I thought this might be a good place to start a discussion about building with composite materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Kevlar. Over the past year, I have done a bunch of research on the subject(s), and have hit some pitfalls along the way. I have also had some small successes through trial and error and some very useful stuff I have found on the web. I was hoping to utilize the wealth of knowledge on this site to compile a roadmap for do-it-yourselfers who want to build with composites. I will attempt to keep up-to-date on the posts here, and use page 1 as a repository of useful knowledge, with links, so one need not search through pages of the forum to find the information they seek. Since I came into this thing with absolutely no background in working with composites, I will try and keep it simple for people like myself; a sort of Composites 101. Disclaimer – most of the chemicals used in building with composites are dangerous as hell. If you blow yourself up, or cause yourself physical harm in any way, blame yourself for not using the proper safety equipment. To begin, just some basic theory: The idea behind building with composites is that you begin with very light material such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or Kevlar. These materials are composed of fibers that are oriented in a way so that the sum of fibers is stronger than the individual fibers. The fibers are then arranged in sheets, and the sheets are layered atop one another to further increase strength. The layers of composite sheets are held together by “glues”. These “glues” are generally referred to as resins. Resins are thick/viscous liquids that are very sticky. As they dry, they become stickier. Eventually they harden – almost like sap from a tree. The most common resin for composite building is made from polyester. Resins will harden over time, but the time to harden (or cure) can be decreased by the use of a catalyst. In the world of chemistry, catalysts make chemical reactions more energetically favorable. Think of it this way, many chemicals won’t react with other chemicals, because it takes too much energy to start the reaction. They are very lazy. Catalysts make it easier for two chemicals to begin a reaction. Once the reaction begins, heat generated from the reaction itself, will create energy that propagates the reaction. In the case of polyester resins, the catalyst most commonly used is Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide (MEKP). Other factors that effect how quickly a resin will harden are temperature, humidity, and pressure. The higher the temperature and pressure, the quicker a resin will harden. The role of humidity is more variable, but in general, the more humid the air, the slower the process of hardening. Pike Bishop has added his experience with epoxies: the more humid the air, the faster the cure time. The amount of catalyst can also effect cure time. With respect to polyester resins, increasing the volume of catalyst decreases the cure time. This is usually not desirable, because if the resin cures too quickly, it often compromises the strength of the resin, and therefore the composite. Adding too little catalyst may result in a product that never really hardens as it should. Epoxy can also be used to glue the sheets together. The advantages to epoxies are they are much less caustic and much less dangerous. Unlike polyester resin, epoxy does not dissolve plastics and Styrofoam. When making plugs and molds, it is often desirable to not dissolve everything. Like polyester resins, epoxy requires a catalyst. In the case of epoxy, it is usually called the hardener. The disadvantages to epoxies are that they are much more expensive, and they weaken when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. There are UV-resistant epoxies available, but the price is even higher for these. Some great links about epoxies provided by Pike Bishop: West System User Guide Epoxyworks free online magazine Now a word about some common materials needed: Fiberglass comes in a variety of weaves and thickness. I haven’t spent much time working with fiberglass, so I will limit my discussion to saying that the least expensive way to build with composites is to use fiberglass and polyester resin. I have no experience in how to build a strong fiberglass piece that is cosmetically appealing. Carbon fiber comes in a variety of thicknesses and weaves. The more complicated the part you are making, the thinner you will want the sheet, so that it will lay over bends and contours. Carbon fiber is significantly more costly than fiberglass. The adage that carbon fiber is stronger than steel, yet lighter than aluminum is true, but it really only applies to carbon fiber pieces that are created in a very specific way (requires the application of vacuum, heat, and pressure). The stuff that one can build in a garage will likely not have these optimal characteristics. It is possible to purchase sheets of carbon fiber that are already impregnated with resin. However, this practice is generally limited to aerospace and Formula-1 race teams who have serious cash resources to purchase (and store) impregnated carbon fiber. Hybrid cloths combine Kevlar and carbon fiber into a weave. The really cool thing about these fibers is that they come in a variety of colors, yet retain characteristics of carbon fiber. However, a word of warning: once the resin is added to the hybrid, the color changes significantly. Think of it this way – if you spill water an your cotton T-shirt, the wet spot has a distinctly different color than the dry spot. The same happens with these hybrids; the color may be spot-on when dry, but once resin is added, the color changes, and the cured product is a different color than the dry cloth. Kevlar is very good at dissipating energy - hence its use in bulletproof vests. Kevlar can be combined with Carbon Fiber, or even fiberglass to make a cloth, but can also be purchased as pure Kevlar. Kevlar does not resist UV-light very well. Kevlar, and thus its hybrids are generally more expensive than carbon fiber. