Making a Composite Mould for a Carbon Fibre Part from a 3D Printed Pattern

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►Full length version plus product links www.easycomposites.co.uk/maki...
Further information and links ▼
►Thanks to Dynamism for help and advice with the 3D printer dynamism.com/3dp-cf
Learn how to prepare and coat a 3D print using XCR Epoxy Coating Resin so that it can be used to produce production quality composite moulds suitable for making carbon fibre parts, including using prepregs.
In this tutorial we 3D print a composite patterns for drone shell components. We then smooth and key the surface before applying the special XCR epoxy coating resin. The resin is flatted and polished to produce production quality 3D printed pattern, ready to take moulds off. In this case, we use Easy Composites' EG160 epoxy gelcoat and EMP160 epoxy laminating paste to make moulds suitable for high temperature use, including for use with prepregs. We then demonstrate laminating prepreg into these mould and oven curing under vacuum to produce the finished components.
For a more detailed version of this tutorial, as well as a full list of all products used and links to buy, visit the project page on the Easy Composites website: www.easycomposites.co.uk/maki...

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7 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 580

@thesighbored 3 года назад

The part is so light it was practically floating when he released it in the air. Nice!

@everythingexplained 3 года назад

Best kind of ads, the ones you're really eager to watch! And with the added bonus of learning something cool!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Haha, thanks Øyvind, we do our best to keep the content interesting for everyone, whether they're using our products or not. But, of course, we have to pay for this production somehow :)

@pd7439 2 года назад

You @@easycompositestv g

@jellomello124 3 года назад

this is currently my favorite youtube channel. i don't even work with composites... yet.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Jellomello; you've got great taste ; )

@MrDrago1954 3 года назад

I had a 3D printed plug made for my Racing Model Sailboats. Approximately 1 meter long. It was a precision mold that was lazer checked and reworked until it was close to perfect. Then I had a mold made. The mold is perfect as well. This process really worked well for me.

@KnightDriveTV 3 года назад

The timing of this video seems like it's meant for me! I've started manufacturing headlight kits, as seen on my channel, for Corvettes. I'm going to be doing composite parts next and wanted to incorporate printing heavily, into the process. This is what I needed to see...all good in theory, but perfect for what I'm doing. Man....good stuff!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

That's great to hear, we hope this helps your project. Look forward to seeing how you get on on your channel :)

@TheGodMob 3 года назад

I cannot believe that right after I get into 3D printing and carbon fibre laminating, incredible content like this comes out! AMAZING WORK!

@dynamism6990 3 года назад

The planets are aligning!

@cristianriosestrada7771 3 года назад

Dude, this was incredible!!! And the other one without oven!!! It's perfect!!!

@DamnBrush 3 года назад

Your videos are just so... classy. It is pleasing to see professionals do their job.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thank you, that's appreciated.

@francoisrochefort5759 3 года назад

Eh it was my goal from day one when I started to watch your videos. I am so happy to have the privilege to watch this video to learn more about do and don't. Tx very much.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks François, it's our pleasure to be providing this content.

@things3dprintedtm598 3 года назад

Man this opens up so many possibilities

@andrey.p 3 года назад

I was waiting for you to cover this topic. Presentation is great as ever. Thank you so much!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

You're very welcome Andrew, glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.

@swolebro 3 года назад

I like how you printed the mold vertically, in what might be considered the non-obvious way, minimizing the presentation of the layer lines along those gentle slopes. Very clever. Dammit, all your videos are amazing.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks a lot. RE the print orientation; correct, the contour steps are less pronounced in the vertical orientation and for FDM, print speed is pretty-much unaffected by the orientation. Glad you're enjoying the content :)

@lars_sax1728 2 года назад

This channel is pure gold, very professional.

@TheDIYTuners 3 года назад

This is cool. 3d printing giving so many options for the DIY guys at home 👌

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Absolutely it does. 3D prints on their own have their applications for sure but a lot more exciting opportunities open up when you combine with the properties of materials like carbon fibre.

