I had the pleasure of speaking to Paul this afternoon about my project and the use of carbon tubes / wrapping carbon tubes around foam core to make a strong space-frame and the shear amount of knowledge and information he gave me was astounding!! Several really good ideas and new takes and new techniques I hadn’t even considered. I’ve ordered materials from Easy composites in the past for glider and boat repair work and I’m really looking forward to working with Easy Composites on this project too! Thanks Paul!
Thanks Youssef, haha, well, it's pretty niche stuff that we cover. If we were talking about Minecraft, Tik Tocking or giving away $100,000 to strangers then we might have a few more subs but when it comes to technical manufacturing there's only so many viewers out there!
@@markrainford1219 it's pretty impressive tbh but the number of people who need to learn to make carbon fiber AND don't work at a manufacturing firm who already makes carbon fiber is pretty slim unfortunately. Awesome videos, views aren't everything though
"i am gonna be doing a very primitive test"...moves on and using an industrial press with a pc program that measures the force in detail...epic nice video btw
Thanks Dimos. OK, so maybe 'primitive' was understating it a bit but what we meant was that we were not going to get right down into test standards and things, at least not in this video.
@@easycompositestv I really appreciate the tests at the end. I've worked with and used carbon fiber in the automotive race industry (Renault spec racers) and years ago we used to make some components out of carbon fiber, but i never really got to see it tested like this! We all know it's strong but hard to visualize sometimes. We only used it for Naca ducts and some basic non-structural things.
@@easycompositestv Before failure mode is achieved is the material in the elastic domain like steel would be before it reaches plastic deformation? Otherwise said, if the part is released from the machine after reaching 600kg at 10mm deflection would it still have the same dimensions as before being subjected to the test?
Haha yeah it's primitive in terms of test design, but the equipment is $10-20k and up. I've done the same type of test with static weights to the same effect, though. You don't need the fancy tensile tester, but you would need to build up a fixture for the test.
great video, PS: for the novices among us a mandrel ( not a mandrill- monkey family) is a rod of metal you mount between centres in a metal or wood lathe to hold a round part securely ie a pulley or donuts shaped object, the rod holds the part by the inner bore so machining can occur on the outer surface ( otherwise gripped by a chuck, held at a centre, etc.) as this is the only way to hold it and machine successfully.
Great stuff, are you guys also planning on a how to on making proper strong inserts in carbon structures? I'm quite worried about using aluminium threaded inserts inside carbon on structural parts. Would love to get to know a bit more about that and how to do it proper.
Nice video, well explained without big egos for a change. If worst comes to worst, remember that common swimming pool acid will dissolve the aluminium tube away in a minute without affecting the CF at all. A professional fiberglass friend who makes fiberglass tubes, uses cardboard tubes, then just throws them in water overnight.
Interesting comment Mark; it wouldn’t be possible to use cardboard as a mandrel for a prepreg tube like this of course (the process relies on thermal expansion of the mandrel) but it’s a novel way of making a mastic fibreglass tube.
I work for "Extremely Difficult Composites™" and 'we now realize' what we've been doing wrong all these years. Thank you!! You guys really R the "Carbon Fibre Whisperers" Cheers!
Great vid. Do you account for the thermal expansion of the aluminium mandrel when you consider what ID of the tube you want? I assume that the expansion of the mandrel "overrides" the contraction of the composite shrink tape. When calculating expected wall thickness do you assume that the consolidation will be more-or-less equal to that achievable using vacuum processes?
For size critical applications you would have to take into account expansion at the cure temperature of the pre-preg. The compression provided by the tape ends up being similar or slightly greater than a typical vacuum bag. However, the fabrics can only be compressed by so much.
Our pleasure Caleb, we have more coming and lots more ideas to share one they're done too. We really enjoy helping to explain these processes and share the information.
Yes, agreed, more numbers would be good sometimes. They're not everyone's cup of tea so we don't tend to go too heavy into figures and calcs but we have at least a couple of videos in mind that will dive a lot deeper into material testing and comparisons. Stay tuned.
Nice! Would love to see a video of how to attach metal to the CF tubes to help build frames or frame reinforcements, like a strut tower brace. An ultimate video would be how to create a CF antiroll bar, like the Porsche 911 GT2 RS uses............ :-D
OK, thanks for the comments. We do plan to do a video on fittings and fasteners for making carbon fibre assemblies, we could cover some of the things you're talking about in that.
Great video thanks learnt alot. Excellent to be learning. made me think of golf clubs - - just needs to be tapered. guess that wouldn't be wrapped in such case.
Thank you for this guys! Is it possible to make a such carbon fibre tube without preprag? (wet lamination) and how do I calculate the thickness of the tube?
@@GenoLoma you'd be surprised how cheap this stuff can be. This channel shows best case budget and work space. Wet lay over foam core seems cheap and doable.
Ahh, well, what we've done there is mention the 'other' tube video that goes with this one. We've already filmed it (which is how we had the video we needed for that shot!) but we haven't edited it down yet. We plan on publishing it next week. Once they're both up it will make a bit more sense.
@@GoldenSlothRacing I'm glad you asked this. I've watched every one of their videos, and was wondering the same thing. Looking forward to the next video.
Thank you so much for the videos! I’ve learned a great deal watching your videos and really enjoy them. Is there a way you would suggest to add a raised “bead” to either end of a tube made in this fashion? Similar to the raised bead sections in the “complex carbon fiber tube” video. If I try and build an intake tube in this fashion I’d like to help insure that the boots would not blow off the tube.
