small items + plug, mold, inf & parts

General Composites Discussions Showcase
#1

Not quite as exciting as some of my other parts but even these small parts give me a buzz. These are suspension tops for McPherson struts. With winter fast approaching i wanted to find a cheap method of warming my molds, i found 30 cabinet lights with 25 watt bulbs lying around my workshop, so ive adapted some of my molds to take these and they work very well. In one of the pics you can see a couple of these lights.
Lol so cheap it cost me nothing. The parts weigh 18gms each, 5 layers carbon. The originals weigh 168gms.

Anyway a few pics.

Baz

The plug very quick to make a bit of high gloss worktop as a base

#2

Here is te mold just after pulling the part

#3

Infusion start

#4

Infusion complete

#5

The part just out of the mold

#6

The mold with lights as heaters

#7

And finally the parts, i decided to mold these without any Duratec in the mold first, laying the carbon directly against the mold surface. I was very pleased with the finish and just clear coated the final prepped parts.

#8

Nice work!:slight_smile: :slight_smile:

#9

What duratec product do you usually use? How is print through without a gel coat? I can’t tell from the picture very well.

#10

snocutt, i use Duratec high gloss clear but i am waiting for new supplies to be delivered so i decided to try infusing without it for once and to be honest the finish is perfect. The parts come out smooth and as glossy as the mold surface, obviously with no Duratec the carbon is closer to the surface so a very light flick over with 400 wet or dry (wet) before clear coating.

Baz

#11

they are sooo nice! keep on makeing CF, its a inspiration for me to start! What did u use for mold? if you are to sell a couple off these, any price in mind?

#12

so you just polished the moulds,layed in dry carbon(how many layers?) and then it infused it,that simple? is there any print through on the surface?
awesome work as usual,you are a very lucky man to have mastered this.

#13

gtfour, as this was a new mold i buffed the hell out of it with meguires wax, then one thin coat of pva for good measure, turned the bulbs er heaters on. Then an hour later sprayed a fine very fine layer in fact hardly noticeble 3m adhesive in then 5 layers carbon alternating the angles.Then infused,I left the heaters on for a couple of hours after the infusion and popped them the following morning. it came out as you see in the pic thats straight out of the mold. I lifted one corner and it popped right out.

The surface is as you see it, dead smooth. Im going to try another mold tomorrow for one of my other small parts and see if it comes out the same, theres no reason why it shouldnt but well see.

Ive had my fair share of disasters M8 but if you just keep persevering you get to understand the process, thats not to say it doesnt sometimes go wrong lol

cableroy, if i was to sell these they would have to be around £40 the pair. The stamped out stainless steel ones you can buy are around £20 - £25 the pair but as you know with carbon theres a lot more work involved.

Baz

#14

BazNos: Your finished work looks awesome.

I have a few questions because you obviously know what your doing:

What oz cloth are you using? What diameter resin line are you using? And your using vinyl ester right?

Just trying to figure some things out before I go and ruin the molds I made for my Nissan.

#15

JRL, the carbon weight is 200gm/m,sq. Both my resin and vacuum lines are 12mm i.d for whatever parts im making large or small. The fittings are cheaper (tees and elbows)The resin is infusion formulated epoxy.

Hope this helps and good luck

Baz

#16

Cool. Thanks. So 7oz cloth and 1/2 inch T’s.

Ive been looking for a good resin before I try my first test panels. I was going to use vinyl ester because I heard it doesnt worm hole (those tiny voids you get from using epoxy).

But now that I see this, I guess Ill be using a thin epoxy.

Keep posting your work. Its good motivation.

#17

Baz, what is your mold made out of?

And how did you make it?

#18

The mold is simple m8 per resin and 300gm and 450gm glass mat plus black gelcoat oh and tissue, first layer ontop of gelcoat also ontop of the tissue i used glass fibre paste to smooth out any corners so the mat lays down with no air pockets/bridgeing.

Baz

#19

Hm i have a little problem understanding, i need it detailed hehe,

lets say i’m going to make those, i lay them down, i apply chemical that makes it easy to release it from the mold? Then apply gel coat, and then fiberglass? i’m i correct now?

#20

Yes but you bond them to the base board, if you dont do this when you separate the mold from the plug they will be left behind and maybe a little difficult to remove. Drill two holes so they sit flush, then i seal around them with decorators filler it is acrylic and comes in a tube similar to silicon, this stops any gel getting underneath and ruining your mold edge.

Oh yes nearly forgot to mention, on these parts i sanded them with 80 grit then used polyurethane to coat them, rubbed them down with wet and dry to 2000 grit then buffed and polished them

Job done you`ve now made the mold.

Baz