🛠Making Carbon Fiber Molds (Scrappy Bush Plane 12) 

Side effects of social distancing = more scrappy 🤠

It’s one thing to have the money...but the attention to detail, the finesse, the desire for perfection,...all things money can’t buy.

Two hours later... nice script and continuity. Great how to on plane fab. Thanks Mike. Well done. I learned quite a bit.

I'm 15 and this is my favorite RU-vid channel Never been on an airplane👍👍👍

I've done quite a bit of fiberglass and epoxy work at the family boat shop and built different molds over the years and kept telling my brother to get a vacuum pump and start using epoxy and carbon fiber instead of this nasty Polyester for some of the parts. Your attention to detail and perfection is a must and it shows in everything you put your mind to. Not to often do I see guys doing the level of craftsmanship you are capable of!

Hi Mike, I might have some tips and tricks to save some time when it comes to making carbon parts: compressed air works great to demould parts. Instead of filling the backside of the mould and vacuuming it to a flat surface you can just put the mould in a "complete" bag (like food in a ziploc bag), as long as plastic bag is not under tension it gets pressed onto the mould evenly and the mould doesn't bend. Also I find mould release agents like Frekote 770NC quite a lot faster than wax. I work in a small german company that makes prepreg autoclave carbon parts (manly for racecars: LMP, DTM, GT3s), so if you somehow end up in southern germany and interested I can give you a tour, just contact me. And of course if you ever need some carbon parts, we can make them for you ;)

I know it's not cool to be envious - but dam...My dad was a fighter pilot in the USMC and was KIA during Vietnam and it really sucked growing up without his direct input on my life. All I had was an imaginary hero. No one to correct me when I was wrong - to encourage me when I was right. I tried to be a pilot when younger - I solo'd at 6 hours, but I had not one ounce of 'business sense,' and I had no idea how to proceed on my own. My mother had turned into a raging alcoholic and then I see someone like you and your brother (oh yeah..I have three older brothers and we're all so dysfunctional and un-trusting...) and I see how successful and happy you all are. Again, it's not cool to envy, but I can say it's awesome that you and your family have been so blessed. I'm grateful I can at least enjoy watching your success. Wow. Can I get off this couch now? lol.

@mike patey could you do a video showing the calculations you do when youre figuring out airflow, volume, lift coefficient, forces acting on fuselages etc before you get hands on with a part ? Cannot get enough of these videos, definitely one of the big positives in the current world situation that youre getting "back to work" on scrappy more. Keep up the great work and stay safe.

Really like watching you make carbon parts, I used to work in a composite shop a buddy started, nobody taught us to do it we just figured it out over time. These videos take me back to those days. You makeshift oven is great, we had a small autoclave but for big parts we had a box built out of 2 inch thick foam taped together had a cutout on one end to blow a heat gun into and a flap on the other to regulate the temp. We made some awesome parts with that primitive setup. That male, or copy of your original part is called the plug, after getting it perfect and mold releasing it we always painted on several layers of gel coat before backing it up with fiberglass for structure. Helped prevent air pockets, was easy to repair later and could be wet sanded and polished to a mirror. Sorry for being long winded but you got me reminiscing 🤔

This dude is my hero. This is what I would be doing if I had the money, and the brains, and the knowledge, and the energy.

My social distancing today was spring cleaning the garage. Tomorrow I'll put all the cars on summer tires and do some maintenance. Happy to relax and watch this new episode.

So happy to see that big smile back on your face. I think it's because you can see the end of the build now. It's going be an incredible piece of aviation art when you're done. Picasso Patey👍

Glad you're not Scrappy Distancing.

I so enjoy watching your project come together. Thanks for taking the extra time to film it so we can hang out in the shop with you. Thanks Mike.

The quality of the videos don't bother me, it's a great trade off for getting them more frequently I'm so addicted to this channel. The content of the videos are amazing and I think it's awesome that you're so willing to share your build with us in this raw format - no bullshit! I hope you'll continue to make planes and share the builds forever. I can't wait for the next episode!!!

I am again reminded why my carbon fibre furio is still unbuilt in the hangar after 8 years. The time , cost , skill set , tool chain , experience , enthusiasm and persistence is way way more than I imagined when buying a kit advertised as 1500 hour build time - yeh right . I’d have to retire , have at least $ 200,000 lying around and then hire a team of 4 people with the experience in each discipline - perhaps that is why so few kits are completed . Mike you are really unique and keep the videos coming . Big thanks

Stay safe I don’t know what I’d do without positive videos like this to distract from all the negative going on.🤙

I’m watching this after listening to a 3hr jocko podcast; between Jocko and Echo’s get after it mindset and then you compound it with Mikes attention to detail, engineering, and drive to get it done. I’m sitting here ready to get home and get back to work. This content is much appreciated!

