gt40
05-14-2009, 08:23 PM
I thought I would share lessons learned from making a bunch of carbon stuff.Â* Â*
You can make almost anything this way from a catch can, intake, airbox, ic piping etc.Â* It is within the realm of most people's ability if they have a bandsaw or make a hot wire foam cutter for super cheap.
Here are some stuff I have made:
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/uploads/gt40/normal_catchcan2sitetube.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/uploads/gt40/normal_ccai2.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10080/cold%20air3.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10080/normal_cold%20air1.jpg
Anyway, my work has gotten better with each piece and it is really not very much money to make one so here goes...
Tools and materials needed:
1. Blue foam this stuff is really dense and dissolves on contact with acetone.Â* That is the requirement.Â* It is basically really high density styrofoam.Â* I got a 4 foot by 8 foot by 4 inch "slab" for 60 bucks.Â* Â*Enough to make like 40 intakes.Â* you can get it a home depot in smaller thicknesses or foam stores.Â*
2. Acetone to melt it out later
3. Carbon fiber sleeving.Â* I get mine from:Â* Â*http://www.solarcomposites.com/composites/carbon%20fiber%20sleeves.html
This stuff is cool because it is a flexible and adjustable tube that is made out of carbon fiber or kevlar and it is kinda like a sock that you cut the toe off of- slide it over the form and you have a seemless carbon tube when your done.
These guys have a lot of good info on how to work the the stuff on their site.
4.Â* band saw or hot wire foam cutter.Â* I have a bandsaw but hot wire thingy is easy to make:Â*
http://www.hhhh.org/~joeboy/resources/hotwire_foam_cutter/hotwire_foam_cutter.html
You need some way to cut the blue foam.Â* It cuts like butter and super clean with a diy hot wire cutter.Â* You just need to stretch a wire out and electrify it with a battery or something to heat it enough to melt foam on contact.Â* Don't blame me if you fry yourself :P
5. Resin to harden the carbon- solter composites has aÂ* bunch of good resins that are good to 500 degrees and some that are good to a lot higher if your nice to them.Â* It's on the site but you can use any reasonably heat resistant resin.Â* I have built pieces out of the stuff from home depot that worked great.
6.Â* Sand paper to shape the foam.Â* you glue cut pieces of foam basically and then sand it to finish shaping it.
7. Latex mode making stuff.Â* Find this at plastic stores like Hastings Plastic in santa monica.Â* you coat the foam with this stuff so it leaves a smooth surface on the inside of your part you are making.
8. Giant heat shrink tubing- again from solter composites at the link above.Â* allows you "vaccuum" pack your part when it is drying like they do for fancy pro pieces.Â*
Procedure:
1.Â* Cut your blue foam to the shape and size you want to make the part out of.Â* If your making a curved intake, cut a cylinder and then cut it into wedges and then glue them together with spray adhesive.Â* This stuff cuts like butter so you should be able to cut and sand a curved intake in under an hour:
Here is a single piece cut:Â* http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/foam-wedge.jpg
Here are some pieces glued together: http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/glued-wedges.jpg
Here is the glue I used: http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/sprayglue.jpg
finished shape before sanding: http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/foam-intake-shape.jpg
After you shape the piece to your liking, you sand it with 80 grit and then 120 grit to get a smooth surface on the foam.Â* Then you coat it with this latex stuff so the resin won't stick to it later and you have a smooth surface inside of your tube:
http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/latex-mold-stuff.jpg
Here are some shots of the carbon sleeving:
http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/carbon-sleeving-1.jpg
http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/carbon-sleeving-2.jpg
What I do is spray some glue on the latex covered foam and slide the sleeving on it and work it so it follows the foam shape and there are no wrinkles or gaps.Â* Don't use much spray glue just enough to tack it in place.
After you get the shape covered with dry carbon fiber, you got to wet it out with resin.Â* Follow the directions on the resin and mix it properly.Â* Use some gloves and work it into the carbon so the whole thing is "wetted" out really well.Â* You can use a resin roller if you want but you need to wet the carbon through and through.Â* Don't use some 5 minute resin that sets up too quick or you may not be able to get the whole piece all coated.
Here is the trick I learned and then suggested to solter: use giant heat shrink tubing to squeeze out the excess resin and leave a nice finished surface:
http://www.solarcomposites.com/composites/carbon%20fiber%20sleeves.html#shrink
Slide the heat shrink tubing over the form or vacuum bag it if you have that stuff and let it cure.Â* Â*
Cut off the heat shrink and pour aceytone on the blue foam and it will melt away to nothing leaving a finished piece.Â* Trim the ends and finish sand and clear coat and your done.