Hi Jeff, yes, you could do this very simply. Just cut a long thin strip of prepreg and then wrap that round and round as each end of the tube, making the tube considerably thicker in a 'bulge' at either end. This way the tube would still be parallel on the inside (so would release from the mandrel) but you'd get the bead detail you want.
For the intake part that's a great idea, but I would not recommend to proceed past the compressor. Dimensions for the compressor housing need to be very precisely milled for it to work, and that takes a whole different level of manufacturing experience to achive. Like including thermal expansion rates, the mechanical deflection of the compressor blades at full speed versus low speeds, the whole 9 yards.
The overlap is only necessary to hold the fabrics together during the rolling process, so in this case the overlap was actually very small at around 3mm.
Nice video as always. When I did some tubes for my car I wrapped some extra tows around the ends to make beads, kinda like your step to pull it off if necessary. This way theres much less chance of a coupler popping off. My application was for car intake tubes that see boost pressure.
Hey Man, I was exactly thinking about to make Boostpipes for my Hillclimb Porsche 944. It runs in Racemod nearly 4 Bar (something around 58psi). Son now my maybe dumb questions: Can they handle that? I mean it is mechanically strong of course, but air pressure? would really appreciate your answer. Stay safe out there!
You could certainly wet lay in a very similar way to the repair done here and also similarly to a tube repair as seen in our Fishing Pole Repair Video. Infusion would be much harder in a practical sense for smaller tube sizes, although for bigger sizes it may work using a tubular bagging film and extra care to ensure the resin is evenly distributed all around the tube.
You can also make your own prepreg by doing a wet layup on flat carbon and then freezing it. Then when you are ready to make your tubing, just let the home made prepreg thaw just a bit and roll it on just like factory prepreg. It's much less messy that way and the carbon tends not to slip as much during application.
At 5:06 you added a step at the end. Could I leave such a step on my tube for more hoop strength at that one end. I plan on putting in an aluminium insert in one end that is at near a 90 degree angle for a fitting that can be used as a wrench to apply torque to a nut? (piano tuning pin)
Hi Paul, Absolutely, you can add additional thickness and wraps wherever you need more strength, increasing the thickness around your insert would be good practice. Thanks for watching!
The interesting thing is not so much carbon fiber wich is strong, but the alternatives. Glass fiber, sandwich with carbon and glass fiber etc. For hobbyists this mean you can make things strong, if you have poor economy by mixing materials
There is a benefit of using glass instead of carbon in certain tension applications where a little flex or shock absorbsion is desirable. Even carbon fiber aircraft such as sailplanes often use special high strength fiberglass in the wing spars instead of carbon.
How does this “homemade” tube compare to its off-the-shelf counterpart in terms of tolerances and resistance? (I'm talking about a tube with the same layup configuration and diameters)
Pretty similar Daniel because - although this is 'home made' as you say, the materials and manufacturing process are actually so similar. Maybe if we get chance we'll compare a tube made in this exact way with a matching tube from our stock range and put them both on the test machine. I'll wager that they'll be within a few percent.
@@easycompositestv And what about price performance. Equipment non-considered, should we expect a price benefit for building tubes vs purchase? Or is it added flexibility in design? ... or both? Where are these tubes strongest? In the video we tested the tube horizontally, is the tube inappropriate for a vertical application?
@@MM-24 China is always cheaper but the tolerances are usually terrible. You can get a free oven from Craigslist that works just as well as the fancy one he has. All you need to do is get it to temperature and have room to get in the oven. Anyone ,including kids, can make this by watching the video. The tube is the strongest the same way as any tube. Obviously, long thin things are always stronger vertically. There's no reason to not buy it other than pride in making it yourself. You are either a builder or you're not.
For the stress tests I would recommend converting it also into Momentum, since it is quite some difference putting 700kg on a 0.30m long tube or a 1m tube or check if it sustains the same if converted to momentum, which will be more accurate :)
me watching the skinny tube : why the hell would someone want carbon fiber tubes, looks ridiculously feeble, 10seconds later the guy steps on, no deformation, not even one millimeter, put on the press, 600kg required to break it, not even a directional reinforcement was used. wow jaws dropped. now i believe in carbon fiber.
@@conniestevenson226 - i didn’t make mine, got it from a company called carbon canes... it’s 3/4” diameter and cane length? like 3’ or so... has flames coming up from the bottom ;¬)
In my situation I have bought plans to build a j3 kitten ultralight aircraft. I have heard that some manufacturers use carbon tubes to create the airframe structure to lighten and strengthen it. How can this be accomplished. This idea could be material for a future video blog. Humbly requesting. Thank you for all the past blogs. I have learned so much from all you gentleman and your factory.
Thank you for the comments and post. Whilst I understand that there are very few restrictions on the materials and approvals for ultra-light aviation, it would still be very important to be totally confident with your materials and processes for applications as critical as an airframe. Having said that, I have no doubt that some manufacturers can safely and successfully incorporate carbon fibre tubes into their airframes increase strength (or stiffness) and reduce weight. Usually it's the joins that are the most difficult part when using composite tubing. We'll certainly keep this in mind and see if there are some videos we can produce to cover this topic.
