cutting carbon fibre.....help ?

[Shaun_TLR]

Hi All,

I would like to (ideally buy) a saddle battery brace setup for my losi 22. However, the current battery braces available from people like X-factory, J concepts and exotek etc etc do currently cater for people using saddle packs (only stubbys and stick packs), as the saddle packs cover the pre-drilled holes in the chassis for these contraptions.

I have a couple of questions. Firstly, where can I buy carbon fibre plate from? secondly, how do I go about cutting/shaping it to what I want?

Someone has told me the B4 carbon fibre battery brace will fit with a little bodging. Of course the above questions are null and void if anyone can tell me where I can buy a brace that caters for saddle packs?

[Shaun_TLR]

I'd like to end up with some sort of carbon brace like in pictures 3 and 4 of the link below

http://www.petitrc.com/_forumphp/sho...nty-Two/page34

cheers

[amadán]

I would use a saw like this

[wrighty]

I would call fybre-lyte or possibly make a cardboard template to send them and get them to cut it

[Shaun_TLR]

Originally Posted by amadán

I would use a saw like this

LOL ! I knew I was asking a dangerously obvious question and did risk this sort of reply. Any ideas how to get a nice finish at all after using such a instrument?

[Shaun_TLR]

Originally Posted by wrighty

I would call fybre-lyte or possibly make a cardboard template to send them and get them to cut it

just seen their website, they seem like the sorta guys to do it for me, assuming they dont charge the earth............which is sometimes the case for this sorta work

[Andrew Twigger]

They will charge the earth and they'll also expect something more accurate than a cardboard cut out methinks.

I made some radio trays with some carbon off eBay. Used a Dremel with a diamond cutting wheel to cut it and then tidied it up with wet and dry after. I guess you'd want 3mm for a battery strap, so that could take a while with a Dremel

[androo]

hi shaun.

I might be able to help you out, it seems like a simple shape to cut out. All i would need is a length, width and dimensions for holes.

drop me a PM

[Dazzieboy]

You can easily cut to a rough shape using a hack saw but you may go through a blade or two. Then use various grades of emery cloth to get to the exact shape. If you want to use power tools make sure you use air rather than electric as carbon and electricity don't mix

[DANNYHOCKIN]

All of the flat plate stuff I do (did) gets sent out to a company with cnc routers, but here's what I used to do and got some great results.

Get some flat plate in the thickness you desire.

Draw your creation on the carbon plate with a Sharpie marker.

Use a bandsaw with an 1/8th inch blade turned upside down to cut the basic shape out. (It's turned upside down so the trailing edge of the blade cuts. If not, the carbon can chip and chunk)

Use a Dremel with bit # 9931 on a fairly high speed, (Tungsten carbide cutter) to shape up the edges and get into all of the hard to reach areas that the band saw wouldn't get to. (You could also use the this bit to cut the entire part out, but it will take alot longer and the dust will be CRAZY)

Finally, wet sand the edges with 400 - 600 and you're done.

Please, please, PLEASE wear a respirator or at least a high quality dust mask and keep your vacuum cleaner running to suck up the dust that this stuff makes!

Hope this helps!

[jo90]

Also wear latex or similar gloves. Carbon dust can be like needles in the skin and is no good for you.

I wouldnt use such a huge saw either. your going to need a small hand saw (if you want to do it cheap) with a carbide blade with the smallest teeth pitch you can get. Better though is if you can borrow or buy a Dremel as stated above. I would also cover the sheet in masking tape, it helps to draw on your template and also i found helps stop the edges from splintering at all. Finish off with Wet and Dry as mentioned and I would also superglue the cut edges as they will not be laminated. Use a medium superglue for this, running over it once dry with a high grade wet and dry (1200-1500) just to smooth it.

[percymon]

I knocked this simple battery strap up at the weekend using some 3mm CF plate from 'kitcarbon' on eBay (its CF top surface, glass fibre backing) - wet sand the edges and job done - probably took best part of half an hour , but could make 5 from the A5 sheet of material that cost me 8 quid - not bad at £1.60 each

[Cream]

Originally Posted by DANNYHOCKIN

.

Please, please, PLEASE wear a respirator or at least a high quality dust mask and keep your vacuum cleaner running to suck up the dust that this stuff makes!

Hope this helps!

I was just going to post the same thing. It's nasty stuff. My Uncle used to work at British aero space, when I mentioned to him I was thinking of cutting it. He recommended I didn't bother. He put it in the same class as asbestos for health issues.
You have been warned

[Cream]

Originally Posted by percymon

I knocked this simple battery strap up at the weekend using some 3mm CF plate from 'kitcarbon' on eBay (its CF top surface, glass fibre backing) - wet sand the edges and job done - probably took best part of half an hour , but could make 5 from the A5 sheet of material that cost me 8 quid - not bad at £1.60 each

£1.60 + half an hour labour

[Shaun_TLR]

Originally Posted by percymon

I knocked this simple battery strap up at the weekend using some 3mm CF plate from 'kitcarbon' on eBay (its CF top surface, glass fibre backing) - wet sand the edges and job done - probably took best part of half an hour , but could make 5 from the A5 sheet of material that cost me 8 quid - not bad at £1.60 each

This looks exactly the sort of thing I want to achieve (although maybe a larger surface area to buy some much needed space in my 22).

Did you find 3mm hard to work with? its been suggested that 2mm would make the task far easier.....

ta greatly

Ps noted about the respirator - although Androo has kindly offered his services at the moment, probably wise given I have fists of ham !!

[adey]

Hi all, I make quite alot of my own parts in carbon fibre and use my trusty dremel and hand files to cut the required shape. Firstly, its very messy so make sure you have your Hoover ready, secondly, wear gloves and a face mask. Carbon between your fingers is not pleasant, thirdly, carbon tends to wear out the cutting bits very quickly (at least the ones I use). I have drawed my designs on graph paper and sent them to Fibrelyte and they have made them for me at a very reasonable cost so don't rule them out. Martin at Fibrelyte is a nice chap and has helped me with parts in the past with no problem.

[BentKa]

Perma-Grit has all the tools you need for working with carbon fiber

You can buy them and all the carbon fiber supplies you need here:

http://www.easycomposites.co.uk

Bent

[mrspeedy]

If you can lay your hands on a small jigsaw and use a fine toothed metal cutting blade works pretty well with a bit of a clean up with a sanding drum in a dremel.

I do all my carbon stuff out side on the driveway to keep the nasty dust out of the workshop ..

[DANNYHOCKIN]

Originally Posted by Cream

I was just going to post the same thing. It's nasty stuff. My Uncle used to work at British aero space, when I mentioned to him I was thinking of cutting it. He recommended I didn't bother. He put it in the same class as asbestos for health issues.
You have been warned

Yeah, there's a reason why I don't make large quantities of parts anymore in my shop. LOL. It is not worth it! I wear all of the proper attire and have the ventilation and I actually think I can smell things better since I quit!

[Adam F]

I use Terry at DT Racing, the quality is excellent... very good value too!

dtracingproducts@gmail.com

Some pics below of the Cat chassis parts he made for me...