Carbon fiber skinning... Advice?

[beeman]

I've watched a few videos and want to give it a try!
Where is the best place to get supplies?
Will the epoxy yellow over time?
I've seen different techniques for the 'basecoat'... Laying the CF cloth right on the part with spray adhesive vs a black epoxy basecoat and applying the cloth once it becomes tacky...
Thanks in advance for any tips!
Dave

[Mark Reynolds]

I used http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/ for materials to vacuum bag carbon fiber epoxy to the insides of my doors, trunk and hoodscoop. Lots of great info on the site. They were great and I would use them again. The packaging of the rolled material was so neat it was scary.

[HardRocker]

Try theepoxyresinstore.com The marineguard 8000 is great and gives about a 30 min working time. There are a ton of YouTube videos on cf skinning. Check them out. The easy way is to elevate then spray adhesive the part, cover with the cloth, then brush or roll in your resin. Hand layup with no need for bagging. Be sure to get a real fiberglassing roller. It looks like a bunch of metal washers on a roller handle. Cf cloth is all over ebay at good prices, even Amazon has it if you need Prime overnight delivery.

[beeman]

Thanks guys!
Is there a certain weight cloth that's better for skinning? I'm seeing some different weight options...
Do you need to clear coat for UV protection?

[crash]

In general, the lighter the weight and the higher the thread count the easier it is to get around and into corners.

Just as a side note, I am not a fan of "skinning". I don't believe it to be durable in the long term.

[HardRocker]

The lighter weights like 5.9oz are also easier to saturate if doing simple hand layup. You can always add more layers for strength. Of course then you can start getting into using foam or honeycomb cores for your shapes (or thin plywood) and laminate away.

[jamesfr58]

Beeman,

I have getting my supplies for Fibre Glast they carry fiberglass and all the material and supplies for doing carbon fiber including vacuum bags etc. Just another idea.....

https://www.fibreglast.com/

[Jake From State Farm]

I used www.uscomposites.com for personal projects. They’re generally inexpensive and I’ve never had a problem with quality. Fibre Glast has excellent customer service and high quality products but their prices can be in lunar orbit.

You can get a nice layup by making your own pre-preg fabric:

1. Pick up a roll of painter’s plastic and a bondo spreader at your local hardware store.
2. Lay down one sheet of plastic on a clean, flat surface. Make this several inches larger than the carbon sheet you intend to use. Bonus points if the plastic is big enough to fold over and sandwich the carbon as is.
3. Place one layer of your dry carbon fiber on the plastic.
4. Pour the appropriate measure of resin/hardener mixture across the center of the carbon fabric.
5. Sandwich the carbon with another sheet of plastic.
6. Squeegee the resin into the carbon, working from the middle out. Any light areas are areas that need more resin. After all areas are thoroughly wetted out, squeegee the excess resin out the edges of the sheet.
7. Gently peel the plastic away from the carbon.
8. Remove and apply the carbon as needed.

[jamesfr58]

Jake From State Farm,

Good information to know and never check prices so maybe I should and check US Composites, thank for the info.....

[Shoeless]

I like the discussion here on this topic as I plan on skinning a good bit of the parts from Shane (intake and exhaust louvers) before I attempt to build my own CF rear piece to replace the rear glass.

I’ve got a local guy that actually gives classes on CF skinning, epoxy work,.... anything acrylic related. He is the one who routed out my CF steering wheel plate and then applied a nice sealing coat to make the CF pop.

[Jake From State Farm]

Jake From State Farm,

Good information to know and never check prices so maybe I should and check US Composites, thank for the info.....

I used them for countless motorcycle projects and never had a problem. As for the final finish, I found it much easier to spray clear coat over the finished layup than it was to paint on extra resin and sand. You don’t need the carbon to be perfect. Any minor imperfections (pin holes, slightly uneven surface, etc) can be concealed with a generous clear coat and some light sanding. Adding a nice thick clear coat will also add depth to the visual effect of the carbon. While you’re poking around the US composites website, I highly recommend checking out their carbon/Kevlar hybrid fabrics. They offer colored Kevlar weave that looks fantastic in the right applications. I believe they sell swatch packs that let you get eyes on it in person for 25 bucks or so.

[beeman]

I used them for countless motorcycle projects and never had a problem. As for the final finish, I found it much easier to spray clear coat over the finished layup than it was to paint on extra resin and sand. You don’t need the carbon to be perfect. Any minor imperfections (pin holes, slightly uneven surface, etc) can be concealed with a generous clear coat and some light sanding. Adding a nice thick clear coat will also add depth to the visual effect of the carbon. While you’re poking around the US composites website, I highly recommend checking out their carbon/Kevlar hybrid fabrics. They offer colored Kevlar weave that looks fantastic in the right applications. I believe they sell swatch packs that let you get eyes on it in person for 25 bucks or so.

Are you just doing one application of epoxy resin then moving to clear coat? Is it textured when you are done? Are you using a spray gun for the clear coat or rattle can?

[Jake From State Farm]

The texture is a product of the substrate. The face of the fabric is an offset surface from the skinned face. Any bump or imperfection in the skinned face will likely transfer (“print”) through the fabric and show on the finished surface of the skin. Keep in mind that if you were to paint resin onto a curved surface, it would create a lot more work in the sanding step. The advantage of spraying clear is that you get a more uniform thickness and self leveling characteristics with the correct layer thickness. With enough layers and some light sanding you may be able to hide those tiny bumps in the carbon weave. I used rattle can for things that didn’t need to be picture perfect. It’s easier to build up quickly. As always, there is more than one way to achieve a desired result when working with composites. Others may have a better solution for your application.