Hi Jose, beyond the case study that we have here; www.easycomposites.co.uk/making-a-carbon-fibre-bike-frame-case-study there isn't much more information that we can currently provide sorry.
i know this is just a demonstration and most tubes will be mostly exposed to tension and bending, but one thing that's also good to know is that aligning the layers at a 45° angle greatly increases the tubes resistence against torque
Hi Great Video! thanks for sharing... 1. f you had used the same weave of the one used on the ends for the destructive test would it have been stronger? 2 If you doubled the layer would the strength double? (is it proportional?) 3.If you would have machined rolled more tightly would it be stronger? 4. Would vacuum molding make the tube stronger during the curing than shrink wrap?
Actually the machine outputs the force it applies versus the displacement of the head (deflection in this case). So kg is fine. The internal stresses can be estimated by considering the dimensions of the tube and the external load applied.
How would you make a curved tube for cruiser style bicycle handbars? I've been riding on a carbon fiber road bicycle for a few years now and have been very impressed with it's lightweight quality and durability. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Lucas, that's the very next video we're doing. For curved tubes, like handlebars, you need a split-mould process. New video in around 1 week; subscribe and hit that bell.
In some ways aluminium and carbon can be compared in some properties so it may well be possible to conduct a similar test with aluminium tubing within the limits of the machines capability.
If you have problems extracting the tube from the rod, perhaps putting it in the freezer first would help. That would make the aluminium contract even more. Any thoughts?
this is really useful info! Can these tubes handle constant temperatures of 100c? I'm thinking like using tubes like these for long sections of radiator piping for automotive purposes. How stable is it if it were also in constant contact with things like antifreeze? And if the ends of the tubes were thick enough, can it be tapped or threaded? if so, would the difference in thermal expansion of steel hardware cause tolerance issues?
Hi Joshua, good question. So, because this tube was cured at 120°C the basic principle is that they would be OK for a service temperature of anything less than that (let's say 100°C to be on the safe-side). However, a couple of things would worry me about your application. One is the anti-freeze and the other is the continuous exposure to hot water. Although in the short term neither of these would be a huge problem, I think for permanent exposure to this environment a carbon fibre tube wouldn't really be suitable.
@@easycompositestv is there any information on how much pressure something like a 3 inch cf tube can handle? like 30-40psi of air pressure is doable right? It most likely won't be sustained. Thank you for taking the time to satisfy my curiosity. Can I ask how spoilers and wings are made? I have watched the video on the intake plenum (i assume that's what it was) but how do you apply pressure/vacuum inside a fairly thin hollow shape like a wing? I would love to see a video on something like that
i vote no...car coolant regulary exceeds 260F OR 150 C....really hot, and the steam inside is even hotter, wings and spoilers are easy IF YOU MEASURE THEM PERFECTLY BALANCED AND SYMETRICAL
If the tube diameter was constant and the curve was perfectly constant then it might just about be possible using this method but generally for anything other than a straight tube you would need a split mould, as shown in our other tube tutorial.
@@easycompositestv, thank you! Unfortunately I can't use a mold as I need a perfectly smooth inside surface at 1inch diameter. Ultimately I was considering using plaster, wax or any other material as a mandrel then eliminate it somehow.
I like this very simple and informative. I wanted to build my own light weight frame. Just wondering did you put any epoxy resin before putting the heat shrink tape?
Generally we do not recommend it as most home ovens do not offer a precise temperature control and have no facilities for programming a cycle. Some people have modified an oven to work with a controller but it is a lot of extra work.
do you have any non scientific Torque Tests results? What kind of lay ups would be best suited for axial load / twisting along the length type applications.
Can you use a wax shape, for example the s bend at the start of the video. Wrap the wax block up and then melt it out later, like how lost wax casting molds are formed
Hi Adam... sort of. The material that we're using to make the tube in this video is prepreg carbon fibre which must be heated to a relatively high temperature in order to cure. If we were to use a wax mandrel, together with prepreg carbon fibre, then we're likely to melt the wax before the prepreg cures. Also, if you're following this basic roll wrapping process, including wrapping the mandrel and reinforcement with the shrink tape then when the tape contracts at temperature it would put too much pressure on a soft wax (especially at temperature) and squash it. Therefore, if you're using prepregs and want to use a sacrificial mandrel then you normally need to be looking at water-soluble cores that can be washed out. These materials are quite high-tech, usually you would either need a split mould to cast the water-soluble mandrel or you would need to CNC machine it from a solid block of the material.
I have watched your videos and I love them. I have an abundance of carbon fiber at my disposal. If I where to use the process you used here with a mandrel of 11.25mm would I retain the same strength extending the tube length to 580mm?
Extending a tubes length in itself does not change the core mechanical properties of the carbon fibre. However, how it is loaded and used during use can differ and change the resulting levels of deflection and ultimately failure.
@@easycompositestv thank you for the quick response. 1 lap twill 3 laps unidirectional 1 lap twill will yield a stronger more rigid tube than the same 580mm length in aluminium?
Hi, you can add a chamfer by simply cutting it with a power tool such as a grinder and cutting disc or by hand sanding, carbon cuts and sands really easily.
hi easy composites quick question, if i wanted to skin a set of handlebars for example could i use one of your sleeves and then wet it out (like the skinning method) also would it be necessary to 1st layer the bars with epoxy until B stage or could i just sleeve the bars and lay the epoxy on and let it soak through? great video btw.
Yes you can use the braided sleeving in that way. The process is identical. You still need the basecoat layer to help with adhesion when the resins cure.
Excellent video! Could this process be applied to a mandrel that has a non circular cross section? For example a simple airfoil? Thanks again for the content!
Yes absolutely, the main problem with doing so is the fact that you lose the option to 'twist' the mandrel out of the part so thickening the end to give you a surface to pull (or hit) against, would be really important but you could use it for airfoil sections like bicycle seat posts, etc.
