment and feedback. It’s great to hear they’ve helped you and that you even have your own channel. I’ll check it out!
Thank you for your videos. Could you please make a video on how to build the box around the mold to do vacuum infusion. I can’t seem to find any videos online about this topic
I'm not sure what you mean by 'build a box around the mold', do you have any examples?
I learned some crucial info in this, especially the existence of that sticky spray and two of those cloths. But I think that its a lot of work to go to to save a quart of epoxy over just rolling on. Finally, admit it- those are just bath tubs. You can only fool some of us!
Saving resin is not the point of this
The upload schedule could be a bit more frequent. But the wait IS ALWAYS worth it. Great video as always, top quality and definitely the no 1 out there. Thank you👌
Cheers Rybo, COVID and Brexit haven’t helped this time!
Great info and delivery. Can’t wait to do my first molds.
Hi James, fantastic, look forward to hearing how you get on.
This guy is a master of his craft
when you love what you do!!
Thanks for this ! Finally understand the Process !
Wishing the Best for the Rub-aDub-Dub, Three Men with their Kevlar Tubs !!
All you videos are fn awesome, but this one is both a perfect segue and so detailed in what to do too not screw projects up.
It’s real good to be able to follow and have someone who you can trust... mistakes are pricey in this field ha!
🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼😎🍀🍀🍀🤓
That's awesome explained will you make another indepth video with vacuum infusion but on a kayak covering deck and hull joint and seam doing that will be super
Hello, still very greatfull for your very informative video's, been enjoying them very much. I have a question.. I would like to duplicate som rather small vintage polyester RC Airplane landing gear. They were very nicely made and very becoming to the plane due to there shape and finish. However they were too weak by design. I would like to duplcate them in Carbon fibre but due to the LG being very thin blades (like miniature limbs of a bow and arrow) I am having trouble to come up with a plausible way of making the mould. So... I thought, maybe I can make a 2 part siliconerubber mould and combine it with infusion.. Would that work or would the mould collapse under the vacuum ?
Very small items are hard to infuse. It may have been made in 2 parts or used a multipart mould to make things easier.
Love the level of detail with his presentations .
It’s too bad that they had to cancel their expedition.
I am always waiting excited the new projects,so curious for the next one.
Hi Mark, next is a whole series on 3D printing for composites 👍
Those look amazing. Incredible job
I wonder if they did any testing with the materials chilled to simulate the environment the speed will be in.
These video presentations are excellent! Well done👌
Thanks Jon!
thank you
Once again another fantastic and informative video thanks
Thanks Jonathon :)
Great to have an in depth guide with explanations. Too many mute infusion videos out there.
Thanks, yes, agreed. It's actually quite limiting how much you can learn from just seeing the last stage of an infusion without understanding any of the 'why'. Glad you enjoyed the video.
So much knowledge and skill being imparted. These videos are awesome. Thank you.
Appreciate the really kind feedback, thanks for commenting!
Thanks for the video. As always very informative. Thanks for pointing out all the details and thought-processes that come with experience. I've watched a lot of tutorials and I'm always pleased to discover more that I hadn't seen / considered! Just wishing you had few USA outlets.
Thanks for the feedback Paul, we really will be getting something good together for our US customers/followers.
Nice job! Can you make a tutorial on how to get a matte carbon fiber finish?
Hi Red Zone, thanks for the suggest, we probably will do something on that at some point, it’s not a bad suggestion!
I love your videos. They are some of the best for composites. Would it be possible to use this process to make a long tube? I'm rather space constrained here. Your input is appreciated. Thanks again.
Tubes can be infused as long as the diameter is big enough to be practical to lay up. You will likely need spray tack to hold everything in place vertically. Also you will need careful planning of the infusion consumables so that the resin actually flows on all sides of the tube.
If you make it 6ft long it can double as an emergency shelter.
If that adds extra material then make up for it by making it skinnier.
If you line it with millimeter-thin insulation, you now have a windproof, coldproof shelter 😊
Was mixing graphite powder into the gel-coat on the bottom and runners considered? It gives a great improvement in durability and friction reduction.
Hi Robert, it was more than considered; we did a whole video about it. Please check out the video which comes before this in the series! The runners themselves are fixed on after but.... spoiler alert.... graphite didn't help in this situation.
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT You are the Best, Robert
Thank you, we appreciate the comment.
Hey Paul. This tutorial is amazing. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I have a quick question. What if there is a place where the resin didn't reach? Not because of leakage but for example because of a wrong setting of the resin hoses or so. Is there a way to fix that and save the part?
Thanks man!
Hi Paulo, yes, you can often recover a situation like that or at least make it a bit better. It’s a bit of a messy process but you can ‘graft’ a new resin inlet and vacuum line, in situ. It’s difficult to explain but maybe I could do a short demo at some point.
