Epoxy resin for carbon fibre, can i colour it?

[VinceFox]

I just got a carbonmods kit and want to carbon laminate my bike fuel tank. The kit no longer comes with a black base colour though. Is there anything i can mix in with the 2 pack epoxy to make it black first? Can i just use normal paint or will it balls it all up? The fuel tank is white and the raw carbon sheet will definitely show the colour underneath if i don't colour it.

Any advice?

[paintman]

West Systems manufacture a lot of stuff for use in the marine industry - and for people who enjoy messing about with boats.
This includes colouring additive for their epoxy resin. Whether that is compatible with the resin you have I don't know, but this link might be of use:
http://www.wessex-resins.com/westsystem/additive-s...

ETA A quick look online also brings up these, but again, check that their stuff is compatible:
http://www.easycomposites.co.uk/Category/Pigments/...

Edited by paintman on Thursday 13th March 19:56

[leafspring]

^^^ seconded

[matthias73]

As mentioned above, when using epoxy you use a dye to colour it.

I would recommend mixing it with the resin first until the two are properly mixed, and then you can mix the hardener in. You don't need to use much either!

[Luther Blisset]

Slight hijack Bonding CF to mild steel; would something like POR15 suffice as an intermediate layer that prevents corrosion?

[leafspring]

This would be easier if I had a work mates mobile number to confirm, but I'm pretty sure for a good bond between steel and any composite you'd need to have a well keyed bare steel area, the bonding should seal it from corrosion.

[jackh707]

If you put dye in the epoxy, you won't see the pattern of the carbon fibre as well, assuming you've got a 2x2 twill.

If your doing it for aesthetic reasons it defeats the object of doing it.

Paint the tank black first would be my answer.

[leafspring]

Depends on how much black pigment he adds... painting could work as long as he can find a compatible base coat that is guaranteed not to lift when the resin is applied.

A Two pack base paint should work

[Luther Blisset]

leafspring said:

This would be easier if I had a work mates mobile number to confirm, but I'm pretty sure for a good bond between steel and any composite you'd need to have a well keyed bare steel area, the bonding should seal it from corrosion.

That makes sense, no air = no corrosion.

I'd also read that the epoxy accelerated corrosion though... I dunno.

I what Nismo did with the Skyline Z-Tune.

[VinceFox]

Thanks for the replies all, i'm completely new to this. Ordered a black pigment for epoxy off bay earlier.

The tank itself is a plastic offroad one, not metal so POR shouldnt be necessary. I'm a little concerned about the tank plastic trying to breather the carbon off, but have seen a couple done and it seems successful.

I'll stick the results up if anyone's interested but ive not done this before, so god knows how it'll turn out!

[leafspring]

Vince Is the tank just moulded plastic or GRP?

Luther Blisset said:

leafspring said:

This would be easier if I had a work mates mobile number to confirm, but I'm pretty sure for a good bond between steel and any composite you'd need to have a well keyed bare steel area, the bonding should seal it from corrosion.

That makes sense, no air = no corrosion.

I'd also read that the epoxy accelerated corrosion though... I dunno.

I what Nismo did with the Skyline Z-Tune.

Epoxy causing corrosion is new to me, but all the composite work I've done at the marina where I work is GRP.
I know Mark has used CF before, I'd need to check with him to see if the base components are different before advising and I have no way of talking to him till I go back on Tuesday

Sorry

[VinceFox]

No probs Leaf, i'm here all day, every day. If you hear anything useful i'd appreciate it.

Te tank is an offroad motorbike, so it's thick plastic kind of like a spare fuel can. I know they breathe fuel vapour through the walls, that's why it keeps rejecting decals, but hopefully a carbon fibre shell will stay put.

[leafspring]

I was thinking more of the epoxy resin eating/melting it...

[VinceFox]

leafspring said:

I was thinking more of the epoxy resin eating/melting it...

Bugger. It wouldnt would it? I haven t really used epoxy before, maybe i should try a small test patch.

[Luther Blisset]

leafspring said:

Epoxy causing corrosion is new to me, but all the composite work I've done at the marina where I work is GRP.
I know Mark has used CF before, I'd need to check with him to see if the base components are different before advising and I have no way of talking to him till I go back on Tuesday

Sorry

No, I very much appreciate your replies thusfar

VinceFox said:

No probs Leaf, i'm here all day, every day. If you hear anything useful i'd appreciate it.

Te tank is an offroad motorbike, so it's thick plastic kind of like a spare fuel can. I know they breathe fuel vapour through the walls, that's why it keeps rejecting decals, but hopefully a carbon fibre shell will stay put.

Does make you wonder if decals won't stick, but petrol is like a solvent I suppose but epoxy should be fine I think.

If it's fully encased I imagine it's not gonna go anywhere, but as you could probably tell I'm fairly clueless at this

[leafspring]

Try a patch first, there is a slim chance it might... Depends on the epoxy and what you're bonding it to. There's a surprising amount of heat involved in the chemical reaction too.

I remember Mark saying something about polyester and styrene based plastics whilst I was mounting a new fuel tank into a RIB...

Not being very helpful am I

[VinceFox]

leafspring said:

Try a patch first, there is a slim chance it might... Depends on the epoxy and what you're bonding it to. There's a surprising amount of heat involved in the chemical reaction too.

I remember Mark saying something about polyester and styrene based plastics whilst I was mounting a new fuel tank into a RIB...

Not being very helpful am I

Actually you are

This is all stuff i hadnt considered tbh. Just read a thread where a guy did this to a drz tank and it warped it trying to degas. Was in a hot state in america tho, above 100 degrees, so it should last forever given british weather.

[RichGault]

Hello there,new guy here,go gentle haha

Can I just ask quickly,I take it you are wanting to wrap an existing tank with wet lay carbon and let that go off?

[VinceFox]

RichGault said:

Hello there,new guy here,go gentle haha

Can I just ask quickly,I take it you are wanting to wrap an existing tank with wet lay carbon and let that go off?

Firstly, welcome. Secondly you need to bring cake. It's tradition.

Thirdly, yes that's the term i think. Wet laying is epoxy then raw carbon sheeting and wet brushed to seat?

[leafspring]

epoxy on the bonding surface, epoxy on the carbon (both sides), then stick the two together and roller out the air bubbles for a smooth finish...

at least that's basically what I'd do

Edited by leafspring on Thursday 13th March 21:35