To have a beautiful finishing and remove the shrink tape marks I understand that you grid it, and apply laca coat? what coat I can use to have an smooth and shiny apperance?
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
These really are some of the finest guide videos on RUclips. To the point, no guff, no music, no nonsense, no time wasting pre-amble. Superb.
Thanks for the kind feedback, it's great to know were getting it right and the work that goes into these tutorials is worth it.
man, this company makes some really REALLY high quality tutorials
Well they kind of benefit from it
@@davidl6354Sounds like a win win
I had the pleasure of speaking to Paul this afternoon about my project and the use of carbon tubes / wrapping carbon tubes around foam core to make a strong space-frame and the shear amount of knowledge and information he gave me was astounding!! Several really good ideas and new takes and new techniques I hadn’t even considered. I’ve ordered materials from Easy composites in the past for glider and boat repair work and I’m really looking forward to working with Easy Composites on this project too!
Thanks Paul!
Glad we were able to help.
Always amazed by the quality of your tutorials and products! You deserve a lot more subs !
Thanks Youssef, haha, well, it's pretty niche stuff that we cover. If we were talking about Minecraft, Tik Tocking or giving away $100,000 to strangers then we might have a few more subs but when it comes to technical manufacturing there's only so many viewers out there!
@@easycompositestv 0ver a third of a million views though. Almost viral.
@@markrainford1219 it's pretty impressive tbh but the number of people who need to learn to make carbon fiber AND don't work at a manufacturing firm who already makes carbon fiber is pretty slim unfortunately. Awesome videos, views aren't everything though
"i am gonna be doing a very primitive test"...moves on and using an industrial press with a pc program that measures the force in detail...epic
nice video btw
Thanks Dimos. OK, so maybe 'primitive' was understating it a bit but what we meant was that we were not going to get right down into test standards and things, at least not in this video.
a primitive test is also, often a stress it till it breaks kind of test, or destructive test just to measure maximum capacity:>
@@easycompositestv I really appreciate the tests at the end. I've worked with and used carbon fiber in the automotive race industry (Renault spec racers) and years ago we used to make some components out of carbon fiber, but i never really got to see it tested like this! We all know it's strong but hard to visualize sometimes.
We only used it for Naca ducts and some basic non-structural things.
@@easycompositestv Before failure mode is achieved is the material in the elastic domain like steel would be before it reaches plastic deformation? Otherwise said, if the part is released from the machine after reaching 600kg at 10mm deflection would it still have the same dimensions as before being subjected to the test?
Haha yeah it's primitive in terms of test design, but the equipment is $10-20k and up. I've done the same type of test with static weights to the same effect, though. You don't need the fancy tensile tester, but you would need to build up a fixture for the test.
I was really fascinated by the tube and when he put it in the machine I nearly cried
thanks for the video!
omg I cried too😢🥺😂☺😘🤭😐🤤😪😐😏☺🤭🤪🥲😐😶🤤
These videos are the best thing I have seen online in my whole life 😮 which has been long, half a century unfortunately 😢
Thank you for this, guys. I really appreciate this great material.
You're very welcome!
I used this video as inspiration to make my own aero bicycle seatpost and it works great. Thanks for these awesome videos!
Great to hear!
great video, PS: for the novices among us a mandrel ( not a mandrill- monkey family) is a rod of metal you mount between centres in a metal or wood lathe to hold a round part securely ie a pulley or donuts shaped object, the rod holds the part by the inner bore so machining can occur on the outer surface ( otherwise gripped by a chuck, held at a centre, etc.) as this is the only way to hold it and machine successfully.
Best composites channel! Congrats.
Thank you for the really kind feedback!
Thanks for another great video, I really wish they were produced more often!!
Thanks Jon. Yup, so do we. We do have a more frequent release schedule coming up, hopefully we can maintain it.
It’s so pretty! I can’t wait to try and make body panels for my truck.
same here
Good luck buddy
Your truck weigh like 3 tons and you make light weight body panels for it !?!?!
Since the beginning of this channel, these are the best carbón fiber manufacturing videos around RUclips, no doubt. Keep the good work!
Thank you very much Adrian, it's great to have had you on board since the start.
You guys make the best product videos..
Great stuff, are you guys also planning on a how to on making proper strong inserts in carbon structures? I'm quite worried about using aluminium threaded inserts inside carbon on structural parts. Would love to get to know a bit more about that and how to do it proper.
Great suggestion! Certainly something we will look at for the future.
Nice video, well explained without big egos for a change.
If worst comes to worst, remember that common swimming pool acid will dissolve the aluminium tube away in a minute without affecting the CF at all.
A professional fiberglass friend who makes fiberglass tubes, uses cardboard tubes, then just throws them in water overnight.
Interesting comment Mark; it wouldn’t be possible to use cardboard as a mandrel for a prepreg tube like this of course (the process relies on thermal expansion of the mandrel) but it’s a novel way of making a mastic fibreglass tube.
Damn carbon is hella strong 💪🏽 that’s amazing
I work for "Extremely Difficult Composites™" and 'we now realize' what we've been doing wrong all these years. Thank you!! You guys really R the "Carbon Fibre Whisperers" Cheers!
Ah it's all in the name. 😅 Glad we could help.
Wow .. extraordinary show and very helpful for me.What kind of carbon is it buddy.?
Out of AutoClave pre-pregs were used in this tutorial.
