Vacuum Infusion without Bleeder "paper"

Would you please do me a big favour? Tell us the source of your cheap prepreg! Some of us here build several boats a year and could save a hell of a lot of money, if only we could save labour, making a very dry layup without wetting out the fibre by hand or infusion!
As you call a bike frame in carbon "simple" you must be really experienced.

Regards
Richard

 

Basslover, the other thing to keep in mind when comparing cost of prepreg and wet layup is wastage. With prepreg the offcuts that you can not use you end up throwing away resin as well. In wet layup you only waste the reinforcement.
If you only use vacuum for consolidation then the strength and weight of the prepreg and wet layup will be the same. Providing you cure both at the same temperature and you use comparable quality epoxy for the wet layup.

 

^^ Well a bike frame is just simply "tubes" so you just wrap the fibers around and around and around... haha its just as if you were making tubes no big deal.

As for wastage, I think you waste more resin during wet layups (if you "vacuum" it out) than you could ever waste by throwing little pieces away. I think with prepreg the big thing is planning out how you want to cut it as to maximize those strips. And i am not worried about strength THAT much, but about "messing up"; theres so much to go wrong with infusion or simple hand layup (bubbles, delamination down the road, etc) that even with the little bit of added cost of prepreg its worth all the troubles.

 

I think that if you do some research you'll find that most carbon fiber tubes are filament wound, pultruded or roll-wrapping (which is similar to what you're describing). Tubes with lower structural requirements can be fabricated from knitted sleeves and hand laid up. I have made a few of these. I have tried 'roll-wrapping" and it's a real PITA. Most roll-wrapped carbon fiber tubes I've seen are used on kites & tents etc.

 

Forget it..... absolutely hopeless... wrap around and around and .......miracle.. you have a bike................