Carbon fiber piping

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

I’ve seen alot of guys talking about making carbon fiber tubing but, no one has really explained how to go about doing this. I have red about the bladder (which I have no idea what that it is) and wrapping carbon sleeves around the bladder.

My question is what is a “bladder”? What do you fill the bladder with to get the shape, dimension and bend needed? How do you conform the bladder to the bend and dimension that is needed? Is a mold needed to conform the bladder and then the carbon sleeving to meet the dimension and bends that are needed?

Also, I have read about the heat issue with turbos and superchargers. What type of sleeve should be used and what type of material should be used? Should the sleeving be vacuum bagged when setting up?

Thanks

#2

Try checking out www.bondlineproducts.com and tell them “JM” from GGROP refferred you.
Or better yet cal them (562) 921-1972 and get their booklet.

Or go to the SAMPE trade show in Long Beach in May www.sampe.org

#3

the bladder is like a baloon. it can be made from vac bag plastics and then inflated with a bike pump or any other pump. you could get bladders made for you and they would be much better. but they cost losts more.

just make the bladder as close to the shape you need and then inflate it. sorted.

L.

#4

here is a cool intake made

#5

:lol: :lol: :lol: this pipe is a hot topic these days.

#6

Hmmm, I haven’t seen that one before! :wink:

#7

:shock: not again

(any one heard from emi since that pic was posted)

#8

he has been in japan for the past 2 months

#9

I’ve been looking at different ways of making this… I found a pourable foam that is dissolved with water. I was considering making a 2 part mold from a pipe, then putting molds back together, pouring the foam in, laying carbon it, and going from there. This wouldn’t cost as much as a bladder system for a one off part, but has obvious limitations during repeated use

#10

I was just coming back to say id just read he was in japan, Lucky Git!

(also think someone else is quite lucky with there new auto section :wink: )

#11

why thank you it will not be final for about a month to a month and a half

here is another intake

#12

is that seamless or just two halves put together? either way looks great

#13

thats sweet!

I want to ask some many question about that pipe but dont know where to begin lol.

Probs is going to be like xmas when you get all the stuff (just read your getting marine and bike too) all those moulds.

#14

it is 474 molds and counting plus materials, shop paid till september of next year, 7 employees 4 full time, all the accounts including 1 goverment and 8 universitys. He is a family friend so I am getting a steal on it. I have to pay 35% of gross profits for 2 years plus $50,000 up front buy-out, but the company pockets 85% of the profits the rest is split to the company for bills and payroll. Not bad for a company that sells around $120,000 a month in products in the section I am buying. His general contractor section makes the most and that sold to a company out of Salt Lake.

#15

Wow that intake is incredible :o I have been thinking about the foam as well versus the bladder method. What type of foam are you talking about that will dissolve with water?

The other thing I was considering is fabricating the pipes out of metal than finding someone on here to send them too to carbon pipes made from the metal ones. Any takers??

What would be the best thing to do as far as a mold? I know EMI wrote about taking the pipe and finding the center line. Then make a mold using the centerline as a flange point, which I am assumming he means to make to molds and join them together for forming and holding the carbon in place with the bladder inside the carbon sleeve.

#16

he would use a 2 pc mold and then carbon sleeves. He has manderal bladders I think. That is a metal tube that is smaller then the part to be made but same shape and a silicon bladder over that, that is built into the pipe. he would put the carbon over the tube then the resin and into the mold. He would puff the bladder up so the carbon pushes against the mold surface. The bladder only puffs about a half an inch from the manderal but using this system he can do dozens of pipes at a time if he has the molds and the manderals

#17

http://www.acrtucson.com/products/Aquacore/index.htm

this is the foam I was talking about

product, I asked about that one because it looks like there might be a seam on it… maybe the weave is just a tad funky or the light or something… that and I couldn’t see how one could get the perpendicular tubes on with sleeve carbon

#18

Don’t hold out on us damnit!
Im drooling over this one…What is the website ??? ???

Do I appear to eager?

(grin)

#19

Don’t hold out on us damnit!
Im drooling over this one…What is the website ??? ???

Do I appear to eager?

(grin)[/quote]
I think you were so eager you forgot to read page two of the thread… scroll up :wink:

#20

that is a pretty neat product I emailed them for some more information on it