@@easycompositestv thankyou so much,buddy👍👍👍👍🙏👌🙏😀😀
Great vid. Do you account for the thermal expansion of the aluminium mandrel when you consider what ID of the tube you want? I assume that the expansion of the mandrel "overrides" the contraction of the composite shrink tape. When calculating expected wall thickness do you assume that the consolidation will be more-or-less equal to that achievable using vacuum processes?
For size critical applications you would have to take into account expansion at the cure temperature of the pre-preg. The compression provided by the tape ends up being similar or slightly greater than a typical vacuum bag. However, the fabrics can only be compressed by so much.
I will probably never make anything from carbon fiber yet I watch video after video from you guys. Love from Texas.
Hi Joshua, thank you for your comment! Glad you enjoy our content, we've got plenty of new videos in the pipeline that will be uploaded soon
I use that carbon tube for spacer for my bike stem.strong and very light.
Thanks for adding those little tid-bits about how large manufactures might do things. I'm involved in manufacturing but not yet into carbon fibers.
Love your content, it's amazingly information dense
Thanks Srini, *information dense*; yes, I guess that's what we aim for!
@@easycompositestv Yeah! Nailed it carbon bois!
Thank you for adding more videos. It’s great of you all to keep sharing your knowledge! It’s very much appreciated.
Our pleasure Caleb, we have more coming and lots more ideas to share one they're done too. We really enjoy helping to explain these processes and share the information.
This would be a great metarial to make a pair of crutches - light and strong.
Yes, for sure. In fact I would be surprised if there weren't carbon fibre crutches on the market, somewhere.
price probably isn't worth it, also considering aluminium ones are pretty light
There ought to be a sport out there that involves crutches.
@@rootbeer666 ain't that skiing?
And they always get stolen by the patients... lol @@seannz100
Thank you so much for actually showing some tests and discussing numbers even a little bit. Wonderful!
Yes, agreed, more numbers would be good sometimes. They're not everyone's cup of tea so we don't tend to go too heavy into figures and calcs but we have at least a couple of videos in mind that will dive a lot deeper into material testing and comparisons. Stay tuned.
Nice!
Would love to see a video of how to attach metal to the CF tubes to help build frames or frame reinforcements, like a strut tower brace.
An ultimate video would be how to create a CF antiroll bar, like the Porsche 911 GT2 RS uses............ :-D
OK, thanks for the comments. We do plan to do a video on fittings and fasteners for making carbon fibre assemblies, we could cover some of the things you're talking about in that.
Easy Composites Ltd showing us how to make a 90 deg bent tube would be nice also.
How well does this pre prefer hold upto heat?
@@easycompositestv I would love to know as well. I'm thinking of a homemade carbon bike with metal lugs.
Great video thanks learnt alot. Excellent to be learning. made me think of golf clubs - - just needs to be tapered. guess that wouldn't be wrapped in such case.
You could make a tapered tube by a similar method.
@@easycompositestv thanks :)
Thank you for this guys! Is it possible to make a such carbon fibre tube without preprag? (wet lamination) and how do I calculate the thickness of the tube?
It can be done wet lay in a similar fashion, albeit it is a lot more messy. Thickness is related to thickness of the cloth and number of layers used.
This channel is just too well polished and helpful- like, what’s the catch??
Umm, everything is way out of our financial reach..?
Maybe..?
@@GenoLoma you'd be surprised how cheap this stuff can be. This channel shows best case budget and work space. Wet lay over foam core seems cheap and doable.
What video covers making that tube with the kink in it? Can't recall seeing it. I'd imagine a similar process to the intake manifold you made though.
Ahh, well, what we've done there is mention the 'other' tube video that goes with this one. We've already filmed it (which is how we had the video we needed for that shot!) but we haven't edited it down yet. We plan on publishing it next week. Once they're both up it will make a bit more sense.
@@easycompositestv fantastic thanks for getting back to me! I can't wait as I feel it's very relevant for the projects I've got going on :D
@@GoldenSlothRacing I'm glad you asked this. I've watched every one of their videos, and was wondering the same thing. Looking forward to the next video.
Can’t wait for that one I’ve always wanted to try making different tubes from carbon
I tried different one off methods but turned out crap.
Nice videos
Best carbon fibre video's out there! 👍
Wow, thanks Andrew, we try out best :)
@@easycompositestv you succeed! I will be after the kit to make the carbon fibre wings for my a5! Is that the same kit you used for the bonnet?
@@andrew19682008 Yes, the process would be much the same albeit you may not need the inner moulding as we did with the bonnet.
Thank you so much for the videos! I’ve learned a great deal watching your videos and really enjoy them. Is there a way you would suggest to add a raised “bead” to either end of a tube made in this fashion? Similar to the raised bead sections in the “complex carbon fiber tube” video. If I try and build an intake tube in this fashion I’d like to help insure that the boots would not blow off the tube.
Hi Jeff, yes, you could do this very simply. Just cut a long thin strip of prepreg and then wrap that round and round as each end of the tube, making the tube considerably thicker in a 'bulge' at either end. This way the tube would still be parallel on the inside (so would release from the mandrel) but you'd get the bead detail you want.
This great info, and easy for beginners.
A beginner's playlist would be a great addition
I’m gonna use this make a full carbon cold side for turbo setups😁
For the intake part that's a great idea, but I would not recommend to proceed past the compressor. Dimensions for the compressor housing need to be very precisely milled for it to work, and that takes a whole different level of manufacturing experience to achive. Like including thermal expansion rates, the mechanical deflection of the compressor blades at full speed versus low speeds, the whole 9 yards.
