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      03-13-2011, 08:18 PM   #11
Nachos23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by .:bHd:. View Post
I love these when there's a clear coat on it. OP doesn't wanna share his secrets and tell us how he does it haha
OP has no issues sharing cause all the "technique" is in the wrapping; the rest is basically mechanical processes.....

1. You need to select a good resin that is ultra clear, has a long pot and working time (to give time to wrap properly). I use West Systems products.

2. you need to prep part surface with a silicone and wax remover, then sand (80 - 120 grit dry) to roughen up the surface. I then paint with black primer to help with adhesion and to ensure none of the base material will show through weave.

3. Size and cut the CF cloth before mixing resin and hardener. I use a very thin strip of blue painters tape around entire piece of cloth to keep weave intact before applying (which I cut away after cloth is layed, but before it's cured.)

4. make sure to apply resin in very thin coats. The goal is to fill-in low areas, not build-up on high spots. I use a special resin roller to roll the resin into fabric after applying and a similar roller cut into 1/4s to remove excess resin after each coat.... repeat 4-5 times till part is essentially flat and you can't see ripples in resin.

5. Wet sand; 220, 400 + 800 making sure to change water and rags when changing grits.

6. Clear coat. I personally use a BASF 3-part clear coat that I spray using a DeVilbiss GFG-670 gravity feed gun running @ around 35psi @ base.

The real "trick" is the laying of the fabric. Unfortunately, other than watching a ton of videos and alot of practice, the rest is experience. I'm wrapping some 40 -50 pieces/week now. I'd say it took 300 or so pieces to really get a handle on the wrapping.... to where it is today; and I'm still constantly experimenting with new products and techniques to refine the process and "make it perfect".

Hope this helps. Check out this video; it's the one I watched about 20 times before attempting anything:
It gave the basic understanding.

If you go to West Systems, they also have a bunch of tutorials (although their focus is on fibreglass which acts quite differently than CF, but the process is the same)....

Good luck!
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