You can make almost anything this way from a catch can, intake, airbox, ic piping etc.Â* It is within the realm of most people's ability if they have a bandsaw or make a hot wire foam cutter for super cheap.
Here are some stuff I have made:
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/uploads/gt40/normal_catchcan2sitetube.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/uploads/gt40/normal_ccai2.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10080/cold%20air3.jpg
http://www.socalevo.net/gallery/albums/userpics/10080/normal_cold%20air1.jpg
Anyway, my work has gotten better with each piece and it is really not very much money to make one so here goes...
Tools and materials needed:
1. Blue foam this stuff is really dense and dissolves on contact with acetone.Â* That is the requirement.Â* It is basically really high density styrofoam.Â* I got a 4 foot by 8 foot by 4 inch "slab" for 60 bucks.Â* Â*Enough to make like 40 intakes.Â* you can get it a home depot in smaller thicknesses or foam stores.Â*
2. Acetone to melt it out later
3. Carbon fiber sleeving.Â* I get mine from:Â* Â*http://www.solarcomposites.com/composites/carbon%20fiber%20sleeves.html
This stuff is cool because it is a flexible and adjustable tube that is made out of carbon fiber or kevlar and it is kinda like a sock that you cut the toe off of- slide it over the form and you have a seemless carbon tube when your done.
These guys have a lot of good info on how to work the the stuff on their site.
4.Â* band saw or hot wire foam cutter.Â* I have a bandsaw but hot wire thingy is easy to make:Â*
http://www.hhhh.org/~joeboy/resources/hotwire_foam_cutter/hotwire_foam_cutter.html
You need some way to cut the blue foam.Â* It cuts like butter and super clean with a diy hot wire cutter.Â* You just need to stretch a wire out and electrify it with a battery or something to heat it enough to melt foam on contact.Â* Don't blame me if you fry yourself :P
5. Resin to harden the carbon- solter composites has aÂ* bunch of good resins that are good to 500 degrees and some that are good to a lot higher if your nice to them.Â* It's on the site but you can use any reasonably heat resistant resin.Â* I have built pieces out of the stuff from home depot that worked great.
6.Â* Sand paper to shape the foam.Â* you glue cut pieces of foam basically and then sand it to finish shaping it.
7. Latex mode making stuff.Â* Find this at plastic stores like Hastings Plastic in santa monica.Â* you coat the foam with this stuff so it leaves a smooth surface on the inside of your part you are making.
8. Giant heat shrink tubing- again from solter composites at the link above.Â* allows you "vaccuum" pack your part when it is drying like they do for fancy pro pieces.Â*
Procedure:
1.Â* Cut your blue foam to the shape and size you want to make the part out of.Â* If your making a curved intake, cut a cylinder and then cut it into wedges and then glue them together with spray adhesive.Â* This stuff cuts like butter so you should be able to cut and sand a curved intake in under an hour:
Here is a single piece cut:Â* http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/foam-wedge.jpg
Here are some pieces glued together: http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/glued-wedges.jpg
Here is the glue I used: http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/sprayglue.jpg
finished shape before sanding: http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/foam-intake-shape.jpg
After you shape the piece to your liking, you sand it with 80 grit and then 120 grit to get a smooth surface on the foam.Â* Then you coat it with this latex stuff so the resin won't stick to it later and you have a smooth surface inside of your tube:
http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/latex-mold-stuff.jpg
Here are some shots of the carbon sleeving:
http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/carbon-sleeving-1.jpg
http://www.mccomsey.net/lostfoam/carbon-sleeving-2.jpg
What I do is spray some glue on the latex covered foam and slide the sleeving on it and work it so it follows the foam shape and there are no wrinkles or gaps.Â* Don't use much spray glue just enough to tack it in place.
After you get the shape covered with dry carbon fiber, you got to wet it out with resin.Â* Follow the directions on the resin and mix it properly.Â* Use some gloves and work it into the carbon so the whole thing is "wetted" out really well.Â* You can use a resin roller if you want but you need to wet the carbon through and through.Â* Don't use some 5 minute resin that sets up too quick or you may not be able to get the whole piece all coated.
Here is the trick I learned and then suggested to solter: use giant heat shrink tubing to squeeze out the excess resin and leave a nice finished surface:
http://www.solarcomposites.com/composites/carbon%20fiber%20sleeves.html#shrink
Slide the heat shrink tubing over the form or vacuum bag it if you have that stuff and let it cure.Â* Â*
Cut off the heat shrink and pour aceytone on the blue foam and it will melt away to nothing leaving a finished piece.Â* Trim the ends and finish sand and clear coat and your done.