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| Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=34839 |
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| Author: | truckjohn [ Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:04 am ] |
| Post subject: | Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces |
Hey guys, One of my plans for this current build is to fool around with CF tow capped bracing - to help out with cold creep.... I am thinking about the 3K tow.... Questions.... 1. Is the 3K tow the right stuff for capping braces or should I go with the 6K tow? 2. Is say "Aircraft grade" tow the right stuff - or is there a better choice? I know that some of the stuff advertises long, parallel fibers, etc.... 3. Where do you buy the stuff... or is there a preferred vendor you guys like? Thanks |
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| Author: | windsurfer [ Thu Jan 05, 2012 8:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces |
Truckjohn, Can't help you with what size TOW to use without knowing more about what you are trying to accomplish. 3K used correctly can be strong enough, but so is spruce without the carbon. Used incorrectly, even 50K tow could be too weak. Carbon TOW can be quite challenging to work with. It would be much easer to cap braces using unidirectional laminated plates. ACP composites is a good source to work with. uni plates: http://www.acpsales.com/Carbon-Fiber-Un ... nates.html Tow: http://www.acpsales.com/Tow-and-Cords-c-4958.html Twill plates for mario-style bracing: http://www.acpsales.com/Carbon-Fiber-Hi ... heets.html -jd |
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| Author: | truckjohn [ Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:49 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces |
I have been going through Gore and Gilette's "Desing and Build" books - and one of the techniques is to epoxy a strip of CF tow in between the soundboard and the brace, and another on top of the brace to help with cold creep resistance... There are several good pix on Trevor's site of how he does it. Thanks |
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| Author: | WaddyThomson [ Fri Jan 06, 2012 10:35 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces |
John, contact David Schramm. He makes Smallman style guitars, and uses tow to cap his lattice braces, as does Smallman. He might even have some tips on his website. Builds classicals, but still pertinent. |
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| Author: | Ron Belanger [ Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:23 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces |
Like Todd, I think that Mario's approach to using Carbon Fibre to resist creep is practical and well thought out. I've been using it for the last 4 or 5 instruments and am very pleased with the results. |
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| Author: | CharlieT [ Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces |
Ron Belanger wrote: Like Todd, I think that Mario's approach to using Carbon Fibre to resist creep is practical and well thought out. I've been using it for the last 4 or 5 instruments and am very pleased with the results. When you use Mario's approach, do the braces end up with similar dimensions or are they significantly shorter to offset the added stiffness from the carbon tows? |
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| Author: | David Malicky [ Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces |
+1 on comments from Todd, JD, and Rod. Tow is a pain to work with. CF is much much stiffer than wood -- if used as a cap where it has max stiffness contribution, it would be difficult to get just the right amount. And as a cap, the underlying wood still can creep in shear. |
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| Author: | Ron Belanger [ Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Sources for suitable CF tow for capping braces |
CharlieT wrote: Ron Belanger wrote: Like Todd, I think that Mario's approach to using Carbon Fibre to resist creep is practical and well thought out. I've been using it for the last 4 or 5 instruments and am very pleased with the results. When you use Mario's approach, do the braces end up with similar dimensions or are they significantly shorter to offset the added stiffness from the carbon tows? I have reduced the width to 1/4 in from 5/16 without any apparent loss of stiffness and generally use the same height, but adjust it minutely when I am tuning the top. In my guitars I use the carbon fiber in the "X" and in a small lateral brace below the bridge-plate. |
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