

| Subject: | Re: Carbon fiber van tops...? |
| From: | Stephen Grisanti |
| Date: | Sun, 9 Sep 2007 08:39:05 -0700 |
"Economies of scale" is what that is called. Stephen --- Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@ipa.net> wrote: > Took the words right out of my mouth!! > > At 12:21 AM 9/8/2007, Stephen Grisanti wrote: > > > >Your pricing MIGHT be a little off. You can get > > >carbon fiber hoods for about $800. > > > >How much do you think it cost to make that first > Civic > >carbon hood and how many of them are out there? > The > >second was cheaper, the 100th way cheaper and the > >1000th maybe $400, so they can sell it for $800. > > > >Stephen > > > >--- "Chris S." <mrpolak@YAHOO.COM> wrote: > > > > > Live it to the list to tear any idea to shreds. > > > > > > Your pricing MIGHT be a little off. You can get > > > carbon fiber hoods for about $800. > > > > > > Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET> wrote: $500? > The > > > last time I checked, graphite cloth in a 6 oz, > > > weight was > > > selling for about $75/yd. I don't remember if > that > > > was 38"wide cloth > > > or 60", but the fact of the mater is that you're > > > looking at maybe 3 > > > layers minimum to make that top stiff enough > unless > > > you took some > > > sort of foam core stiffener and that carbon top > > > would likely not > > > survive much of a hail storm either. The foam > core > > > stuff ain't cheap > > > either. d. Something with that many > convolutions > > > would almost have > > > to be vacuum-bagged and I'd want a couple of > layers > > > of kevlar under > > > the foam core just for strength. The kevlar is a > > > bargain at like > > > $15-18 a yard if you get it from > > > www.sweetcomposites.com Then > > > there's the cost of making the mold for the top > > > after you make the > > > male plug to make the mold from. The Westy top > > > wouldn't be rigid > > > enough to mold. > > > > > > Let's see, that first carbon top would cost > about > > > $12,000, and the > > > next one maybe only $2,000 if you di all the > work > > > yourself. > > > > > > DM&FS > > > > > > At 10:34 PM 9/6/2007, Don Hanson wrote: > > > > > > >a Van top from carbon fiber, while it would be > very > > > trick, from a practical > > > >standpoint makes little sense. Unless you're > Bill > > > Gates or Jay Leno or > > > >someone with lots of money to spend on a > > > questionable project. The amount > > > >of material you'd use to make the > part...fiberglass > > > or carbon fiber.. is a > > > >lot. Glass fabric is a little heavier and not > > > quite so stiff, but it is > > > >about 1/100th the cost of carbon fabric..In a > piece > > > as large as a Westie > > > >style roof, you might save oh, say 20-30 lbs, > by > > > using carbon fiber rather > > > >than the normal glass, but you'd probably > spend > > > $500 doing it...You could > > > >save almost that much weight just by > vacuum-bagging > > > a fiberglass lay up and > > > >being very careful with the fabrication.. > > > > Now, in a racecar or a bicycle or an > America's > > > cup yacht or an > > > >airplane...that kinda dollar per lb. may be > worth > > > it..but for the top of a > > > >Vanagon? Prolly not to normal humans... > > > > Don Hanson > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > > Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you > > > sell. > > > > > > > > > > > > >____________________________________________________________________________________ > >Building a website is a piece of cake. Yahoo! Small > Business gives > >you all the tools to get online. > >http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story. Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games. http://sims.yahoo.com/
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