how do yuo have press the carbon fiber to the shape of mold? do you use a rubber bladder with air pressure?
Yes, it's made with pressure, and I make the "balloons" by myself - with foil or rubber.
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how do yuo have press the carbon fiber to the shape of mold? do you use a rubber bladder with air pressure?
Berk wrote:how do yuo have press the carbon fiber to the shape of mold? do you use a rubber bladder with air pressure?
Yes, it's made with pressure, and I make the "balloons" by myself - with foil or rubber.
nicrump wrote:/...you use a heat seamer to make a pleated tube from the film?
Berk wrote:Hi,
well, most of the tubes are designed "as simple as possible". The toptube is made like you mentioned - on the ends the diameter is a bit larger. I can make it also like that, but didn't made it for the downtube. The downtube is all the way the same, and so is the seattube. I have less problems with the layup and I just want to keep it simple. The chainstays are designed in conus, and the seatstays will be a bit oval..I could sure save some more weight, but not that much that it would make sense for me to change it. I would have a lot more work with the procedure and unfortunately I'm also financial limited.
If I would have some more budged I could sure change quite a lot of things and also use some more expensive methods. First I could make (well, order..) metal moulds etc.,.. But it makes more sense to me if I make most of the things by myself, I really have fun and it's also not that expensive.... If I would like to have all the moulds made with metal it would cost me around 4000 EUR for a frame,...unfortunately I don't have my own CNC and I'm not able to make these moulds by myself, but hopefully someday I'll make also a project like that.
Somehow I still prefer tube-to-tube and that already isn't the lightest method, but you can really make anything you want regarding the geometry, I like the fact that I can make a custom geometry. Parlee, Crumton etc., are making it similar, and I don't think that this method is bad (tube-to-tube). I could really save a few more grams with different design and methods, but as long as I make everything by myself I have to find the right compromise. And in this case it's a project like this, if you know what I mean
gumgardner wrote:I think you are making a wise decision. I've always been impressed with your maturity. Well beyond your years
hasbeen wrote:I echo what gumgardner said but am reminded of guys like Serge Pauwels as well. There are a few highly educated pro's out there with the same post-cycling ideal of having a significant career to fall back on. Maybe track one of them down and ask how they did it. You have some great talents and its always tough to see someone have to give any of them up.