Carbon Fiber Inlay Tutorial...

[FORT-26]

Hey Everyone,

I am about to attempt my first CF Inlay, and was wondering if anyone has ever made a tutorial video for this process? I understand the process, but would like to see things like:

-Trimming & Placing/Shaping CF Cloth
-Amounts of resin mixed for certain surface areas
-Tools & Techniques
-....etc.

I think an experienced builder could easily make a time-lapse or regular video much easier than a first-timer.

I've searched quite a bit with no luck...

Any links to such a video or ideas???

Or maybe one of you PROS could just whip one up and post it here...???

Thanks!
-Chad

[dude123]

Keith bradley has a nice tutorial

[TheShaddix]

Whatever method you end up using, you should use some foam rollers, it'll conform the cloth more and make it look drier and better. And remember to press into every little corner as the resin is curing. Use a heatgun once the cloth is wetted out to get the bubbles out of the resin. And also to speed up the process do this whole thing in warmer room temps.

[capnswanny]

Here's Keith's Tutorial...I have it bookmarked :)

http://www.kbbforums.com/carbon-fiber-inlay-tutorial-t1041.html

Big thanks to Keith!!

[mattf1000]

Wish I'd seen that before I did my hull. Still the next one will look better

[ls1fst98]

Keith guide is probably the best out there. Very knowledgable and always helpful.

[Heath M]

Pics of how he cut and laid it into the sponsons would have been good. Still useful though

[ls1fst98]

Here's how I did my cheetah, did it in 4 pieces total, one across the transom and down into the sponsons, one along each seam, then the final n the tunnel tying all
The pieces together

[FORT-26]

Good information guys!

Besides a foam roller, what other tools are used to get the cloth to lay into small spaces and nooks & crannys where the roller won't fit?

Also does laying the cloth in multiple pieces compromise the overall strength of that overlapped section?

[TheShaddix]

use your hands (with nitrile gloves) to press into all the small areas, especially when the resin is nearly cured. You can also get that tiny 3m rubber squeegie from an autostore and use that to press into corner areas. You're basically doing this instead of a vacuum bag doing it for you, so you need to press into every part during the curing process as it will peel in curved/vertical areas and form pockets and bridging which you can't fix later unless you dremel them out.

Multiple cloth pieces are not ideal aesthetically unless you're able to have a fine seam in between. This is exactly what I did on my genesis and I regret it. I have 4 pieces total for the inlay: one for the main tunnel, two on each vertical wall coming up to the hatch edge, and one under the rear deck. Looking back, I could have easily done all 4 in a single go. Also, when additional pieces overlap the first layer, to me, that doesn't look good, but this way it becomes one solid layer with no seams. If aesthetics are of no concern, then go for that. But if you want to be proud of your work, then take your time to make an accurate template (paper) and make sure it covers all of the areas that you can see and has all the needed cuts so the cf fabric doesn't need to be stretched.

And I would recommend using cloth thicker (like 6k or more) than 3k as the thin stuff doesn't add much by itself unless you double it up. It's better than nothing though. Thicker fabric is also easier to manage and harder to distort the weave. I only use 3k when making CF sheets with about 7-10 layers of it. And I use 12k for inlays, hatch reinforcement, etc. Takes more resin to saturate but is nearly indestructible when cured. The added weight is negligible compared to all the hardware, and a foam roller will help get the excess out of it too. Keep rolling the fabric and then roll it on a piece of paper to dry the foam, then roll the inlay again to get more resin out. This way you will not get the ugly puddly reflective look and make it lighter.

[FORT-26]

This is obviously a skill that needs mastering, if you want it to look perfect. I still wish there was a video out there actually showing a CF inlay in a RC boat. Seems likely, right.?! Apparently not. The only CF videos I could find were about making custom car parts.

All of this and other info. that I've collected will certainly help me to complete my project. Thanks to all!

Maybe one day, someone will post a video?...

[Warrio17]

Any videos?

[CraigGenesis]

I have a HK going to do carbon inlay was wondering should I remove engine mount to do it and how?

[Greenhorn7]

If anyone it's still looking for a tutorial video, check out Big B's from Ironclad RC on YouTube. He's got a couple. See the links below:

https://youtu.be/g25LfL_0Yf8

https://youtu.be/8XMEMKc-0IQ