~$150:TOP OF DASH in carbon fiber
04-15-2004, 05:06 PM
#46
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Atlanta, Ga
Posts: 497
Originally posted by LT1Brutus
ZR28, in your expert opinion, why wouldn't taking a mold of the dash, then taking a "negative" of that mold to make your final mold, thus essentially laying a piece of carbon fiber over the original shape of the dash top( only w/ the full strength of a mold) then laying the resin w/ a soft kick, then rolling out the air and wrinkles, then vacuum bagging it with a heavy vacuum for the remainder of the kicking process make a perfectly smooth, air free, void free finish that would only require 2-3 layers of clearcoat to achieve that DEEP look? Nevermind the underside and having to worry about the connectors/ supporting web etc, I've already got that worked out. I just want your opinion on why this wouldn't work for the "cosmetic" side of the panel. As for the raw carbon on the door panels...you were right...sort of. I contacted the company that offers the wallets, garments etc. They don't use your typical carbon fiber for their merchandise. It goes through a totally different process as it is unintended to be a load-bearing piece. It's a long story but to summarize, it would work for the trim panels using their material
ZR28, in your expert opinion, why wouldn't taking a mold of the dash, then taking a "negative" of that mold to make your final mold, thus essentially laying a piece of carbon fiber over the original shape of the dash top( only w/ the full strength of a mold) then laying the resin w/ a soft kick, then rolling out the air and wrinkles, then vacuum bagging it with a heavy vacuum for the remainder of the kicking process make a perfectly smooth, air free, void free finish that would only require 2-3 layers of clearcoat to achieve that DEEP look? Nevermind the underside and having to worry about the connectors/ supporting web etc, I've already got that worked out. I just want your opinion on why this wouldn't work for the "cosmetic" side of the panel. As for the raw carbon on the door panels...you were right...sort of. I contacted the company that offers the wallets, garments etc. They don't use your typical carbon fiber for their merchandise. It goes through a totally different process as it is unintended to be a load-bearing piece. It's a long story but to summarize, it would work for the trim panels using their material
It will work, I'm making mine from stock OEM pieces. Foil it, dap a lil resin (with no hardner) to help hold in the corners and where it needs to curve. It splinters when the CF shifts right? Well If the underside resin is holding it while you brush on the top coats, then no problem. I cant seem to get the resin/hardener ratio right. Well the race is on lol!!!!
04-16-2004, 12:01 AM
#48
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: New Orleans, LA
Posts: 119
I've worked with carbon fiber, kevlar, and the latest trend, unisteel, but carbon takes the cake as painful product. I was working in a boat yard, and we were carrying a 60yard roll of carbon(just imagine how much it costs) and I had the end sort of against my stomach with no tyvek suit on, my god my stomach itched forever, and I'm use to itchy composites. I had to throw the shirt away, I washed it put it back on, looked clean, but it felt like razors on me. It wasn't cool, but that was before I knew how that stuff worked.
Btw, stangkilla1, I would not ever put uncatylized resin to hold it down carbon. The most common way to do it is to use super 77 spray adhesive by 3m. Cut your carbon to fit, hit it with spray adhesive, lay down your carbon, wet it out, and your done. Just don't use to much spray adhesive as delamination is possible with contaminints between surfaces.
Btw, stangkilla1, I would not ever put uncatylized resin to hold it down carbon. The most common way to do it is to use super 77 spray adhesive by 3m. Cut your carbon to fit, hit it with spray adhesive, lay down your carbon, wet it out, and your done. Just don't use to much spray adhesive as delamination is possible with contaminints between surfaces.
04-16-2004, 06:14 AM
#50
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Northwest GA
Posts: 2,534
Originally posted by stangkilla1
Real carbon fiber takes time and skill, but the end result is a super deep gloss with the 3D effect.
Real carbon fiber takes time and skill, but the end result is a super deep gloss with the 3D effect.
) and in the sunlight all I can see on my windshield is the shiny superglue lines. A totally glossy surface is going to cover the windshield - I think it has to be non reflective somehow.
04-16-2004, 10:27 AM
#51
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Atlanta, Ga
Posts: 497
lownslow: thanks you always come through with expert advice.
Brent: I'm surprised that you dont already know how to do it, (really surprised). You have vast camaro experience, but i guess CF is an import mod that will be converted to a camaro mod lol!!
94blackbowtie: HMMM... I never thought of the glare. It might be a problem, but without the gloss it's not worth having. Well, trial and error lol.
