Carbon fiber wrapping (insane idea?)
12-03-2018, 08:52 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Carbon fiber wrapping (insane idea?)
Hi guys, I'm doing a frame off restoration on my 69' corvette and now I've got the body stripped at bare fiberglass. I know that I can go with gelcoat or epoxy primer but I was thinking about another way to seal fiberglass... a friend of mine works with carbon fiber (he makes Ferrari OEM carbon fiber parts), so I can get materials at very low prices, maybe for free because he has got some material inventories. I can also use a big autoclave (big enough for the complete body). The idea is to apply a thin outer layer of carbon fiber (0,01 inches thickness) over fiberglass. My friend say that this will create a better starting point for primer and paint job with a longer life. Do you agree with him or is an insane idea? Eventually which kind of resin should be preferred? Thanks and sorry for my bad english (I write from Italy...)
12-04-2018, 12:17 PM
#2
Race Director
Seems like an awful lot of work for really any significant structural benefit due to you are adding such a thin layer. Yes..I am also aware on how stout carbon fiber is even in thin layers. SO yes it would add something.
But I know I would not do it due to having Corvettes like yours out on the road with paint jobs on them well over 30 years old and no problems with them. YES...as for the resin he would use. I would say would be better starting point. But what you have is still not that bad and needing an upgrade UBLESS it is bad. Btu like I also mentioned I have many with absolutely no problems with them.and until I do.....I am not going in and apply even a thin layer of the carbon veil to it with epoxy resin.
I can say that I have toyed around with the idea of laying a layer of carbon fiber triaxle cloth on the entire exterior of the car and not paint it.
DUB
But I know I would not do it due to having Corvettes like yours out on the road with paint jobs on them well over 30 years old and no problems with them. YES...as for the resin he would use. I would say would be better starting point. But what you have is still not that bad and needing an upgrade UBLESS it is bad. Btu like I also mentioned I have many with absolutely no problems with them.and until I do.....I am not going in and apply even a thin layer of the carbon veil to it with epoxy resin.
I can say that I have toyed around with the idea of laying a layer of carbon fiber triaxle cloth on the entire exterior of the car and not paint it.
DUB
12-05-2018, 12:22 PM
#3
Racer
Thread Starter
Thanks for your reply DUB, your opinion is very important for me! The problem is that here in Italy I've seen many bad paint jobs on sharks, so I'm a little scared about local paint shops and their experience with fiberglass. Which procedure and materials will you use for a long lasting paint job?
12-05-2018, 05:32 PM
#4
Race Director
All I will write is how I would do it if your car were in my shop.
I would do all bodywork and get it completed a...then I would gelcoat the fiberglass panels...and on steel parts I would apply epoxy primer and then polyester primer. Then sand it...apply a sealer then paint the car.
NOW ...the gelcoat you want to get if you can get it is polyester isophthalic gelcoat.. And I would try to get the type that DOES NOT have wax init. get the type where PVA needs to be applied on it. If they apply the gelcoat...it needs to be about 20 mils thick...and that is NOT MILLIMETERS
DUB
I would do all bodywork and get it completed a...then I would gelcoat the fiberglass panels...and on steel parts I would apply epoxy primer and then polyester primer. Then sand it...apply a sealer then paint the car.
NOW ...the gelcoat you want to get if you can get it is polyester isophthalic gelcoat.. And I would try to get the type that DOES NOT have wax init. get the type where PVA needs to be applied on it. If they apply the gelcoat...it needs to be about 20 mils thick...and that is NOT MILLIMETERS
DUB
12-05-2018, 07:43 PM
#5
Racer
Thread Starter
Thanks DUB! So for all bodywork do you mean fiberglass repairs, filler etc.? 20 mils thick sound like 0.5 mm quite thin so I suppose the best way to apply it is with an appropriate spray gun. After gelcoat and before polyester primer, no sanding is required? Any suggestion about sealer type? I'm trying to read much discussions in this forum area but a recap sometimes works better and avoid to confuse the matter!
12-07-2018, 02:34 AM
#6
Instructor
You might want to reconsider carbon fiber. If it were a small interior piece, then, sure. However, large body panels should be made entirely of one or the other. The reason for this is that the rate for expansion is much different. While carbon fiber is stronger than fiberglass per weight, it doesn’t compete in the stretch, therefore, if you wrap a single layer of carbon fiber over the fiberglass, and there is any expansion in the Fiberglas, for what ever reason, your carbon fiber will snap. I’ve actually researched this quite a bit as I was thinking about a similar idea. Google carbon wrapping fiberglass and you’ll find several articles and videos on the difference in materials and why they’re really not compatible. Hope this helps and good luck!
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porchdog (12-07-2018)
12-07-2018, 08:50 AM
#8
Race Director
You might want to reconsider carbon fiber. If it were a small interior piece, then, sure. However, large body panels should be made entirely of one or the other. The reason for this is that the rate for expansion is much different. While carbon fiber is stronger than fiberglass per weight, it doesn’t compete in the stretch, therefore, if you wrap a single layer of carbon fiber over the fiberglass, and there is any expansion in the Fiberglas, for what ever reason, your carbon fiber will snap. I’ve actually researched this quite a bit as I was thinking about a similar idea. Google carbon wrapping fiberglass and you’ll find several articles and videos on the difference in materials and why they’re really not compatible. Hope this helps and good luck!
I am also glad you replied due to if you have seen evidence that applying a layer of carbon fiber cloth on a polyester panel and it fails...that just saved me a lot of time if I were to do what I was thinking. And I do see the validity in what you are saying on how the carbon fiber can snap if the panel can flex enough for it to do so.DUB
12-07-2018, 06:09 PM
#9
Racer
Thread Starter
You might want to reconsider carbon fiber. If it were a small interior piece, then, sure. However, large body panels should be made entirely of one or the other. The reason for this is that the rate for expansion is much different. While carbon fiber is stronger than fiberglass per weight, it doesn’t compete in the stretch, therefore, if you wrap a single layer of carbon fiber over the fiberglass, and there is any expansion in the Fiberglas, for what ever reason, your carbon fiber will snap. I’ve actually researched this quite a bit as I was thinking about a similar idea. Google carbon wrapping fiberglass and you’ll find several articles and videos on the difference in materials and why they’re really not compatible. Hope this helps and good luck!