How to make your own Carbon Fiber/Kevlar Bash plate....

Thanks..... Well.... on bikes......This is propperly my biggest thing.......




Every piece of CF/K....are home made...... Some from the original plastic.....some from my own molds..... Pipe 100% my own....incl. the core....end cap....etc... Tail light....faring....100% my own.....heat shield....case saver....my own....The build can be seen at the Suzuki drz-400 forum at Thumpertalk.com


Erling

Finally......Its finished.........Bracket trimmed and on the bike.... Sort of still looks like something out of hellraiser.....but it works.....


Cut the cooling vents for the exhaust, and oil cooler....... I`m surprised none has asked about the large space left around the headers............Aaaaaaaanyway...... Just in case I spring for a set or remus headers in the future....... there is room............



Just got the EVO in.......so in the am.....install.......and then on for a ride. In retrospect....... I might add two honeycomb strips in the front. It is flexible, and although I don`t think anything will ever hit there....because of the front wheel...... You just never know....... So far.....I like it a lot.....Cheers.

Erling

As always.....when you test something you make yourself......It`s sort of nerve wrecking......... You know you did your homework......Nevertheless.....I put on my new Leo Vince CF pipe.....and went for a few rides.......Nice.....But when I stopped at the light.....Mind you it`s 100 deg.F ( 38 C.) .....I smelled this burned pipe packing smell.... Nahhhhh I thought....it`s just the pipe..... Then 1/4 mile down the road..... I My conscience got to me...... I stopped.............. Sure enough.... It was the pipe...... Rode for another 30 minutes........( I have only cut the cooling holes in the front.....none on the bottom) and after 20 miles......10 freeway at 80 mph....then stop and go..... I went home....... and grapped the infrared thermometer...... Withe the bike idleing in the hot sun.... I started measuring..... The highest I saw on the outside was 154 deg. F concentrated along of the headers........ Then I moved back to the cat...... And thought I was going to have a heart attack..... The cat itself....was 521 deg. F......:eek1:eek1....
But the Composites was only 165 deg. F. And...... was only 1/4 inch of clearance. I let it idle for 5 minutes.... to see if any hot spots would develop..... But the readings was the same...... So that was a great relief........Even the new CF can only registred 178 F. ....... So All in All......a great day in the desert.....

Very nice!
Now go bash it on a rock!!!

That time will come soon enough.......



Erling

Dude,

You should be building cars. Yu have a cool knack for this.

I want a KLR powered little car to run errands with....

Carbon fiber black would be fine.

You ever try making jacket armour inserts?

Another thing that might be cool.

...Thanks...
I have never made inserts for the jackets.... But that would be easy.... In my early days I did build a few car spoilers, and skirts.....

Erling

As with any thing you make yourself....You fine tune it.....And here is the final product.....Works really well in the 100 deg. F. hot desert.....even after a few hundred miles of combined riding....... The front bracket was re-designed.....and added 3 mire layers to stiffen it even more. Plus.... I cut the top off, and re-drilled the holes full with....rather than top and bottom center........





Then as explained earlier in the post.... The front was stiffened.... By adding two strips of honeycomb..... Mark....sand the two areas..... Then use a few small pieces of dual sided carpet tape to hold the strips in place.....





Cut ....in this case two layers of kevlar..... Saturate the cardboard.....layup the composite.... And I used a few SS strips on the top, and Aluminum strips on the bottom to hold the wet layup in place while hardening......



Here it is.... Not as pretty as before....but better and stronger....... Note the two drain/ heat holes drilled in the bottom as well.....



Last test is to bash it of a rock.... And while no one in their right mind would seek out to intentionally do such..... I`m sure that at some point ....It will happen..... When it does... I`l post the results...... But to give you an idea.... I cut a little piece of by the cat..... 3 inches by 1/4 inch..... Asked a few friends over to see the project....to break it...... They could`nt..... Flexible....but strong...... Until then.....



Erling

From early days of working with fiberglass, doing autobody and fixin rust up here in the 1970's.... I can just about count the hours you have in your work. I gave up autobody in the late 70's.....