@acintron3Dmfg 3 года назад

Finally!!! Like always, straight forward, simple and very clear.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Andres; yes, this one's been in the pipeline for a while, it's good to get it out there.

@stevesmith8588 3 года назад

I haven't seen your channel for a bit. Your videos are as high quality as I remember. Really incredible productions.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Steve, we appreciate it.

@DarkAeroInc 3 года назад

Very well put together overview! You guys do fantastic work!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks DarkAero; we respect your work and it's great to get kudos from you.

@omegaelixir 3 года назад

I was waiting for this video for SOOOOO LONG

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Well, I hope you enjoy it. If you're following the process for real then don't forget to watch the full length version on our website.

@Simplyb334 3 года назад

We need more !! 🤍🤍

@omegaelixir 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv Ya damn right I enjoyed it!

@user-ti2hp5yk6d 3 года назад

Me too

@EnesMAkyol 3 года назад

me too :)

@kalan4787 3 года назад

This is a very good addition to the video library. Good technique.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thank you Alan, appreciate your feedback.

@diavolorosso69 3 года назад

Thanks for this- exactly the info I need for a new project at my work making replacement radomes for a customer!

@ReclusiveRychu 3 года назад

OF COURSE!! RESIN! That was the key I needed!!!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Haha, great, yes, I hope this helps.

@jonlocke1624 2 года назад

Wow that shot at 5:44 is so satisfying! Great video and great product!

@davidg.3226 3 года назад

This content is gold.

@Adamstech 3 года назад

Went and bought the materials mid-video, you sir, are a hero!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thank you Adam, we appreciate your confidence and trust. Looking forward to hearing how you get on and helping out if you need us. All the best with it.

@b.w.oostdam8875 3 года назад

Lots of thanks for this very infotaining video! Immediately I realized the mistakes I made. Thank you. Keep up this fantastic work.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks for you feedback, glad this was helpful.

@robertsulley 3 года назад

Great video Paul, thank you! Looking forward to the future videos!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thank you, you're welcome. Looking forward to making plenty more.

@ericwessel6511 3 года назад

Great video! This makes me want to go out and try this process.

@MR94JOKER 3 года назад

glad youtube has some valuable stuff like this.. and great people who are willing to share their knowledge (even if they are promoting certain products)

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Hi Loui, thanks for your feedback. Of course it's the sales of our products that allow us to make these videos but we always try to provide general information that's useful to everyone. Often in composites the real trick is to make sure you're using the right products and know that they will work. Our products are definitely not the only products that *could* work but they are the only one's that we can guarantee *will* work, and that can be invaluable : )

@s6p6 3 года назад

Great content! One of my favourite channels here! I made a wet-lay carbon fiber part straight off the 3dprinted mold in a room temp vacuum bag. It had a shallow curve (so lots of sparse layer lines to grab on to), but a with a few applications of mold release the part popped off super easily. Mold side surface is not visible and cf laid up almost to 2mm so the top layer was all good and ready for finishing after light sanding. The small pump in your store rocks btw! Supereasy and quiet

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks for the feedback, that's all really interesting and good to hear. That's pretty much exactly what we'll be doing in the next video although we debated using a vacuum bag and in the end decided to show simplest possible version; just an open hand layup. Send us some pics of your project, we'd love to see and share!

@jeremywilds3384 Год назад

Where where at online are you getting the files for the 3D print modes

@radoslavklucar1072 5 месяцев назад

What infill (percentage) did you use on that mold?

@Chocolate9897 2 года назад

yall earned my respect..

@TheMakerStop 3 года назад

I'm in love with this. I had created silicone rubber molds with 3d printed parts before. I will now try brushing the parts with epoxy before molding.Thanks for sharing.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

You're very welcome. Certainly it can be a very useful process to take silicone moulds off of 3D printed parts in order to duplicate parts as resin castings and in fact using a coating epoxy like XCR can be a good way to improve the finish before taking the silicone mould off.

