You wet them all out together, it is much faster, and 5 layers at a time is no problem if you have a decent roller.
In Reply To
With RR Epoxy do you keep going untill all the 36? layers are done in one go or will that burst into flames? If it does get too hot what is a sensible schedule?
Mark
" If you use UV resin you have to catalyze it as well, because the UV light will not penetrate the layers well, particularly if you use pigment or colored cloth.
With RR epoxy, I did mine in small batches. I would take a bunch of paper cups and mark them for the resin and hardener. Then, I would mix one cup, and use it for 5-10 layers. Then on to the next cup, etc, and do all the layers in one sitting in about 30 minutes. "
…thanks for that Dave ! (I wondered about the same thing , actually , not having ‘RR’ epoxy resin in this great country of ours…)
Okay , so after letting the panel sit overnight ,
I flipped the panel over this morning , and using gravity , and the masking tape edges , I peeled the fin panel downwards off the glass . It came off very smoothly . [tip : try not to get any / much resin on the tape , as you DON’T want to glass the tape into the glass sheet underneath , if you can avoid it !]
Here it is , alongside my first [canard] panel …half a set of canard quad setup fins now drawn up . [Tip : for marking the outline on the fibreglass , I use a metal scriber ]
[I love how smooth and shiny the ‘inside’ edge of the panel always is , from being pressed against the glass. And also , how that doesn’t need any filler resin on that inside edge , as it gels completely by itself !]
This shot gives a more accurate idea of the colour of the three hemp inlay layers , in a fin panel…
“[Tip : for marking the outline on the fibreglass , I use a metal scriber ]”
(they are fairly small in size , actually…
…so , you dont use polyvinilic alcohol… or yes
…what is 'polyvinilic alcohol ’ , and what is it used for , please , Re ?
[the answer is no , obviously , but I am curious as to what it is , and what / why you use it ?]
Is it perhaps something YOU use to coat the glass sheet with , before laying up the fibreglass ?
and … do you use epoxy or polyester resin for YOUR fin panels , ‘Re’ ?
cheers mate !
ben
Where’s the finished product?
…patience , grasshopper …
[charging in like a rhino in a china shop ? hehee]
three more panels to lay up yet .
Then cut out .
Then foil .
[Meanwhile , I have a tooth that needs pulling out rather urgently . I hate pain]
…[fin panels] to be continued …
cheers
ben
Polyvinyl Alcohol PVA is a release agent used for moulds etc.Not to be confused with PVA wood glue or builders sealer (eg Unibond) which is Polyvinyl Acetate.
Thanks all for the info on laying up epoxy.
Hey chippa,
I’ve seen you have your fin panels stuck to many a glass pane, so the use of a mold release would be a good idea…
Or maybe even some wax paper on the glass sheet… should peel off the fin panel pretty easy after your done…
Just so you dont have to seperate the fin straight from the glass panel and risk breaking the glass…
Good work in this shoite weather mate.
Ant
hi Ant !
yep, thanks mate !
And , another good idea Grant told me , too, was …
you know those overhead transparency sheets ( like they use at uni , no doubt ? )
They are heat resistant , flexible , peel off the panel easily , I would imagine . [I’ll have a look in ‘officeworks’ soon. It’s gotta be a cheaper [and less risky] option than , as you say , cracking the occassional sheet of glass , THAT’S for sure !]
…the thought I had is , if they are fairly ‘bendy’ , I ‘might’ be able to lay up some CURVED fins on 'em , a la the fcs webber fins , for example . And , make them as big or as small as I like …
cheers mate !
ben
…PLENTY of swell around eh ?
hopefully another session soon at the same break as t’other day . [I’m KEEN to get some water shots there , before spring is half over , at least !] Keep an eye on thursday morning …
Hey mate,
Yeah great idea, those clear transperancies would be the bomb. They cheap as, I think maybe 30c a sheet even?? Can’t remember.
Curved fins would be good with that as well, you could shape a nice curve out of a lump of foam or something, and lay up on that.
Definately enough swell around, just need this wind to piss off. Thursday does look good.
Ant
Quote:
Polyvinyl Alcohol PVA is a release agent used for moulds etc.Not to be confused with PVA wood glue which is Polyvinyl Acetate.
Thanks all for the info on laying up epoxy.
cheers for that Mark !
yeah lavz
if pas wants to hit it after 9am , it could be ON , hopefully .
Depending on swell size , I’ll probably revert to 3 or 4 fins in the bushfire fish ,
or
maybe …
pull out the 7’ singley , for another bash at this inline fin setup bizo ?!
ben
I’ve also layed up on thick black plastic (using epoxy=less heat) the kind they used for cement floors. That worked well too.
So you dont have to make a dam to stop the resin escaping??
Quote:
…artsy fartsy type photo ( I included this just for you , ‘Oldy’ !)
what, no black & whites?!
just kidding. nice thread ben.
there ya go , Mr. bandw fetishist ! …
( “and all because , you asssskkkked fer itttt !”)
And , if you look closely , you will see a mop top beatles fan there …
Quote:
So you dont have to make a dam to stop the resin escaping??
thanks for reminding me …that’s a good question , mate !
Not so much to stop it “escaping” , as it soaks into the cloth pretty well, but …
…it’s worth mentioning / doing for sure , because what I find happens is , I often push DOWN when I get to the edges of the panel , and what that does is it make the base / tips / side/s of your potential fin curve downwards . This can especially be a bit of a pain when it’s the BASE of the fin , if the base is not thick enough !
So , with the one that I layed up today , I did THIS, with the masking tape …
…hopefully this may have produced a more ‘level’ result ? we shall see later…
cheers
ben
Quote:
And , if you look closely , you will see a mop top beatles fan there …
whoah! spooky…it’s like the shroud of turin.
(…or was that a mist-shrouded tubing ?)
Anyway , three panels down , one to go , to complete this hemp canard quad set …
PVA… oh do I wish I did… I followed Chip’s advice and glassed 10 layers yesterday onto a sheet of mirrorglass… I figured from reading this it would come off… It doesn’t. I now have a beautiful Epoxy Mirror complete with glassfiber fringed frame Cheap!!!
I tried figeting a Stanley knife under it, wouldn’t budge, pulling the tape/unglassed edge, just ripped it right off!! Nope, the glass in the northern hemisphere must be different from down-unda, or this method don’t work with epoxy…
This evening I will try warming the epoxy with a hair dryer, that usually makes it malleable, perhaps it will peel off, otherwise it goes on ebay as modern art!!!