Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
Working with fiberglass and CF is extremely difficult, and paying a fabricator to lay it up would cost a small fortune in both parts and labor.
If you want to save weight, buy a motorcycle. If you want to save weight on doors, get a Jeep.
|
Look up the cost of standard weave 5 oz. cloth in carbon fiber. You can find it on the market for discounts of 30 USD for a linear yard, 60 inches wide. Expensive in comparison to common glass fiber cloth, but not beyond the reach of the home fabricator. The skill is not that much more difficult than standard glass fiber work with only a few additional safety requirements. I taught my son how to use it when he was 12. He and his cousins constructed skateboards, drum shells and trim inserts for his Mercedes (when he was 15). If you want to design in it, many undergrad reference books are understandable by those with a good technical background.
And, applications such as motorcycles are ideal as the smaller parts size means smaller costs and the small weight saved results in tremendous performance increases.