Which CF for a Pot Lid?

[David White]

What thickness of carbon-fiber should I use for a pot lid? Is there any special "type" of CF I should look for? Since I have access to a CNC router, I figured I could very easily make a CF pot lid myself by just buying some material from Amazon or somewhere else. Thanks in advance.

[Bob Moulder]

How do you use a router to make a carbon fiber lid? I would imagine the CNC router would be perfect for making a 2-piece mold which could be used with a vacuum system (FoodSaver) and some CF cloth and epoxy resin to make the part itself.

[David White]

My pot, the Evernew 640ml, has a relatively deep lip into which the lid sits. A simple flat circle will fit easily without sliding off. But the domed titanium lid it comes with is relatively heavy. For most pots, this wouldn't work.

[Bob Moulder]

My pot, the Evernew 640ml, has a relatively deep lip into which the lid sits. A simple flat circle will fit easily without sliding off. But the domed titanium lid it comes with is relatively heavy. I know what you mean there… the lid of the MSR Titan kettle weighs 35g. I made a 13.4g CF lid for my JB MiniMo using some CF sandwich material I use for another hobby. This lid also fits the Titan kettle. Something for your Evernew 640ml would probably weigh 8-9g.

[Jordo _99]

David, Just a bit of extra info on CF…you'll probably come across some different weave specs (UD, 1k, 3k, 12k) but none of them will be relevant to this; Weaves matter for poles and other load bearing applications like cycling parts. I'd expect that you could just buy 1/8" x 6" x 6" square (or circle) and use the CNC to cut out the lid as needed. As another comment mentioned, being able to use the CNC to make a mold would certainly give better results (1-2 layers of CF fabric with minimal epoxy should be enough). To answer your question…as thin as possible since it's not load bearing.

[Steve B]

Ah, but can you find carbon sheet that uses food grade resin? I gave up and used titanium sheet for my Evernew 600. Fixed a piece of metallic or cuben tape for a handle. Yes, the other question is does it get hot enough when boiling water to release any chemicals from the resin. Steve

[Colin Krusor]

No epoxy system for CF layups is food grade, but there are lots of coatings that are. I agree with Jordo. If you have access to a CNC router, just buy some CF/epoxy sheet, cut it to size, and give it a light food-grade coating on the underside. If you want some insulation, to reduce fuel use a tiny bit, there are many ways to incorporate a bit of insulation, including using CF sandwich panel. Sandwich panel would also be better able to withstand compression in your pack if you use your lidded pot as a container for fragile things.

[David White]

Thanks everyone. This is EXACTLY the type of information I was looking for. Anyone know a place to buy some CF cheap?

[Steve B]

What food grade coating product could be applied to the CF? I still have my attempt at a CF lid, love to use it as it protects the contents better than the titanium. Steve

[R]

From the linked thread above: http://www.acpsales.com/OnlineStore.php They have flexible single ply at 2.1oz/sf @ $13 for a 6"x12" piece. For an additional $2.25 and 0.3 oz/sf they offer it with an adhesive backing which you could apply a layer of tinfoil (or seran wrap? lighter?) to as a food safe barrier. Don't know how you'd keep it centered on the pot, tho. Maybe you could cut some tabs in to the perimeter and bend/crease them down 90 degrees to sit just inside the edge of the pot. They also offer a rigid 1/8" aramid honeycomb sandwich, but it's 3 oz/sf and $75(!) for a piece the same size. If you need a boost in stiffness over the single ply you might be able to put a narrow cylindrical strip around the edge – think shoe box lid proportions, but round. Maybe just cutting a washer shape w/ an OD equal to the lid OD and an ID 1/4" smaller and adhering that on top would suffice. Let us know what you come up with!

[Bob Moulder]

>>Don't know how you'd keep it centered on the pot, tho. Like this: bottom of the lid, showing the tabs that keep it centered

[R]

I was referring to a single ply design. .008" thickness won't do that trick :)

[R]

Or: http://rutalocura.com/Carbon_Lids.html $18/8gr fits the Evernew 640. Foodsafe coating?

[Andrew Kling]

Guessing you aren't concerned with the off gasing of the resin when it's heated. I personally use tinfoil for a pot lid myself.

[Author]

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