How to: Wrap stuff in Carbon Fiber

If you do this properly

it will look Cool :cool:


Things you will need:

1. Carbon Fiber wrap (cheap enough off eBAY)
2. Sharp precision knives
3. Hair Dryer
4. Thick cardboard - so you don't cut into the table
5. Thin cardboard - to make a template
6. TIME - Lots of ;)





First find a piece of your car / item to wrap - give it a good clean with a tiny bit of washing up liquid - make sure it's completely dry, so the carbon can stick properly.



Make sure you have lots of time for any item you want to do - if you rush this - it WILL look rubbish, which defeats the object of doing it.


I'll show you how i wrapped my Cars remote fob...





Chose the right blade - smallest the better

080120121139.jpg




Cut the Carbon down to the size required

080120121140.jpg



Place them on the thick cardboard - ready to cut

080120121141.jpg



Use a thin piece of cardboard, to make a template

080120121142.jpg



Use the template, to cut out the carbon wrap

080120121143.jpg



Once cut out - lay over the fob, then slowly take the back off, starting at the top, gently push it on, making sure there aren't any bubbles.
Use the hair dryer to stick / help it round corners, contours of the object.

Use the small knife (very gently) to cut out the ring part of the fob.

and you end up with this:


080120121144.jpg



Hope this helps ;)
 
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Did you not take the keyfob apart to do it then?

Id hash it up if I was to do it. Although, I don't know if it was your's that I saw or Badders but you/he had coated your/his jubalee clips in it, and as I'm going for a samco set up when I get back, was thinking of doing the same thing.

Whats it like under heat? Will the engine destroy it or is it quite tough?
 
Did you not take the keyfob apart to do it then?



Whats it like under heat? Will the engine destroy it or is it quite tough?


Didn't need to take it apart - may have been a little easier if i did though

Not sure about what it would be like near the engine - i may try it
 
Great guide on how to wrap things in carbon fibre, thanks for posting it up, I'm lots of people will find these tips quite handy.
 
no its not real carbon fibre its a wrap.

youd need the carbon mat and resin plus alot of skill to make something out of the real stuff. working in fiberglass is hard enough never mind trying to keep the weave looking correct
 
Yes. very helpful! I got the carbon Fiber car wings from China. Is really cool. If you need it. I can give the information to you. Is really great.

If you do this properly

it will look Cool :cool:


Things you will need:

1. Carbon Fiber wrap (cheap enough off eBAY)
2. Sharp precision knives
3. Hair Dryer
4. Thick cardboard - so you don't cut into the table
5. Thin cardboard - to make a template
6. TIME - Lots of ;)





First find a piece of your car / item to wrap - give it a good clean with a tiny bit of washing up liquid - make sure it's completely dry, so the carbon can stick properly.



Make sure you have lots of time for any item you want to do - if you rush this - it WILL look rubbish, which defeats the object of doing it.


I'll show you how i wrapped my Cars remote fob...





Chose the right blade - smallest the better

080120121139.jpg




Cut the Carbon down to the size required

080120121140.jpg



Place them on the thick cardboard - ready to cut

080120121141.jpg



Use a thin piece of cardboard, to make a template

080120121142.jpg



Use the template, to cut out the carbon wrap

080120121143.jpg



Once cut out - lay over the fob, then slowly take the back off, starting at the top, gently push it on, making sure there aren't any bubbles.
Use the hair dryer to stick / help it round corners, contours of the object.

Use the small knife (very gently) to cut out the ring part of the fob.

and you end up with this:


080120121144.jpg



Hope this helps ;)
If you do this properly

it will look Cool :cool:


Things you will need:

1. Carbon Fiber wrap (cheap enough off eBAY)
2. Sharp precision knives
3. Hair Dryer
4. Thick cardboard - so you don't cut into the table
5. Thin cardboard - to make a template
6. TIME - Lots of ;)





First find a piece of your car / item to wrap - give it a good clean with a tiny bit of washing up liquid - make sure it's completely dry, so the carbon can stick properly.



Make sure you have lots of time for any item you want to do - if you rush this - it WILL look rubbish, which defeats the object of doing it.


I'll show you how i wrapped my Cars remote fob...





Chose the right blade - smallest the better

080120121139.jpg




Cut the Carbon down to the size required

080120121140.jpg



Place them on the thick cardboard - ready to cut

080120121141.jpg



Use a thin piece of cardboard, to make a template

080120121142.jpg



Use the template, to cut out the carbon wrap

080120121143.jpg



Once cut out - lay over the fob, then slowly take the back off, starting at the top, gently push it on, making sure there aren't any bubbles.
Use the hair dryer to stick / help it round corners, contours of the object.

Use the small knife (very gently) to cut out the ring part of the fob.

and you end up with this:


080120121144.jpg



Hope this helps ;)
 
Carbon wrap may look cool, but it is fake. Trying to make something cheap look expensive, simply to impress. Mutton dressed as lamb

IMO :)
 
^^ Indeed! I had two small pieces of fake carbon fibre in the Beast for over a year before I found the correct finished leather to replace it with.
 
Used correctly it can be quite effective. But IMO with fake wrap, don't do anything that would benefit from being carbon, otherwise it instantly stands out as being fake. I've done a few bits on my ZS180 but not over the top...

Front bumper splitter, rear skirt and fins on the wing vents...

P1040194_zps9e8160d0.jpg

P1040188_zpsd10c9173.jpg

20140925_1407061_zpsede66c18.jpg
 
Why is this cool? I know I am an old curmudgeon, but why is covering a standard item with a material so that you can pretend it is something else, cool?
 
Why is this cool? I know I am an old curmudgeon, but why is covering a standard item with a material so that you can pretend it is something else, cool?