Fantastic video, thank you. Learned a few of the little errors I've been having trouble with in larger moulds
That's great to hear Logan, thanks for watching and glad you picked up a tip or two :)
Just what i needed. Starting my carbon intake project as soon as the material gets here😊 good vid👌
Good stuff. Look forward to hearing how you get on 👍
@@easycompositestv first time doing tubes and going to try a few techniques. Wanted to order from you guys but due to the brexit i'm gonna wait till there is a definit agreement on transfers across europe.
Great stuff . Well done and thank you. Can't understand why anybody would want to flog themselves on the Ice, ah well! Good Luck Fellas.
Excellent video guys, and very well explained and delivered as usual. My latest order has just arrived, and I'm sure you'll be taking much more of my money in the future 😂
Keep up the good work
Thank you Gary; much appreciated.
Some questions
1, is it possible to use the old acetone trick on this gelcoat?
2, Kevlar on the outside of the Core makes sense, but what's the reasoning to have it on the inner layers? Balancing the laminate? Carbon would save some weight.
2. Whilst kevlar's compressive strength is one of its few comparative weaknesses, it would still be more impact resistant than carbon, and wouldn't have a weight penalty as both materials have almost the same density.
The Acetone trick does not work on it unfortunately. It was only an older earlier version that it worked on.
@@easycompositestv WHAT DOES IT MEAN ACETONE TRICK? DO YOU CAN EXPLANE IT'?
Another great video, and brilliant finish on that shell.
Glad you enjoyed David!
I’m at the end of the video now.... WOWwwwew! So trick man!
Love your work!!!
🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼🍀🍀🍀😎🤓❄️☃️🌬
Best of luck to the ice trekkers!!
😊
What kind of temporary adhesive can I use in laminating fiber glass over wood? In certain awkward shapes I find very difficult to maintain the fiber in position while I'm applying resin.
I'm old school fiberglass/ polyester resin. Would love to incorporate this into what I'm doing with 16 to 18 ft fishing boats , beats the hell out of rolling out multiple layers of glass by hand.
Hi Scott, absolutely. An infusion process like this can be used with polyester resin and glass reinforcement although you’d need to be using infusion friendly glass reinforcement such as woven glass or multiaxial, not chopped strand.
Great series! Enjoyed watching it!
Thanks Rick, glad you enjoyed it.
I love these videos, hands and heads above anything else out there. In the USA here and sad being a customer isn’t easier. You would be my goto. I mentioned before that I’m wanting to make a Fiat 500 carbon fiber hood identical to yours made a while back.
Covid has hit my family he’s and sadly my plans have come to a stop. I’m trying to source an affordable vacuum pump here and some good quality carbon chips to skin a carbon diffuser that was cracked by a hit and run idiot in a parking lot last spring. Skinning it with forged fibers and vacuum bagging it would surely make it look amazing. It’s cracked along tope edge and is all consmetic. I used a baking soda a cyanoacralte mixture when it happened to keep the crack from spreading. Eventually, I’ll remove, fill and skin and possibly tint the coating. The part is so much lighter and it was almost $1000.00 new, I’d hate to trash it.
In the mean time please keep up the great work and since the forged look is in, can you do a video showing a cosmetic skinning or epoxy tuning to influence a color difference?
Thank you and please keep the vids coming, the education is priceless
Thanks Sean, great to hear from you and learn what your working on. For sure this pandemic has put a lot of plans on hold, including some of ours. We’ll certainly do some tutorials working with chopped carbon but, as you might expect, ours may be a little bit of a different take compared to what’s out there already. All the best with your projects.
Very nice and informative video..knowledge feeding contents deserve a 👍👍👍👍👍,,thank u
Amazing video, I just had one question that what are the specifications of that vaccum pump and if I had to buy the similar one, where can I get it.
Thanks for everything, the video has helped me a lot to start my journey from upgrading from Hand Moulding to Resin Infusion.
We're using our EC4 Vacuum Pump; full details and specification can be found by following the link: www.easycomposites.co.uk/ec4-composites-vacuum-pump
Great video!
I am trying to make my own moulds via vacuum infusion, using vinilester gelcoat, poliester resin, and glass fiber... But I am having issues from lack of adherence from resin to gelcoat... Could you give me any advice?
Thank you!
Not all vinylester gelcoats are compatible with polyester resins unless they have been specifically designed to be. You may be better off using a vinylester resin on the back of the gelcoat layer and then follow that up with polyester. We have a uni-mould tooling system specifically developed for such applications.
how i can glue kevlar for bullett proof vest pads. can a combination from kevlar and carbon fiber be used. and what material is spectra shild?
You are awesome man, explaining things so well, hope to make my own composite products some day.
