Would this work? Fiberglass/Carbon Fiber Frames?

Unicycles and Equipment
1

Any fabricators out there, was just wondering about making a glass fiber or
carbon fiber MUni frame by first cutting a shape from white bead foam,overlaying
that with cloth, and then dousing it with resin? I know they make some model
airplane wings that way. A little gasoline even gets rid of the foam when you’re
done, so they tell me.

So can somebody tell me, would this work? Any input on what’s easier to work
with, glass or carbon fibers?

Chris Reeder

2

Re: Would this work? Fiberglass/Carbon Fiber Frames?

It seems like you would have to know how thick the carbon fiber would have to be
to be stiff enough to hold up a person. Could this be done with hobby shop
carbonfiber? -Mary

At 02:08 PM 2/28/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Any fabricators out there, was just wondering about making a glass fiber or
>carbon fiber MUni frame by first cutting a shape from white bead
>foam,overlaying that with cloth, and then dousing it with resin? I know they
>make some model airplane wings that way. A little gasoline even gets rid of the
>foam when you’re done, so they tell me.
>
>So can somebody tell me, would this work? Any input on what’s easier to work
>with, glass or carbon fibers?
>
>Chris Reeder
>

3

Re: Would this work? Fiberglass/Carbon Fiber Frames?

Mary Hartman wrote:

> It seems like you would have to know how thick the carbon fiber would have to
> be to be stiff enough to hold up a person. Could this be done with hobby shop
> carbonfiber? -Mary
>
> At 02:08 PM 2/28/00 -0800, you wrote:
> >Any fabricators out there, was just wondering about making a glass fiber or
> >carbon fiber MUni frame by first cutting a shape from white bead
> >foam,overlaying that with cloth, and then dousing it with resin? I know they
> >make some model airplane wings that way. A little gasoline even gets rid of
> >the foam when you’re done, so they tell me.
> >
> >So can somebody tell me, would this work? Any input on what’s easier to work
> >with, glass or carbon fibers?

Carbon fibre is extremely ridged and would/does make good frames. What it is
not good at is hand layup. It tends to give a high ratio of resin to fibre
(this is bad). What you really need it a vacuum bag and also a foam that
wont crush under load. The person to talk to is benoit billet E-mail
Address(es): benoit.billet@laposte.net he has done this and manufactured a
single sided unicycle!

Roger

 The UK's Unicycle Source <a href="http://www.unicycle.uk.com/">http://www.unicycle.uk.com/</a>