I have so much newfound respect for carbon fiber. thanks
You’re welcome. Thanks for the feedback.
I would like to know, how much the carbon fiber weights per squaremeter.
Well, I think you’d also want to know the thickness too then! 1280g per m2 at 1mm thickness (or 1280kg/m3)
That depends on the specific gravity of where it is being measured. It will weigh more on earth than on mars. Hope that helps.
That changes depends on the amount of epoxy
Depends on the fiber, fabric construction, resin content percentage
Great video! Thanks for sharing all these different methods with us over the years!
You're welcome Benjamin, thanks for watching over the years!
Slight overlap, would that be 5mm or 10mm? For additional strength could more layers help? Rotational strength? You make it look easy. Thanx
The overlap is only necessary to hold the fabrics together during the rolling process, so in this case the overlap was actually very small at around 3mm.
@@easycompositestv with the 5 total wraps around the mandrel, what wall thickness does this equate to after baking?
@@sandman70131 The finished tube had a wall thickness of 1.7mm.
Nice video as always. When I did some tubes for my car I wrapped some extra tows around the ends to make beads, kinda like your step to pull it off if necessary. This way theres much less chance of a coupler popping off. My application was for car intake tubes that see boost pressure.
Yep, nice tip and nice way to get a small, neat step on the end of your tubes. Totally makes sense.
Hey Man, I was exactly thinking about to make Boostpipes for my Hillclimb Porsche 944. It runs in Racemod nearly 4 Bar (something around 58psi). Son now my maybe dumb questions: Can they handle that? I mean it is mechanically strong of course, but air pressure? would really appreciate your answer. Stay safe out there!
Could you make a carbon tube with a wet lay or infused process instead of prepreg?
You could certainly wet lay in a very similar way to the repair done here and also similarly to a tube repair as seen in our Fishing Pole Repair Video. Infusion would be much harder in a practical sense for smaller tube sizes, although for bigger sizes it may work using a tubular bagging film and extra care to ensure the resin is evenly distributed all around the tube.
You can also make your own prepreg by doing a wet layup on flat carbon and then freezing it. Then when you are ready to make your tubing, just let the home made prepreg thaw just a bit and roll it on just like factory prepreg. It's much less messy that way and the carbon tends not to slip as much during application.
At 5:06 you added a step at the end. Could I leave such a step on my tube for more hoop strength at that one end. I plan on putting in an aluminium insert in one end that is at near a 90 degree angle for a fitting that can be used as a wrench to apply torque to a nut? (piano tuning pin)
Hi Paul, Absolutely, you can add additional thickness and wraps wherever you need more strength, increasing the thickness around your insert would be good practice. Thanks for watching!
Seeing that fresh carbon fiber break just hurt my feelings
It got me excited about how strong this material can be. haha
@@one10RC That too lol
Totally!
I love your tutorial please make more🙏
The interesting thing is not so much carbon fiber wich is strong, but the alternatives. Glass fiber, sandwich with carbon and glass fiber etc. For hobbyists this mean you can make things strong, if you have poor economy by mixing materials
There is a benefit of using glass instead of carbon in certain tension applications where a little flex or shock absorbsion is desirable. Even carbon fiber aircraft such as sailplanes often use special high strength fiberglass in the wing spars instead of carbon.
I would like to explore laminating carbon with more abrasion resistant fibers such as aramid and uhdpe
how many layers of carbon fabric were in this tube?
you can use propane to cool down the aluminium tube
Yes, you could use a variety of methods to cool the tube and aid extraction, if you found it was necessary.
How does this “homemade” tube compare to its off-the-shelf counterpart in terms of tolerances and resistance? (I'm talking about a tube with the same layup configuration and diameters)
Pretty similar Daniel because - although this is 'home made' as you say, the materials and manufacturing process are actually so similar. Maybe if we get chance we'll compare a tube made in this exact way with a matching tube from our stock range and put them both on the test machine. I'll wager that they'll be within a few percent.
@@easycompositestv Thank you for your answer! That would definitely make an interesting video
@@easycompositestv And what about price performance. Equipment non-considered, should we expect a price benefit for building tubes vs purchase? Or is it added flexibility in design? ... or both?
Where are these tubes strongest? In the video we tested the tube horizontally, is the tube inappropriate for a vertical application?
That is clearly not homemade
@@MM-24 China is always cheaper but the tolerances are usually terrible. You can get a free oven from Craigslist that works just as well as the fancy one he has. All you need to do is get it to temperature and have room to get in the oven. Anyone ,including kids, can make this by watching the video. The tube is the strongest the same way as any tube. Obviously, long thin things are always stronger vertically. There's no reason to not buy it other than pride in making it yourself. You are either a builder or you're not.
These vids are always incredible. You make it look so darn easy... lol. Though some of the processes I have been able to reproduce!
Hi Cory! Glad you enjoy the video, with practice you'll certainly be able to reproduce most of the processes :)
For the stress tests I would recommend converting it also into Momentum, since it is quite some difference putting 700kg on a 0.30m long tube or a 1m tube or check if it sustains the same if converted to momentum, which will be more accurate :)
The test was purely for demonstration purposes rather than a precise test.
What loading do you recon the 12mm outer diameter tube could stand?
Without doing the calcs I can't tell you I'm afraid. At a guess, given a similar wall thickness, you'd be be in the 300kgs territory.
I have no idea what's going on nor how I could find this useful. But hmmm... Interesting video yes
Subscribed, you guys have some serious tubing there!
