molding carbon fiber?

[pb4ugo]

I don't have any advice for you on the mold. I'm using aluminum, but that would be nearly impossible for your rendering. You do have to remember that the finish of the mold will dictate the finish of the composite.

As far as vacuum bagging goes, the hot budget setup is to use a Foodsaver (or similar). A brand new one will cost less than $100, and they're available used in almost every flea market or swap meet for dirt cheap. They pull a good vacuum in a well sealed bag. Do a Google search for such, and you will pull up a couple excellent articles for using one. The articles are aimed at the model rocket crowd, but it all directly applies here.