Need help OVERLAY interior parts

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

hi guys
i just stumbled across this forum, and found lots of fantastic information, everyone here is so skillfull at making CF related product.

now you guys got me started
i’ve always been a carbon freak, everything i buy, if they make it in carbon…i will buy the carbon, if they don’t make the carbon.i will get them to make a carbon version … lol

now i am very interested in making my own carbon, so i thought the first thing i learn is OVERLAY as it seems easiest ? is this true?
now i sorta get the idea of how to overlay parts

1)sand the original product
2)apply resin
3)apply the CF Cloth
4)apply more resin
5)sand down
6)more resin
7)sand down
8)gel coat
9)sand down
10)final clear coat

this is a very basic idea of how i think should be donw…(please correct me if i am wrong)

now my question is…with resin, whihc resin do i use ? what do i use to apply it ?

what clear coat do i use? can i use the once u buy from canadian tire that comes in a can, for general use or will automotive clear coat do the job?

also when u have the CF on the product, do you warp the left over CF around the back side of the product or do you just trim it off ?

i’ve also heard sometimes when you overlay so parts of the exterior, over time due to heat from the sun…it peals off…is thiss true? if so how can i avoid it from pealing ?

thanks for everyone’s help !
i hope to be making my first OVERLAY very soon !!

#2

First welcome. Do you have any experince at all with composites? Get some practice pieces from a wrecking yard to try out with FG first…

Try the search feature as it has been cover several times but:

First, ID the type of plastic or the material you are wanting to overlay as if it is PS (even possible ABS too), it will melt from PER but you then can use Epoxy resin.

If it is PP, PE or other then you can use PER, but you will also need to drill lots of little holes for the resin to drip thru to act as rivets…as the resin will not bond to these plastics.

Vacuum bagging is best to keep the cloth laid down without pulling up.

You can use a clear resin (Surfboard) to lay up and then after it dryies, lightly sand and then clear coat with automotive PUR or possible rattle can clear…but test and practice with these materials before doing the real deal!

#3

i’ve done FG repairing before…

here’s the part i am tring to overlay



looks like this before

i believe is abs plastic

i also want to do it with out vaccum bagging as the whole system would cost alot of money i would imagin…

any help would be great!! thx

#4

Look on the back for any Plastics codes.

I doubt you will be able to do this without vacuum bagging.

#5

thats an EXTREMELY difficult part for a first attempt,hell,even a 100th attempt!!

#6

i understand the center console will be harder
how about this part ?

okay i will look on the code today
i would imagin it would say ABS on the back ?

#7

guys wat i did totally didt work
first the fabric didn’t stick the the part i need to overlay.
2nd…
i dunno what to use to hold the fabric down…so i use shrink wrap to wrap it…

please teach me how to do it !

which should look like this when finish

but i don’t tink it will turn out

#8

I wet out the part first with my resin, then I catch it in a green cure so the resin is slightly cured, but still very tacky. I put my cloth into the tacky resin and roll it out to get a good bond between the 2. Then I allow it to cure to a good solid hardness. I then wet it out carefully and when i catch it in the green cure state, I trim it with a good SHARP knife blade to the final trim. This gives me a cood trim line and allows me to build up a second layer before it final cures. If you keep building it up before it final cures, you can build and build without the sanding in between coats.
Then sand it and if you have to add resin, do it careflly. Now final sand and clear coat with uv resin

#9

what does “green cure” mean?
what do you use to hold the cloth around the curves ?

#10

“green cure” means that it is very thick and very tacky… stage before cure… this should be more than strong enough to hold your cloth in place.

#11

Take a small amount of resin, add the hardener, stir, watch and time the steps it goes thru from liquid to gelled to full curing.

#12

when you first put down the resin (before you lay down your cloth) wait until the resin is almost cured. “b stage”, where it is still a little tacky… then lay down your fabric… on complex parts you have to baby sit it and keep pushing/holding down certain areas until the resin is hard enough to hold the fabric down. before you lay down your fabric make sure you have the correct way… once it hits the resin its almost impossible to move to where you need it

#13

now i seen you guys talk about surf board non Wax resin…
where do i get those from ?
websit?
specific brand recommend ?