Is there a way to create a cosmetic finish on the "backside" of a carbon fiber part made with vacuum resin infusion?

So in the coming months I am going to be making some carbon fiber parts using resin infusion. I know you can get some really good cosmetic finishes on both sides of flat sheets by sandwiching them between two glass plates, but I've never seen an equivalent technique for parts with complex geometries laid up in a mold.

Our group has enough experience with carbon fiber layups to get a nice finish on the mold side of the parts, but the release ply creates a much less cosmetically appealing surface on the back side of the parts.

Is there a reasonable way to get produce a cosmetic finish on the matte side of the part after the infusion process? I was thinking of maybe painting some resin onto the surface after curing and then wet sanding and polishing it, but I don't know if this will result in a "wet" glossy finish similar to the molded side of the part.

Posted Jul 21, 2017, 10:38 PM UTC

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