Wrap of the day; since everyone is sick of seeing my daily headlight pics.

[rxrep]

Here is first overlay of snorkel. This one will be finished in high-gloss to match the Carbonio and DTH stuff in the bay.

[03 silverbullet]

looks good.

where can i find carbon fiber to start making my own stuff ?

[rxrep]

I weave my own.


Just kidding. eBay FTW. 2X2 twill weave works best for aesthetic stuff with sharp bends and corners. Lowest weight you can find. Heavier weight stuff doesn't conform to the shape as well.

[03 silverbullet]

what all do i need to start making my own stuff ? i searched ebay and found all the different weights and twill.

[rxrep]

The cloth usually comes in rolls. Don't buy stuff that is folded as the creases fugk up everything and you have to work around them, unless you don't care about waves in your weave.
Just search for 2x2 carbon fiber.
You'll also need resin/hardener. Don't cheap out on that. Get the stuff that's UV protected and can withstand high heat. Not just any old fiberglass stuff.

You can find good deals on scrap here and there. That's what I do. It's really $$$ to buy intact new rolls of cloth. But a lot of times, the big shops will sell of large pieces that doesn't serve their purpose anymore.
My last piece was 36" wide by 72" long, scrap, and my bid won at $35. Enough to do a szhitload of stuff.

[03 silverbullet]

i must be searching the wrong stuff then because everything im finding is new so scrap must only come up once in a while.

Do i just need a regular resin for fiberglass thats heat and UV resistant or does it have to be specifically for carbon fiber ?

What do u do about the seems ? im guessing the fiber meets on the bottom there so how do u make that look good and stay together while the resin hardens ?

[rxrep]

i must be searching the wrong stuff then because everything im finding is new so scrap must only come up once in a while.

Do i just need a regular resin for fiberglass thats heat and UV resistant or does it have to be specifically for carbon fiber ?

What do u do about the seems ? im guessing the fiber meets on the bottom there so how do u make that look good and stay together while the resin hardens ?

Not sure on resin; I know some fiberglass resins don't like carbon fiber, though. I don't know why. I just buy the stuff that is advertized as for carbon fiber.
As for making it work on seams.... Unlike fiberglass, where I get the material soaked first, with CF I apply a coat of resin to whatever it is I'm working on but leave the cloth dry. Then I let it sit. Longer than I'd think, until the resin is sticky as hell, right before it is really "set". My most common mistake is to not wait long enough. Then, I lay the dry cloth over the part I'm doing, starting in the middle and working out. Make sure my weave is straight and taking the angle I want. If I let the resin sit long enough, then the cloth will stick to all of the contours easily. If I didn't leave the resin sit long enough, then the cloth really doesn't stick well. In which case I use a heat gun to help the resin set, and then use various home-made tools to hold the cloth in place on those tight corners and curves. Once everything sets well enough, I leave it all sit overnight to cure. I apply nothing to the top side of the cloth just yet.
Next day I'll start applying resin coats on the top. I build up two-three coats before I start to sand down. When you sand, you'll think you messed everything up because you took a gloss finish and sanded it until you can barely even see any CF under it. But it's just like body work. You sand smooth and then build back up. Finish with spray clear coat.
There are tons of youtube vids showing how to do it. Just make sure the video is on overlay, and not vaccuum bagging.
I'm no pro at this stuff and a lot happens from trial and error. The one thing I learned real fast is to use masking tape on your roll in the outline of anything you cut out. Cut right down the middle of the tape. This way, your edges won't fray. Nothing worse than trying to coat resin and stray fibers are getting stuck in your nice resin coat. The stuff, when dry, falls apart real fast if you don't have the edges taped.

If you mean the "seams" from getting cloth that has been folded, yeah, you just work around the folds and try to get them in places where they wouldn't be noticed.

[03 silverbullet]

ok so i will look for carbon fiber specific resin.

so i guess for the seams you just put them in areas you wont see and match the weave up as best as you can.

