Kraton Love this material.

[Vanning]

The more I look at G10 and the more I use it.... I always thought it would do well as shock towers in a Kraton. This is 1/8....maybe slightly thicker. The only thing is you need a mask to work with G10, just like carbon fiber. I like G10 better. I would trace a stock aluminum tower with a scribe, cut close to line with band saw, drill the holes with a drill press, use a sanding drum in a drill press to shape it exact. 1/8 has very slight flex in a long piece and a tad thicker would have close to none. It can be dyed black also.

I made a stiffener for my shock tower where it needed help. Full Kraton towers in g10 would probably do well. It would take a little skill to do and some tools but not hard. I find that it takes a steady hand to make the parts accurate. Tracing a stock part and using it to duplicate is key. One good thing also is you can see through natural G10. To help locate holes.

Once you die it.... you can't see through it. The color die is 100 percent through the material. The brace I did for mine grabs 4 bolts on my shock tower and spans across a problem area. This stuff is so strong even a small tab is wicked tuff.

 

[solidbase]

It does look good. How is the "feel" of the material compared to carbon fiber, does it crack when being flexed? Do you think it's a good alternative to carbon fiber?

 

[Vanning]

Some carbon fiber can split from impact..... this stuff will not. My thoughts on this is it may be a good rear shock tower at least. It would never get out of shape. It's one of those things that would be good for a person that can fabricate. My thought is its better than aluminum in some applications. So then there is that aspect to look at. Real good quality carbon fiber is great also. Most like the look of it also. It can splinter on the edges. G10 seems to be the same no matter where I get it from.... its easy to shape with a sanding drum setup. It never splinters. The dust is bad...use mask !! Take an aluminum shock tower... put it in a vice and hit it with a sledge hammer. It will bend and stay bent. Do that to g10 and the sledge would more than likely just spring back.

 

[solidbase]

Ok, thanks for your thoughts and experiences , I have to try it, especially to strengthen shock towers. And I guess it's easier to work with than aluminum.
Do you know how to dye it, is it the same as for nylon?

 

[Vanning]

I boil it in rit dye. There are steps on how to do it if you search. I'm doing a rear chassis skid plate in g10 soon.

I remove the rear gear case and just double side tape or clamp the g10 to the chassis to mark the holes or drill them. That is key....accurate holes. It's not as easy as you would think. Then I get slightly longer screw if I use 1/8 thick G10. If you have a drill press, you can chuck Dremal sanding drums in it and bring the table up around the drum. This way you can shape parts easy. Mask on so you don't breathe in dust!! To chamfer the bolt holes..set the stop on the drill press to get them all even.

G10 is harder to machine than aluminum... it's hell on cutting tools. However it's easy to work with a band saw, drills and sanding drums. It needs carbide cutting tools to machine I would bet. But to drill a few holes or to cut with a band saw....no problem. If I need to cut a square notch....I get most of it out with the band saw.... them finish the cut out with sander. Like I said.... this is good for people who have lots of tools.

 

[Voltron7]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing...

 

[WoodiE]

Thanks for sharing @Vanning, looks like some pretty durable stuff. Where is the best place to buy some?

 

[Vanning]

I'll be testing that out . I got a 12x12 sheet from Norva Plastics on EBay. Its hard to get the holes perfect. Been trying different ways for years. A center punch helps. Then I'll do one hole and bolt it in. Then mark another and drill it.

 

[Voltron7]

looks good to me

 

[Vanning]

Thanks bud..it just has to be dead on to sink the screws. Accuracy is a pain when hand making even minor stuff. For skids...Delran plastic is amazing also. I get lots of stuff from McMaster Carr also.

 

[dpricenator]

I'll test out a couple shock towers for you. I'll PM you my address now.

 

[Vanning]

I hear you old buddy. If I had more time to my name....I would certainly try my best to hook you up. But I'm struggling to get my one rig here done. I rush to try and get something accomplish before the family finds me. Lol

 

[dpricenator]

LOL, I totally do that. I'll take the trash out , and make a 10 minute side trip to the garage to work on one of the RCs.