@jeremywilds3384 Год назад

Where online are you getting your 3D print files to make the molds

@capnthepeafarmer 3 года назад

This is a great overview of the process, great primer!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Don't forget the extra detail version is available on our website if you want it.

@musthafausman1262 3 года назад

great demo

@Nardypants 3 года назад

Real cool. I'm doing this right now, you guys really help with the tips.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Great to hear, we'd love to know how you get on.

@Eight20 3 года назад

Amazing work, I'm definitely going to give this a go!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Great, we'd love to learn how you get on.

@amirfathirad2965 3 года назад

as always what an amazing video, I tried to make some 3d printed parts before but always I had a problem with it while vacuuming and your video gave me the perfect solution, so thank you so so much for all your videos for teaching people like me to learn how to work with composite materials, easy composite is the best composite company in the world

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Hi Amir, well, that's praise indeed. I'm glad this information has helped you and wish you all the best with your project.

@amirfathirad2965 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv thank you so much, mad respect for you all !!!

@dejayrezme8617 2 года назад

Wow this is an awesome video! E3D are experimenting with a toolchanger and a milling tool. So you 3D print a few layers, than mill them smooth to perfect accuracy, them 3D print some more etc. It would be interesting to see if you could use that to produce a nearly finished part than only needs a bit of spray coat and polishing to make the mold. Theoretically even that could be automated with a tool changing 3D printer by having some kind of polishing tool bit.

@kopparsulfat 2 года назад

love it. you make it look so eazy.

@easycompositestv 2 года назад

Glad you enjoyed the video!

@Vikingman2024 3 года назад

Excellent video! Thanks!

@YOLO-tq3el 3 года назад

This is amazing

@dtrimm1 3 года назад

great video, thanks for making it!

@chronokoks 3 года назад

Nothing beats a properly sanded and polished ABS print (PLA resists sanding like crazy...always use water when sanding and a proper small desk lamp so you see the shape of how's your sanding going). If you can afford a large fdm you can afford one of the new large SLA printers. It's such a joy to sand and polish SLA resin prints to perfection.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

We did plenty of detailed testing on various filaments and surface processing. For a proper composites moulding process you need to be coating a 3D print in something that can be finished to a high standard and which will take a reliable release agent. Our results were that for FDM prints, epoxy coating was the way to go. On that basis, it really doesn't matter whether the plastic sands and finishes well because that's not what you'll be sanding and finishing; it's more important that the print material is dimensionally stable. SLA printers do give a nice finish for sure but you still need a reliable coating and release agent if you want to take composites moulds off the prints.

@Danielo515 3 года назад

I was impressed already just at the first finish you got, so imagine how I was at the end

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Daniel, it's great that you appreciate the craft.

@tobybackspace3042 3 года назад

You guys are great

@mahyarkaramali1971 2 года назад

perfect video as always

@easycompositestv 2 года назад

Glad you enjoyed Mahyar!

@jupiter909 3 года назад

Very nicely explained. Great finished products those!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks a lot, they look better in real life too!

@fnitschke21 3 года назад

Nice video, well done. Right now I make a carbon fiber part (end cover for the muffler) for my KTM motorbike. My son have a own 3D printer and have made with him a negativ mould for me. After preparation this mould (sanding and filling) we will make the end cover with 5 layers of carbon fibre. New for me is the posibility to coating the mold / pattern directly with resin for a even surface. I will test this in future on a new project. Thanks for this information.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Our pleasure. Your project sounds much more like the next 3D printing video we're doing where we use the 3D print as the female mould (not as a male pattern).

@MatthieuLibeert 3 года назад

great video once again! Worst thing of watching this video is that I now have an urge to buy a 3D printer :D

@dynamism6990 3 года назад

We know the feeling :) Just let us know if you need any help.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Matthieu, always a pleasure to get your feedback; I would think with your product design background this would be right up your street! Maybe Dynamism will check out your RU-vid channel and following ;)

@hiddenchambers2922 3 года назад

AMAZING VIDEO!!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

You're very welcome, thanks for watching.

