1/4" thick? I’d say about 1/3-1/2" inch thick based on the data I have on the strength of aluminum and CF. That’s also provided you use epoxy resin and use a technique that does not keep too much resin in the finished piece. Too much resin will make it brittle. How many layers is that? I’m not quite sure because I’ve never built up that thick without a core material. A supplier like fiberglast or us composites might be able to answer better than any of us. Fiberglast lists their 5.7oz 3k 2x2 twill as being .012" thick. So being just fabric, that’d be 27 layer for 1/3" and 42 layers for 1/2". I’d get at least two yards, and viewing the layup guide below arrange it so you cut a row of 0 degree pieces, then a row of 45 degree pieces. Anything that calls for 90 degrees
While it’ll be thicker than the aluminum piece, it should also be lighter. While it might be appealing to just buy 4" bidirerectional carbon fiber tape, I’d go with a yard or two of bidirectional cloth. That way you can cut out a couple of 4x7 pieces of cloth and you can alternate weave pattern per layer.
first layer - weave at 0 degrees (weave up and down)
second layer - weave at 45 degrees (weave diagonally)
third layer - 0 degrees
fourth layer - 45 degrees in the opposite direction of 2nd layer
fifth layer - same as first, etc and end with a layer at 0 degrees.
And of course, YMMV and follow this at your own risk since I don’t know what the part is for.
