Cutting carbon kevlar

[paulyb]

So fed up with my Tillets filling up with water (and God knows whatever else following the heavy rain and road covered in cow muck episode on the blat to Croix ) I've decided to finally take the plunge and drill a hole in the seat bases.

Is there a way to do this neatly? I don't want all the kevlar fibres left resulting in a hole with fluffy margins as often seen when this is done.

Any tips from the pros?

[Rattie]

Use a diamond coated "tile holesaw" type bit...

Here's one at B&Q

... then run some cyanoacrylate into the ends of the fibres, or brush a little epoxy resin onto them to prevent fraying/delamination;

 

Martyn

^{_{R300GRR (SuperVeloce) specced and ordered for a winter build}}

[Dickie Normuss]

What he said. I use a Dremmel and thin cyano

 

VX HPC - Loud and proud here

Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere

[Rattie]

Yeah, a dremmel grinding "stone" bit is another option. You basically need to make sure that you're grinding rather than trying to cut with a drill bit or saw teeth. Anything that tries to move a point through the material like a drill bit or toothed holesaw will invariably snag on the fibres and chip out, fray, kickback or all three.

 

I guess I'll be having to do something like this to our CF/K Tillets at some point. Should be getting them on tuesday, along with the rest of the kit....... so exciting!!

 

Martyn

^{_{R300GRR (SuperVeloce) specced and ordered for a winter build}}

[paulyb]

Thanks guys - I'll fire up the Dremmel at the weekend

[Dickie Normuss]

Make sue you wear a face mask

 

VX HPC - Loud and proud here

Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere

[Rattie]

and dribble a bit of water into the seat before you start. Not only will it show you where to make the hole, but it'll help catch the nasty dust. Needless to say, make a ring of old towels or something to catch the black water spray you'll be turning said puddle of water into.

 

Martyn

^{_{R300GRR (SuperVeloce) specced and ordered for a winter build}}

[millsn]

wear some gloves too, it's horrible stuff to get under your skin

[Grim Reaper]

I dropped a rivet with the pop stem removed into the hole to present a finished look to the drain hole, black rivet hides it a bit better.

Don't forget to drill a hole in the floor too to let the water out of the area under the seats (I connected the back end of the rivet to a bit of pipe and fed it straight out through the floor)