Let me tell you a story. I used to own/use a British piece of equipment called a "Dome Press". The press had an interior surface of 48 x 96 inches. It was an 8' half cylinder of 1/2" steel with ends welded on of same thickness. A 3/4" x 2 1/2" frame was welded to the cylinder to provide attaching points for rollers in a U frame every 18"s. The dome had 1 1/4" air inlet and exhaust with 1 1/4" ball valves on each. Pneumatic cylinders, one on each end centered on dome ends provided lift to an attachment tap welded near top of dome. The lower frame supported a tray 8" deep the same dimensions of the top. In the tray was a perforated platten which was connected to a huge vacuum pump. The lower frame supported the pneumatic pistons which raised and lowered the dome as well as supporting all the pneumatic cam clamp cylinders & dogs. The top "dome" carried strip heaters and a 5/16" 3 ply rubber blanket suspended over the 4 X 8 ft opening. Work was placed on curved or molded forms on the bottom platen, the dome was lowered and clamped into place via the pneumatics, the vacuum was turned on as the dome was pressurized to 35 psi. A 50 hp Ingersoll Rand compressor supplied the air to the dome from a 450 gallon tank operating at 125 psi. Interior temp of the dome was 130 degrees. We were manufacturing our own complex shaped plywood which was then burl veneered for automotive and aircraft applications. We were contacted by Rolls Royce and Metal Crafters to fabricate 12 dashboards for a customer financed "Sport Car". Rolls assured the customer that he would own these only Rolls Royce models and then they released same car as a Bentley for production. Ouch! Carry on your fine workmanship and engineering.

Sometimes Mike Patey shows us a time-lapse, but it’s hard to tell.

There is no social distancing with Scrapy the work must go on there are a lot of people waiting for your videos.

Hello Mike, I love seeing your progress on the build, I'm not familiar with carbine fibre but you make it look easy. I met you at Rock the Ramp last summer and told you that I'm building my own airstrip and getting back into flying. By the end of this summer I think it will be complete and while I can't start-in yet this spring, I've decided on what I'm going to build. The weather here is pretty crappie yet and I have a set of plans for a Hummel Ultracruiser, which is actually considered 103. I'm building the forms as we speak and have a bunch of aluminum stock on hand so while the weather is not cooperative for digging, I can be building. I really pray that this virus doesn't mess-up Oshkosh this year and would really enjoy meeting-up with the Cowboys this summer again, really enjoyed it and seeing everyone so supportive and excited over aviation and fellowship. Thank You, Chuck

17:30 that making extra parts with the (planned) off cuts is brilliant.

I am a simple man, I see that Mike Patey has a new video, I click and watch.

My boys (3 & 4 yr olds) and I LOVE your channel. Thanks for keeping it clean so I don’t have to worry about them watching alone. They ask me every night if “scrappy has a new video”! Also, thanks for all you do for general aviation.

Thank you! I totally forgot about the problems of the world for 25 solid minutes. Thank you so much!

Now, when it comes to shop hours /$ per hour, I think there's gotta be a comparison with real world rates V Patey rates. Mike does twice/three time the amount of production on his hour. Love seeing the steps involved here in Build it, botch it, fix it & learn. For what was possibly an easy looking part to produce and there were easy ways out, you really drove home the level of perfection you chase Mike. Wish there was more of it out there in the world.

Watching this guy always makes me want to go and DO stuff, build stuff, invent, create. Inspirational!

I've never met you but Mike, your are one awesome dude. Thank you for being you and sharing your knowledge and positive/hard working values with us. Your truly a value to the community. Keep it up.

You're videos are filled with joy, passion and positivity!!!. It is amazing to get a fraction of your excitement in such hard times! Props to admitting your mistakes and explaining how to avoid them. Thank you Mike Patey.

I can relate to the time penalty. As a novice to fiberglass, I committed to making a custom air filter tray for the snorkel of my RV-8 along with a new intake and flanges for intake and snorkel. No vacuum bagging; not worried about appearance; just make it functional. Fabricate, modify, refab, smooth, fix, etc. Finally finished components that will work together, and assembled them. Total time invested: 115 hours. Wow.

don't normally add comments but Mike you are an inspiration!!! i love all aircraft especially older craft pre 1960's but what draws me to your channel is the engineering side of things that we get to see only through you, truly gifted engineer!! love your work ethic ( i bet your wife misses you at times ) LO L keep up the fantastic content. Life long viewer and Fan

Great shop. I always suggest a separate room for dusty tasks, put your wood shop tools, a downdraft table, hanging dust collector all together in a room with french doors to get in and out. This cuts down on so much unnecessary dust buildup in the rest of the shop it's amazing.

