Cardboard composite

[Donnager]

I've struggled with materials for sleds.

I've built two as follows. They are extremely light, easy to drill ......but if you don't like messing with glass and laminating resins, then this won't help you.

Start with a sheet of hard cardboard (like the back of a legal pad).

Paint it with laminating epoxy and coat front and back with lightweight fiberglass. If you want it to look carbon-fiber like, add some black dye. Then waxed paper/parchment paper, and compress for a day.

If you have a foodsaver, you can bag it.

You'll have a sheet of material about 0.08-0.1 thick that is pretty durable, cuts easier than resin infused glass with a chop saw, and will actually hold screws. It epoxies together very well, also.

This isn't really a cost saving tip, it just made it easier for me to fill a couple of small e-bays with more electronics than wood.

 

[tsmith1315]

I love the resourcefulness!

 

[G_T]

Good quality corrugated carboard can be used for the core. It is lighter. Just can't pull a lot of vacuum on it. This was used as the core material by various people in the 50s and possibly 60s making their own planes on the cheap.

Gerald

 

[Donnager]

Good quality corrugated carboard can be used for the core. It is lighter. Just can't pull a lot of vacuum on it. This was used as the core material by various people in the 50s and possibly 60s making their own planes on the cheap.

Gerald

Agreed.

 

[KenECoyote]

Any pics of your finished sleds?

 

[Donnager]

Any pics of your finished sleds?

Yeah.. I'm bad about it. I'll edit this post and add a few.

 

[cerving]

My younger son got his Composites merit badge by making a clipboard out of cardboard/FG. They didn't use vacuum bonding, they just stuck a few books on top of it. I was surprised how stiff it was... it would certainly be adequate for a sled. (BTW, he Eagle'd... mom is REALLY proud of him, even 10 years later.)

 

[Donnager]

My younger son got his Composites merit badge by making a clipboard out of cardboard/FG. They didn't use vacuum bonding, they just stuck a few books on top of it. I was surprised how stiff it was... it would certainly be adequate for a sled. (BTW, he Eagle'd... mom is REALLY proud of him, even 10 years later.)

Congrats to your son. Eagle is an achievement worth attention. Sticking through an eagle project is a pretty important step for kids that may want to get things done in the future, regardless of where they wind up. It's interesting watching them go through frustration (about coordination/managing of others) and then pride/relief, when it all ends.

My older son earned his Eagle. My younger son stopped at Life, when regular "life" started to interfere, despite my efforts. We're proud of both of them.

I was a slacker, I never was a boy scout, until I helped as an adult leader. Took more adult training classes than you'd think. I wish they'd had the composite merit badge when my boys were in scouts, although I was still building drag race cars at the time. Didn't realize some of my patchwork boating, racing and electronics skills would bring me back to stuff (rockets) from when I was a kid.

I do my best to help when we get scout groups at launches, because even though many parents and scouts are just going through the motions, some of the kids seem to get it. Occasionally, you get some eyes to really light up, and then they ask some really cool "why" questions.

 

[Donnager]

A couple of pics. Top and bottom side of a 3" with RRC3. Standoffs are secured on the bottom by CA. Wiring by hot glue. Extra material on the side.

 

[KenECoyote]

A couple of pics. Top and bottom side of a 3" with RRC3. Standoffs are secured on the bottom by CA. Wiring by hot glue. Extra material on the side.View attachment 567265View attachment 567266

Very nice! Looks better than I was imagining and I may try it for my next custom sled. Thanks!