Re: [ATM] making carbon tubes

["Donald Good" <donald.good@comcast.net>]

Since you are using a tube as the mandrel, try using it as a negative
mandrel.  Find another tube (e.g. sonotube) that is a little smaller than
the aluminum tube.  Cut a hole in the sonotube where the vacuum hose will
attach to the vacuum bag.  Then layup in reverse order.  Start with the
vacuum bag, then the breather-bleeder, then perforated release film, then
optional peal ply (if additional layers or core material is to be applied
later), then carbon fiber or fiberglass layers with resin, and finally a
solid (non-perforated) release film.  Slide this inside the aluminum tube
and seal the vacuum bag against the aluminum tube.  Then when the vacuum is
applied, atmospheric pressure will press outward against the inside of the
aluminum tube, expanding the fiber layers slightly, preventing any wrinkles
from forming.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: atm-bounces@atmlist.net 
> [mailto:atm-bounces@atmlist.net] On Behalf Of Cord Scholz
> Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 11:01 AM
> To: atm@atmlist.net
> Subject: [ATM] making carbon tubes
> 
> Hi all,
> I'm trying to make a carbon tube using an aluminum tube as a 
> positive mandrel. Does anyone know ho to prevent the carbon 
> cloth from wrinkling in the vacuum bag? In my first attempt I 
> used several cloth pieces that were about 1" longer than the 
> circumference of the tube and moved the seam from layer to 
> layer a few inches, the result were several nasty wrinkles in 
> the cf part.
> I know that there must be a way to do this with a positive 
> mandrel because I have a sandwich tube that was made this way 
> but I don't how it was done exactly.
> 
> Cord Scholz
> www.astro-image.com
> 
>    
> 
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