Any cheap but great carbon fiber vacuum kits or packages out there for battery enclosures?

It will be a couple months until I get the salary to buy the necessities for the build, but its never too early to start collecting inspiration. (Whitepony http://www.electric-skateboard.builders/users/whitepony/activity & barajabali http://www.electric-skateboard.builders/users/barajabali/activity AWESOME posts)

My first purchase was the nelson batray longboard which ran me about $125. I jumped onto craigslist for a $30 pair of trucks and grabbed 4 volez 83mm wheels to make my first ever skateboard. I took my first steps towards the electric circuit by purchasing the 6374 KV200 motor over at http://skywardhobbies.com/products/outrunner-brushless-motor-6374-kv200. My next purchase would most likely be a couple of RC Turnigy 5000mAh 5S 20C Lipo Packs. Unless I find a better alternative, i think I’m gonna run with the carbon fiber method, and drill some nice compartments into the board (but who knows what ill find within the next couple weeks).

Right on! welcome and good to see you have a plan!

cheap and vacuum are not exactly synonymous - especially adding in carbon fiber. GlassFiber or fiberglass… much more so.

I would check out the Roarockit options - they have some reusable vacuum bags and a manual pump that is supposed to work pretty well!

Here’s @Wanderer’s build (he used the roarockit bag/kit:

What are you going to use for a motor mount? It’s amazing what some skill and ingenuity can accomplish… Some folks have built theirs w/ scrap aluminum and steel - and a hacksaw and file.

Look forward to seeing your build and best of luck!

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Thanks for the feedback! Yes, today i was leaning towards a fiberglass method. I would like to keep a “stealth” look which would mean more steps, rather than tacking on a plastic box. I’ll check out the local plastic shop sometime. Or possibly roll with Roarockit and carve a block of foam. I’m not to keen on the process of pouring proxy or anything like that or if Roarockit has made any enclosures for electric skateboarding. Either way, I’d like to stick with the “stealth” look much like the E boards out today.

As for the motor mount, I was originally attracted to enertion’s mounts. Their single motor kit sounds good to me, but its around $260, which i know if i hold out for longer i’ll come across a cheaper solution. I agree a lot of skateboard parts on here look as if they’ve been compiled in a junkyard. I’m hoping to construct a nice looking board that could possibly be passed off as factory made. Also need some solution to protect the motor. Ive seen a 3D printed enclosure but I’m not even sure where to start with finding a programer and printer.

I don’t agree. A nice enclosure changes a lot of things.

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if you are intimidated by making/molding your enclosure with CF/GF - also checkout using Kydex or ABS plastic. If you heat it and then mold it with foam to a shape it’s pretty amazing what i can do. In a pinch you can simply heat it with a heat gun and bend it into a box the size you need. Simple and protects pretty well. Check out psychotiller’s how-to or setup he did a while back.