Scratch Build – In Progress Project: OSIDIAS - Carbon fiber and 3D printed SFF (Jan. 2, 2020)

See!!! See what you did!!!

 

Not a problem man. I'm no expert, but I'm happy to share what I know.

1. That's the same ebay vendor I got my fiber from. FYI, elitemotoring, is actually Composite Envisions. Ironically, people have had issues with late shipments from the latter, while no issues from the former. The cloth you linked looks fine. I just happened to get it in a 50" width instead of the 31".

2. A little resin goes a long way when applying multiple layers. I'm not familiar with the resin you linked, so I can't vouch for it's effectiveness. I used the 32oz side A resin, and the 8oz B side medium 109 hardener from here. This was recommended to me by MKmods from techpowerup forums. He's worked with CF quite a bit, and I trust his judgment. The 109 hardener is most sensitive to temperature when curing, but it dries the clearest.

3. I wouldn't add an pigment. You want the CF to be covered by something as clear as possible. Anything less would kill the 3D effect that fiber offers in the first place.

4. See number 2.

5. Yes, that's the paste I used. It's damn smelly stuff!

6. A few tips. Watch the resin pot time. Most resins give you 30 minutes. You'd better plan on being done before then, or things get sticky as hell. You're better off stopping and adding more fiber after the first layers dry. Also, the fiber weave is very sensitive to movement. You need to get it in position and lined up the first time you lay it done. Adjustments afterword usually cause the weave to shift. Another thing, invest in shears that are made for cutting CF. You won't regret it. Finally, tape all the edges to be cut, and cut on the tape to avoid the fiber edges from unraveling.

Yes, there's a great example!

Lol, it won't be the first time.

 

Thanks m8

 

I watched this about a thousand times and I still cant find any words to describe what I see.
The only thing that I am sure is that I want to see this mod finished, sooner better!!!!

Just mod brother, just mod

 

Not a problem man. Just an FYI, the shears I use are linked below. They are the spring loaded ones, 4th item down, T-04A1.

http://www.acp-composites.com/home.php?cat=260

Thanks mate! That means a lot coming from you. Believe me, as anxious as all of you are, I'm having a hard time being patient too!

 

craig,

the only way to get sharp outside corners will be to mold from the outside in. I don''t think it would be possible to do it as one piece.

Also it looks like from the pictures and text that you did multiple layers of CF at the same time. And this caused you to be unable to get a proper pull down because the resin was curing already. maybe one layer at a time?

 

Well, maybe I shouldn't use the word sharp so much... As designed, all corners have a 2mm radius, and multiple layers will exaggerate the radius on the outside. I don't have a problem with that except on the top corners. You see, there is about 1.5cm between the two edges of the corners on each side. What I'm unhappy with is that the area between those edges. The overall shape is far too rounded. I've already sanded the case, and will post pics when I can, but I'm much happier now. Even one more layer of fiber won't ruin what I'm trying to achieve.

I did do multiple layers at the same time, but it was the only practical way to do it. If I were to do one layer at a time, with cures between each layer, the end result would have left me with a much thicker case. Layering allowed me to use less resin and more layers of CF, while keeping the thickness down. I don't have a problem with my method, just the amount of time I took to do it. The vacuum bagging would have taken care of all my corner issues if I was just a little faster. Lesson learned...

 

lesson noted
thanks for sharing such usefull tips

and now i have to kill you




all of your CF work is giving me a CF ich
eventhough i havent finished a mod that im working on i want to do something with CF
thanks to you

and i could just throw it in there
but there isnt enough areas that i could use it on that would make it look acceptable to me
so
i hate you

 

Mmmmmm CF

I remember seeing thisand this At the MPH show a few years ago. The koenigsegg was beautiful as they laid the weave perfectly over it so it seemed to flow over the curves... Also the one I saw had a bright yellow leather interior, which worked amazingly well.

When I get the courage I'll do one as a LAN build

 

Yup, found something similar on Amazon.

Anyways, +rep.

 

Of course the ultimate would be to use prepreg CF cloth. then bake it in an oven under vacuum. But I have looked into that before and prepreg is $100+ (USD) per yard.

 

This looks like a interesting mod

Looking forward for some more updates.

 

Lol, I'll take that as a compliment.

Those are great examples of nicely laid CF. Pure sweetness.

Excellent! Thanks for the rep!

Yes, it's pricey. Plust the logistics of a vacuum, and an oven put it out of the reach of feasibility for most modders.

Thanks man! I should have more updates this weekend.

 

http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Departments/Carbon-Fibre-Sheet/Rigid-Sheet.aspx

its a good website with plenty of carbon fibre. They can also custom make the carbon fibre size for u. Its also very cheap.

also craig, as ure sorta a CF expert i presume. Whats the difference with Carbon Fibre and Carbon Fibre Vaneer?

Ultimate = Foam Cored Carbon Fibre but it is 4mm thick -.-

 

On the page you linked, there are only rigid sheets listed. So I'll base my response on the products listed there. The regular Wet Lay Carbon Fibre Sheets look to start at 1mm thick, and are finished to a gloss on one side only. Those would be good for making panels were only one side is visible. They should be easy to cut and work with, however they won't be able to be bent and formed. The Wet Lay Carbon Veneer is .6mm thick with an adhesive backing. It is meant to go over a panel or some other hard surface. It can be bent around reasonable single plane corners and curves. It isn't meant to stand on it's own. Think of it as purely cosmetic. It won't add much for strength, but it will sure look nice. Case side panels, drive bays, motherboard trays... there are literally a hundred things you could basically peel and stick the veneer too.

Sine they are on the same page, the Pre-Preg Carbon Fibre Sheet is normally meant to be bent to shape while being heated and under a vacuum, as nlancaster mentioned above. It doesn't say so specifically though in the product description... You may want to get clarification from the vendor if you are interested in that product. It does have the advantage of being finished to a gloss on both sides however. Now, finally you've got the Foam-Cored Carbon Fibre Panel. This is a larger panel obviously, and it's meant to cover large expanses with strength. It wouldn't work so well cut into small trim pieces, but might be suited to covering large areas, but can't be bent. Truthfully, it's likely overkill for anyone building a computer mod.

Is that helpful?

 

http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Departments/Carbon-Fibre-Sheet/Flexible-Sheet.aspx
Flexible Ones

http://www.carbonmods.co.uk/Departments/carbon-fibre-vinyl.aspx
Vinyl Ones

(Free samples Cheesecake)

edit: ???? it changes F T W to cheesecake?

 

LOL! It's a long story.

Anyways, those 3M Di-Noc don't have the same look/feel as the real stuff (imo). Trust me. I tried those before due to cost/easiness and decided real carbon fiber is just better and worth the cost hence why I'm learning about real CF now. As for the other stuff you linked to, seems to be for none-structural work. Since OSIDIAS (and other applications similar to this) will need structural integrity, I doubt those flexible CF sheets will work.

 

Less talkie more workie.

 

thats what i was about to say
moar updates
less talk

 

Craig is such a tease!
Stop holding out on us and lets get down to business No homo!