@babcockcopper 3 года назад

Excellent information

@GreenMntMoto 3 года назад

So cool - you guys rock

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Nate, glad you like it.

@ghosthacks4016 3 года назад

This content i really looking for 🔥

@CreepyChappy 3 года назад

Beautiful

@tyapka 3 года назад

What a treat. As usual, first like then watch.

@johnprehz6177 Год назад

Better tutorial, impossible! Thank you for your time!.

@easycompositestv Год назад

Glad you enjoyed John!

@kbillan1 3 года назад

Your videos are wonderful

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks, glad you're enjoying them.

@theclephane2914 2 года назад

Thank you!

@MichaelRogersJesusrules 3 года назад

Always love your videos, keep up the cool vids. God bless...nice finish way cool!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thank you Michael, appreciate the comments. We'll keep them coming : )

@derskyflo 3 года назад

Awesome work...

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thank you Florian : )

@HolaACchillin 3 года назад

Very cool!

@somannacs 3 года назад

One more amazing knowledge sharing video. I watched on easycomposite website. Direct purchasing option to the materials used is much appreciated. Thanks!!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Soma, it's really good to get your feedback that this way of publishing was helpful to you. Thanks again.

@bernienufc3166 3 года назад

brilliant timing thank you

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Bernie, glad you enjoyed it.

@bernienufc3166 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv The one on your main site was very impressive, thanks again

@kiloohm 3 года назад

Excellent video.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks, appreciated :)

@comptegoogle511 2 года назад

The first time I've got interested in 3D printing was in 2003. Back then only the big R&D labs at Pratt and Witney or Textron could justify the investment to have one. Fifteen years later we can see that giant steps have been done to make it available for the masses.

@jeremywilds3384 Год назад

Where can I get the files for the 3D print modes

@BK42Cycles 3 года назад

Excellent work! I'm learning a lot from you! I hope soon I'll be able to make my first carbon fiber piece! cheers

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

You’re welcome, glad to hear our content is useful to you. Good luck with your first project.

@BK42Cycles 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv Your content is awesome! Very well done and educative! Thank you sir ;)

@daniels7660 3 года назад

Great Video :) A video of building larger hollow parts (link a fuel tank or similar) would be nice

@wangzongbao8160 2 года назад

Good way to make quick prototype without high precision.

@user-ti2hp5yk6d 3 года назад

It's awesome

@leoarc1061 3 года назад

Easy Composites is doing a great job with these videos. I prefer buying EC simply because I know they will perform as shown in the videos. There are cheaper options but they don't have the tutorials. Thank you for producing these extensive and comprehensible videos. The cost is not as low as I'd like, but we are dealing with a relatively new technology, and with the videos i make less mistakes, thus the cost goes down. Best regards, Leo

@stevesloan6775 2 года назад

Great video! 🤜🏼🤛🏼🍀🍀🍀😎

@JGD444 3 года назад

Awesome video! thanks!!!!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

No problem Javier, glad you enjoyed it.

@peacefulcyclist7944 3 года назад

finally! cheers!

@Will-No-Co 3 года назад

You guys are amazing. That part popped out with ease. Duh. 😳 I guess that’s why it’s called easy-lease.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Hey Will-Co, yes, that's about the idea!

@ponakka 3 года назад

I have been just looking at these videos and every time i'm wishing that i could figure out some project that i could buy that stuff. Also these videos help to lower the blood pressure, because of their calm pace. =D

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Haha Ponakka, thanks for the feedback. We hope you think of the right project.

@StickerBao 3 года назад

I love carbon parts :)

@typeoneable 2 года назад

Such an informative video, thanks for posting this up! Do you mind sharing some tips to achieve better surface flatness as I saw there are still a few uneven surface. Keep up the good work!