I'm not a fan of carbon vinyl but some people are and we have to accept this!
I suppose it's similar to vinyl roofs some people thought they we're cool others didn't. Did you ever own a car with a vinyl roof Steve?
 
Well as the old saying goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and to anyone who likes carbon vinyl wrap I say this - if you are happy then I am happy |B
 
I'm not a fan of carbon vinyl but some people are and we have to accept this!
I suppose it's similar to vinyl roofs some people thought they we're cool others didn't. Did you ever own a car with a vinyl roof Steve?

Agreed, each to his own.

I don't think so, but I may have. However, vinyl is vinyl and doesn't pretend to be anythnig else :)
 
Agreed, each to his own.

I don't think so, but I may have. However, vinyl is vinyl and doesn't pretend to be anythnig else :)

True but vinyl is an addition you add cause you think it looks good the same as people add carbon vinyl cause they think it looks good. The product isn't pretending to be something else (the owner of said car may do so?) but at the end of the day it's a visual addition o_O
 
True but vinyl is an addition you add cause you think it looks good the same as people add carbon vinyl cause they think it looks good. The product isn't pretending to be something else (the owner of said car may do so?) but at the end of the day it's a visual addition o_O

I agree that a vinyl roof is an addition but it is what it is, a vinyl roof and isn't pretending to be anything else.

"The product isn't petending to be something else"? Quote from 3M's site:

carbon fibre vinyl - Get the look without the cost
Achieve the impact, texture and visual appearance of real carbon fibre. 3M™ Car Wrap Film Series 1080 authentically replicates the high end weaved material most commonly used on race cars. Car Wrap Film Series 1080 car wrap carbon fibre vinyl opens up all sorts of vehicle personalisation options, from recovering interior dashboard fascias to roofs and wing mirrors and many more to achieve the ultimate in bespoke personalisation to your vehicle.
 
I agree that a vinyl roof is an addition but it is what it is, a vinyl roof and isn't pretending to be anything else.

"The product isn't petending to be something else"? Quote from 3M's site:

carbon fibre vinyl - Get the look without the cost
Achieve the impact, texture and visual appearance of real carbon fibre. 3M™ Car Wrap Film Series 1080 authentically replicates the high end weaved material most commonly used on race cars. Car Wrap Film Series 1080 car wrap carbon fibre vinyl opens up all sorts of vehicle personalisation options, from recovering interior dashboard fascias to roofs and wing mirrors and many more to achieve the ultimate in bespoke personalisation to your vehicle.

The product still isn't pretending to be what it isn't it is what it is vinyl wrap but with a bit of texture and the look of carbon fibre. The maker's/sellers and user might say different but it is nothing more than it is vinyl wrap Purley for looks;)
 
We could go on for ever here :) My final shot is if "Achieve the impact, texture and visual appearance of real carbon fibre" isn't trying to look like carbon fibre I can't think of what would be.
 
We could go on for ever here :) My final shot is if "Achieve the impact, texture and visual appearance of real carbon fibre" isn't trying to look like carbon fibre I can't think of what would be.

I concur was thinking that myself I'll give it one more post after yours!
At the end of the day I'm not trying to justify carbon wrap I was just trying to say people like the look of carbon and if the only way they can get it is through a wrap (cost is the main/major factor here!) then let them as Os said earlier if there happy then we should be happy for them!
Somethings people just don't get but have to live with themo_O
 
Oh, I have no problem with people if they want to and are happy to use it, I just don't like or see the point of it. I guess my problem is that I hate fake things. If you can't afford the real thing save up or give up :)
 
Oh, I have no problem with people if they want to and are happy to use it, I just don't like or see the point of it. I guess my problem is that I hate fake things. If you can't afford the real thing save up or give up :)
Money is a factor for most! Wasn't it yourself who said he couldn't justify paying for a carbon fibre rear view mirror? I'll use badger for an example here he probably couldn't justify paying for the splitters and gils to be made in proper carbon fibre. But likes the look so he wrapped them. (this is only guess work I don't know badger's financial situation;))

It's one of those things like I don't get why people want brighter headlights?
If you can't see the road clear enough with just standard h7, h4 bulbs (lamps for HDi;)) get your eyes tested people and stop endangering yourself and others with your bad eye's and blinding headlights!
 
Very minimal wrapping for me nowadays. I even once thought after I did all of the dash etc in my Vectra ST200 that it looked too much and didn't look right so never did another interior since. The exterior of my MG has actually been brought on to look like it had a bit more attention to detail than anything else. I was able to buy the carbon stuff for the same price as what normal black vinyl costs. So have created the right effect of painted splitters but have simply used a decent carbon look a like. The fins on the wing vents however, now look more like the car the fins were modelled on ( MG SV V8) as they are pure carbon. If I was to replace any body parts then yes real carbon will do the trick, but for me, the idea was to simply have the splitters and fins in black, I just happened to be able to get my hands on some stuff from Oracle and am happy with it.
 
I just posted a video on my blog showing how to install a carbon fiber (US spelling, sorry) vinyl wrap on the roof of a Ford Fiesta. The stuff we use and sell is bubble-free and has air channels to allow for the egress of the (wait for it...) air. If anyone's interested I can post pics or a link...
 
Used correctly it can be quite effective. But IMO with fake wrap, don't do anything that would benefit from being carbon, otherwise it instantly stands out as being fake. I've done a few bits on my ZS180 but not over the top...

Front bumper splitter, rear skirt and fins on the wing vents...

P1040194_zps9e8160d0.jpg

P1040188_zpsd10c9173.jpg

20140925_1407061_zpsede66c18.jpg
Looks very nice! Good work! Now I'm inspired to do my splitter.
 
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