Thanks for subscribing!
Except the oven step, the rest is the same process of making a joint!
You made me fall off my chair. Bravo
Well, one gets baked, the other does the baking...
Happy 420!
Nice to see you back guys!
Thanks Alexey, we'll try to keep right up with our tutorial releases.
me watching the skinny tube : why the hell would someone want carbon fiber tubes, looks ridiculously feeble, 10seconds later the guy steps on, no deformation, not even one millimeter, put on the press, 600kg required to break it, not even a directional reinforcement was used. wow jaws dropped.
now i believe in carbon fiber.
Very nice video! thanks for sharing. Just one minor thing. In the end they should say "Load/displacement" graph instead of stress/strain.
made a world of difference when i switched to a carbon fiber cane...
Im thinking about making a walking/hiking stick. What diameter is yours and what length
@@conniestevenson226 - i didn’t make mine, got it from a company called carbon canes... it’s 3/4” diameter and cane length? like 3’ or so... has flames coming up from the bottom ;¬)
@@grendelum sounds awesome looking. I would think 5 feet would be perfect for what i need. Im looking to use a 28mm kevlar carbon hybrid shaft
i like that you took time to show how to do it right :).
I need some carbon shovel & broom handles...
Expensive Handles!
In my situation I have bought plans to build a j3 kitten ultralight aircraft. I have heard that some manufacturers use carbon tubes to create the airframe structure to lighten and strengthen it. How can this be accomplished. This idea could be material for a future video blog. Humbly requesting. Thank you for all the past blogs. I have learned so much from all you gentleman and your factory.
Thank you for the comments and post. Whilst I understand that there are very few restrictions on the materials and approvals for ultra-light aviation, it would still be very important to be totally confident with your materials and processes for applications as critical as an airframe. Having said that, I have no doubt that some manufacturers can safely and successfully incorporate carbon fibre tubes into their airframes increase strength (or stiffness) and reduce weight. Usually it's the joins that are the most difficult part when using composite tubing. We'll certainly keep this in mind and see if there are some videos we can produce to cover this topic.
Easy Composites Ltd i would also like to investigate carbon fibre tubes for an ultralight airframe. Thanks for your videos.
His hair stands up at the back exactly like mine
I am addict to this videos! AHAH , respects from Uruguay
Thank you Pablo, great to know we're reaching far and wide.
I legit dunno why this is on my recommendation
That mountain bike frame looks great, I like it. Is it possible to get any information about him?
Hi Jose, beyond the case study that we have here; www.easycomposites.co.uk/making-a-carbon-fibre-bike-frame-case-study there isn't much more information that we can currently provide sorry.
@9:14 it has officially been "Defromed" lol
i know this is just a demonstration and most tubes will be mostly exposed to tension and bending, but one thing that's also good to know is that aligning the layers at a 45° angle greatly increases the tubes resistence against torque
That is correct and is often done specifically for tubes used under torque such as driveshafts etc.
I wish i can handle that amount of stress too :/
Don't underestimate yourself, you're a carbon based lifeform.. you'll get through it.. 👍😁
Hi Great Video! thanks for sharing...
1. f you had used the same weave of the one used on the ends for the destructive test would it have been stronger?
2 If you doubled the layer would the strength double? (is it proportional?)
3.If you would have machined rolled more tightly would it be stronger?
4. Would vacuum molding make the tube stronger during the curing than shrink wrap?
When I saw stress in kg.... 🙈 damn cant un see
Lol
Actually the machine outputs the force it applies versus the displacement of the head (deflection in this case). So kg is fine. The internal stresses can be estimated by considering the dimensions of the tube and the external load applied.
wonder if you can make a role cage for say a drag car out of carbon fiber. fould be significantly lighter than steel
Theoretically yes with enough design and material. However I am not aware of any Motorsport governing body that would allow a carbon cage.
ahhhh so thats how those tubes are made! cheers!
How would you make a curved tube for cruiser style bicycle handbars? I've been riding on a carbon fiber road bicycle for a few years now and have been very impressed with it's lightweight quality and durability. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Lucas, that's the very next video we're doing. For curved tubes, like handlebars, you need a split-mould process. New video in around 1 week; subscribe and hit that bell.
Would be interesting to see how much pressure a tube like this could hold.
Excellent vid. Just wondering how the test load rig would work out for an aluminium tube though.
In some ways aluminium and carbon can be compared in some properties so it may well be possible to conduct a similar test with aluminium tubing within the limits of the machines capability.
Super professional human ❤️
Haha, thank you very much!
Amazing vid ! Thx for sharing information and ur knowledge
Happy to help!
Since I discovered this channel I want to replace every item with a carbon version of it^^
I'm glad our channel has had that effect on you!
What a great work! Thanks for the video!! Can't believe that string can hold near 700Kg!!
Hi, thanks for your comment, glad you enjoyed the video!
If you have problems extracting the tube from the rod, perhaps putting it in the freezer first would help. That would make the aluminium contract even more. Any thoughts?
Freezing does work in some cases.
What an awesome video!
I’d wrap myself in carbon fibre if I could!
Great stuff! 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Good plan. Maybe go for a lower temperature cure though?
Incredible videos as always!!
Glad you like them!
this is really useful info! Can these tubes handle constant temperatures of 100c? I'm thinking like using tubes like these for long sections of radiator piping for automotive purposes. How stable is it if it were also in constant contact with things like antifreeze? And if the ends of the tubes were thick enough, can it be tapped or threaded? if so, would the difference in thermal expansion of steel hardware cause tolerance issues?