Brent: I'm surprised that you dont already know how to do it, (really surprised). You have vast camaro experience, but i guess CF is an import mod that will be converted to a camaro mod lol!!
94blackbowtie: HMMM... I never thought of the glare. It might be a problem, but without the gloss it's not worth having. Well, trial and error lol.
04-16-2004, 10:45 AM
#52
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Join Date: May 1999
Location: Inverness, FL
Posts: 4,060
Originally posted by stangkilla1
Brent: I'm surprised that you dont already know how to do it, (really surprised). You have vast camaro experience, but i guess CF is an import mod that will be converted to a camaro mod lol!!
Brent: I'm surprised that you dont already know how to do it, (really surprised). You have vast camaro experience, but i guess CF is an import mod that will be converted to a camaro mod lol!!
04-16-2004, 02:08 PM
#54
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Atlanta, Ga
Posts: 497
Hey Brent, I taught myself all the bodywork stuff and am tinkering with Carbon fiber. But I did ALL of the bodywork on my Z myself, it took a full week to sand through a "candy sunset red" then it's primer. Then I had to sand through the original "fire truck red" then the primer for that whew!!!!!! I used 50 grit sandpaper on a power drill with a sanding disc attached. The carbon is still tricky but i'll get it eventually (and I'm a perfectionist, so it will be right). One thing I learned by accident yesterday, fiberglass construction is way easier than carbon. I made a mold of the cup I was using to mix the resin with. Needless to say it was an exact copy of the cup, down to the letting. So I'm going through some ideas of what to make in fiberglass. Just try a few hours on the weekends or at night. You can get alot done a little at a time. But I dont have to tell you that do? Mr. 6 camaro's 
Chris: Let me get a few more practice runs with the dash pieces and dash itself, but this mod is coming (I'll make sure of that). When some of the pieces are ready I'll talk to Jay&Chris about the sponsorship thing and I'll post advertisements BUT NOT BEFORE
Chris: Let me get a few more practice runs with the dash pieces and dash itself, but this mod is coming (I'll make sure of that). When some of the pieces are ready I'll talk to Jay&Chris about the sponsorship thing and I'll post advertisements BUT NOT BEFORE
04-17-2004, 12:52 AM
#55
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Tigard, Oregon
Posts: 41
Personally I'd like to see a dash piece that would be more resistant to heat, more resistant to cracking and the effects of those hot sunny days, and if it still looks OEM, that'd be fine IMO.
Just my .02
Just my .02
04-17-2004, 10:06 AM
#56
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Join Date: May 1999
Location: Inverness, FL
Posts: 4,060
stangkilla1, I just built a killer garage to do this kind of stuff in. First I HAVE to finish some of my ongoing projects. Once that is done, I'll start tinkering with custom stuff like this and then maybe you experts can give me some pointers 
04-17-2004, 02:45 PM
#57
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Atlanta, Ga
Posts: 497
I'm no expert (yet) but here's what I started on, plus I'm glassing my amp rack.
http://camaroz28.cardomain.com/memberpage/239349/8
http://camaroz28.cardomain.com/memberpage/239349/8
04-18-2004, 12:22 PM
#58
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Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Beaufort,SC
Posts: 782
Stangkiller, this project will turn out a lot cleaner if you can 'vacuum seal' your sheets. here is some info:
Put some epoxy down evenly on a sheet of plastic (like a teflon plastic or something). Lay down your sheet of composite (graphite, kevlar, glass, etc) on the epoxy and put some more epoxy on it. Lay another sheet of plastic on top and squeegy the epoxy all over the composite to get it saturated. lay your sheet of Composite over your mold and seal it down with another sheet of plastic. create some kind of vacuum source to pull all the air out of the layup, be sure to have some breather fabric and non-porous fabric there to keep epoxy from coming into the vacuum source. this may leave some grooves in your piece, but you should be able to fill them with epoxy afterwards.
Try all that and see yhow it turns out.
Put some epoxy down evenly on a sheet of plastic (like a teflon plastic or something). Lay down your sheet of composite (graphite, kevlar, glass, etc) on the epoxy and put some more epoxy on it. Lay another sheet of plastic on top and squeegy the epoxy all over the composite to get it saturated. lay your sheet of Composite over your mold and seal it down with another sheet of plastic. create some kind of vacuum source to pull all the air out of the layup, be sure to have some breather fabric and non-porous fabric there to keep epoxy from coming into the vacuum source. this may leave some grooves in your piece, but you should be able to fill them with epoxy afterwards.
Try all that and see yhow it turns out.
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