Also just a question and I'm not sure if you or anyone else may be able to answer this for me: I was looking to have a set of carbon bicycle rims made and the company offered different weaves of carbon to be used as a finishing skin. When I asked if carbon-kevlar may be used they said:
"The finish that you would like is not going to work as a surface layer because aramid fibers are "hairy". They are not long fibers like carbon fiber, but short and "fuzzy" so they cannot form a smooth surface layer when impregnated with resin.
we absolutely cannot deliver a quality product with aramid/Kevlar as the surface layer. Laws of physics prevent this."
I'm just looking for more in depth info on this, thanks !
If the resin layer is very thin and/or they do a lot of sanding to finish the surface then yes the Kevlar can end up with a "hairy" finish on the surface that would need a thick layer of lacquer or resin to hide. On a very light weight product, that would add weight to it.
@@easycompositestv Very interesting, so in theory it is possible to achieve such a nice finish although much more difficult than if it were carbon
@@caluzzucarrazzi5549 It is certainly possible yes but needs a little more TLC during the lay up and trimming processes than you would need for carbon fibre.
Have you ever tried just pleating in the corners with large tails? It uses more bag, but saves time imo.
Its largely dependent on the actual mould; the bigger the mould, the more unwieldy a large bag can be and whilst you of course never want to be too small, you can have as many issues if its too big so in this case, we prefer more frequent but smaller pleats but of course, there is no perfect answer, it really comes down to both personal preference and project.
Hi Beau, yes, we do use that technique sometimes. In the case of this project, the bag is so big that we need a relatively efficient pleat scheme so as not to need to join the bag. I'm not sure but I suspect big corner tail pleats would need more than the 3m width of bagging film that we have on the VB160 and adding a join in the bag would take more time than that saved by a less bag-efficient (but more time efficient) corner pleat.
Generally-speaking, do the molds being used for resin infusion (or simply vac-bagging) need to be rigid, or can a silicon mold with a rigid mother mold be used?
For instance, if I have a relatively thick silicone rubber mold in a fiberglass mother I use for hand layup, could that be used? I'm wondering if pulling vacuum could noticeably deform the part, especially if the rubber wasn't fully degassed and more than likely has air entrapment.
Truth be told, I'd rather spend time on my stack-up and prep than tapping glass, especially if my final product is of better quality and less heavy.
Hi Thomas, we have not seen silicone moulds for vacuum bagging processes like infusion. The flex is likely to cause issues with inconsistent surface finish and part distortion.
This video answered sooo many questions.
Do creases in the bag create marks on the inner surface?
no as the peel ply is against the part surface. The peel ply gives an even stippled finish.
Really a master piece! Could have been easier to do it with a convex mold? Thanks.
Generally you determine that based on which side you want to be the high quality moulded side.
@@easycompositestv I see, so in this case, the high quality moulded side was the exterior, right?
Awesome video! Recently trying a split mold... Any tips on how to fully seal the center split so air can't get in from the mould?
Envelope bagging is the most reliable method to avoid leaking through the mould split lines.
Thank you!
this composite is very important in manufacture
Awesome tutorial !!! Keep them coming. I’ve always wanted to do this but didn’t know everything involved.
Thanks FD, glad you found this interesting. When you decide to take the plunge, you know where we are :)
Loving your videos. I want to start making composite things now lol.
I do have a question. Would it make sense to use a combination of materials to improve strength? For example, make it with Kevlar, but use carbon sandwiched in certain areas to increase rigidity? I am naive on the subject which is why I ask.
One problem I see with this is that the outer Kevlar layers could deflect, without damage, further than the carbon can be deflected without failure. In this scenario, you could have hidden carbon damage and not realise it. Probably bad.
Its all relative to the specific project; Kevlar is usually used where abrasion or puncture resistance is the main requirements so the likes of rally car undertrays and guards. Often a hybrid material will be used in these kinds of situation whereby the strength and stiffness of carbon is the requirement but the above resistance from stonechips or other damage drives the use of the kevlar - if the item is damaged in that instance, it would be repaired or replaced but the combination of materials is there as a fail-safe.
@@easycompositestv Reminds me of my Mini Se7en days in the 90's when the rich guys were running carbon/Kevlar hybrid front ends (Curley mouldings). I could only afford a Kevlar/FG one :(
Me watching without tools, money, a project to use this knowledge on or even a workshop where I could do it: *hmm yes, interesting*
Haha, hey, sometimes it’s good enough to just know ‘how’!
@@easycompositestv damn right it is, thanks for the tutorials!
Amazing job, I have only one question when the resin process end how you clear all tubes before it tighten? Thank you for the great content
You don’t clear the hoses, you just clamp them off and allow the resin to cure in them, they’re a consumable part of the process.