Date: Sun, 9 Sep 2007 08:39:05 -0700
Reply-To: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Carbon fiber van tops...?
In-Reply-To: <E1IUOlL-0003jG-00@pop-canoe.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
"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.
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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>
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