@Weldinator 3 года назад

If the print material is ABS then you can chemically smooth it with acetone. If you want to get real fancy you can make a vapor smooth chamber by heating acetone in a big pot. This is how the Stratasys vapor smooth station works, but they use different chemicals. I'm sure there are tons of videos of DIY setups on youtube. But it works really well and gives a great surface finish.

@raptorflyaboya 3 года назад

Thank you for this video, exactly why I subscribed a couple yeas ago!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Well, thanks for bearing with us. We have another 3 3D printing videos in the pipeline so hopefully you'll gte a good breadth of knowledge on the subject very soon.

@raptorflyaboya 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv Wonderful! Thank you for all the types of videos you do, I've learned a lot from them.

@spoonvalleyracing 3 года назад

Great vid as always, thanks!!

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Joakim, glad you enjoyed it.

@spoonvalleyracing 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv looking to invest in some parts from you but brexit has made it a little confusing.

@denniss1618 3 года назад

Amazing

@sameermarwadi6767 2 года назад

Superb ✌👍🏻👍🏻

@easycompositestv 2 года назад

Thanks Sameer, glad you enjoyed it :)

@Pushyhog 3 года назад

great channel

@Wodpuncher001 3 года назад

Guess my dirtbike will get a nice upgrade 😆

@marinanovadi4622 3 года назад

Merci beaucoup pour le partage

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Vous êtes les bienvenus Marina, c'est notre plaisir

@fraidoonsinjawi8983 Год назад

thanks very good

@easycompositestv Год назад

Appreciate the kind comment!

@AlenHR 3 года назад

Thanks for every tutorial video. They are all amazing. Hope to see your EU warehouse soon.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks for the really kind comment, we'll be sure to make more videos soon!

@rolfnilsen6385 3 года назад

Very interesting! And the 3D printed mould video will be even more interesting .-)

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Hi Rolf, We're filming it at the moment, it's a very quick process and so should be quicker to put together than most of our tutorials (including this one), stay tuned over the next couple of weeks :)

@scottfisher1714 3 года назад

Will the 3D printed mold simply be a cavity vs the core you built to cast from?

@JuanRodriguezArchitect 3 года назад

I love your videos. Yeah i would definitely like to see the 3D printed mold video.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Hi Juan, absolutely. Well, we're filming it at the moment, it's a very quick process and so should be quicker to put together than most of our tutorials (including this one), stay tuned over the next couple of weeks.

@JuanRodriguezArchitect 3 года назад

But man you guys make it look so easy and it's kinda not. There's a lot of little details in the process that if you mess up on just one detail...the whole product goes to the trash. I've had to watch so many videos to get the whole picture of how to make carbon fiber.

@jcadult101 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv It's a very quick process? That's an characteristic no one would associate with 3d printing.

@mundanestuff 2 года назад

Really cool stuff. I've been interested in making parts for my Sprites and Midget, for example bonnet or boot lid, or even bumpers or wings. They're much larger than these example prints but 3d printers are rapidly approaching the size of those components, and of course machining the mold out of foam with a CNC has been possible for years, and can use the same methods. Ah, someday a bonnet. But within a year I hope to play with this method to make two very specific parts, a little tear drop shaped lump that fits under the taillights where a piece of a bumper used to go, and "bumperettes" which are bean-shaped bumpers that take the place of a full width steel bumper on these little cars. Both of those products are well within the range of an inexpensive 3d printer and both designs lend themselves to this modeling method. Thanks for the tutorial, you make it look simple, though obviously it's not that simple.

