Discussion
This is taken from another forum, it explains roughly how it was made.
Eventually this will be a full blown CF Sparkplug cover!!
A few more of the finished pattern. Hand crafted not machined.
Here's the moulding stage.
There will be 8 plys of Pre Preg Carbon laid on the mould, one light ply (thickness) for getting all the detail (so it can be pushed into all the sharp angles to define the shape) and then 6 plys of heavy placed at 0 degrees for the first and 45 degrees for the second and so on. There is a final light ply laid to seal all the cut parts of carbon to make a good final finish. The ply orientation makes the mould hold its shape and not twist.
The mould is cured and removed from the pattern.
Its a good mould because all of the corners are intact!! 8) :LOL:
All trimmed up and freecoated ready for making the cover tomorrow. :smt026
"Moulding the cover"
After the mould has been protected with the release agent then the plys can be laid in the mould to make the part. I have chosen a ultra lightweight layup of 3 plys of carbon (2 plys of light twill and 1 layer of heavy twill). This will be sufficient for a cover of this type as it serves no purpose other than a moisture protector. I also added in some hard pads of solid carbon to make the areas that bolt down onto the engine.
This mould will be placed in a bag and will be subjected to a vacuum, this pulls the carbon down on to the surface of the mould ensuring all of the edges and detail is formed.
The cover is being autoclaved tonight (a big pressure cooker) so i should have it tomorrow trimmed and ready to fit to the car. 8)
Here is the part as it looks just cracked out of the mould. It needs trimming to the lines that i scribed.
Here is the cover fully trimmed and ready to go.
Fitted to the car.
The two of them as a comparison.
Eventually this will be a full blown CF Sparkplug cover!!
A few more of the finished pattern. Hand crafted not machined.
Here's the moulding stage.
There will be 8 plys of Pre Preg Carbon laid on the mould, one light ply (thickness) for getting all the detail (so it can be pushed into all the sharp angles to define the shape) and then 6 plys of heavy placed at 0 degrees for the first and 45 degrees for the second and so on. There is a final light ply laid to seal all the cut parts of carbon to make a good final finish. The ply orientation makes the mould hold its shape and not twist.
The mould is cured and removed from the pattern.
Its a good mould because all of the corners are intact!! 8) :LOL:
All trimmed up and freecoated ready for making the cover tomorrow. :smt026
"Moulding the cover"
After the mould has been protected with the release agent then the plys can be laid in the mould to make the part. I have chosen a ultra lightweight layup of 3 plys of carbon (2 plys of light twill and 1 layer of heavy twill). This will be sufficient for a cover of this type as it serves no purpose other than a moisture protector. I also added in some hard pads of solid carbon to make the areas that bolt down onto the engine.
This mould will be placed in a bag and will be subjected to a vacuum, this pulls the carbon down on to the surface of the mould ensuring all of the edges and detail is formed.
The cover is being autoclaved tonight (a big pressure cooker) so i should have it tomorrow trimmed and ready to fit to the car. 8)
Here is the part as it looks just cracked out of the mould. It needs trimming to the lines that i scribed.
Here is the cover fully trimmed and ready to go.
Fitted to the car.
The two of them as a comparison.
Edited by Composite Guru on Tuesday 12th June 00:13
Edited by Composite Guru on Tuesday 12th June 07:07
Edited by Composite Guru on Thursday 14th June 20:32
lightningghost said:
Hi, welcome to PH. That's a lovely car you've got there. I've always loved S2000s. I do have one question. With the hard top roof, when you remove it is there anywhere for it to go? Because it doesn't look as if it folds up.
Cheers.
Thanks Cheers.
The Hardtop stores on a stand or in a wall mounted bag in the garage so taking it with you is not an option. I use the later as it takes up less room as it is off the floor.
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