I have made things out of fiberglass and was gone to make a few things for my audi out of fiberglass but i think i will try making them out of carbon fiber.

[03 silverbullet]

Where do you usually get the resin from ?

[rxrep]

eBay on everything. And I had no idea how to do any of this, even though I do have a ton of body work and fiberglass experience. I learned it all from searching youtube.

[JMRQuattro]

what user do you buy from for the carbon fiber? Cause i'm always skeptical about buying things from ebay. My gf's sister bought a cell phone on ebay and it never showed up. She used paypal so she got her money back somehow, but the phone never did show up. So i'm always worried about buying on ebay and i always make sure i buy from a user i know people have bought from with no problems. But i would love to do my own overlay on my interior trim And it would be pretty sweet to do an overlay on my rear trunk trim, and my side mirrors, and my stock engine cover.

[03 silverbullet]

ok , most of the resin on ebay was 70 some bucks. i googled it though and found other suppliers

[dirtybrd]

The last thing I want is waves in my "weave"

[03 silverbullet]

what user do you buy from for the carbon fiber? Cause i'm always skeptical about buying things from ebay. My gf's sister bought a cell phone on ebay and it never showed up. She used paypal so she got her money back somehow, but the phone never did show up. So i'm always worried about buying on ebay and i always make sure i buy from a user i know people have bought from with no problems. But i would love to do my own overlay on my interior trim And it would be pretty sweet to do an overlay on my rear trunk trim, and my side mirrors, and my stock engine cover.

what was the sales history for the seller that she bought the phone from ?

I myself try to buy from people with high sales. i have even bought a few things from hong kong from sellers that had sales in the thousands.

[JMRQuattro]

what was the sales history for the seller that she bought the phone from ?

I myself try to buy from people with high sales. i have even bought a few things from hong kong from sellers that had sales in the thousands.

that's the thing, she bought from a powerseller. And it wasn't just a shipping problem because the seller wouldn't reply to emails, didn't give her a tracking number or anything.

And i've seen that people will make accounts and make transactions to themself through multiple fake accounts and then write phony reviews. And viola... fraud.

[03 silverbullet]

Well that sucks.

[JMRQuattro]

yeah, it really does. It's too bad everyone can't just be honest and not be out to rip people off.

[TonyD]

How is that going to hold up to the heat?

[BEESIX]

The last thing I want is waves in my "weave"

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOO im surprised no one esle caught that ahahahahah

im gunna carbon fiber overlay my whole car jdm style yo

[2001A6]

rxrep, looked at your car domain, wow. That is beautiful. All that carbon fiber under the hood... yummy! And the under caridge is very clean, but I think your control arms could use some polishing. I got bored, decided to sand them, and buff. Nice shiny billet ish alloy control arms. Anyway, you have done great work!

[martini]

and dont forget, this method is for cosmetic purposes only... dont try to make something out of CF this way

[47Ronin]

im going to wrap my laptop in carbon fiber

[JMRQuattro]

^^ that would be really sick. But i would not want to take the chance to screw it up.

[Charlescrs6]

rsrep there's been like 1920480428 questions in this thread so I'm sorry for asking but how do you make the edges of the CF even? Do you just cut it with scissors or tuck it inside the snorkel tube?

[jojoampt]

i dont know, ive bought TONS of stuff from ebay, and never had a problem once. the only thing i know you really have to be careful with are Nike dunk sb's... people bootleg the shit outta those.

yeah, it really does. It's too bad everyone can't just be honest and not be out to rip people off.

[rxrep]

rsrep there's been like 1920480428 questions in this thread so I'm sorry for asking but how do you make the edges of the CF even? Do you just cut it with scissors or tuck it inside the snorkel tube?

