How I built a carbon bike frame at home (and a bamboo frame too)

Step 4 Laminating

I was a little bit afraid before I have added the first layer because of lack of experience. I only had theoretical and little practical knowledge of how to do it, but by following the instructions on how to mix the epoxy and how to wet out the carbon cloth it went okay. I have wetted out the pieces of carbon and I have added the first layer on the foam core. I have tried to cut as large pieces of carbon as possible. For each tube, I have used one big piece with overlapping about 1 cm.

While it was still wet, I have wrapped over the first layer of carbon tightly with electrical tape with sticky side up to provide compaction during curing. I could wrap tightly thanks to the aforementioned light layer of fiberglass, which has increased the rigidity of the foam core significantly. Before wrapping, I have perforated the tape with a pin over the whole surface. This squeezed out excess resin after wrapping.

You can also use perforated heat-shrink tape for the compaction, or use vacuum bagging technique, but for me this was the easiest and sufficient method. According my rough measuremets, the ratio of carbon/epoxy was about 50:50.

This image shows the excess resin after wrapping.

Comments

[toilofday]

For the holes, you could push the pin through the entire roll, although the frequencies of holes would increase the further into the center of the tape.

Maybe do a couple rolls, only half way.  Then space further apart for the second half..

[bbas8]

Maybe you could use PTFE (plumbing tape) as it wont stick to the resin.  But putting all thoughs holes in, you must have the patience of an angel.  Well explained but I do fibreglassing myself so guess i read between the lines... oh wetting out is putting the dry glass cloth on a board and using a brush or roller to apply the resin  before you place it in position on the bike frame.  This reduces the chance of having areas that  are dry of resin.

[Duckism]

yeah you are sooo good at what you are doing but too bad you lack so much details on how or what you are doing..... I really wannna learn how to do all those things you are talking about...

[upnorthrick]

You can buy non adhesive electrical tape, one source is Eastwood:
http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=1368&itemType=PRODUCT

[sessions2407]

I've decided to build my own frame just because of this posting. I have just one question. How were you laying the carbon fiber down? Did you have one long strip that stretched the length of the tubes overlapping 1 cm on the bottom or were you using very long strips and wrapping the fiber around the foam as you did with the tape? Your tape photo is a great example of how i was looking at wrapping the fiber.

[pattyboy7]

How do you wet out the carbon cloth and what is wetting out?