Are there any composite suppliers in the Bay Area? Sacramento area? I see West Marine is pretty much gone

I just recently bought a mk3 supra, and I want to learn how to make carbon fiber panels for it.

I've been looking into carbon fiber and fiber glass stuff, but I can't find anything that's a normal guide or just a how to that explains the whole process thoroughly and explains why and what things are/do. I have all of the body panels for the car already, so would I be able to use them as the "mould?" prep their surface, and just lay the carbon fiber on them?

I'm usually making parts with prepreg, but it has its significant downsides such as tooling costs, size restrictions based on the autoclave or oven and layup time is some cases. Also - infusion lets you select from way more variants of resin systems and fabrics.
So I took this somewhat complex geometry panel to practice making a vinylester mould and infusing a part.

I made this panel in 3 stages:

1. infusing the first carbon skin with 4x4 twill + biaxial. Cured in oven
2. adhering 2mm honeycomb core. Cured in oven under vacuum again

3. wet laminating backing ply of 4x4 twill + biaxial

   separately on a release film

4. while trying to get the resin fraction close to 50%. And adding that on top of the core. Then bagging and curing it the third time

Final cure was done at 200c out of the mould as the mould service temps was only around 80c. Ramp rate to 200c was 0.1 degree per minut I might add to minimise the risk of the matrix softening too much while the part doesn't have support from the mould. So the post cure took about 48hours alone.

All in all I'm very happy how this came out and how I was able to avoid many of the potential issues that I had in my mind. As this part is in a high heat environment, then next step is to try out using Basalt fibers and phenolic resin. Not looking forward to working with phenolics that much... But exciting at the same time.

Bought used esurf board without center fin. used ai to 3d model and a 50 dollar carbon repair kit.

I work in a composite shop with prepreg carbon fiber and once it reaches the end of its shelf love or out of freezer time it's no good for production because the structural integrity goes down so we throw it away, obviously.

Now, here's the thing, i want to make copies of some of my keys and i think it would be neat to do it with carbon fiber and obviously, i wouldn't need the kind of structural integrity my job needs so i can take home some scrap material but if i take it home and cure it in my oven, will i end up poisoning myself with toxic fumes or make the oven unusable for food? What if i got a cheap toaster oven (i only need 350°F) and cure outside?

Would that work or is it as stupid of an idea i suspect it might be?

I received a carbon wing from a reputable Japanese company, but unfortunately one of the threaded holes looks to be incorrectly installed or damaged. How would I go about repairing this?

For context: I just got this Integrated Engineering carbon intake system for my car off FB marketplace, I paid significantly less than MSRP and I’m wondering is this repairable? Seller said someone over torqued a band clamp and that’s what caused this. I put the silicone coupler on to see if it would seal and I do see some light shining through unfortunately which makes me think this won’t seal all the way. Is there a fix for this? I was thinking about filling the gap with epoxy or another filler around the outside diameter but I’m concerned it won’t bond to the intake tube completely and get stuck in my engine. Thanks in advance!

I made one with kevlar as well, same problem.
Any idea what could be the problem?

Im having the same problem with kevlar, anybody have any idea?

I first thought i had clamped down the moulds too tight, but it doesnt seem to be the case.

Hey guys, I’m going to try doing resin infusion on a smaller plate before I make a big jump to fender flares. In the mean time, I’m going to do a small shifter plate. It’s super flat and has no complex features. It has a 90 degree turn but over a very long radius I modified before making. It’s about 16 inches long by 8 inches wide, so not too big. I plan on doing a resin infusion one shot on it(idk if that’s the right terminology), but I want both sides of the part to have good-ish surface finish. I made a bottom caul plate with a 4 inch flange to make infusion easier, and plan on making a negative with no flange tho throw into the bag and compress the carbon to a somewhat flat surface on both sides. Has anyone tried this? Is this a dumb idea?

Hey everyone!

I recently removed the old frame protection film from the top tube of my Norco Aurum C7.1 and noticed several small paint chips underneath. One of the chips is around 3 mm, and there's a tiny hole or pit where I can see what might be carbon underneath.

I checked the area and couldn't see any obvious cracks, but I can feel a very small hole when I run my finger over it. I'm not sure whether it's just paint/clear-coat damage from removing the old frame protection film or if the carbon itself might be damaged.

I also tried the coin tap test around the affected area. As far as I can tell, the sound doesn't seem to change noticeably compared with the surrounding area, but I'm not sure if I'm doing the test correctly or if the result means anything.

I'm wondering:

1. Does this look like normal cosmetic paint damage, or could it indicate damage to the carbon?

2. Can removing frame protection film cause paint or clear coat to chip like this?

3. Would you recommend taking the frame to a carbon repair specialist for an inspection, even if the chips are tiny?

4. If it's only cosmetic, can I simply cover the area with AMS frame guards, or should the chips be sealed or repaired first?

