Carbon Fibre Repairs

[Steve Bass]

So a mate has started dabbling with doing CF repairs, initially for the offroad lads, fixing engine covers etc.
But he's getting a bit handy lately, so I thought a couple of Daisy's pieces needed a little love.
So we were faffing around today, sanding, filling, mixing resins and generally getting stuff ready.
Couple of pieces got coated today, need a bit of sanding and polishing tomorrow, but the big job is rewrapping the air tubes. Cut the old indicator mounts out and laid up a special mesh to act as a backstop, then mixed some special powder into the resin to create a filler, ready for sanding tomorrow, and them lay up. Look shyte at the moment but hopefully things will be shiny and new tomorrow.
Also going to be laying up some CF onto the RS too-fiddys bodywork, see how it goes

[Ghost91]

Steve Bass said:

Also going to be laying up some CF onto the RS too-fiddys bodywork, see how it goes

Laying it up on to the bodywork?

[Steve Bass]

Ghost91 said:

Steve Bass said:

Also going to be laying up some CF onto the RS too-fiddys bodywork, see how it goes

Laying it up on to the bodywork?

Yep, she has new race bodywork so going to be laying some panels up then sand back to fade the joints. Things like CF number boards etc.

[dukeboy749r]

Do you ever manage to recreate the original look? or is it about just making a good fill in job, with stuff that is nearly as strong as the original CF?

[Steve Bass]

dukeboy749r said:

Do you ever manage to recreate the original look? or is it about just making a good fill in job, with stuff that is nearly as strong as the original CF?

We'll see

It should look as good as original although we're not autoclaving. Just vacuum bagging a wet lay up. But these parts are hard to get so needed to find a way to rescue them.

[13aines]

Laying CF up is incredibly satisfying once you've finished the component!

I tested some test samples and when loaded parallel to the fibre direction CF is astonishing stuff.

For load bearing stuff, if you don't lay it up right and it's loaded off axis, or handle/store the pre-preg stuff right, or don't prepare the surface it's laid onto adequately the reduction in strength is unbelievable - hence laying up CF for monocoques and things is one hell of a skill.

[Ghost91]

Steve Bass said:

Yep, she has new race bodywork so going to be laying some panels up then sand back to fade the joints. Things like CF number boards etc.

What's your race bodywork made from?

13aines said:

Laying CF up is incredibly satisfying once you've finished the component!

I wish I still found it satisfying!

[Steve Bass]

13aines said:

Laying CF up is incredibly satisfying once you've finished the component!

I tested some test samples and when loaded parallel to the fibre direction CF is astonishing stuff.

For load bearing stuff, if you don't lay it up right and it's loaded off axis, or handle/store the pre-preg stuff right, or don't prepare the surface it's laid onto adequately the reduction in strength is unbelievable - hence laying up CF for monocoques and things is one hell of a skill.

Thankfully we're not trying to create anything structural. Just trying to make good trim and ancillary pieces that are showing their age.
And rather than making all new moulds we're seeing if we can add some CF accents, like number boards and such prior to panel painting.
Nothing serious, Mclaren have nothing to worry about yet

[SteveSteveson]

Steve Bass said:

Nothing serious, Mclaren have nothing to worry about yet

have you not been watching this years F1

[13aines]

Ghost91 said:

I wish I still found it satisfying!

I guess like anything! I've only done it twice

Steve Bass said:

Thankfully we're not trying to create anything structural. Just trying to make good trim and ancillary pieces that are showing their age.
And rather than making all new moulds we're seeing if we can add some CF accents, like number boards and such prior to panel painting.
Nothing serious, Mclaren have nothing to worry about yet

Sounds great - i've fancied having a go at laying carbon onto some of the 675 trim.

[dukeboy749r]

Steve Bass said:

We'll see

It should look as good as original although we're not autoclaving. Just vacuum bagging a wet lay up. But these parts are hard to get so needed to find a way to rescue them.

[jackh707]

So are you using an oven with your vacuum bag or is it curing another way? We always found vacuum bagging very difficult as acheiving a good deal is very difficult.