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

Step 5 Laminating 2

In this picture, you can see the frame after the first layer was added and the electrical tape was removed. It began to look like a real bike frame. Approximately four-five hours after first layer had been done, I removed electrical tape lightly and I added another layer, and again, I wrapped it over with the tape. I have tried to make as many layers during the day as possible, because after it fully cured overnight I had to softly sand the surface for the next layer. Before the last layer I have bonded the rear brake bosses and have reinforced them with few carbon layers.

Comments

[history323]

Hey, this is really nice! Just wondering if the CF bonds directly to the metal components, or do you have to take some sort of extra precaution to make sure the metal and carbon fiber stay together??

[Santorican]

I've been staring at this picture for a few hours and for the life of me I cannot figure out how you laid up the carbon fiber. Did you use some sort of cf tape or did you drape wet cf sheets around the core?

[m_68]

When you apply wet-of-resin-and-agent carbon fibre texture on any surface, and aligned by a brush or a paint roller-like instrument made of different size washers, then it STICKS to it, unless you choose a too curvy surface to apply. The texture will SURELY bend in one direction, like wrapping around everything round edged, for example a tube.
Then there are several processes to laminate it, the one what Brano described is a very effective and cheap solution. If you plan to apply carbon fiber (or glass fiber, or texalium) texture on a surface, you may do the same punch-made-holes method on 0.2-0.5 mm thick film, and then somehow pull it on the treated surface.