Carbon Fiber TEXTURE

[willimo]

I'm interested in recreating the texture of a non-gel coated carbon fiber piece in scale. I intend to make a hood that is carbon fiber, but not coated and painted instead. The only thoughts I have so far are using a product like SMS's Faux-Fabric, sanding it a bit smoother, and spraying over it in the body color. I know the Ferrari F40 was paint over CF, and supposedly had this texture, so I'm appealing to you Ferrari builders out there - if you made this effect in 1:24, how'd you do it? I'd love to know!

Thanks!

[white97ex]

So you want it painted but to still have the CF Texture? I know that the Hi Def CF decals from SMS have a texture to them. But I doubt it would hold through the painting process

[stevenoble]

I know the effect you are trying to create,but how to create it is the difficult part as you still need to have a shiny finish on the paint.If you make the texture too rough initially to replicate the weave of the carbon fibre,I don't know what the finish is going to be like when you apply the paint over it.Will this take on the rough texture of the underlayer? You need to have a subtle effect so that you can see the weave pattern of the carbon fibre,but not overdone so the final finish looks too textured.Maybe spraying paint through some nylon stocking or some sort of mesh would work for the texture effect and then your topcoat over this when dry?

[mike@af]

I'd just shoot it with dullcote.

[slownlow32tl]

Yeah i would use the sms high-def CF because it does have a texture to it, then maybee build up some light coats of either a candy color or clear red from tamiya, then give it a real light coat of flat clear.

[klutz_100]

Originally Posted by willimo

I know the Ferrari F40 was paint over CF, and supposedly had this texture

I can confirm that first hand. The effect is very subtle - almost more visual than tactile.

At the time I was thinking that SMS hi-def decal would surely fit the effect but I haven't actually tried it yet

[stevenoble]

Have a look at this link where some guys are detailing an F40.It has some close ups of the paintwork.The carbon weave effect is so subtle you can hardly see it at all in most of the pictures,just looks like red paint.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/forum/...ht=ferrari+f40

[willimo]

The decal sounds like a great plan but the paint I intend to use is rather hot, so it'd end up a gooey mess, I fear. After seeing those close-up pictures of the F40's paint, I question even if I should bother. It'll look overscale in any case, probably. I will have to some experimenting.

[Some_Kid]

Actaully i think using an enamel clear with minimal polishing would get you pretty close.

[drunken monkey]

you will not get a good colour over the carbon decal if you are thinking of a light colour. If the colour is dark, then chances are, you won't see the decal.

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by willimo

I know the Ferrari F40 was paint over CF, and supposedly had this texture, so I'm appealing to you Ferrari builders out there - if you made this effect in 1:24, how'd you do it? I'd love to know!

Not quite- the bodywork of the F40 is actually Kevlar. Only the chassis is CF.

Originally Posted by willimo

After seeing those close-up pictures of the F40's paint, I question even if I should bother. It'll look overscale in any case, probably.

Spot on. The effect is subtle enough that in 1/24 if it was visible it would be overdone. It can only barely be seen in person, and can only be photographed in up close pics.

If the effect can't be seen in standard distance pics (which it can't), it's really not worth trying to replicate in 1/24. It's a matter of taste, but nearly all the pics I've seen of F40s are with 'perfect' smooth shiney bodywork. Even in person the finish is smooth and shiney, until you get your nose close and stare. If the texture means alot to you you can of course try to replicate it, but it really is not going to appear more correct or realistic- the opposite is more likely.

[Veyron]

Spot on. The effect is subtle enough that in 1/24 if it was visible it would be overdone. It can only barely be seen in person, and can only be photographed in up close pics.

If the effect can't be seen in standard distance pics (which it can't), it's really not worth trying to replicate in 1/24. It's a matter of taste, but nearly all the pics I've seen of F40s are with 'perfect' smooth shiney bodywork. Even in person the finish is smooth and shiney, until you get your nose close and stare. If the texture means alot to you you can of course try to replicate it, but it really is not going to appear more correct or realistic- the opposite is more likely.

Agreed.

[klutz_100]

Originally Posted by MPWR

1. It's a matter of taste,
2. ... it really is not going to appear more correct or realistic- the opposite is more likely.

1. Yep, totally agree
2. I agree with your here too but it still seems to me that it might be worth trying just for the fun of it. We sometimes bust our guts trying to replicate the strangest things that can't really be seen afterwards anyway Why not try something like that - even if it fails, at least one tried..

[sjelic]

I wanted to do something similar so this was my plan. Tamiya white primer, thin coat, metal fabric net on top, Tamiya gray primer through the net and then paint, now this could only work for flat areas since it is not so easy to put this mesh over complex areas.

[Veyron]

I thought of something similar. Take the closely woven plastic screen mesh that comes in Tamiya kits and glue it to the kit body with their thin cement. Then decal over it with any color decal and use some solvent.

The decal will conform to the screen but not all the way down in the holes which would leave a woven look. Then paint over the decal.

The problem would be gathering enough of the mesh screen to do the job. Also the thickness of the screen may be a problem. For example, if you were just doing a hood the thickness of the screen would raise that panel to a higher level than adjacent panels. Another downside is this method might create a fragile surface.