I am considering a CF build, my first time working with this composite. I am unclear as to how feasible it is to paint, or what if any tips, best practices, paint and primer types, etc. that you would recommend?
It's yours so do what makes you happy. But, why did you buy the carbon? If it was to save weight and preserve strength, paint is counterproductive. If it was to show the material, paint is counterproductive. If you want to add color and personal touch with a weight penalty, then treat it like fiberglass.
LOL now I see why no one posted this question, they were afraid
I am considering painting becasue I did my Frankenstein usual; bought a nice high alt filament wound kit and swapped a bunch of key parts that add some weight to it. Solution, swap the airframe for CF! I also have a paint scheme I can't get out of my head...she looks so pretty and glossy on paper.
That is not recommended. Using polyurethane or vinyl-ester resins will seriously weaken the final layup in comparison with a high quality epoxy resin.Use polyurethane resin when you lay up the carbon
If you're using CF for aesthetics only, you could just use CF vinyl.Alex it really depends on the what you plan to do with the rocket thing. Low and slow or let's try to rip the fins off this thing.
Using CF for a non-structural purpose and then painting it is beyond me...
Alex
No more so than most Ferrari owners who never drive faster than 75-80 in a car that's capable of 200+.
Just the way of the world. People buy what they want..... for reasons of their own.
One man's ceiling.....is another man's floor. LOl
It would actually be like buying a Ferrari and turning it into a Toyota Corolla.No more so than most Ferrari owners who never drive faster than 75-80 in a car that's capable of 200+.
As for practical reasons why someone would paint carbon fiber... Perhaps he could be applying an ablative coating to a nosecone to handle high mach numbers?
Try a clear candy color for paint. You can still add color to it, but also get the benefit of seeing the carbon fiber texture underneath.
Pics?
I thought this thread was dead, glad to see the differing opinions on the subject.
As for pics...my supplier is waiting for the CF nose cone, so once the parts arrive I will post some pics of the stock kit, the parts I pulled out and the parts I swapped.
Who knows I may even start my first build thread.
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