Custom/Hybrid Carbon fiber overlay?? Possible? already tried?

[Shadow7874]

Im in the process of revamping my 550 for the summer. Its my first ski so im trying to learn what i can before i step up to a nicer sj in the hopefully near future. Has anyone ever laid a layer or to of carbon on the bottom or their hull and cleared it instead of painting over? Im not even sure if i could manage to get the cf to form around the hull flat but in my head the idea sounds sick. A little added strength + sexy carbon fiber bottom.

 

[infamy]

i know someone on here did it to their fx-1 but i dont remember their screen name.

 

[Etheraldreamer]

ive seen a few who have done the sides of the hull from the bond line down to the bottom, but never on the actual bottom of the ski. i agree though, that would look SWEET!

 

[Shadow7874]

Anyone who is familiar with working with c/f think it would wrap around the contours of the hull in 1 clean piece? Ive worked with fiberglass some but all ive done is the back of a sub box and a layer of glass on a wake skate im making (letting sit instead of making)

 

[Boris]

My friend did the entire bottom of his SJ with one piece of 11oz CF. Came out looking great and has held up to beach rash quite well.
Did it add strength ?
I don't know.

 

[SurferSmurf]

i did a wammer race hood

http://x-h2o.com/showthread.php?t=44104

 

[Shadow7874]

i did a wammer race hood

http://x-h2o.com/showthread.php?t=44104

wow that look good. My only concern is the areas such as the rear corners. Would i be able to form it around them or would i have to fold/trim to get it to fit

 

[SurferSmurf]

i had to do 2 pieces on my hood. 1 on the front flat portion and one over the whole top. the key is to put the seams in places that blend well.
the only concern i have is the cost of the carbon that you will use on your 550, is it worth it for the look. i used 2 yards to do my hood at $57 dollars a yard. (i could have almost bought a new hood for what i spent in supplies and sandpaper and tools) you would probably want to use 4 yards. not to mention the resin and time. it took me 2 weeks to get it done sanded smooth cleared twice and buffed. its a lot of work and not recommended if you have never done such a project. making the contours is not easy and you only get one chance to do it right once it is down if you try to move it around to much it will disturb the weave.

 

[jetfreak78]

i did it a few years ago. its a lot of work, but the result is worth it imo. its very strong and looks fantastic. the hardest part was the epoxi topcoat.

check for pics of the process:

http://freenet-homepage.de/grenze/Wasser/carbon.html

 

[Shadow7874]

i did it a few years ago. its a lot of work, but the result is worth it imo. its very strong and looks fantastic. the hardest part was the epoxi topcoat.

check for pics of the process:

http://freenet-homepage.de/grenze/Wasser/carbon.html

did you paint over yours when your done? from the pics it looks like you sanded through parts but it might jsut be glare.

i had to do 2 pieces on my hood. 1 on the front flat portion and one over the whole top. the key is to put the seams in places that blend well.
the only concern i have is the cost of the carbon that you will use on your 550, is it worth it for the look. i used 2 yards to do my hood at $57 dollars a yard. (i could have almost bought a new hood for what i spent in supplies and sandpaper and tools) you would probably want to use 4 yards. not to mention the resin and time. it took me 2 weeks to get it done sanded smooth cleared twice and buffed. its a lot of work and not recommended if you have never done such a project. making the contours is not easy and you only get one chance to do it right once it is down if you try to move it around to much it will disturb the weave.

damn, i didnt know it was that much more expensive, so if i was gonna use multiple pieces, would i do one main sheet and let it dry then add other parts so i can line them up better? or should i do all at once?

 

[SurferSmurf]

all at once. you wont be able to match it cuz the edges fray. its very easy to disturb the weave also. if you lived closer i would help you. it takes a lot of resin money patience and time. i cannot express that enough. think very hard about doing this project. here are more pics during my process.

 

[yamanube]

If you are just going for the look you can opt for colored fiberglass or texalium. It wont be as strong but will still look good and cost less.

 

[GDFL]

If you are just going for the look you can opt for colored fiberglass or texalium. It wont be as strong but will still look good and cost less.

I've seen somewhere that you can pick up that padded cabinet stuff like you would buy to line the bottom of kitchen cabinets. Use it for a mask and spray with black and gray and you'll end up with a 5ft carbon fiber look. Much cheaper and easier. Here's a clip:

 

[SurferSmurf]

I've seen somewhere that you can pick up that padded cabinet stuff like you would buy to line the bottom of kitchen cabinets. Use it for a mask and spray with black and gray and you'll end up with a 5ft carbon fiber look. Much cheaper and easier. Here's a clip:

what a great idea. thats cool. i never would have thought of something like that.

 

[jetfreak78]

did you paint over yours when your done? from the pics it looks like you sanded through parts but it might jsut be glare.

no paint here, just epoxi topcoat. the last 2 pics in the link show the bottom before (under) the final, viewable layer of carbon. i reinforced the runners and other parts of the bottom with different pieces of carbon and filled with epoxi filler to smoth out the edges of the pieces. this is what looks like i sanded trough the carbon.