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a blue liquid. It is essentially like liquid Saran Wrap. Applied in liquid form to molds or plugs, once it dries, it forms a micro-thin barrier that will prevent resins, epoxies, and gel-coat from sticking. It is easy to find, and pretty inexpensive. Gel Coat is essentially a polyester resin that has been thickened and pigmented; and therefore comes in a variety of colors. Gel coat is what gives fiberglass parts that super shiny smooth appearance (think of a fiberglass boat hull). Since Gel Coat is made from polyester, it retains similar characteristics; UV-protection, tends to melt plastics and Styrofoam, and requires MEKP as catalyst. Gel coat is a very good material for making molds because when it cures, it is super smooth and sandable. There are different types of gelcoat, and they are generally quite expensive ($60-$100/gallon). Gel Coats will clot up if they sit around unused for long periods of time, so when you buy it, make sure it has been made up recently, or the seller is willing to guarantee the Gel Coat will be free from clots. Tooling Gel Coat is designed for mold-making. It is supposed to be harder and tolerate the rigors of multiple pulls from one mold. I have had no luck whatsoever with tooling gel coat. It is more expensive than regular gel coat, and it tends to crack when it dries. I have given up using it entirely. If you are committed to using gel coat(s), I have personally had much more consistent results using it when the ambient temperature is 70 degrees or less. When it is hot outside, even though I am in an air-conditioned environment, my results have not been as consistent as when it's winter outside, and I am running the heater in my shop. That being said, since I started making molds with epoxy, I doubt I will ever use gelcoat again. Mold Release Wax is essentially just wax like you would use to wax your car. Other than being heat-resistant, I don’t know what other properties it contains. A can of mold release wax will cost about the same amount as a can of good car wax. Vacuum bagging is a whole other process and is discussed here. The first build: At a minimum, I think one needs the following items to create a carbon fiber part: 1. Carbon Fiber 2. Polyester Resin 3. MEKP – usually comes with the polyester resin - do not be fooled into buying methyl ethyl ketone at Home Depot - it is not the same stuff 4. At your local Home Depot you can get a good pair of scissors 5. A well-ventilated area, or a respirator 6. Latex or nitrile gloves 7. Some cheap paint brushes (chip brushes) 8. Disposable paper measuring cups that are not lined with wax, or disposable plastic measuring cups (but if the resin and catalyst are left in plastic for more than an hour, it will dissolve the plastic) - if you are using epoxy, you can use Styrofoam cups 9. A syringe for measuring MEKP (can be obtained from a corner pharmacy) 10. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) Where does one go to get all this sh*t? I recommend Jamestown Distributing. They have a large variety of products, they are good about offering free shipping coupons, and they ship quickly. Other places I have purchase from include Elite Motoring on Ebay, USComposites, and Fiberglass Supply. Another excellent resource is YouTube. There are some great instructional videos on how to fabricate with CF. I highly recommend watching as many of these videos as possible before starting your first project. 3 hours on Youtube can save you 3 hundred dollars, and 3 months in the garage. Jamestown Distributors also has a repository of awesome instructional videos. CF parts can be made in a variety of ways. One of the simplest things to do is just layer CF over a part that is already made. Okay, so this is not really a part made of CF, but it does have a nice look. Essentially, all you need to do is buff the plastic so it has a rough appearance, paint on a layer of epoxy with hardener, put on a layer of CF, then repeat. Once you have 2-3 layers on and it is dry, add one to two more layers of epoxy with hardener to give it a nice gleam. The final product will still have a somewhat rough appearance, and it will not retain the most desirable characteristics of plastic or CF…it just looks cool. The next thing one can do is to create a mold from a piece of Styrofoam. Then using epoxy, layer CF atop the Styrofoam. Once the CF is cured, Acetone can be poured on the Styrofoam, and it will dissolve without dissolving the CF and epoxy. Here is another link to building atop Styrofoam. This is a piece I made with Foam Core Posterboard. It took me just a couple days to whip this out: The strongest and most ascetically pleasing pieces are also the most labor and time-consuming, and will cost a bit more to make. This process involves building a plug, then a mold, then using the mold to create your piece… This is a piece I made recently. This is the piece freshly pulled from the mold. This is before sanding and finishing, and already it has a beautiful appearance. More on this later.