NP man. That's what forums are for. It's very hard to "tuck" the cloth around the 180 degree bend. It will always create a high spot where you don't want it, since I'm not vaccuum bagging. You are never cutting cured CF/resin with scissors. Stuff is pretty indestructable. I use dremmel with cut-off disc and take my time.
One thing on prep is to be sure you paint everything black before doing the CF. That way, any small gaps created by extreme corners or curves where the weave has to expand/contract a little won't show a weird color underneath. I just plasti-dip black everything.
If you really cut well and take your time, you can't tell that the CF edge is overlayed. It looks as if the piece itself is CF. Right now, the edge of the snorkel where the CF stops just looks like the whole thickness is CF.
You can be very precise with cuts, but make sure you have a couple coats of resin cured on it first. Or else you may have rough cuts and some fraying of cloth that wasn't soaked enough in resin.

Oh, and I've never had eBay problems before, either. Since 2001, not one bad transaction, buying or selling. Knock on wood.

Finally, it should hold up to heat no better/worse than the stuff already in the bay, and after my third Carbonio cover replacement over a year ago, I haven't had problems since.

[kwimberly]

Is the CF going to have enough "give" for that snorkel? Whenever I remove the snorkel I end up having to bend, twist, and squeeze it back together to get the two halves to fit and to get the front part tucked under for the screws. I know you're only using half of the OEM snorkel, but it still seems like it requires some flex.

[rxrep]

Is the CF going to have enough "give" for that snorkel? Whenever I remove the snorkel I end up having to bend, twist, and squeeze it back together to get the two halves to fit and to get the front part tucked under for the screws. I know you're only using half of the OEM snorkel, but it still seems like it requires some flex.

What air box you using? I have no problems like that with the Carbonio. The accordion piece in the middle is the only thing that bends a little. But it all slips right in.
Plus, I drill small holes in the snorkel top so the resin sets in to it and helps keep it from separation. I hope.

The underside will be set with reflective heat shield w/ fiberglass backing.

[chadb2434]

looks good, be sure to take some pics when your finished!

[forevraudi]

im getting my carbonio sometime next week, maybe this will be my next adventure. nice work!

[JMRQuattro]

i dont know, ive bought TONS of stuff from ebay, and never had a problem once. the only thing i know you really have to be careful with are Nike dunk sb's... people bootleg the shit outta those.

for that you have to go to nike forums. My friend is a sneaker head, mostly SB dunks. He had enough pairs that he sold half of his collection and bought a 98 integra lol. He used to buy them off of a specialized nike forum. You can't rely on anywhere else really.

[jojoampt]

i just rely on my homies skateshop. ive known them since i was 7 and i get everything for cost. ive pretty much had damn near every dunk sb thats come out. all for invoice price!

for that you have to go to nike forums. My friend is a sneaker head, mostly SB dunks. He had enough pairs that he sold half of his collection and bought a 98 integra lol. He used to buy them off of a specialized nike forum. You can't rely on anywhere else really.

[JMRQuattro]

That's pretty sick. I think the only ones my friend has left are the 06 or 07 P-rod's (the black with the rainbow fade ones), home and away guns, (probably my favorite) the Jedi's, Hunters, Tiffany's, Homers, purple avengers, and i forget the name of them but they are mid all grey suede with a red swoosh and he had a matching shirt for them that had a picture of the shoe on it. They were basically the Iron only the swoosh wasn't blue. The ones i want the most are the blue tokyo taxi and the jedi's.

[jojoampt]

nice, ive pretty much either sold off or worn till they were beat all but, Diamonds, Stussys, De La highs, Melvins, Motley Crues, Pusheads, Oompa loompas, Fogs, Sk8 or dies, and a couple of pairs of random mids just cuz i like to skate in those. I was really into it for awhile, and then you know its funny, when i got into my car and also took up golf like crazy, my shoe hobby pretty much fell off. Pretty much now im into Air max 90's. and woah holy shit end of thread jack!! lol.

[JMRQuattro]

haha yeah /thread jack.

Carbon fiber makes everything better.

[rxrep]

Let this thread die already. 'Cause by the end of the weekend, I'ma have plenty of CF front-end pics to post in a whole new thread. Everything is in the final stages right now. And let me say that I've found that a garbage bag and a shop vac can be a good ghetto replacement for vaccuum bagging. It really helped keep everything right on my grilles.