Hello,
I want to see if anyone knows what causes a carbon fiber part to have ripples if its not from the mold. Thanks
are you using gelcoat? if so, how are you applying it? watch for pooling if you brush it on. it could also be alligatoring of the gelcoat. do you have some pictures?
Please give us more details, and perhaps pics.
Due to resin shrinkage, parts often have a slight texture on the surface if not topcoated or primered. This is most obvious with polyester, and less so with vinyl ester and epoxy.
Another cause for larger “ripples” is when there’s a resin-rich area on the laminate. The increased exotherm during cure can cause it, or that area shrinks more. Similar effect when parts are bonded together using resin, especially with excess application.
Ive had it so that a small airbubble was trapped in the cloth and as the surface coat cured it shrunk and caused the ripple.
The ripples are not too big, 1x2 inches at the most and it shows some of the CF texture as one of you described. With these ripples, do they show up right away after the parts is cured and out of the mold or would it show up later.
Most of the time, the part will have a very slight texture when it comes out of the mold. Within a few days of curing, it may become more apparent.
When gelcoats or other surface coatings are used, it may look perfect at first. Then over time, with exposure to heat and humidity, the weave printthrough may come out. It’s something the large suppliers and manufacturers are always working on improving.
What about ripples that looks like its been hit? I think its by force.
Oh, that. Seen it before, don’t know what caused it. Somebody I know had a crappy wannabe carbon fiber hood, and after a while it looked like it had a bunch of dents.