carbon fiber refinish? anybody done this?

[tdogg]

i hate to start a new thread for this question, but i searched and did not find what i was looking for. i know that some people have refinished solidbody basses with cloth and blended the edges with a painted "burst" finish. has anyone ever done this with carbon fiber cloth? i have an old yamaha bbg5s that is sanded down and ready to re-paint. and i saw that i can buy a sheet of carbon fiber cloth on ebay for like $40. i was thinking that i could get some resin and make a top for this bass. im hoping for a look somewhat like this. does anyone have any experrience with this? any pics?

[62bass]

Originally Posted by tdogg

i hate to start a new thread for this question, but i searched and did not find what i was looking for. i know that some people have refinished solidbody basses with cloth and blended the edges with a painted "burst" finish. has anyone ever done this with carbon fiber cloth? i have an old yamaha bbg5s that is sanded down and ready to re-paint. and i saw that i can buy a sheet of carbon fiber cloth on ebay for like $40. i was thinking that i could get some resin and make a top for this bass. im hoping for a look somewhat like this. does anyone have any experrience with this? any pics?

I'd suggest you do a search of boatbuilding sites. You'll get a lot of application tips and recommendations on types of resin. It is doable though.

[HogieWan]

that bass you linked to has a CF body not a finish or top. If you were to do a cf top competently (vacuum baggin, etc), you be better off doing over a foam body and doing multiple layers and not worrying about having any wood underneath (the foam can be removed by various methods afterward)

[tdogg]

Originally Posted by HogieWan

that bass you linked to has a CF body not a finish or top. If you were to do a cf top competently (vacuum baggin, etc), you be better off doing over a foam body and doing multiple layers and not worrying about having any wood underneath (the foam can be removed by various methods afterward)

yeah i realize that the status bass is a whole different deal, i really just want the carbon "look" on a wood bass.

[stflbn]

I've toyed with the idea of a carbon fiber fabric front and back and black burst to hide the imperfect edges that will happen. Much like done with the Paisley guitars & basses.

[tdogg]

Originally Posted by stflbn

I've toyed with the idea of a carbon fiber fabric front and back and black burst to hide the imperfect edges that will happen. Much like done with the Paisley guitars & basses.

yup thats exactly what im talking about. if you were just using carbon fiber for asthetic purposes like this, do you still need the resin? or would clear poly work?

[Thangfish]

Originally Posted by tdogg

yup thats exactly what im talking about. if you were just using carbon fiber for asthetic purposes like this, do you still need the resin? or would clear poly work?

Clear poly would take forever, I think... too many coats to get the required thickness. What about some clear, pourable epoxy coating? It's not good in the sun (UV bad!) but it is easy to work with and quick.

[scowboy]

Check www.tapplastics.com. If you have local store they are very helpful. Other than that yes, check the boatbuilding sites.

[OriginalKeyster]

I've seen it done with Kevlar, very cool look. The edges might be tough to do cosmetically, but not impossible. Check aircraft composite sites as well.

[xaxxat]

This is the guy you need to talk to about carbon fiber:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home...ter-build.html