To Gel or not to Gel...

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

I’m vac bagging (not quite ready for infusion yet) and would like some input on how you guys would go about getting a very high gloss finish that needs to be abrasion resistant. I’ve got a couple gallons of illstreet medium epoxy hoping to reach the goal of abrasion resistance. As of right now, I plan to brush epoxy into the mold and my laminate schedule will look like (in order):

1 layer - 4oz e glass
1 layer - 5.7 oz twill carbon fiber
4 layers - 10oz e glass

This laminate schedule is intended to produce a rigid structure and I REALLY hope I don’t experience any bowing or deformation out of the molds on the sides of the boxes I’m building. Being new to the composite world I really appreciate any feedback you guys provide. Muchas Gracias Amigos!! :slight_smile:

#2

What is the carbon doing there? Just for looks? Your laminate is quite thin, so some flexibility will remain.

You say you are making “boxes”. What is the size, and does it have a flat surface? (or do you have a picture?)

#3

The carbon is just for aesthetics. These guys are still in the duratec stage… In inches - The big one is 30 x 32.5 x 14 and the small one is 30 x 23 x 13


#4

Wow. This has been great. 96 views and 1 response. I either didn’t articulate my question well enough or articulated a stupid question. Either way, this has been quite educational. Thanks guys.

#5

If your not infusing you will get pits between the fibers, so in this case either you can gelcoat to help hide the problem, or you can spend countless hours post clearing the part. If you infuse you do not need to gelcoat the part or post clear unless you needed a UV protectant or deeper looking carbon finish.

#6

Thanks Hojo, in that case it looks like I’m now going to tool up for infusion and hopefully not wreck too many parts during the learning curve. I should be able to find some great info here as well as on the web to get me started. Thanks again!