@easycompositestv 2 года назад

Thank you for your comment, these all sound like great ideas for components. Realistically, I think it will still be a while (or maybe never) before 3D printing will be the most viable process for larger (bonnet scale) mouldings but for smaller parts, such as those you describe, it's a great way in. For your bonnet, check out our (rather old but still accurate) bonnet making tutorial - unless you're making a custom shaped bonnet, you'll more than likely be taking moulds off your original part and this would be the way to do it. Look forward to hearing how you get on :)

@TheCraigievee 3 года назад

Lockdown hair! I feel you brother! 😂 Awesome video btw! 👍

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

For sure! No ‘close contact’ services in the UK for months now so it was the Tom Cruise or the full Michael Stipe!

@TheWoeggil 3 года назад

No 3d print experts disclaimer, knowing 3d printing guys are insane by nature

@dynamism6990 3 года назад

Comment checks out

@bowlofdick5 3 года назад

The quality of the content throughout this entire channel is extremely high.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks a lot, we really work hard to achieve this.

@brandenbc31 3 года назад

I print with ABS plastic and put the print in an acetone vapor bath to give the printed mold a smooth glass like finish.

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Hi Branden, yes, perhaps we should have mentioned acetone vapour, it's certainly an option for improving the surface of ABS prints but not really the right solution for this type of process (part distortion, how to get a release etc.). Also, heating acetone is not really a process that we'd encourage a casual viewer to engage in!

@dynamism6990 3 года назад

An alternative to the ABS here, with less volatile solvents, would be to use something like PolySmooth.

@100amps 3 года назад

Such cool videos for us DIY'ers/makers! For my projects, (guitar making) I'd love to see a video on how to make some small CF rods, solid, square or rectangular, maybe 1/4" square section and 18" long, for use as braces and stiffeners. Just mentioning it in case you're looking for video ideas. 😎

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks for the comment and suggestion. Quite honestly, for carbon fibre rods you're much better off just buying them. They're cheap to buy and readily available in a huge range of shapes and sizes. In industry they're made on a full-scale pultrusion line. This is just not something you can replicate at home. You'd be able to bodge something by pulling tow through a resin bath and then trying to shape the section you need but there's not really much point. If you've not done so already, check our website for a huge range of carbon fibre pultrusions.

@100amps 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv, Thanks for the reply. I didn't realize rods would be tougher to DIY. I guess if I want to DIY something, I can experiment with L or U section molded braces instead. In fact, there might be (acoustic) advantages to doing that.

@andreasbeier2431 3 года назад

Finally!!!

@stevesloan6775 3 года назад

ordered imperfections. 2021.. real time moulding

@nobocks 3 года назад

"i dont know shit about 3d printing"... Yeah but your post process is smooth has ice and there is no video about that on 3d printing channel. Good job !

@SLU2MOVIES 3 года назад

MY GOOD. JUST WHAT I NEEDED :O

@easycompositestv 3 года назад

Thanks Michal, that's good to hear. Look forward to seeing how you get on.

@SLU2MOVIES 3 года назад

@@easycompositestv No way you wouldn't want to see it. It will be the most cheap and crude way possible 🤣 I'm a poor student, doing a custom diffuser 🤣 3d printed with a thin layer of filament in parts glueded together and reinforced with putty and fibreglass once the fitment is perfect. Than time for a mold. I've found your videos very informative and useful, it's also quite entertaining, it isn't boring 😂. The usage of a vacuum cleaner and epoxy for smoothing blow my mind away and I won't have to worry about a vacuum pomp. I found also thanks to you guys there is a material called diolen, and it looks like carbon 😁 I'm thinking of using it instead of fibreglass, what do you guys think, diolen vs fiberglass? Or both 🤔 top layer for looks

@stephanginther9051 2 года назад

I had the idea to make a pour mold to make a violin from epoxy resin. (I'm thinking 3 pieces for the body and neck) Just for fun mostly, I don't play but want to learn. Looking into it I see that a few people have made carbon fiber violins, and there's a company that does it. I also saw that a company made a glass violin as a gimmick, that would have used a mold too, though it would likely have been a more complicated injection sort of thing. I'm an engineering grad and pretty good with solidworks. Haven't made any molds yet, but I will. Kinda have to after videos like this.