So I ordered the 121c Aileron for my first build. Im worried about drilling through it. I have a drill press, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Will drilling compromise the structural integrity? My brother landed himself in the hospital after his board snapped, so I got carbon fiber.
Use cobalt drill bits if you can get hold of them, or even better, carbide drill bits.
HSS drill bits are doable, but throw them away after drilling 3 or 4 holes, they’re blunt and unusable afterwards.
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yeah carbon is very abrasive for drillbits.
not sure about the construction of the Alieron but you dont want to be routing channels in the deck especially if it has a different core material.
but yeah as long as you aren’t stupid about it you should absolutely be fine drilling in it.
make sure to have a backing material clamped to the backside so that when you exit the hole you wont tear out fibers on the back. also spot drilling or pilot hole can be a good idea so the bit doesnt wander around.
abrasive removal methods or fine teeth generally do better in carbon fibre. high speed and light/medium feed pressure.
I think it more so has to do with the quality of the deck and manufacturer. wood can absolutely be fine if it is properly made and engineered.
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Make sure to have good ventilation or wear a respirator, carbon fiber dust isn’t great for you. It’s also conductive, so make sure no uninsulated electronics are nearby.
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meh drilling a few holes is fine. but if you pull out the angle grinder, dremel or router. wooh that’s another story. (it’s no joke actually, carbon dust is real f*** bad, you need HEPA filters and a space suit and bring it all outside)
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Indeed. I rounded several HSS drill bits before I wised up and bought carbide.
Method:
- Pilot drill all your holes from the non-griptape side with a small bit. Blue painters tape makes marking your holes and starting the bit a lot easier.
- Drill with your desired diameter bit. All drilling should be high speed, low pressure. Let the drill do the work, and focus on keeping it from walking. Its gonna want to walk. Since you will be using a drill press, this should be easy. Also make sure you are drilling your holes straight up and down, do not follow the curve of the deck.
- I countersunk my holes with a ⅜" carbide tile bit. I tried a HSS countersink bit, but it dulled almost immediately.
This is accurate. Dont fuck around with carbon fiber dust.
I have central vacuuming in my house which exhausts outside. I put this right next to the drill bit as I was drilling. Dont do this with a standard vacuum, the filters in most household vacuums are not good enough to trap all the CF dust.
I also wore a valved/sealed respirator.
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Should one follow these same steps for a deck like the Zenit Marble with CF as only part of its construction (CF wedged between wood and glass)?
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i need this answer too since i plan on getting this deck as well 
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hehe I’ve been eyeing that deck and a few of the other zenit decks but I’m already planning on buying some cells in the GB for another build LOL
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For only a single layer of CF or FG, a good sharp HSS bit will probably be good for a few holes. But carbide is just plain better.
All the dust precautions should be followed either way.
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Yeah ill def get carbide then, i’ve had my fair share of messed up inserts haha wouldn’t wanna mess up on a nice deck like this
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I make my own CF enclosures, which means sanding and drilling CF. I recommend wearing long sleeves and rubber gloves in addition to the mask. That CF dust irritates the hell out of my skin.
On the plus side CF is actually pretty easy to repair minor mistakes.
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Regarding the dust, just keep pouring water all over the hole the whole time your drilling to so dust cant go in the air.
Aso never drilled through carbon skinned decks, but i really doubt it will dull a good hss bit in the 10 holes you need for an enclosure, as the carbon is like 1mm thick
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I zapped myself sanding a freshly CF wrapped deck fibres touched the brushes in my sander…
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Oh yeah, it’s also safe to drill with the curve of the deck when cf is wedged between other plys of material, right? Since it wont move around quite as much?
A good tip I got from a friend which works wonder : do drip your cf part in water before cutting / drilling / sanding it as the water will trap the CF dust. No more aero particles.
Use gloves, safety glasses and a mask tho for good measure for sure.
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Ehh, I dunno. CF is REALLY abrasive. It’ll take off the nice sharp factory edge at least, but granted it probably won’t make it as dull as the other end.
I still wouldn’t use one of my good drill bits from my set on it. I’d either get a handful of disposable bits in the size I need, or go straight to carbide.
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I’ve been working as an architect for years, and i never heard of central vacuum until this day.
Thank you to make me google this.
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