Carbon Fibre?

[M4tt]

Ok dudes, and gals, Smack me if im wrong, but would a carbon fibre giant hood work? lol, my family gets free carbon fibre from a supplier, so would it work for a box? its pretty damn strong stuff... its light, durable, and should work pretty well. anyone have any ideas about it?

[RedNoseK9]

i think should be fine if its coated be cause i know it can shed fibres so as long as its like varnished or something should be ok mate

[M4tt]

yes i was planing to put some type of coating over it... just not sure what...
would paint work?

[Hawkmaster]

Gel coat according to my brother in law that worked with it.

[LongVVing]

Like Hawkmaster says Gel coat. My friend has used it to aplly a fininsh to a carbon fibre hull on his sail boat. You may be able to get it from a ship chandelers/yatch shop.

[GriffMJ]

Hi M4tt

How thin is a sheet of carbon fibre? Also what do you use to harden it? When it hardens does is it shrink at all? I would like to try making a hood out of it.... there is a guy in the US who is making "solid" hoods and I wonder if he is using CF to do it.

[M4tt]

Hi M4tt

How thin is a sheet of carbon fibre? Also what do you use to harden it? When it hardens does is it shrink at all? I would like to try making a hood out of it.... there is a guy in the US who is making "solid" hoods and I wonder if he is using CF to do it.

the sheets of carbon fibre, bacily, come in i want to say 1/16th inch thickness? i might be wrong... im not sure if it shrinks, ill ask my brother when i get home from school today. *hes already left lol*

to harden it, you put it into a really hot oven. our house oven gets the job well done :) so currently we have been using that and making small things, like RC car chasis lol.

i do know though, its wicked strong, and on this hood thing... how would it close? it isnt that flexible... so wouldnt it be only fit for a bird?

[GriffMJ]

i do know though, its wicked strong, and on this hood thing... how would it close? it isnt that flexible... so wouldnt it be only fit for a bird?

Don't know until its tried :) It would be intersting to find out.... what temp must the oven be at ...and how long does it have to be to harden?

[StormRider]

You wouldnt need to use heat to cure it for this type of application. Heat is generally used when you are trying to get a certain structural strength from it or you want to speed up the curing process. Infact the natural curing process itself produces its own heat through chemical reactions. Mind you, if you had to buy the carbon fibere in, it is not cheap, so you are lucky that you are getting it free.
The difficulty in using carbon fibre, fibre glass, etc with an application like a hood is making sure that it is completely smooth inside and out. Inside for the comfort and safety of the bird and outsie for the look. The only way to achieve this is by a method called closed moulding where a male and female mould is pulled together by a vacuum and the resin and gel coat is distributed evenly between both moulds via vacuum pressure. This creates an equal thickness product with a gel coat finish either side.
You could paint the gel coat on afterwards but you wouldnt get an even coat.
Another possible risk for the bird is the styrene vapour which comes from the resin and gelcoat. I am not sure how long it would take for it to dissipate enough away from the product into the atmosphere, and whether or not it would dissipate enough to make it healthy for the bird.
I tell you what though, you could make some cracking patterns and designs. You could even make a hood with a built in visor so the bird could see when it flies. The bird would be indestructable through the trees. Even mount some gun turrets on the the top and a built in telemetry unit. Bloody brilliant man.
STU

[GriffMJ]

I tell you what though, you could make some cracking patterns and designs. You could even make a hood with a built in visor so the bird could see when it flies. The bird would be indestructable through the trees. Even mount some gun turrets on the the top and a built in telemetry unit. Bloody brilliant man.
STU

PMSL Stu... take your point about the material etc... I did ask if it had a natural tendancy to shrink a little in the same way as leather does ..... if it did it would tighten to the hood block ensuring a smooth interior. There is a bloke in the US that has made "hard Hoods" and is selling them within NAFA circles ....its an interesting concept.

[StormRider]

i would like to see one cause I think they sound great. I cant see how you would get it off the block. An option would be to mould two seperate halves, trim the edges very square and glue them together. I honestly dont know m8!
STU

[Hawkmaster]

Here is the chap you are talking about, his name is:Justin Tanner (justin@velocitus.net)

New technology has produced the first two-gram hood. Made form space age materials. These hoods are ideal for smaller raptors, were leather hoods are too heavy. For the larger raptors were weight is not an issue, and the falconer is looking for a distinctive looking hood. The ultra light hood. represents the first new type of hood. for the twenty first century. These hoods will be premiered at the NAFA meet in Vernal Utah.

Below are pictures of a Perlin and Kestrel, the hood is made for a Merlin and only weighs 2.5gr.

I have tried something similar from a thin mouldable plastic, but it was not good enough.:cry:

[Miguel]

Looks good

[Afshimo]

he he, I told someone that you could get plastic hoods but he didnt belive me lol. I hope he see's this thread!!!!!

Back to the point, they look great but what about heat and stff? How do you close and open them etc? anyone know? Great stuff though!

[GriffMJ]

Thanks Hawkmaster

WOW!!!... I have never seen the Perlin hood.... I must have one!! he must be able to do a range of sizes by now.... I need one for the collection :) I shall e-mail him and see how far development has gone with the larger sizes.

[M4tt]

You wouldnt need to use heat to cure it for this type of application. Heat is generally used when you are trying to get a certain structural strength from it or you want to speed up the curing process. Infact the natural curing process itself produces its own heat through chemical reactions. Mind you, if you had to buy the carbon fibere in, it is not cheap, so you are lucky that you are getting it free.
The difficulty in using carbon fibre, fibre glass, etc with an application like a hood is making sure that it is completely smooth inside and out. Inside for the comfort and safety of the bird and outsie for the look. The only way to achieve this is by a method called closed moulding where a male and female mould is pulled together by a vacuum and the resin and gel coat is distributed evenly between both moulds via vacuum pressure. This creates an equal thickness product with a gel coat finish either side.
You could paint the gel coat on afterwards but you wouldnt get an even coat.
Another possible risk for the bird is the styrene vapour which comes from the resin and gelcoat. I am not sure how long it would take for it to dissipate enough away from the product into the atmosphere, and whether or not it would dissipate enough to make it healthy for the bird.
I tell you what though, you could make some cracking patterns and designs. You could even make a hood with a built in visor so the bird could see when it flies. The bird would be indestructable through the trees. Even mount some gun turrets on the the top and a built in telemetry unit. Bloody brilliant man.
STU

my brother uses our oven to cure it... i was planing to make the panels, drill holes, use solid hindges (hell, might make those also! LOL) to make the shape of the box. so i can take it apart easy also... :)

and as for the gun turret/telementry/wat ever.. its gotta have thermal and a laser site :) ;)

[StormRider]

and as for the gun turret/telementry/wat ever.. its gotta have thermal and a laser site :) ;)

COOL, I want that one!

Those hoods look good. Has he got a website or something
STU

[Kevin Massey]

Thanks Hawkmaster

WOW!!!... I have never seen the Perlin hood.... I must have one!! he must be able to do a range of sizes by now.... I need one for the collection :) I shall e-mail him and see how far development has gone with the larger sizes.

griff did you ever get one?