moldless vacuum bagging carbon fiber bicycle frame pt4

Part 4. More work on integrating the sub-frame into the aerodynamic fairing and the main drivetrain section. Using Freeman 1020 Low-Density Epoxy Molding Compound (aka...Cookie dough.) we got some very nice results but note, do not exceed the 1/2 inch thickness spec unless you have a really good way of dissapating the exothermic heat this stuff will generate if you go any thicker. (that was one of the reasons for using thick aluminum plates in our clamping rig. they act like a heat sink to keep the heat manageable.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• vacuum
• bagging
• carbon
• fiber
• bicycle
• frame
• diy
• composites
• epoxy
• resin

[Mandersound]

Fiberglass supply dot com has it

[iceee187]

Maybe I am dumb here but what did you wrap the carbon around to give it's shape. Did you have a tube and then pulled it out when the carbon was dry?

[Mandersound]

I wrapped the epoxy wetted carbon around an aluminum mandrel that had a 1mil thick piece of release film wrapped around it to keep the epoxy from sticking to it. It worked like a charm.

[snifnscratch]

Hearing "....drilling a hole for the headtube...." would make me walk away.....

I WOULDNT drill that size of hole in carbon. Anyway, I cant find part 5 of this saga - perhaps the bike fell apart while the video poster was riding it and.....

[Mandersound]

Well, It rode, and was easily 10 times stiffer than the chromoly steel frame that was in the bike originally and if you look at the most recent video in this series you can see the bike in action...Of course we re-enforced the head tube sides with over 7 layers of 10oz carbon and then bonded in a carbon/aluminum head tube sleeve with a chris king steelset headset. All of that other work made it incredibly stiff and efficient.

[blinginlike3p0]

so much carbon holy shit. that was like 500 dollars in carbon

[datzfast]

interesting approach, probably would have an application in tubular light aircraft construct. being as light but with twice the stiffness and strength. i bet you could do it eaisily.

[vinybinder]

@Mandersound

Thx a lot !!

[vinybinder]

Hello. Great project !! i have one question tho: where is that 200 film available? Thx for your answer.

[inagod]

thank you for posting,this is so cool.

[dcspepper]

About the only time i get to work in my shop is at night, after i get the kids to bed and all my "honey-do's" are done. lol that's probably why i here crickets throughout most of the video.

[Mandersound]

This project was never about making the prettiest bike frame out of carbon, otherwise we would have made female molds but we were only making one of these! Hence the moldless approach. Vacuum bagging was used for it's very high and uniform clamping pressure and for that it worked well. Making molds forces you to work from the outside-in and we couldn't use that method. We chose prefab tubing for the core and built out from it and it's 10 times stiffer than the steel frame it replaced.

[legalize000]

just to let you know hard doesn't always mean strong

[legalize000]

neat ridg hahaaa