- This topic has 31 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 19 years, 2 months ago by
Conway Stevens.
Conway Stevens.-
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Conway Stevens
Used to be called Shadow Composites now Its ShadowAero. They are temporarily not doing any production or supplies BUT I have been told they will be back sometime soon. Here is the link to their info page on their products. Look at the high temp section..
http://www.shadowaero.com/TECHNICAL.htm
The oven assembly that my buddie has was provided by them as well. We had mad a Rave EX and several CF tubes and parts sometime ago. But there is the info. The epoxy used is for actual areospace use and it comes in a 2 part kit single use.
Chris LaPanse
Ahh – I see. That stuff. I don’t use it right now because I have no need to and it’s expensive. I may use it in the future though 🙂
Doug Gerrard
I do vacuum bagging but I prefer Pro-Set epoxies. Its made from the same company as West Systems but it has a variety of different resins with different viscocities as well as the different hardners. Some of the slowest cure time epoxies requires curing at elevated temperatures. It doesn’t have to super hot, say 150 degrees for 8 hours. I called the company and they were very helpful. You can cure at room temperature to B stage, remove the vacuum and then pop it in the oven for full cure. In fact, you can go days or weeks and cure the entire project in the oven all at once. This is how I did my latest project for its fins. I laminated the fins, atached them, then fillets before curing.
My curing “oven” is a wood frame with stryofoam insulation, lined with mylar bubble wrap also used for household insulating. Its rated to 180 degrees. The heater is a simple household space heater with an “adjustment” to elevate the temperature.
Chris LaPanse
I use pro-set almost exclusively for my carbon work as well. I use 125/226, which gives a nice combination of strength, high tg, and easy to work with, but many other combos are availible. I post cure at 180f for 8 hours when I do it, and pro-set makes combinations with a tg of up to about 252f (125/226 is only 188f, but I didn’t get it for just a high tg). Overall, great stuff.
I do find it kind of weird that the hardener is orange though…
I use west when it isn’t as critical.
Doug Gerrard
(I kind of found it weird that West Sytems was clear!) I use the 125/229 combo and sometimes the extra long working time 237 hardner, pot life 6 hours! (requires post cure). I use the thin resin and if I want thicker I use fillers. Where do you get your Pro-Set?
Doug
Chris LaPanse
Various sources, but my latest order was from CST.
Can be a little on the expensive side for some items, but also have a great selection (have seen things there that I have never seen anywhere else), and great customer service. They also threw in a technical spec bulletin with my order (for pro-set). Great bit of info – do you have one? It shows all the strength, TG, etc specs for the epoxy, including the difference between post cured and non post cured (at various temperatures as well). Very useful info 🙂
Where do you get yours?
Bruce R. Schaefer
Well… I did only a little bit of this in the late 80’s… and now it’s time to really get into it. I’ll epoxy my fins to the motor mount this week (on my future L3 bird), then I’ll layup the fins with 8.9 oz FG cloth, make the fin slots bigger so it will fit in the tube… then lay ’em up to the tube with either 8.9 oz (again) or 3 oz. FG. I’m actually trying to keep the nose weight I’ll have to add down, which is why I’m starting from the bottom, so I’ll know the nose weight to add last. I’ve been staring at it for weeks, trying to get the courage to get into it. Not so worried about epoxying the FB cloth, as I am getting those fins straight! Only get one shot. 🙄 I’ve read a lot about composites. But the only way to do anything is to just do it. I “know” you make sure the X in the weave is on the joints, etc. Thank goodness the first attempt will be mostly hidden by the body tube. 🙂 I “know” to use those small paint rollers from Home Depot to apply the epoxy (using Aeropoxy, slightly stronger than West, so I’m told), and I’ve been saving those fake, plastic credit cards that come in the mail to wipe off the excess epoxy. Finally a use for ’em! So… any wise and experienced words before I start?
Bruce R. Schaefer
Doug, the Aeropoxy I got from Tim Thomas of GLR was a cloudy blue resin and a pretty deep red hardner… then became clear as it began to set. Is this similar to West? You mentioned that you were surprised it was clear. This might be what you meant. Everything seemed to go well. Fin jigs look straight, as does everything else. I asked my wife to not let me go into the garage to keep checking on it. It’s done. Fins are mounted. Next comes the layup. 🙂 I’ll never use another epoxy again. It is fantastic!
Doug Gerrard
No, I haven’t seen what you described. The West Systems is clear for both resin and hardner. I was sort of kidding about being surprised because all the stuff I had used was an amber color.
Doug
Bruce R. Schaefer
Hmmm… Aeropoxy turns clear. Surprised me. Good stuff.
Conway Stevens
Chris LaPanse
Doug Gerrard
Bruce R. Schaefer
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