Carbon Fiber KickTail
I've long wanted a carbon fiber commuter board. They're light, strong and stiff. and if done well, very stylish. I decide that I was going to start with a carbon fiber skin board ( a board with a wood core and epoxied carbon fiber sheets on the top and bottom). Some day however, I'd love to do a super light weight, all carbon fiber lay up, with the vacuum press kit.
Required Resources: 15 hours, $100
Size: 8" x 30" x 0.375"
Materials: Maple Veneer, TiteBond II Glue, 2 Part Epoxy (30 minute pot life), Blue Carbon Fiber Twill
Finish: Sanded Epoxy
Tools: Vacuum Pump, Band Saw, Random Orbital Sander, Paint Roller, Shears, Cordless Drill.
New techniques: Carbon Fiber Skinning
Vacuum Pressing the Board
Starting with the veneers. The goal of this board is be lightweight, so I went with only 4 alternating layers. The carbon fiber should strengthen the board significantly.
Pressing with the vacuum bag setup. Unfortunately the bags we made were made of polyethylene and prone to inadvertent damage. This bag developed several small leaks. I had to “top off” the pump every 5 minutes for the first hour of the press.
The finished blank. It didn’t exactly take the drop down long board shape I was going for. I’d end up switching directions towards a kicktail instead.
Bending With Steam
Skinning with Carbon Fiber
After shaping the board, I sprayed the bottom of the board with a spray adhesive. Then I took a sheet of carbon fiber twill and applied it to adhesive covered board. I made sure to lay down the fabric as flat and straight as possible to avoid wrinkles and warping of the twill pattern.
After laying out the fabric, I applied a coat of 2-part epoxy and let it dry overnight. I then applied a carbon fiber skin to the top side of the board. I applied a second coat to the top face to get a glossier finish, As you can see, the top was applied with bubbles in it which detract from the aesthetic.
To cover up the unsightly bubbles on the top of the board , I applied Jessup grip tape.
Glamour Shots
The finished board.; fit up with Gull Wing II double acting trucks.
Countersunk screw holes.
The board is very light, but also very flexible. Next time, I might opt for one more layer of veneer in the core to provide a more controlled ride.
Lessons Learned:
Epoxy Curing - Perhaps the most frustrating part of this entire build was getting the epoxy to cure. I mixed the 2-part epoxy and applied it to the carbon fiber outdoors to avoid fumes in the garage backing up in to our apartment. Unfortunately, it was a rather chilly day (55F) and the 30-minute pot life epoxy didn’t seem to set after 30 minutes, nor an hour, nor 8 hours. In fact, the epoxy didn’t set for a full 48 hours and required me bringing the board into a heated space. The slow cure seemed to effect the finish of the board. Epoxy curing times are highly temperature dependent and next time, I will make sure to cure at a higher ambient temperature.