Starting on my Carbon Fiber Door Panels

[Mazda_Power]

For a final project in my composites class I decided to make carbon fiber door panels for my Festiva.

I used a 60"x30" piece of Plexiglass for it's smooth side. Then I waxed it twice. I used a Protech Medium Epoxy (100:28). Each panel took 207g of Resin and 60g hardener. The carbon fiber I used was Heavy Lab C. I didn't overlay the existing panel, I took it out, stripped off the vinyl and measured the dimensions of the "Cardboard" underneth. I layed my Epoxy on the plexiglass 1st to leave a smooth finish, then I layed my first layer. Then I wetted that layer out... repeated for 3 layers. Then I sealed it up, and vacuum bagged it. I used a spreader to try and pull the excess epoxy off and out. I should have pictures later.

[BLiNdSiDe]

what.. is it gonna be a flat piece of carbon fiber with the OEM door arm rest/handle? For our mini-baja we made a fiber glass seat with CF insert vacuum baged it and the unmolding was the only painfull part....even with the 5 coats of wax and the 4 coats of a blue unmolding agent....

Do you have any tips to sand down the resin bumps made by the vacuum bag?!

[Mazda_Power]

Yeah, just a flat panel drilled for the window crank, arm rest, and door lever. It popped off fairly easy. Here's a few pics:





[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v303/Techno_Craft/IMG_0369.jpg
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[darkdan]

Sure, get that done AFTER the meet.

When you gonna come do a few fiberglass projects I got planned on my cars? =)

[Mazda_Power]

Ha! Maybe you'll be graced with tinting a car that has more into the door panels than the ammount of gas it goes through a year!

I got that one trimmed now. I vacuum bagged the other. It should be done tomorrow. I should have them both prepped trimed and glossed tomorrow!

[BLiNdSiDe]

http://web.njit.edu/~cas1383/proj/main/

not a bad site for molding speaker boxes and other stuff,,,

[darkdan]

Just remember....interiors get soaked with water and soap during tinting. =)

[Mazda_Power]

That's OK I doused it with epoxy. OR I can get it done with them off. I have them cut out now, I just need to take some picks. I got 57 out of 60 points for them! Not Bad!

[aithanmier]

oooh thats gonna look sweet. i'd like to do some cf inserts in the door panels but i have no skills lol. i may have to find a shop to handle the construction. lets see some installed pics when you get em!