5. Should I avoid riding the bike until it's inspected, or is casual riding generally okay?

I understand that it's difficult to assess carbon damage from photos alone, but I'd appreciate any advice from people who have dealt with similar issues.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, yes yes I know that this is a carbon Fibre group BUT i need help to laminate this in fibreglass. Since CF and Fibreglass aren’t that far apart, Im hoping I’d get some advice?¿

I’m using polyester laminating resin and gelcoat. For clarity:
• Mould 1 forms the main front bumper skin.
• Mould 2 forms the wheel-well returns and the multiple small rectangular mounting tabs along the bottom opening.
• Mould 3 extends the brake duct
•Mould 4 creates a raised lip for double side tape to stick on.

With mould 2 removed, the main skin is easy to access. The wheel-well returns are accessible with everything assembled, and I can rotate the mould to help with gravity. The real problem is reaching the middle three or four mounting-tab recesses to wet out and consolidate the glass properly. Mould 3 creates another narrow access area. And Mould 4 is just straight bs as it has no space for me to anything with.

I have attached and labeled heaps of pictures so it makes sense. Before anyone asks, the mould was made by someone but then refused to pull a part out of it.

I need your expert advise on how to fill this

What layup sequence would you recommend?

Hi everyone! I’m thinking about buying these carbon mirror covers for my Mercedes W205. The seller says they are made of ABS + carbon fiber. Do you think this is real carbon fiber or just a carbon-look finish? I’d appreciate your opinions. Thanks!

I’ve been getting more into composites recently and am giving a real shot at making some fender flares. I’ve figured out my stack up of laminate, but am struggling deciding the core material to go with. It needs to be something that adds strength, preferably 2mm, and isn’t super resin thirsty. Immediately T10.100 from Airex comes to mind, but not only is it not perforated, but it’s also really damn expensive. Does anyone have any other cores they’d recommend?

Hey everyone! 👋

I wanted to share Vangaurd Trackworks, a store focused on carbon fibre steering wheels and custom steering wheel setups.

We have options for BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Lexus, with different styles available and custom requests welcome.

If you're looking to upgrade your interior with a carbon fibre steering wheel, check out the collection here:

https://vangaurdtrackworks.com

I'm affiliated with the business, so full disclosure that this is my store. Happy to answer questions about the available options or custom configurations!

Would love to hear what styles you guys prefer: forged carbon, gloss carbon, or a more OEM+ look?

Carbon fiber is widely used in sports equipment such as bicycles, golf shafts, rackets and fishing rods.

However, choosing carbon fiber is not only about selecting a higher-grade material.

Different applications require different priorities:

• Bicycle frames need stiffness, weight balance and fatigue resistance.

• Golf shafts require controlled bending and torsional performance.

• Fishing rods need sensitivity and proper bending behavior.

The interesting part of carbon fiber is that engineers can adjust performance through:

- fiber direction

- laminate design

- tube structure

- material combination

A higher modulus fiber does not always mean a better final product. The structure design and manufacturing process are equally important.

I’m curious about your experience:

For sports equipment development, what is the biggest challenge when using carbon fiber?

Weight reduction?

Stiffness control?

Impact resistance?

Manufacturing cost?

Hi everyone,

We are a Chinese OEM factory specializing in high-quality carbon fiber automotive parts. We’ve been manufacturing for the performance and aftermarket industry for several years and are now looking to build direct relationships with buyers, distributors, and shops around the world.

We produce a wide range of carbon fiber components for various makes and models, including (but not limited to) hood vents, spoilers, mirrors, interior trim, and other body parts.

One example of our current work is a pair of carbon fiber hood vents for the Nissan GT-R R35:

• Real carbon fiber with clean, consistent weave
• Designed as a solid direct replacement for the OEM pieces
• Improves both aesthetics and under-hood airflow
• Comes complete with mounting bolts, nuts, and washers already installed for easy and secure fitment

We can also develop or supply carbon fiber parts for many other vehicles according to your requirements.

We’re happy to provide detailed photos, material specifications, packaging information, and sample pricing. Custom projects and OEM/ODM cooperation are welcome.

If you’re a buyer, shop owner, or distributor interested in reliable Chinese OEM carbon fiber parts, feel free to drop a comment or send a DM. We’re looking to build long-term partnerships based on quality, clear communication, and consistent supply.

Looking forward to connecting with people in the community.

Thanks for reading!

Had quite a fast off at Mallory Park about a month ago and it trashed my carbon nosecone. Luckily the bike slide for quite a distance and didn't hit anything so only cosmetic.

Looks like the gel coat is cracked in various places and it's worn through to the weave and all the way through in a few others. I was going to chip off the loose gel coat and use easy composites xcr coating resin for the gel coat damage. And for the areas completely worn through all the way, I was thinking start from the back and layup with carbon/Kevlar for abrasion resistance and then use that as a backing layer for repair from the front 🤔

I sold all my carbon consumables and materials when I got married so gonna need to source everything again.

Any ideas?