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Tygaboy's Carbon Fiber How-To Seminar

Just so you guys know, that is straight out of the mold with no polishing and not even cleaned!! (I suppose I could have at least wiped it off ;) I simply cut the extra off with office scissors and took some pictures. I left enough on the edges to sand down to the right line.

Things I've learned about aluminized fiber:
1. It doesn't like to bend!!!!11!!11! Next time, I'll take Chris' advice and let the first layer of resin get tacky. What is that called again? I think that would have helped with some of the bridging.
2. If you're going to paint the part, no worries. But in the case of carbon fiber and aluminized fiber where the pattern itself is the final look, pay attention to the direction of the pattern. this was just a practice piece, but if it were real, it would have looked better to have the 'lines' either be parallel with the part, or way off of parallel. The way it is almost parallel looks a little odd.
3. Take more time with the mold. I was in a rush to get to laying up that I could have taken more time with the mold. I didn't make sure it was straight or clean. If you catch it at the right angle, you can see blemishes in the surface.

Chris, you've opened up a whole new world for a bunch of yokels who couldn't mix two chemicals in a paper cup with a popsicle stick. Count me in for the tank layup! :thumbup
 
Chris, you sort of touched on this during the seminar, but I didn't quite get it. My question is, how many layers?

For example with I <3 Twins' part trimmed down to your lines, if that part were made out of CF only, and no Fiberglass backing, how many layers would be structurally sound?

What if he wanted to cut out the center of it? Again, only CF, how many layers?

Like you explained, this is assuming the layers are placed in alternating directions for added strength.
 
HellFyre said:
Chris, you sort of touched on this during the seminar, but I didn't quite get it. My question is, how many layers?

For example with I <3 Twins' part trimmed down to your lines, if that part were made out of CF only, and no Fiberglass backing, how many layers would be structurally sound?

What if he wanted to cut out the center of it? Again, only CF, how many layers?

Like you explained, this is assuming the layers are placed in alternating directions for added strength.

You'd be surprised at how strong this stuff is, even when it's not that many layers. Remember, it's about how it's stressed. Layers help provide stiffness that, in this application, would keep the part from bending. But with most of these exhaust systems, the muffler can't move in that directional plane. So the hanger is really only helping support the muffer in the up-and-down plane. And our 5 layer parts should do just fine. Yes, you'll notice that you can reef on the muffler and make it go back and forth a little but no real movement can be had if you do an up and down motion.
If I was going to cut holes (be reasonable as to how many/how big and where), I'd go to 8-10 layers. Vacuum bag the part and it'll be even stronger as you get a better fiber-to-epoxy ratio.

And remember, it's not that fiberglass is 'weaker' than carbon fiber, per se. It's that for the same weight, it's less strong. I can make a 'glass part that's way stronger that a carbon part - but it will weight a bunch more.

Remember that piece of carbon fiber I showed you that I did with silicon seal as the 'epoxy'? How 'strong' was that? You see where I'm going?

In the end, it's simple:
Different materials have different benefits in different applications. Choose the best for your requirements.
 
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Hellfyre,

that is a beatiful piece that you made.

It was an awesome thing for tygaboy to take you guys under his wing and teach you guys about CF fabrication. I wish that I had not wandered onto this thread after the fact.

I hope when he holds the next seminar, he has room for somemore guys. I would like to attend. Although, i have learned things from just reading this thread, thanks tygaboy.

I<3 Twins, your part looks good as well. I wouldn't take anything Pepsi, Poopsie or what ever the hell his name was to seriously. He's a troll, he was bouncing around all over the place like a virus. He's a NO-SHOW shit starter. Besides, I think he has been booted.

Big Ups to all you guys. :thumbup
 
Someone who attended, sorry, I've forgotten your name, left the layup and said they'd call. I have not heard so I figured I'd finish it up with a bit different final shape. This is for a Gen 1 SV and I went after the look/shape of the stock hanger. Flash makes it look a bit less good than it does in person.
What do you think?

And if you're the one who left this here, contact me and come and get it. Else, it's up for sale at a whopping $15.

2257437-p1260007.jpg
 
15$ ehh.. is that a nice round figure for materials cost?? ive been wondering lately how expensive CF and the required epoxies are... wouldnt have to include labor cause i wanna do it myself.
 
stangmx13 said:
15$ ehh.. is that a nice round figure for materials cost?? ive been wondering lately how expensive CF and the required epoxies are... wouldnt have to include labor cause i wanna do it myself.

2x2 Twill weave, which is what we used here, is currently between $40 - $60 per 50" wide yard. Expoxies vary by brand. I use West Systems and it's about $70 for the resin (1 gal) and $25 for the appropriate amount of hardner. You'll need metering pumps (else you have to weigh it all out, which is a pain. But less wasteful if you're doing small stuff.
Then there's the release wax, PVA and misc. stuff. Not too bad but an investment is required to get set up. The consumables last pretty well.
 
quasi888 said:
Great stuff!

Chris, what's your take on vinyl ester resins, rather than epoxies?

Epoxy tends to hold up better and is far less smelly. It works well with all the fabrics I use and while it's more expensive, I don't make so much stuff that it really matters. If I was building heavier production molds, I might go with a non-epoxy solution but for me, this is easiest.
 
One of the greatest threads EVARRR on BARF.:thumbup
I have always wondered how that stuff is molded. Doesn't stick to metal I see. F'n BRILLIANT!
 
This is a great thread. Glad I just read through the whole thing.

I would have liked to see some pics of how guys were cutting off the rough edges of things, like the hanger and that exhaust shield.

1. Is Chris(Tygaboy) the guy that someone joked looked like Richard Dean Anderson? Red sweat shirt? Just to put a name iwth the face.

2. Is the aluminzed fabric Texaluim, from a company called Hexcel? If so, do you know what its strength is vs CF fabric of a similar weight, weave and thickness?

As always, Thanks.

DZ
 
DougZ said:
This is a great thread. Glad I just read through the whole thing.

I would have liked to see some pics of how guys were cutting off the rough edges of things, like the hanger and that exhaust shield.

1. Is Chris(Tygaboy) the guy that someone joked looked like Richard Dean Anderson? Red sweat shirt? Just to put a name iwth the face.

2. Is the aluminzed fabric Texaluim, from a company called Hexcel? If so, do you know what its strength is vs CF fabric of a similar weight, weave and thickness?

As always, Thanks.

DZ

1. Dat's me!
2. Not sure who the original mfg of the aluminized 'glass is. For the similar weight, etc. the carbon is much stronger. And when I say weight, I mean the weight of the finished part. Remember, you can make almost anything strong...if you use enough of it.
 
tygaboy said:
1. Dat's me!
2. Not sure who the original mfg of the aluminized 'glass is. For the similar weight, etc. the carbon is much stronger. And when I say weight, I mean the weight of the finished part. Remember, you can make almost anything strong...if you use enough of it.

OK, cool.

I gpt your reply over at SVR. I should be able to get you all kinds of glass under 10 oz/syd. I am sadly working the day next week between Xmas and New Years....first time is 6 years, but I'll get some info on what we have and PM you then.

?? Where did you get all the materials you used for the bagging process? I am looking at TAP plastics and Fiberglast and not seeing them?

Thanks, DZ
 
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