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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: Motorman on February 20, 2021, 06:43:21 AM
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I read there's a fiberglass shortage, don't know if this effects anyone but I had a question. Does fiberglass cloth have a shelf life, does it dry rot like other cloth or is it pretty much bullet proof moving through time? I've got some packs from Sig a million years ago and it seems ok but just wondering.
Motorman 8)
I have glass cloth from 40 years ago still in the package. I think it'll still be around long after I'm gone.
About "shelf life?"
I believe the human brain has the shortest.
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No life span that I've seen on heavy woven roven and mat. I recently used 20+ yr old 18oz woven and epoxy. It was stored all these yrs in an outbuilding without temp or humidity control in Florida. Worked like new on a boat.
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Walter I have a piece of .05 Fiberglass cloth I have had in a non air tight container for at least 20 years and I see no difference in it from the day I bought it.
Mike
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Glass mat has "sizing" that bonds the strands together until resin is applied. Styrene melts the sizing and lets the resin saturate the strands. I've heard long term humidity can affect the sizing but haven't experienced it personally. Epoxy doesn't have styrene so you have to use mat without sizing to get good saturation.
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Glass mat has "sizing" that bonds the strands together until resin is applied. Styrene melts the sizing and lets the resin saturate the strands. I've heard long term humidity can affect the sizing but haven't experienced it personally. Epoxy doesn't have styrene so you have to use mat without sizing to get good saturation.
I don't believe I'll ever need nor will ever use Fiberglass "Mat" to build a model airplane.
So, what am I missing? Where do you use Fiberglass Mat on your models?
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I don't believe I'll ever need nor will ever use Fiberglass "Mat" to build a model airplane.
So, what am I missing? Where do you use Fiberglass Mat on your models?
You aren't missing anything...I like heavy ships and they are crash proof....hahaahahaha actually it was a brain fart from too much frp exposure. Cloths have sizing too but they don't affect epoxy like sizing does on mat.
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I know that you will be not impressed with this but on sport models I cover with lightweight .05 FG cloth. Applied with water based urethane clear, with a 2nd light coat applied water based Urethanes rarely is another coat required. sand to satin smooth. I use auto primer spray can application with the appropriate sanding it gets the finish on. When I used glow engines I used Rustoleum and it has held up well for over 10 plus years. Now with electric you can go crazy with all of the stuff you can use. No secret to keeping the finish looking good I cover my models with a reflective cloth. Keeps the sun from bleaching the finish. I wish that I could use the more modern finishes but these new finishing products are too expensive for sport models and remember electric is ....fuel proof
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I will agree with Dennis I have flown his planes with that
finish held up well with 10%nitro
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Do you put that on bare balsa or paint on a couple of coats of Nitrate dope first?
Thanks,
Motorman 8)
I haven't used dope in at least 10 years or more. I hate the sink of dope and use other alternative finishing methods. No sense going into it as the community has used the same products with more than satisfactory results. My finishes are nice but wouldn't get front row at the Nats. But they would get 2nd row and that isn't bad for a 'sport finish'.
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I haven't used dope in at least 10 years or more. I hate the sink of dope and use other alternative finishing methods. No sense going into it as the community has used the same products with more than satisfactory results. My finishes are nice but wouldn't get front row at the Nats. But they would get 2nd row and that isn't bad for a 'sport finish'.
Dennis, are you doing any prep work to stop the water based urethanes from expanding the wood fibres?
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My data from building nearly identical parts is that .56-oz fiberglass with epoxy is about the SAME weight as doped on medium silkspan and perhaps a bit lighter. If you use the right amount of epoxy, not letting the glass float, you will find your structure no heavier that traditional dope and paper.
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My data from building nearly identical parts is that .56-oz fiberglass with epoxy is about the SAME weight as doped on medium silkspan and perhaps a bit lighter. If you use the right amount of epoxy, not letting the glass float, you will find your structure no heavier that traditional dope and paper.
Not to mention stiffer, and fuel proof