Thread: best cf cloth?
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Old 04-12-10 | 04:18 PM
  #2  
NoReg
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I'm a boat guy... But... it makes a huge difference if you are making carbon tubes, or are using carbon without form restrictions. Tubes are not a very efficient method for carbon, but more importantly you have to be able to handle all the radiuses and tight corners.

I wouldn't worry too much about perfect. Just use what others are using, but keep in mind basic principles like tow and uni are more efficient, often much cheaper, but harder to handle. Twill is also directional but more easily molded, etc... I would highly recomend starting small and making something that is not as large as a bike or as complex, and getting a little lamination experience, if you don't already have it. In this internet world, people bit off huge projects with zero experience, but it isn't the zen way. Better to build up to it a little...

If I was alone without the internet etc... and had to make some scantling decisions, I would note that carbon often ends up one half to 1/4 wall thickness of aluminum in the parts I am familiar with, like spar tubes etc... If you look at the tubing wall thicknesses of aluminum tubes for bikes I would conclude that the main restriction is going to be making tubes tough enough not strong enough, that means wall thickness is more a firmness issue than big structural analysis about whether it busts. I say that because if you take half the meat ouf ot an Al tube conversion it is a pretty thin walled tube. Just my guess though.

Aluminum bonds well to epoxy in this kind of ap. So I would be inclined to source head and BB from Nova Al tube sellection, Of course it will be oversize, but in both cases that means just tunirng down the exterior, or eating the mild excess weight.

Don't cheap out on the resin. Carbon parts need high performance resin systems. It's the concrete where the carbon is the rebar. Both need to be up to the same gig. You can use low quality resins but not if you are building efficient structures.
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