Where can I get Carbon Fibre

Flying Monkey

New Member
I'm trying to find carbon fibre matte. I want to try to make a carbon fibre tiller/extension and eventually a spin pole for a 505. Where can I get sheets of the matte.

Thanks
 
would you mind expanding on that please. I have a lot of experience with making things like that with fibre glass, and I also have a friend who made a mast out of carbon fibre and has worked for over tem years so far.
 
Commercially made tillers are made of pre-preg and then cooked in an "oven" to set the resin. If you don't have access to a heat source to set the pre-preg, then you have to use epoxy to wet out the mat. (Remember to lay the mat so the fibre axes are not all parallel - add subsequent layers at an angle to the one before to add strength) I don't know any US suppliers as I get all my GRP bits and carbon/kevlar matts and tapes from CFS in the UK. I have found West Systems epoxy to be excellent with their wide range of hardeners and their resins are available in the US. When finishing the tiller, let the resin set and then paint on a final layer of thickened epoxy. Before it sets, emboss a grippy pattern onto it. Home-made carbon tillers will either last forever or snap easily - there seems to be no way of knowing even if you use the same technique to make two, one might last ages and the other may snap. Very unpredictable. On the tiller, wind some carbon tape around the high wear traveller area or epoxy on a stainless plate. I've heard it's possible to take a mould for the end from the rudder head itself, then use this mould to form a tiller end form epoxy mixed with chopped carbon or glass fibres or some other strong/hard filler. I've never tried this thoughso i don't know the details. If you can find a West dealer, they can also probably supply carbon mat or even pre-preg.
 

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