Thread: Carbon fiber!

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Anyone ever work with carbon fiber, but it's too expensive? Anyone ever want to?

I just got a new job as industrial maintenance for a company that makes composite reinforcement fabrics. Fiberglass, kevlar (not currently) and carbon fiber. We have a lot of waste. A LOT. They claim they haven't been able to find an outlet for the waste, but I'm thinking they haven't tried to tap the hobby market.

Well?

I think a large part of the "fascination" with carbon fiber is the looks. The pattern(s) and how they transition on various shapes, that would be lost when using smaller pieces and blending it all together. But that isn't to say it couldn't work!! I've never done any work with it myself but I think it's more than most "hobbyist" can afford to do in the backyard.

Maybe???

Another possible outlet for sales is the model aircraft industry. Carbon fiber is often used as reinforcement in some areas of the wings. I haven't been actively involved in that hobby for a long, long time, but I do still look into it every now and then.

I will say that having a supply of CF scraps available might make me want to experiment with it on various projects. I would suggest setting up something like an EBAY store to list what's available. Same deal as the various suppliers of aluminum drops. I buy nearly all of the 6061 aluminum I machine from that type of vendor.

I know a guy in Oklahoma that made body panels for his mud race truck out of CF to drop weight. From following his build it seemed like CF goes down really similar to fiberglass. I'd like to give it a whirl some day.

Yes, fiber scrap, but also CLOTH scrap. Carbon and fiberglass. LOTS. Too bad the Boeing scrap is proprietary.