Hi Joshua, good question. So, because this tube was cured at 120°C the basic principle is that they would be OK for a service temperature of anything less than that (let's say 100°C to be on the safe-side). However, a couple of things would worry me about your application. One is the anti-freeze and the other is the continuous exposure to hot water. Although in the short term neither of these would be a huge problem, I think for permanent exposure to this environment a carbon fibre tube wouldn't really be suitable.
@@easycompositestv is there any information on how much pressure something like a 3 inch cf tube can handle? like 30-40psi of air pressure is doable right? It most likely won't be sustained. Thank you for taking the time to satisfy my curiosity.
Can I ask how spoilers and wings are made? I have watched the video on the intake plenum (i assume that's what it was) but how do you apply pressure/vacuum inside a fairly thin hollow shape like a wing? I would love to see a video on something like that
i vote no...car coolant regulary exceeds 260F OR 150 C....really hot, and the steam inside is even hotter, wings and spoilers are easy IF YOU MEASURE THEM PERFECTLY BALANCED AND SYMETRICAL
Great video! You make it look so easy...
Can a slightly bent tube be rolled? I need to produce some bent carbon pipes. Can you please advise? Thanks!
If the tube diameter was constant and the curve was perfectly constant then it might just about be possible using this method but generally for anything other than a straight tube you would need a split mould, as shown in our other tube tutorial.
@@easycompositestv, thank you! Unfortunately I can't use a mold as I need a perfectly smooth inside surface at 1inch diameter. Ultimately I was considering using plaster, wax or any other material as a mandrel then eliminate it somehow.
Very inspiring video! Sparked so many ideas
I like this very simple and informative. I wanted to build my own light weight frame. Just wondering did you put any epoxy resin before putting the heat shrink tape?
No as the pre-preg material used already has resin in it.
@@easycompositestv thanks for the information very helpful.
Really nice video 👍
Is it possible to cure the pre preg with a classic oven at home?? 🤔
Generally we do not recommend it as most home ovens do not offer a precise temperature control and have no facilities for programming a cycle. Some people have modified an oven to work with a controller but it is a lot of extra work.
@@easycompositestv thanks for the answer 🙏
do you have any non scientific Torque Tests results? What kind of lay ups would be best suited for axial load / twisting along the length type applications.
You could improve torsional stiffness by having some layers of cloth ad 45 degrees to the tube.
Can you use a wax shape, for example the s bend at the start of the video. Wrap the wax block up and then melt it out later, like how lost wax casting molds are formed
Hi Adam... sort of. The material that we're using to make the tube in this video is prepreg carbon fibre which must be heated to a relatively high temperature in order to cure. If we were to use a wax mandrel, together with prepreg carbon fibre, then we're likely to melt the wax before the prepreg cures. Also, if you're following this basic roll wrapping process, including wrapping the mandrel and reinforcement with the shrink tape then when the tape contracts at temperature it would put too much pressure on a soft wax (especially at temperature) and squash it. Therefore, if you're using prepregs and want to use a sacrificial mandrel then you normally need to be looking at water-soluble cores that can be washed out. These materials are quite high-tech, usually you would either need a split mould to cast the water-soluble mandrel or you would need to CNC machine it from a solid block of the material.
Merci à vous pour cette magnifique vidéo
C'est notre plaisir, merci d'avoir regardé Jean
I have watched your videos and I love them. I have an abundance of carbon fiber at my disposal. If I where to use the process you used here with a mandrel of 11.25mm would I retain the same strength extending the tube length to 580mm?
Extending a tubes length in itself does not change the core mechanical properties of the carbon fibre. However, how it is loaded and used during use can differ and change the resulting levels of deflection and ultimately failure.
@@easycompositestv thank you for the quick response. 1 lap twill 3 laps unidirectional 1 lap twill will yield a stronger more rigid tube than the same 580mm length in aluminium?
Hey i love your videos and it is very knowledgeable i wanted to learn how to chamfer a cf tube at ends please can you suggest a solution
Hi, you can add a chamfer by simply cutting it with a power tool such as a grinder and cutting disc or by hand sanding, carbon cuts and sands really easily.
Great videos
hi easy composites quick question, if i wanted to skin a set of handlebars for example could i use one of your sleeves and then wet it out (like the skinning method) also would it be necessary to 1st layer the bars with epoxy until B stage or could i just sleeve the bars and lay the epoxy on and let it soak through?
great video btw.
Yes you can use the braided sleeving in that way. The process is identical. You still need the basecoat layer to help with adhesion when the resins cure.
Excellent video! Could this process be applied to a mandrel that has a non circular cross section? For example a simple airfoil? Thanks again for the content!
Yes absolutely, the main problem with doing so is the fact that you lose the option to 'twist' the mandrel out of the part so thickening the end to give you a surface to pull (or hit) against, would be really important but you could use it for airfoil sections like bicycle seat posts, etc.
@@easycompositestv Awesome, thanks for the respone!
Thanks for sharing this presentation. I'm curious, what was the fiber weight rated?
The fibre was a mix of 300g UD and 210g twill.
To have a beautiful finishing and remove the shrink tape marks I understand that you grid it, and apply laca coat? what coat I can use to have an smooth and shiny apperance?
Once it is sanded smooth any good quality lacquer will achieve that.
beatifull video , congrats !!
Very nice project! Thanks for share this precious information
Our pleasure, you're very welcome.