One of those things that you do 'cause it's rewarding and nobody else has one like it.

Do you have to be careful with carbon fiber dust when grinding/sanding, like more so than you might with common fiberglass? (mask, minimize exposed skin)

Is it "itchy" ?

Erling

I'm fascinated with the technology changes since 1976 or so, when I was sweeping floors in body shops and just learning.

Mostly the purple rubber gloves fascinate me.

Shhhh!

Your not kidding....... I was building boats and windmill wings in Denmark in the mid 80`s.....and your right.......A lot has happened since then...... Specially in the polymer world......Hmmmmmm..... Rubber gloves........
I personally love the efficiency of the blue ones.....


Erling

You have done incredible work. I just read both of your thread... you are awesome !!!

This is good information and motivation for our long wet winters up here in the Pacific Northwest. I've already started conuring up ideas on how/what to get started with!

I just have two wierd questions for you:

1. What do you do for a living?

2. How did you get started with all this?

you definitely do good work but still not sure if i'm sold...


Is a rock bash like a 3 iron or a baseball bat??? Perhaps you can orchestrate some beta testing and tee off on it, see how it holds up? Shit looks good though. You could probably make a mint with a ricer crew.

Thank you for those great words.....
1. I am a pilot......Privileged with not have to make a living from composites.....well.....anymore....

2. My dad started me early in my teens.......and caught my....hmmmm....ehhh... artistic attention...... After a few years....I began building 10 meter sail boats....and subsequently wings for the windmill industry. That was in the early eighties in Denmark. After a few years of that I had a few close encounters with styrene.....toxic stuff....but present in all polyester resins..... Decided that i`d be better if I could make the stuff on my own terms....... I never quit the composite world, and have made many projects.....but on small scales..Since then I traveled a few thousand miles west to the US, where I now reside in the Great desert southwest.



Erling

You have a valid point. I really won`t know until I bash it. I am going to hide behind my experience...... I have done a lot of testing through out the years.....I find the R&D fascinating. After the shooting episode on the case savers on " Darth Vador".....I was really opened up to the idea of the bash guard. You sort of get an idea after working this stuff over several years....what each layer of composite....and each different resin will yield in strength. I will say this.... It is a little more flexible than 5mm aluminum......But tremendously stronger....and will bounce back rather than stay compressed. A fellow friend and 12GS rider came by today.....and asked the same question. I gave him this little piece that was cut off the bash guard under the cat............ I dared him to brake it.........He was smiling at first........then he went OMG......Needles to say.........He tried....hard but bus unable......Try that with 5mm aluminum......


Yet again.....I have never been afraid to post up when things I do......fail.... ( check out thumpertalk.com and you will see)......So when I get it in the dirt.... I`l post the results here.......


Erling

ebrabaek,

I checked out the links you posted for where you buy your materials. It looks like you have to buy a lot of stuff that will leave you with a lot left over.

For instance, how much resin did you go through in this bash plate build? It looks like no matter how small my first project... the initial startup will be ~ $300-$400 :huh (sorry, I'm a cheap ass)

Does that sound about right?

I would not think there should be a lot left over. The epoxy resin size listed a few post earlier, should be good for two bash plates......You could buy a lower volume. As far as the fabric......make a template from a used pillowcase.......don`t tell the wife......That roughly matches the projected mold.....making sure you overlap 1-2 inches. See what with that fits best....50...60 inches.....Then it`s just a matter of doing the math. You should not have too much fabric left over. Take a look at the ebay vendor I listed....He does sell CF as well. I would think you can make one for about half of what you projected...


Erling

I will probably start ordering materials this weekend. I'm sure I will have a ton of questions and will likely be sending you a PM or two.

Lucky for me, I met a guy who used to work building boats for many years... lots of experience with fiberglass. He may be a valuable (local) resource.

Thanks... your projects are definately inspiring

......
Post up when you start......shoot me a pm, if you start your own thread, so I can watch.......

Erling