The Cheap Little Sucker
Build your own vacuum pump for about $20 in parts and a salvaged compressor. Includes picture, hand-drawn schematic, and text instructions. Clay Tools
A very detailed report on making layup masters and molds from clay. Not exactly a how to, but there's probably enough info to make a tool from the report. Clay can be used on large tools.
The Complete Surfing Guide for Coaches
How to design, build, and repair surfboards. Everything from the workstand to the design to the finishing work. Not entirely accurate; don't wash with acetone. Construction and Flat Laminate Techniques
A brief overview of material selection and laminate design, geared towards model rockets. Fairly detailed instructions for making flat laminates. From Dangerous Dave. Covering Models with Fiberglass Cloth
Jim Ryan shows how to layup glass on airplane models for a good finish. The technique is applicable in many situations, and he includes instructions on priming and painting. Decorative and Industrial Resin Castings
Goldenwest Manufacturing gives instructions for making castings using a rigid resin and using a flexible RTV silicone. Such castings can be used as layup or molding tools. Ding Repair FAQ
FAQ for fixing dings in fiberglass surfboards. Some good manufacturing tips. Review of a workshop makes an incorrect dig at autoclave molding, but otherwise a good page. Dobsonian Telescope
Steve Scampini describes how he built a Dobsonian telescope. He doesn't use any composites, but points out where the plywood base could be made lighter with the use of a sandwich material. The tube could probably also be composite. E-42 CARON Rocket
Brief description of the manufacture of an amature rocket made from composites. Not much detail, but interesting discussion of using PVC pipe as a mold. Epoxy Board Repair Forum
Tom Sullivan answers questions about repairing sailboards. Some good general repair techniques. Epoxy Tooling
Instructions for making master plugs and epoxy tooling. Full set of steps, but some details are missing if you haven't done this before. Fairing Model
Series of articles detailing the manufacture of a rocket fairing fiberglass prototype. Illustrates techniques for making large, inexpensive structures. Fiberglass Mold Construction
Detailed description, but no graphics, of building a fiberglass mold for boats. Plug prep, mold construction, finishing, break-in, and maintenance. Fiberglassing with Epoxy
How to work with epoxy in general, plus methods for covering wood and making repairs. Properties and handling techniques for Fiberlay's systems, but article still has good general info. Fibre Glast Brochures
Collection of how to brochures, charts, and product guidelines. Covers fundamentals, repairs, plug and mold construction, safety, and more. Full text, good details, but no figures. Flexible Molds
Although you probably don't want a flexible mold for composites, the techniques apply to making tools from masters. Detailed instructions with nice illustrations. Gelcoat Application
Instructions for getting good gelcoating results. Includes proper mixing techniques, working conditions, and illustrations of application techniques. From Aplicator System AB. Graf Snowboards
How to build your own snowboard, from initial design through layup and finishing. Detailed instructions, good pictures. Download snoCAD software to help create your design. Hand Mixing Epoxies
How to mix two-part epoxy resins. Includes safety instructions, tips for avoiding contamination, and information about surface preparation and appropriate mold releases. Hand Mixing Urethanes
How to mix urethane resins. Includes safety instructions, tips for avoiding contamination, and information about appropriate mold releases. Hexcel Composite Repair Manual
Overview of damage evaluation and repair techniques, with a focus on sandwich structures. Not enough information for detailed repair design, but good descriptions and illustrations of the general process. Hotwire Discussion
Transcript of an e-mail conversation about the best way to hotwire wing cores. It's unedited, but the discussion has some good pointers on proper techniques. Kayak Construction
A former aerospace engineer shows how he designed and built a Kevlar kayak. Detailed text description, lots of advice, and many nice pictures. From Ray Jardine. Kleb's Custom Board Building Project
Detailed description of building a sailboard. Good pictures, concise but accurate text. Article is on several pages for quick loading. Lost Foam Technique
Louis Dionne shows how to layup over foam and then dissolve the mold away. A good method for one-off parts. Nice article with detailed instructions.
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