yeah, i have seen those. i dont like how they are a 3 piece design though. i think that would make it weaker. i have never raced one but the guys at Tekno race against drivers that use the Matrix chassis and say they have held up great.

i have another carbon plate coming next week that i will be using to build a chassis for my RC8T and my Losi 8t. these will have the kickup molded into the plate and be 3.2mm so that there will be flex. i am hoping this will be the right combination to be a great setup. last time the 5mm plate was just too stiff. i have test the 3mm carbon and it flexes nearly the same as an alum 3-4mm chassis. cant wait to get these built. i will post the results.

I know this is a little bit old, but I just wanted to mention that the method Matrix uses to build their CF kick-up chassis is just as strong as a regular sheet of CF. They use a bonding agent that is stronger than the CF itself, and the aluminum inserts are just plain awesome...they keep the droop screws from digging into the CF causing rough holes, and help in other areas where parts will me moved around a lot, such as the motor-mount etc..

Anyway, Ryu, awesome build and work on your CF chassis, and everything else you did...excellent job! I work with CF quite often, and know its pitfalls and benefits, and even know, or have discovered, quite a few tips and tricks to use when working with it.

I am actually getting ready to start building my own custom brushless CF E-Maxx Truggy (LCG) Chassis (with kick-up) and custom brushless CF Revo Truggy (LCG) Chassis (with front kick-up & rear kick-down), so keep an eye out for those threads.

Hey Chad,
thanks for the post. i had no idea that much work went into the matrix chassis'. they sound like they are very solid and i have only heard good things about them. i havent worked with carbon for a while now but only because i havent been doing any builds. i have held off RC spending for $ reasons for the time being but i have my sights set on my next project and i will be doing lots of carbon work on it. i plan to convert the new 1/5 MCD RaceRunner V4 that just came out. i am waiting for the ultimate version to come out though which is due this fall. the chassis on the MCD is flat and caster is achieved through the gearbox parts instead of bending the chassis. so it will be a perfect candidate for a carbon chassis that wont require any bending. for those of you who havent seen the V4 yet you got to check it out. they have stretched it to the same length as the Baja 5B now but of course it has 4wd. should be sick!
anyway, Chad, if you are willing to share i would love to hear what things you do to work with carbon. have you found a good way to CNC it? if you dont want to post PM me at least. i have done a lot of stuff with carbon but have yet to perfect the process. the last time i had it on the CNC i was still running into issues of fraying etc. any tips you can give would be much appreciated. thanks.

Hey Ryu, awesome thread. I am going to buy some CF for my muggy. what thickness would you think be suitable? And is quasi isotropic necessary? I was just thinking 2x2 twill.
Matt

I'll write a longer and more detailed post about this when I get a chance, but the two main things you need to do when milling carbon-fiber is; [1] keep it wet, soapy water works best because it stays on the CF longer instead of just running off, or [2] put a layer of tape on both sides before cutting. You can use multiple strips of masking tape if you want, but the best option is to use a large, single piece of mask instead...it is comonly used in painting, where the mask is put on and then a design trimmed out of it.