Greetings,
I am embarking on a maiden voyage into the world of composites. I plan on making a tank for my bike as well as a few other smaller aesthetic trimmings. The questions I have are about materials and technique ideas.
Materials: I will be purchasing my carbon and Kevlar and resin from US composites as they seem to have very good prices.
I have been doing some research about what resins can hold up to ethanol. It seems that only 700 vinyl ester and novalac are my options. Can’t find novalac however, US composites carries 700 vinyl ester. Your thoughts and opinions on these two products is greatly welcomed.
*When the tank is finished I will line the interior with a tank liner from Caswell.
Technique:
I plan on using the existing steel fuel tank as the plug with simple glass mat or shredded for the two piece mold (top and bottom).
-should I use a less expensive, more common resin for this part?
-how many layers of glass?
After the mold is done I will use the cf and Kevlar. The goal is to have a pleasing, glossy cf look.
-how many layers and in what order?
And lastly, after I have the two halves finished, what is the best way to bond them? 404 filler or something like that? (Must be gasoline resistant)
-mechanically what is the best way? Leave a lip on both halves to “sandwich” them together with little clamps, then cut off the excess? Tongue and groove? Simply overlap the top half?
Sorry for so many questions at once but I am very excited to start learning about composites. I look forward to your responses. 
