Instructions for making parts out of composites and plastics, and for making molds and tooling for such parts.
Instructions for preparing metallographic specimens by abrasive grinding. Materials include composites and ceramics. Includes recommended procedures, abrasive products, machine speeds, etc.
Ron Newman shows how to anodize aluminum in your garage. Article is about telescopes, but applies to any aluminum parts. Warning: anodizing is a hazardous operation!
Extensive collection of links on surfboard and sailboard building. I've linked to some of the composite how to's, but Anthony has a lot more information..
All vacuum bags are made in essentially the same way. This article shows the basic components of a bag and how they go together.
Damon Rinard shows how he made a carbon bicycle frame in his garage. This page is an overview with pictures; be sure to also read the full article. And check out his
home page.
Damon Rinard is working on a new composite bicycle frame. Follow the progress on his new Web page, complete with pictures and descriptions.
Pictorial overviews of boatbuilding with plywood, one-off fiberglass, steel & aluminum, and strip planking. Pages must be viewed sequentially, but otherwise the content is good.
Ad for a book on building boats with foam core systems. A few sample pictures, plus the Forward and Introduction, are on the site.
Plans and kits for 21 or so boats from Glen-L Marine Designs. Catalog gives descriptions and photos of finished boats. Most plans are in the $30-$40 range.
James Hebert explains how he repaired some nicks and gouges in the fiberglass hull of his Boston Whaler. No pictures, but a nicely detailed step-by-step description.
Build your own vacuum pump for about $20 in parts and a salvaged compressor. Includes picture, hand-drawn schematic, and text instructions.
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.
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.
A brief overview of material selection and laminate design, geared towards model rockets. Fairly detailed instructions for making flat laminates. From Dangerous Dave.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tom Sullivan answers questions about repairing sailboards. Some good general repair techniques.
Instructions for making master plugs and epoxy tooling. Full set of steps, but some details are missing if you haven't done this before.
Series of articles detailing the manufacture of a rocket fairing fiberglass prototype. Illustrates techniques for making large, inexpensive structures.
Detailed description, but no graphics, of building a fiberglass mold for boats. Plug prep, mold construction, finishing, break-in, and maintenance.
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.
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.
Although you probably don't want a flexible mold for composites, the techniques apply to making tools from masters. Detailed instructions with nice illustrations.
Instructions for getting good gelcoating results. Includes proper mixing techniques, working conditions, and illustrations of application techniques. From
Aplicator System AB.
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.
How to mix two-part epoxy resins. Includes safety instructions, tips for avoiding contamination, and information about surface preparation and appropriate mold releases.
How to mix urethane resins. Includes safety instructions, tips for avoiding contamination, and information about appropriate mold releases.
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.
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.
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.
Detailed description of building a sailboard. Good pictures, concise but accurate text. Article is on several pages for quick loading.
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.
Bingham Projects offers instructions and materials for making your own archery bows. No how to info online, but this is the only home-built archery site I have found.
Bill Lee shows how to make a cast epoxy mold from an existing propellor. The methods are applicable to making castings from many objects. Actual layup of the part isn't shown.
Detailed description of the manufacture of a KR2S experimental aircraft. Lots of pictures taken at various stages of assembly; good text descriptions.
Excellent step-by-step instructions on repairing a windsurf mastbox. Includes pictures, lists of materials and equipment, and sources for supplies.
Instructions on mixing epoxy adhesives and casting compounds by hand, from Star Technology. Talks about proper mix ratios, surface preparation, degassing, mold releases and more.
Instructions on mixing urethane adhesives and elastomers by hand, from Star Technology. Talks about proper mix ratios, avoiding moisture contamination, degassing, mold releases and more.
Some pointers on building molds in the form of an e-mail response. Covers material selection and manufacturing techniques. From Dangerous Dave.
How to build a foam-core auto body using a disposable plywood frame. The technique can be applied to many structures, and plans for many vehicles can be purchased.
Eric Peltzer describes the design and construction of a windshield fairing for a Yamaha motorcycle. The description of the manufacturing process (foam master, fiberglass mold) is brief but has some useful information.
Overview of building plugs and pulling molds (or layup tools) from them. Not really enough detail to be a complete how to, but a decent overview of the process.
Overview of laying up composites, including mold prep. Not a lot of detail, but a good section on gel-coat troubleshooting. Some sections "to be continued."
Fairly long article on a homebuilt sailboard project. Not the best writing, but there are some very good lessons learned.
The proper way to seal wood trim on a boat. Although written for a specific application, has some good general techniques for protecting structures using epoxy.
Detailed manufacturing instructions down to the equipment needed and consumables used. Good pictures and design drawings, plus some general design advice.
A collection of articles on building and flying sailplanes, including several that deal with composites. Check out, for example, "Building for Slope Crashes," "Construction Tips," "Hot to Make Foam Templates," "How to Paint a Composite Wing," and "Vacuum Bagging a Wing," among others.
Sketch models are rough 3D models of objects made with foam, cardboard and foam core. This site has detailed, pictorial instructions for shaping foam with a hotwire and other tools, and for making structures from cardboard.
Brief description of good sprayup techniques. Includes information on machine calibration and illustrations showing how to hold the gun. From
Aplicator System AB.
Plans for building a variety of boats. All designs are wood but are helped by a fiberglass overlay. Slide show of one boat being built. Most plans $10-$30.
Step-by-step instructions, with pictures, on how to apply balsa sheeting to foam wings, including glass or carbon reinforcement. Several pictures are missing. By Ralph Weaver.
How to layup and cure small foam core wings with fiberglass and wood veneer skins. Includes some general design advice. Good pictures; annoying background pattern;
text only version.
