BEST MOVE IS TO KEEP MOVING
June 13, 2024
One step at at time. The dream I have for this company is so huge. I just heard a quote that says, “Chase a dream so big, it’s bound to fail without divine intervention.”
7.7.25
I documented the entire process of the infusion process. These videos are un-edited so they may be a bit boring and or gaps where nothing is being done. My apologies. If there are any questions please be sure to write them down.
This does not include the process of spraying 2k (2 part) clear coat into the mold and or preping the mold with release. I’ll create a page for that specifically later.
This process is after the 2k clear has dried, and I am sanding the clear coat with 400 grit sand paper. This allows the epoxy to bond onto the clear coat. A few tips. Light sanding is best. Try to avoid pressing too hard because the last thing you want is for the clear coat to come off while sanding. There are certain corners that are more prone to this, and you will learn each mold as you continue to pull the parts.
Tip 2. It really needs just a decent scuffing. The shiny parts are parts that may not have good adhesion. To scuff the part so that it has a dull appearance is what we’re aiming for.
Tip 3. There will be dust nibs on that settled on the clear coat. They will stick out a bit. It’s important to slowly knock these down because if you sand hard on it, it could peel off the clear coat. I usually like to drag the sand paper across lightly in one direction to help knock down the part that is sticking out.
This is laying the carbon fiber into the mold. The adhesive is called mt-90. It is designed to dissolve into the infusion. A light coat is all it takes. Sometimes the edges where the fabric needs to stay into the corner will need a bit extras.
This is the second layer of carbon. Future parts may need more layers, but the cosmetic overlays usually need only 2 because they are just for aesthetics and not a structural piece. We use 3m super 77. Light coat is all that is needed. This part is less crucial than the initial part because it doesn’t show.
Tip 1. Start in the center and slowly move around from there. If you don’t start from the center and move out there be bridging or folds. By starting in the middle you make sure that you have the exact amount of fabric.
tip 2. Try not to lift once pressed on. If you lift it off, it can potentially lift the 1st layer, which can potentially lift the clear coat from the mold. This may affect the finished look of the product.
tip 3. let the spray dry about 15- 30 seconds, this adhesive stays tacky for a while. The adhesive isn’t stick when it’s initially sprayed. it needs to air dry a bit, then it gets sticky.
This is the part where we stick on the peel ply. THis layer allows us to remove the consumables from the back of the finished part. This material is very very tough. We can stick it on using the same method as the 2nd layer of carbon. This part is less crucial. Some folds are ok to have but bridging will cause voids and potential air gaps in the finished product.
This was part of another infusion. The video starts at 7:33 I might have forgotten to press record. But this is where you get the green mesh, we will have a patern cut out for each piece. Then we lay it over the “A” face of the part. This is the part of the mold where the final product will be. I’ll have more details on the next one I do. I also might have to make the video of where I route the infusion tubes.
This is the part where I add the tacky tape around the mold. Also I run the infusion lines on this video.
Here is the bagging of the mold. This video has the door cards and the arm rests.
This is the vacuum test/ drop test
Here is the infusion.
One step at at time. The dream I have for this company is so huge. I just heard a quote that says, “Chase a dream so big, it’s bound to fail without divine intervention.”
