This can be accomplished using hand-held tools guided by fixtures and measurements.  Hand tools such as air routers, drills, and saws.  A disadvantage is that the operator can commit errors and must be protected from safety hazards.  These hazards include airborne dust, bending strain, lifting strain, and physical cuts.

For high volume or high precision applications, there are CNC routers that can be employed.  These are fast, efficient, and safe.  They may be expensive though.

Several manufacturers make CNC routers, and Thermwood is one as shown below.

This video shows several different applications and parts that can be routed with this large machine.

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This project, like all concept cars, was well before its time.  They had some cutting-edge engineering that went into this vehicle to work towards several goals.

Reducing vehicle weight was important, so carbon fiber materials were utilized to decrease the weight of the body/chassis.  Efficient drive-train options were also developed, including the use of two-cycle engines and battery power.  Designing for great aerodynamics was also considered.

Many years have passed by, and some things were right on, some were not.  Aerodynamics have been improved.  Lighter weight materials have been used as composites have been working their way into vehicles, though it has been SMC/BMC reinforced with Fiberglass rather than Carbon Fiber.

Gull-wing doors have not been adopted for family cars, and I am not sure if I am disappointed or not.

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I found a video from Eastbay Composites that demonstrates a method for making small molds in a very quick an inexpensive fashion.

As you see from watching this, the basic construction materials are tooling gelcoat and inexpensive bondo for the support structure.

This mold construction technique certainly has drawbacks, but also has several advantages.  None of the materials required spray equipment, which is messy.  Brushes are inexpensive and easily disposed.  A disadvantage of this method is that surface finish might suffer from a lack of consistency on the coating thicknesses for the gelcoat and the release agents.

Using bondo as the support structure is quick and easy compared to glass and resin, but can cause problems as well.  It is more likely to crack, and can warpage issues as it cures and may be hotter in some areas than others.  Bondo may have some difficulty maintaining dimensional tolerance as it shrinks during cure.  Industrial resins used to create molds have minimal shrinkage in their chemistry and are placed on slower to minimize heat from the chemical reaction.

For quick, inexpensive and easy parts, this method from Eastbay Composites may work well for you.  What has not been discussed yet is that the mold model can be the most difficult part.  Off the shelf items are easy, but custom ones may be difficult.  Creating a shape or surface is time consuming and tenuous.  After that is complete, you can make your mold and final production parts!

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Many of these problems can be eliminated with the proper equipment.  I found a very interesting video of a fiberglass-reinforced epoxy resin block being cut using a water-cooled ring saw.  This saw is called the Revolution XT and it uses some neat technology to get a relatively quick and clean cut without making dust.  It looks like it would also allow some good freehand movement to cut curves and angles in composites parts.

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Personal jets made of composite materials offer many advantages and unique properties.  Design of complex shapes and anti corrosion of aluminum are two advantages.  Disadvantages include repeatability and upgrading/modification.

Composites that are properly designed and fabricated can be used in many applications where safety is a big concern.  Proper design and inspection during production can create an airplane that can be easily maintained and have a very long life.

Great factory tour courtesy of Aero-TV:

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The required stiffness of a section of a composites part depends upon the overall design and service expectations.  Several factors, including the life expectancy of the object, the load rating of the composites surface, the inter-laminar bond strength, will help determine the threshold requirements.  Testing is very important to determine the life expectancy of the part and whether it meets the requirements of its’ job.

Panel stiffness can be modified to meet these requirements using two basic methods.  One way to increase the stiffness of an unsupported composites panel is to reduce the size of the panel through additional support structures.  The other way is to increase the panel thickness across the same area.  Choosing which method to use depends upon the engineering of the part and determining which method is acceptable with the surrounding part layout.  If there is room to add supports, this is likely a quick and easy option.  If there is room to increase the thickness, adding new or additional coring materials may be a simple solution.

Building a strong and stiff composites structure can be accomplished with the extremes of  building a robust “skeleton” with small open areas and a thin skin, or having a basic, limited “skeleton” with a heavy duty cored laminate that supports itself.

A combination of the two usually works out best.

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Composites with a nice, decorative gelcoat finish such as boats and RV’s require special care to make holes in them for placing bolts and rivets.  Disturbing the area around your hole in a gelcoated surface can lead to very expensive repairs by a fiberglass expert.

You can make holes yourself, but it requires extra care and attention.  I found a great Youtube video that demonstrates this from user CenturionCrew.

Of course the biggest mistake that can be made is improper placement of the hole.

Following the instructions in the video and drilling a nice slow speed hole is the best way to be successful.  He also mentions the caution that must be noted to stop the drill chuck from contacting the gelcoated surface.  One tip that I have is to place a small piece of rubber hose over the drill bit to contact the gelcoat before the drill chuck.

One other note with holes (all shapes and sizes) in cored composites fiberglass pieces.  If there is a layer of balsa or foam core in the cross section, extra precautions should be exercised.  One is to coat the inside surface of the hole with gelcoat, resin, or silicone to keep moisture and UV out of the core.

Another concern is compression of the core with mechanical fasteners.  Balsa and foam cores typically are low in density, and are not meant to be highly compressed.  If you are going to bolt something on, and it is going to be really tight, it is best to use a metal sleeve in the hole that is the same thickness of the fiberglass part.  Large washers or backer plates should also be used to distribute the load across a larger surface.

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I have used the Soric and Divinycell, and the adhesive he discusses.  They all have their places and special techniques for application.  Many of these materials have been around a long time, and sometimes they have been misused in applications that they didn’t belong.  I have personally witnessed some of these horror stories concerning delamination and improper adhesion.

The video quality and production is very rudimentary, but the content is very good.  I am not a kayaker, but it makes me want to get one of these!

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A project is posted by the person with work needing to be performed.  The proper industry is selected, choosing from aerospace, architecture, automotive, boating, military, and sporting goods.  Additional information documents can be attached for further scope identification.  Bidding details can then be specified by the person posting the project.

Composites fabricators with related expertise and experience can bid on these projects in an effort to identify work opportunities for their business.  If a bid is accepted, the details are worked out directly between the bidder and the buyer, eliminating any third party costs and delays.  Bidders and Buyers can go back and leave feedback after the job is complete.

Composite RFQ has some free accounts to go in and look around.  There is a very interesting page about using Composite RFQ that very easily explains how it work s graphically.

This site is a great tool to bring the composites world together between buyers and sellers.  The old word of mouth method of finding fabricators and customers is great, but does not always lead down the best path.  Small fabrication shops have difficulty advertising their services to the appropriate customers that might be looking for the type of work that they do, and now they can go and bid directly on the types of projects they can handle.

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