This page is an index to some of the most useful articles on my Explore Composites! site. These may be of interest if you are working on developing a composites-intensive product or manufacturing process. Also useful if you are learning how to do this composites stuff for fun!
Planning and Design
Questions to Ask First: What you should ask yourself before getting too far down the planning process with a new composites project. It’s pretty obvious stuff but I find it helps to dig deeper earlier and avoid do-overs later on.
Manufacturing Methods: This is an overview of the most commonly used composites manufacturing processes. (WIP)
Introduction to Types of Tooling: What different pieces of the part-molding puzzle are called: molds, patterns, tooling, plugs, masters, etc. Male, female… all that stuff.
Basic Numbers and Calculations for Composites: Not engineering, but basic measurements and attributed of composite lamina and laminates.
Tooling
Types of Tooling: Plugs, male molds, female molds, parts and cavities - how composites tooling works and what to call each part.
Machinable Tooling Boards: How to choose and use the expensive foams and boards that make tooling small parts much easier. Epoxy, urethane and weird stuff.
Using MDF for Composites Tooling: When it’s got to be cheap - MDF can be a great choice for composites tooling - but you have to use it right or it’ll ruin your day.
Building Big Patterns with Tooling Paste: When you’re building really big parts and don’t want to stick build your tooling… tooling paste over light foam is a great way to build huge and stable plugs and direct molds.
Building Open-Molded Production Tooling: Basics of building molds with polyester and vinyl-ester resins - and how to have them come out good!
Composites Processes
Vacuum Bagging: How to make and use vacuum bags - the ultimate tool for big-time squish-age of things!
Laminating with Pre-pregs: How to build with prepregs. You know it’s on when the “Basics” article is 40 pages!
Introduction to Vacuum Infusion: How to do basic disposable-bag vacuum infusion. (WIP)
Troubleshootin’ Vacuum Infusion: What to do when your vacuum infusion has bubbles or voids in it - because who hasn’t been there?
Mixing Resin: How to mix resin: epoxy, polyester, etc. How and why, so you can make solid processing choices.
Slip Joints and Why You NEED Them! : My rant about slip joints and how not to have your corners suck. Trust me - you need ‘em.
CNC
CNC Machining Surfaces: How to use a CNC machine to shape 3D surfaces. How not to crash and break stuff or make fires.
Machining Aluminum on a CNC Router: How I have managed to machine aluminum on a CNC router without breaking too too many cutters.
Buying a CNC Router: Things I have learned while buying and using more than a dozen CNC routers - how you can avoid some of my mistakes and waste less money and time.
Equipment:
Favorite Composites Tools: Tool-box dump - pictures and descriptions of tools I like and use.
Buying a Vacuum Pump: What you need to know to buy the right vacuum pump(s) - and how to do it as cheap as possible.
Vacuum Stuff: Hoses, Fittings and Accessories: All the things between your pump and your part!
Markforged Mark 2: My Impressions: Or: ramblings of a Markforged fanboy - with some caveats. TL;DR: It’s expensive but probably worth it because it works awesome.
Oven Options for Pre-preg Curing: How to build or buy a prepreg oven while not burning things down. I don’t recommend it but if you must - this is what I have learned.
Measuring Temperature with Thermocouples: How thermocouples work and how to use them to monitor temperature.
How to Log Vacuum: How to set up a transducer and analog to digital converter to monitor vacuum level. It’s basic but it’s neat!
Library:
Laminate Sample Index: A bunch of sample laminates with videos on how they were made.
Core Material Reference: Pictures and information about commonly used core materials.
Reinforcement Fiber Reference: Pictures and info about fiber reinforcements.
Process Material Reference: All the peel-plies, release films, breathers, bags and tapes that make vacuum bagging work.
This list covers the highlights of my EC! site - which is kind of like a poorly organized and rambling how-to book on composites. I’m always adding new things and working to edit the existing material to make it clearer, shorter and less wrong.
I hope you check it out and that you find something useful. I have been learning a ton writing these articles and it is really neat to hear from people who have found them useful - or have suggestions for new topics!