Has anyone seen a difference between fiberglass cloth from different companies or is E glass just E glass? I see different brands, at varying prices, say Arealite, Hexcel, JPS, warplite, ect. I don’t have much experience, but has anyone found that certain brands are better in terms of better wet out, clarity, longevity?
Warp is not a brand, it's a type. The three brands you mentioned all have their qualitys and their faithful followers.
Mcding… WarpLite is a brand… I am pretty sure its manufactured by a bigger company and private labeled for a supplier. The box has a fighter jet across one side.
No other markings that would indicate whom its from.
Flacido
The finish on those brand are all fairly similar/.
Overall I think the Aerialite is the best but thats preference.
A lot of glassers use Whiteline because its Korean and less expensive but the difference is so subtle its almost not worth worrying over.
Qualitywise I think they are about the same as well. Cloths designed for the surfboard industry all have a bright finish
For a few boards i dont think its going to matter.
if you are buying a full roll…I suggest Aerialite
Everybody makes a "Warp" cloth. BGF Aerialite, JPS and Hexcel all make a Warp. Has to do with the strand count and direction. Ghettorat gave the best explanation I've ever read here on this site. Can't remember the thread title or what it got started as, but it's somewhere in the archives. Can't get to the archives I guess, but try the Glossary under "Warp". there is also a pretty good explanation on the Fiberglass Hawaii website. I believe "Warplite" is BGF Aerialite's Warp cloth.
I know warp is a type of cloth not arqueing that point.
Just saying Warplite is a brand as well
On second thought; I'm not sure who makes it.
Ive only seen the Warplite stuff on the East Coast.
West Coast, Ive never seen a box. We buy from 3 vendors and I cant say that any carry it.
A few distributors over there carry it on the East Coast.
Its all relatively close. You can buy American, Brazillian, Chinese and Korean cloth.
Pricing varies by manufacturing obviously.
We use 3 brands and you really cant see much difference from 2 feet away visually when glassed.
Pre Glassed- you can tell the 3 apart
Structurally we dont have fails by one brand over another in any higher percentage.
Wet outs are all about the same
Some hold color better I beleive if you are doing Tints.
Warp is where normal fiberglass has more strands going across per yard, than full roll or lengthwise… Warp is the other way around. More running the full length for more strength running the entire length of the board as oppossed to across.
In my opinion, cheap materials have their drawbacks… hard to go wrong buying Aerialite, JPS, or Hexcel… and pick the right version for the task, as that the FINISH on fiberglass can vary (eg be appropriate
for epoxy, or for poly). Cheap materials/seconds are ok for a board or three, but in the long run it’s logical (and less frustrating) to use the right stuff…
Warp
n. - The threads that run lengthwise in a woven fabric, crossed at right angles to the woof.
Reminds me of "Kelley's Heroes" and Donald Sutherlin; "Woof! Woof!"
Also; I used alot of BGF Aerialite over the years, both straight E and Warp. I liked it. Wrapped well, wet out was good, white finish and never a "bitch" about strength from customers. Have also used Hexcel. Strong, wrapped well etc. When cloth is washed alot for a whiter finish, the thought is multiple washings weaken the cloth. Have yet to use JPS "Greatwhite". Heard it is all of the above and very easy to work with. Whiteline is doing well and for price and performance has accquired a sizeable percentage of the industry market share.
the JPS is good stuff in my opinion. No issues at all.
Some of the Hexcel I’ve used is on the stiffer side, but still quite good.
Aerialite I’ve never had a complaint with.
Not brand-specific but on the subject of fiberglass in generaly I really like 5 ounce cloth. Less common but nice to work with… I like to do double 5 instead of 4+6…
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Hi All-
Below is some brief definitions of the various surfboard cloths. If you have more questions feel free to email us. Hope this helps. Brad
E-Cloth
AKA - Plain weave
What most people think of when the think of just regular fiberglass.
Most commonly used with a regular Silane finish.
Warp
AKA- Flat weave
Has more picks (or yarn) in the Warp (nose to tail) direction than the Fill (rail to rail) direction.
Pros - slightly better flexural strength. Creates less texture in the weave when wet out making for less necessary fill on the hot coat making for smoother hot coats.
Cons - a little looser of a hand, can produce more strings (or loose strands) when laminating.
Direct-size
AKA - D-size
Regular cloth has a lubricated binding agent that is put on the cloth at the yarn level before it is woven in the loom to hold the untreated fiberglass together. After it is woven, the cloth goes through a heat cleaning or chemical bath process to clean off this waxy oily agent before the sizing (or chemistry that allows the resin to bond to the fiberglass) is applied. This clean process weakens the glass by about 30% to 40%. True direct-size cloth gets no lubricated binding agents put on it; rather they apply the sizing directly to the yarn before it is woven. The sizing holds the fiberglass together as it goes through the loom.
Pros - By not having to go through the cleaning process, the cloth is about 30% to 40% stronger. Excellent compression strength (pressure dings). Very clear wet out (white).
Cons- Without the lubrication it is very tough on the machines, therefore the extra labor and wear and tear on the machines account for a higher priced cloth. It will produce more stringers and yarn will fray slightly when cut.
S-glass
Developed for the military for its toughness and impact strength. The actual yarn used is of a different make up and significantly stronger than regular fiberglass. The weaving process is the same as regular fiberglass. Usually made in a plain weave.
Pros - as much as 75% stronger depending who’s data you look at. Great flexural strength (board snapping). Great reflex, retains its liveliness longer.
Cons – Price$$$. White but tends to have a very slight milkiness when its wet out.
Silane finish - Regular clear finish most commonly used in surfboards
Volan - Original marine and industrial finish. Green tint (Coke bottle).