Need any help or advice?+44 (0)1782 454499

VIDEO TUTORIAL

USED IN THIS PROJECT

Although not necessarily an exhaustive list, the following tools and materials, supplied by Easy Composites, were used in this project.

The quantity shown below is the approximate amount used in the project rounded up to the nearest available kit size or quantity.

R210 Unperforated Prepreg Release Film (1530mm) Linear Metres Thumbnail

AFR210-153R210 Unperforated Prepreg Release Film (1530mm) Linear Metres£4.70 /linear metre

Professional 10 Inch Carbon Fibre Composites Shears Thumbnail

SC-CK10Professional 10 Inch Carbon Fibre Composites Shears£55.35 /each

FUSIONFIX™ EP Epoxy Super Clear Spray Adhesive 500ml Thumbnail

FF-EPFUSIONFIX™ EP Epoxy Super Clear Spray Adhesive 500ml£24.50 /each

Total £0.00

VIDEO TUTORIAL

How to Stop Carbon Fibre Cloth from Fraying and Distorting

If you've ever worked with dry carbon fibre cloth then you will know all about this!

Carbon fibre fabrics are prone to distortion and fraying when handled, meaning that it's impossible to achieve crisp, sharp edges or clean cuts. This video demonstrates how to achieve a much more stable fabric which is easy to handle without distortion, doesn't fray at the edges and allows you to cut intricate shapes without the fabric falling apart. This process allows the user to achieve the arrow straight weave alignment and crisp cut line achievable with prepregs or stabilised dry fabrics.

To stabilise the fabric we use FUSIONFIX™ EP an epoxy clear spray adhesive; for more information or to buy click here.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

1. What You Will Need

Before stabilising the fabric, cover the area with some release film to prevent the fabric accidentally sticking to the work area.

You will need carbon fibre shears and FUSIONFIX™ EP Epoxy Super Clear Spray Adhesive and the carbon fabric requiring stabilisation which cures to a tack free state.

TUTORIAL BREAKDOWN

1. Stabilisation Process

The stabilisation process is great for maintaining the fabrics shape during handling.

The process is very straightforward. Simply roll the fabric out onto the protective release film.

Holding the can of FUSIONFIX™ EP approximately 30cm (12") above the fabric, apply a light even mist over the entire piece.

For a more substantial stabilisation - similar to pre-stabilised fabrics like ProFinish – apply the light coat as before, then apply a second coat perpendicular to the first. This will ensure an even coverage of the entire fabric.

Once coated the fabric should be left for 20 minutes for the solvent to evaporate.

2. The Result

The fabric has lost all of its tack but the fabric is still quite soft and malleable which is a great time to work with it if you require the fabric to drape on compound curves and shapes.

The light coat has had a subtle stabilising effect, making the fabric that bit easier to handle. However, the weave can still be accidentally distorted and cut edges will still fray and come loose. The stabilisation wouldn’t be enough to allow for crisp cuts and joins. But it is a nice level of stabilisation if you’re working with compound curves and it still retains a good level of conformability of the dry fabric.

The more heavily coated fabric is noticeably more stable. This is much easier to handle without getting distortion and cuts cleanly with the edges much less likely to fray or come loose.

Although this more heavily coated fabric is quite robust at the 20 minute mark before being fully dried, it does still have some movement and will conform with some encouragement around compound curves and shapes.

3. Experimentation

As the adhesive continues to dry it will get slightly stiffer, so leaving the fabric for several hours can be the best option if you require a locked in weave for flatter panels and achieving sharp cuts and joins.

Stabilisation won’t always be the best option for the fabric used in your project as it will reduce the drapability of the cloth, making it harder to conform to compound curves.

It's recommended to experiment and work out when it’s the best option to stabilise the fabric and when it’s better to leave the cloth dry for different applications.