Hey guys,
I need to get the peel ply surface of my part to look the same as the mold side. Basically I want it smoother and a nice carbon fiber look on both sides. How can I achieve this? I am infusing this part but if needed it could be done with a hand layup and vacuum bag. Thanks!
You will either need a two piece mold - Infuse each half and then join the two
Or
A two piece press mold - wet layup and the press controls the resin content.
how big is your part?
Would a caul plate work with an atmospheric vac bag setup?
If you could post pictures we could help more.
Most likely you will need a two part mold. Thats how we make our parts that need side A and B to be glossy.
If you don’t mind having a different look on the back side, just sand and clear coat over the back.
Infusing and caul plates are a pain because caul plates can restrict flow and cause problems.
Think about a layer of glass under the peel ply. Giving you room to sand and not damage the carbon. Then clear coat for a shine.
Other than that your left with rtm.
I would think that if you used a caul plate you could use a media that is intended to be left inside your part. Would soric be an option here for flow media with this type of application?
Thanks everyone. Ill post up pictures of the mold in a day or so. Right now I think a hand layup would work best. Simple part, but small.
Wet layup might have bubble issues. Closed mold/caul plate VARTM works, but depending on part and stuff, might not infuse well. RTM is the best option, but costly. You can peelply/distro media BOTH surfaces and then clearcoat. Then both will be the same look. As WyoWind mentioned, infuse both halves, then add a middle layer that is wetted out already. IF your part is non-structural of course.
dp if its a one off you can always just sand out the peel ply texture then clear coat flat back and buff, job done.
This sounds like a good idea. So the thin layer of fiberglass will appear clear and I can sand the finish and then clear coat?
I tried the thin layer of glass over carbon. I did not like the results. Sure, the glass becomes transparent. I used 1.2 oz/yd plain weave glass, over 5.9 oz/yd 2x2 twill carbon. The pattern of the glass imprinted into the carbon fibers, causing the carbon fibers to not have a super smooth over/under look to them. The result was tiny looking kinks/divots in the carbon warp/fill. The reflection of the shine on the carbon made it look quite odd, since the shine was somewhat irregular as compared to normal. I’ll try to snap a picture of what I’m trying to describe tonight.
Kevin is right . Veil can leave a distortion or a slight haze look but it’s better than how carbon looks when it’s sanded into. Peel ply over straight carbon compacts the fibers and it looses the deep look that mold side retains.
I usually knock down the peel ply on flat surfaces but on curves or irregular surfaces I’ll use veil for a safety net.
Another suggestion is to use plain weave on backsides because it lacks the 3d depth that twill offers but still has that nice appearance. Also irregularities and weave defects don’t jump out at you if you were to sand into the filaments.
Lay up a test panel and see for yourself what we are talking about.
Good luck
Thanks everyone! Ill do some testing.