Carbon Fiber interior is becoming more and more mainstream these days, so how do you stick out from all of the kits? Why customize and laminate your own parts. When done right, it can look far better than any of the kits on the market today. Here is how you do it.
The first step, obviously, is to decide what pieces you are going to laminate. The material of the piece to be laminated can also decide what resin you are to use also. A typical polyester resin WON'T stick to plastic. Some regular vinylester resins are more suited for plastics. You need to purchase supplies such as carbon fiber, sand paper, a surface prep wash (such as PrepAll), measuring and mixing containers, a couple of 2 inch wide paintbrushes, and resin. For resin, the easiest to work with while laminating an object is KleerKote from US Composites. It will stick to anything, has a uv protectant, and dries crystal clear.
Now, to prep the piece that you will be laminating. Start off by sanding with a coarse grit paper (I prefer 80). This will give the resin something to bond to. After sanding, wipe the piece down with prep wash. Using a clean towel and more prep wash, go over the entire piece once again to make sure there is no remaining residue. (resin will only stick to the piece, not to dirt or grease on that piece.) Let it dry COMPLETELY.
Mix a little bit of the KleerKote resin. using a brush, apply a layer over the piece. KleerKote has a pot life of 35 minutes, so if you are using a different resin, your times may be a little different. Wait about 15 minutes until the resin becomes tacky like glue. Pot life is also dependent on your mixture ratio, temperature and humidity.
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