I was planning on taking a 1 year course in composites.That has been delayed.I have watched all your videos on your channel (over the years)and already learned a ton of tricks of the trade.Thanks for being my post apocalyptic online course teacher while we are locked down.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!! we need you to set up a live cam so we can 24/7 it. . LOL

Makes you appreciate the work that goes into making Konigsegg wheels!

Cant wait to see scrappy completed .These educational videos are my fix for the day.

Unbelievable passion and a building package of aviation equals experience. That magic word created by time v trial v error. Wow I'm exhausted.

I’m so glad to see you’re using Kaiser aluminum, keep it American! Being a millwright for 25 years for Kaiser Aluminum here in Spokane it always warms my heart to see our products on you tube channels. Thank you!!

I’ve been re-watching all these while “social distancing”. Quality YT videos make life easier so thank you. Stay safe, back to work! 💪👍

Love your Sponge Bob time breaks, awesome... Love your thought process, mistakes, corrections, pure art, pure science, pure engineering brilliance..

Just love what you are doing.......not about cost, but pushing the envelope

The plug rules and the front and back match are just right! Love your methods!

Tips for splashing molds. The positive plug was good, using a sandable primer like duracoat or a gel coat to give an even color will help reveal imperfections, but it looks like you made it work. For the splash again a gel coat first will make the surface much smoother. Buy the unwaxed gel coat and the surface won't cure when exposed to oxygen allowing a good bond to the rest of the splash. Then use a layer of glass veil to build up behind the tool surface and help with pinholing. Then a layer of glass fabric +-45, 0/90, Matt glass to build up thickness, 0/90, +-45. Now here is the secret. If it's a room temp mold it doesn't need to be carbon and it doesn't need to be vacuum bagged, if it's elevated cure mold use vinylester resin, carbon fabric after the veil and post cure to at least cure temp of the prepreg it should be ok for 250f resin systems at 230f soak for a few hours longer at soak temp. These are guidelines please do your own tests for structural parts everybody. For room temp molds though unwaxed gel coat a layer of glass veil then fabric then mat and no vacuum bag will produce a much cleaner tool surface than trying to get carbon fabric with no pinholes in tight curves and a vacuum bag, that stuff doesn't like to wet out like glass does. The gel coat will help identify any weave printing as well once the splash is demolded. For the materials, any boatyard supplier should have them.

Mike great series on scrappy. your enthusiasm for using CF is great , but maybe others that follow you would like a video on the finer points on using CF like the type of resins, weight and weave of cloth, and what you use for peel-ply . Back to work.

Your content is awesome Mike. For me personally I don't care how long the video is, just like seeing the beginning an end of something is a single video. Great work Mike, your inspiring.

I rarely have time to watch an hour video so yes I’d love to see 15-30 minute videos. We love you guys! Thanks for taking the time enrich our lives!

For anyone who knows a thing about fluids, it LOOKS good the way it’s going on. I love it!

6:00 The vacuum does not put pressure down onto the part. When you put vacuum on the inside of the bag it’s actually the outside atmosphere pressure pushing down onto the outside of the bag because of the pressure difference between the two. Great videos and love the Scrappy series.

After watching your videos I fall back onto my recliner exhausted. Way to much energy. 🙂

Yeah I’m definitely loving the shorter but closer together videos

Mike you are the Telsa Of Aircraft. You are amazing Aircraft builder for sure. Outstanding!!

Neat seeing the cost analysis for these, I had always been curious of that aspect. Thanks Mike!

Mike I think if you reverse that vent it would look better. Follow the taper if the fuselage. Naturally you would have to change the louvres.

The drive the hard work the flawless perfection absolute untouchable notch of knowledge...mike patey your an amazing human being..some day just to shake your hand would be an amazing day...👍

We'll need men like you to rebuild the world when the crisis is over. This comes from an intensive care resident that lives in Paris, France (and a pilot). Keep up the good work your channel is a blast!

A couple of suggestions...When first applying the first coat of bondo spread super thin plastic on the bondoed flare and then have a second flare push on top to help shape the bottom flare. A lot less sanding. Second get some scratch polyester fill glaze like "Dolphine glaze" on Amazon. great stuff and running thin, fills very small scratches and pin holes. Very easy to sand.

Multiple scrappy videos in one week? SCORE!!!

Seeing another scrappy video so close to the last one, totally made my week! Thank you for this insanely positive uplift during such times.

Playing the full American pie in the background is great

Man, Mike, it was exhausting just watching you make that. I wish I'd been blessed with the kind of persistence you have.

