CARBON FIBER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Carbon Fiber?
The premise behind the Carbon Fiber sheets we sell is for lightweight and good-looking structural material, cosmetic enhancements, and damage protection. The sheets we sell are an advanced composite- a material of choice for the aerospace, automotive racing, marine, and sporting goods scenes.

Benefits include:

  • Very high strength to weight ratio
  • High resistance to fatigue
  • Harmonic dampening characteristics
  • Impact resistance
  • Low coefficient of thermal expansion
  • Resistance to corrosion.

"Composite" is a general term which means an assembly of dissimilar materials used together. They are carefully engineered and are uniquely suited to be extremely strong and surprisingly light weight. These materials consist of a resin matrix and a fiber reinforcement.

We use high quality MGS epoxy resin that is approved for the production of certified aircraft parts. We also use a variety of the main fabric reinforcements from leading carbon fiber manufacturers including Grafil Inc, Hexcel and Toray.

Not only do we utilize Carbon fiber, we also use Kevlar, E Glass, S Glass as well as hybrids of each.

Why is it more expensive than products made of traditional materials?
 There are three primary reasons for this:
1. All of the primary raw materials are expensive.
2. Construction of each product is complex, there are many materials that are used to produce the final product.
3. The construction of each product is labor intensive and must be done by a skilled composite technician. There is no way for machinery to build the products

Be warned- a lot of the 'carbon fiber' on the market today is FAKE, but not ours! Read more about this here.

How soon will I get my order?
 Most of the carbon fiber sheets we sell are made-to-order, so it may take up to a few days before your order is ready to ship. Sample packs are usually kept in stock and can be shipped within 24-48 hours if in stock. Shipping on smaller orders is typically done via US Priority Mail. International shipments are usually by International Priority Mail or Air Mail.

If you absolutely CANNOT wait, we do offer an expedited program on custom carbon fiber. The charge is 40% extra on all custom sheets, and your order will be bumped ahead of all others, usually being able to ship the next day. If you would like to take advantage of this program, please call us to make arrangements.

I want a custom size that I don't see in your lists, how can I get a quote?
 For your convenience, we've set up a Custom Order Page, which will give you real-time price and weight quotes on just about any carbon fiber sheet you might need- up to 31 x 60 inches!

If you are looking to place a very large order, or have special requirements, contact us with your request.

How can I gauge the thickness of these sheets?
The sheets we have come in various thickness from .015" to .25". To give you an idea, we've created the following references:

  • 0.015" (0.38mm) is pretty thin, only about as thick as 2 pieces of paper stacked. It is easy to cut with a scissors, and can be bent around a cylinder without much effort. This is most commonly used in cosmetic applications, and installations where looks are more important than protection and rigidity.
  • 0.023" (0.58mm) is about as thick as if you stacked 5-6 pieces of paper on top of each other. You can cut it with a good pair of scissors, and it will bend, just not as easily as .015.. Good for applications that want a little more protection, while still looking great.
  • 0.041" (1.0mm) starts to get pretty rigid. As a refernce, a standard audio CD is .048, so it's just barely thinner than a CD, but try bending a CD, now imagine that the .041 Carbon Fiber sheets are TWICE as rigid as that CD! This stuff is great. Cut it with a saw, unless you have a very strong pair of industrial cutters.
  • 0.059" (1.5mm) is just under 1/16" thick, it is a bit thicker than a standard 0.048" audio CD. It is quite rigid, and will not easily bend around any surface. Makes great material for small structural application or impact resistance.
  • 0.125" (3.175mm) is a full 1/8" thick. Very durable and rigid. Try bending this, and you'll understand that composite materials are amazingly strong and durable. Great for structural material. You will definitely need a saw to cut this. We recommend a bandsaw or scrollsaw with a fine blade. Finish the edges with fine sandpaper.
  • 0.25" (6.35mm) is a full 1/4 inch thick. This is some serious stuff. No way you'd be able to bend this even by standing on it. For most purposes, this thickness is way overkill, but some of our customers have requested it in this thickness for machining or heavy duty supports.

How do I cut it?
For the thinner pieces (.023 and less), you can actually just use a good pair of scissors. Thicker material you may be able to use a tin-snips, but the optimal method is to use a band saw or scroll saw with fine tooth blade. Fast-cutting, as with a jigsaw or circular saw tends to make a lot of dust, and can leave a less-smooth cut, so slow-cutting is typically better. When using a saw, it is a good idea to protect the glossy finish from scratches, with some masking tape. Finish up the edges with a 100 grit sandpaper to take the rough spots off, then detail with 400 grit. Be careful not to hit the glossy surface with your sandpaper, or it can become scratched. If really want to get fancy, you can use a Waterjet or Laser-cutting service. (Although laser-cutting carbon fiber tends to really stink as the material burns!)

What are the dangers?
Much of what you may have heard about cutting carbon fiber is either flat-out untrue, or can be avoided easily. The main thing you need to know is wear protection! Whether you're cutting or sanding, you need to wear eye protection, mask, and long sleeves. Gloves are wise to use as well. Basically, the less exposed skin you have, the better. Don't breathe the dust (another reason to use slow-cutting methods- less dust). Basically the main danger is splinters. They are annoying and can be painful, so just be careful to avoid them. Did we mention DON'T BREATHE THE DUST. Click Here for a complete Materials Safety Data Sheet.

Where can I buy it?
Right here

 

Want more information on composites? Check here.