Need Help Using Carbon Fiber Uni-Directional Cloth
 

My uni-directional cloth arrived today. It's got some kind of plastic film backing and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take this off first, or cut to size and just glue it.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...437e7013f9.jpg
Back of cloth
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...f9b55144e7.jpg
Front of cloth

Typically some vendors will add a sheet of plastic between layers when they roll your order onto a new cardboard core. I'm not certain if this is what you mean or not, I can't see any sheet plastic in your pictures. I do see some random binder fibers, is that what is concerning you?

It's very difficult to see in the pics. Let me try again. Be back in 5 minutes with new (hopefully better) pics.

Hopefully you can see this. One side feels like tacky CF and the other side feels like a plastic film. You can see where the film is folded over on one end. (2nd pic)

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...b595c9b6b2.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rcu...ea35b25e32.jpg

I would say take it off, you don't want any plastic in a composite layup. It looks like it's just a protective film put there for storage/shipment.

It does appear that way. I tried to separate it from the CF and it doesn't want to come apart so that's what made me think maybe I'm supposed to leave it on.

Okay, figured it out. It's only taped on the ends to prevent shipping damage. The tape comes off and .... what I thought was plastic film is actually a very thin layer of strings that are holding the strips of CF together.

Makes perfect sense, I can't recall ever seeing clear tape used though. Everything I've ordered over the last few years had blue masing tape on the cut edge. I'm curious now though as to what your project is.

I'd rather not say. Someone will surely have something negative to add if I do. Or someone will completely derail the thread into a discussion on the finer points of weighing and mixing latex house paint ... of course I'd be an idiot and doing it all wrong in their eyes.

I found the answer to my question on Facebook, of all places. It was answered by a manufacturers rep from one of the CF factories. He was extensive in his explanation and told me how to correctly use the product to achieve my goal. No. Not sharing that here.

Mods please close.

The uni fiberglass I use, comes with a protective film on the roll. It is coloured red, and very easy to remove. However, if you choose to wet out the glass while film is still on it, then the film becomes invisible, and there is a risk of forgetting it.

​​​​​​Lars