Really like how you showed the price difference and comparison. Can’t wait to see scrappy fly!

Great video Mike 👏 This is the sort of content that will attract young people to our industry who have the right stuff 👍 ... those with a desire for perfection and a willingness to stick with it until it not only is done, but is done right 😉 Really appreciate your tremendous effort In bringing us all of this insight. Our thanks also to the team behind the scenes. I’m sure they’re playing a very important role in helping you produce such quality viewing for your followers. Looking forward to seeing and enjoying more 😎

I could watch your videos all day, not a great thing because I should be studying for Aerodynamics and Turbine's tests!

mike patey you are the definition of knowledge and know how holy heck man! Phenomenal videos of the Scrappy build

It may take a long time to make the mold, but when its done it is perfect!!! That is one of the reasons I love to watch your vids - perfection!

Rough day at work. Came home to a new Mike Patey Scrappy video - woot!

Mike, that was truly one of your best videos. Super instructional, step by step, loved it.

this guy is the most fascinating guy in aviation currently.

*Back to work!* 👍 After I finish watching this Scrappy update! 😃👍

Wow you are truly amazing craftsman in everything you do.Love watching your builds. For the fist pumps, less is more please.

If you look up the word “persistence” in a good dictionary you’ll see a picture of Mike Patey. Another great video.

Great video, as ever! Have a look at the stuff called Epopast for making the negative moulds. It's a fibre-filled, two-component almost clay-like substance that you can make half-inch thick moulds with. You wax your positive plug with release agent, then apply a thick layer of (hybrid) gel coat and while still sticky, mix up a batch of Epopast and clay it over the gelcoated plug. Once dry, it is incredibly stiff, has near zero shrinkage, is as smooth as your plug was, so no need for more wet sending. Works extremely well and is certainly less work than your current method (which I am sure will appeal to you ;-) ) Now back to work!

Awesome video showing the process to make custom carbon fiber parts. I know it’s a time very consuming process which makes the parts expensive but never realized the materials themselves were that expensive. Awesome and educational video as always!

Thank you for sharing the cost difference and comparison on Al vs Carbon. I’m slowly catching up on your scrappy build. Already planning on AirVenture 2023. See ya on the next one.

The curse of the perfectionist. But at the end of the day it is all worth it. Thank you Sir for sharing.

Exemplary effort and Patey patience.

Mike, Cool Vid. I never get tired of You making the carbon fiber parts for Scrappy. I did not mind the lengthy vids but the shorter (like this one) are Excellent. You should present it as You like. I happy no matter how or how long, I usually learn a good bit from each video, Thanks Man.............

Thanks for adding the weight and cost comparison. The benefits seem worth it to me.

Nice. Hope you do a video in the back country with kilo tango before it meets the chopping block.

Thanks mate very useful molding lesson. Glad to see more scrappy

..... it’s late and I couldn’t sleep, it’s been a little crazy on our planet of late, just love what you do Mike and your positive energy is so good, I now have a smile on my face after watching this video, very enjoyable! ... best wishes to all of you, stay safe! Greetings from Melbourne, Australia :)

Just a suggestion - use Dental Gypsum Stone for your mould filler you can reinforce it with chopped polyester fibre - much faster cheaper and possibly more dimentionally stable than bondo in large volumes. Love your work!

Great example to everyone on the value of perseverance and determination, Thanks Mike you are a true role model to all of us who need a nudge or a boot up the khyber pass.

Thanks for sharing the cost of the aluminum panels vs. the carbon panels plus the advantages or disadvantages of each. Really enjoy your videos. Thanks again Mike. From Missouri

The Most Inspirational Man in the World!

What a worker!! An example to all of us.

Loved the cost analysis in detail!

So enthusiastic Sir...................love that style !

More Scrappy is always a good thing...after watching you craft carbon pieces for a couple years now I guess I think I am going to try to make a simple part this summer and see how it goes. Can't hurt.

Is there nothing this man CAN'T do? :)

Thanks for two videos in a week. I love em!

You just made my day, thanks Mike!

Outstanding craftsmanship and attention to detail Mr. Patey.

Great How-To video! Would you be able to go over your calcs that you mention when designing some of your parts? I know it may be boring to some, but I'd personally enjoy learning that stuff; like the cooling vent hole size calcs you talked about :-)

Stunning work, Mike!

Thanks for all the videos Mike (and crew)!!

Excellent vid Mike thanks for sharing!

Your videos sparked an aviation flame inside of me I couldn’t put out! I’m taking my written test tomorrow and hopefully I’ll be sharing the skies with you soon!

Beautiful job Mike!!! 💙