Box finishing idea...

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

well im more than likely going to finish the box with mdf, which is cheaper than glass, and stronger on flat surfaces, which will make applying CF much easier...

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

First, unless you are an aerospace contractor, you can't get carbon fiber cloth right now. The limited amount that is still available in the open market is astronomically expensive. CF isn't exactly something you just play around with either. I also am pretty sure that you don't understand the trouble that you would be going to for a cosmetic application of CF. It isn't going to add any strength. You would have to invest in vacuum bagging equipment to even have a prayer of it coming out right. You MUST use epoxy resin which is around 2 times as expensive as poly resin. When, not if, you eff it up you can't just sand out your mistakes either. You get one chance to get it right and unless you have a lot of experience and/or a lot of really expensive equipment, it's going to end up as a really expensive mistake.

 

[2loud4u 10+ year member]

You can get carbon fiber cloth on ebay.

Not that expensive eather.

I got some on its way cause i am doing my dash, doors and a few other odds and ends.

My buddy used to do it alot so He is going to help me out.

He works at Imp areospace They build parts for every kind of air plane.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

You can get carbon fiber cloth on ebay.Not that expensive eather.

I got some on its way cause i am doing my dash, doors and a few other odds and ends.

My buddy used to do it alot so He is going to help me out.

He works at Imp areospace They build parts for every kind of air plane.

Laying CF for strength and laying it for cosmetic purposes are two very different things. The only stuff I found of eBay was running $50+ per yard. Less than a year ago it was 1/4 that. If that is inexpensive to you, then congrats.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

First, unless you are an aerospace contractor, you can't get carbon fiber cloth right now. The limited amount that is still available in the open market is astronomically expensive. CF isn't exactly something you just play around with either. I also am pretty sure that you don't understand the trouble that you would be going to for a cosmetic application of CF. It isn't going to add any strength. You would have to invest in vacuum bagging equipment to even have a prayer of it coming out right. You MUST use epoxy resin which is around 2 times as expensive as poly resin. When, not if, you eff it up you can't just sand out your mistakes either. You get one chance to get it right and unless you have a lot of experience and/or a lot of really expensive equipment, it's going to end up as a really expensive mistake.

That was exactly what I was going for in my first post. You can't just wrap it around the box unless you know how to mold it.

 

[2loud4u 10+ year member]

Laying CF for strength and laying it for cosmetic purposes are two very different things. The only stuff I found of eBay was running $50+ per yard. Less than a year ago it was 1/4 that. If that is inexpensive to you, then congrats.

40 Dollars on there for a square yard. 36" wide x 36" long.

I dont think that it is that expensive. If I bought a carbon fiber dash or door pannels it would cost me alot more then that no question.

 

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

Again, I'll say it for like the 5th time. There is a reason why carbon fiber parts cost a lot of money, and it isn't because of the material itself. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

i understand completely what youre saying there... Actually, eBay was where i found CF for what i think is a decent price. SO even laying CF on MDF isnt easy? And yes, its purely cosmetic... Not tryin to make it bulletproof... hmm... how about that kevlar cloth shit... im guessing thats even MORE expensive...

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

i understand completely what youre saying there... Actually, eBay was where i found CF for what i think is a decent price. SO even laying CF on MDF isnt easy? And yes, its purely cosmetic... Not tryin to make it bulletproof... hmm... how about that kevlar cloth shit... im guessing thats even MORE expensive...

Kevlar is cheaper right now, but it isn't ballistic kevlar. Yes even laying CF on a flat surface is difficult. You get one chance. If you touch it, you disturb the weave and that blemish in the weave will stand out like a sore thumb. Doing small trim pieces is much easier becaus you don't have the long running lines to worry about keeping straight and any disturbances to the symmetry of the weave don't look so out of place on a small curved piece.

I've been planning on doing my trunk and door pods in the carbon fiber look vinyl. Not the stick on cheap looking shit, but the upholstery vinyl with a weave pattern embossed on it. My car came from the factory with the top and bottom of the steering wheel and shift boot made out of it and it looks really good. Check this stuff out.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

40 Dollars on there for a square yard. 36" wide x 36" long.
I dont think that it is that expensive. If I bought a carbon fiber dash or door pannels it would cost me alot more then that no question.

If the part is actually solid carbon fiber, do you have any idea how much of that fabric is in there. Add to that the labor to make the part. Add to that the cost of the epoxy resin used to make it.

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

thats awesome carpet vinyl stuff....

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

thats awesome carpet vinyl stuff....

My point exactly...

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

...wow... i wish i would have found that earlier. Have you ever seen what this looks like all applied and stuff? Also, do you think the carbon fiber lookin stuff would look about the same as real carbon fiber once i use epoxy resin on it?

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

thanks a bunch for that link. Thats definately what im gonna use on my box. Im gonna buy some CF later on just to mess around with... i always have to mess with stuff.. its in my nature. Theres a lot of stuff i can use that for in my car!

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

...wow... i wish i would have found that earlier. Have you ever seen what this looks like all applied and stuff? Also, do you think the carbon fiber lookin stuff would look about the same as real carbon fiber once i use epoxy resin on it?

You don't want to put resin on that stuff. That is exactly how it is supposed to look as a finished product. I guess you could try to put resin on it but I would def try it on a small piece before I went to the trouble to cover my sub box with it and then eff it up by putting resin on it where it wasn't needed.

I know exactly how it looks without any resin on it. Like I said my steering wheel is wrapped in it and my shifter boot is made out of it.