Fiberglass cloth

[cobra1336]

Where are you folks buying fiberglass cloth and resin from. I'm in NJ and I need to double wrap a 8 inch X 6 foot? tube with 6 oz. cloth. 1/2 scale Patriot.

 

[BB-ROCK]

I buy fiberglass and resin from here... https://www.fiberglasssite.com/servlet/StoreFront

 

[marcs]

I also buy cloth from fiberglasssite.com (not resin). Have placed several orders over the last few years and have been happy so far.

Marc

 

[AHansom]

Have you thought about using fiberglass sleeves? They have to be the easiest way to glass a tube. A sleeve has no seam were the layers overlap and there is also no problem with positioning the glass on the tube just pull it over and apply resin.


https://sollercomposites.com

 

[jaz]

I just got some sleeves from Soller and the customer service was great. I order it and had it in three days.

 

[cobra1336]

Yes, I was hoping to do sleeves but I didn't know where to go, thanks

 

[tbrogan]

You could go to Giant Leap Rocketry, they've got Easyglas and kevlar socks.

The EASYGLAS SOCK is not fiberglass, but is made of a material that readily absorbs resin and adds structural strength. We've tried it and it works beautifully. Best of all, it finishes easily. The EASYGLAS SOCK is about as thick as 3 or 4 oz fiberglass cloth. Here's the simple procedure:

1. Slide EASYGLAS SOCK over dry airframe and tie the loose ends with twist-ties.
2. Mix your resin, and apply thoroughly over the EASYGLAS SOCK. Squeegy excess material and rotate tube occasionally while resin cures.
3. Once cured, lightly cut down high spots with sandpaper, then prime with several coats of extra thick filler primer (available at department stores). Be sure to sand between coats of primer.

That's it!! Trim the ends and you're ready to paint!

https://www.giantleaprocketry.com

 

[troj]

I use Fiberglast System 2000 epoxy; my fiberglass comes from a variety of sources, although most of it comes as part of large purchases where we're spending several hundred dollars, and I stock up.

As far as the sleeves go, I'll admit, I don't get the fascination. Rolling cloth onto a tube isn't at all difficult, and a roll of fiberglass cloth is a LOT more flexible in how I use it than a chunk of sleeve is.

In regards to the Giant Leap product, I'd like to see some test data that shows it's equivalent to fiberglass.

-Kevin

 

[RCBrust]

Do the Soller sleeves neck down nicely when stretched? IOW, can you slide them over your airframe and then stretch them to get a nice snug fit?

Randy

 

[MarkM]

Do the Soller sleeves neck down nicely when stretched? IOW, can you slide them over your airframe and then stretch them to get a nice snug fit?

Randy

I used the sleeves on my 6" L3 project and found them to cinch up pretty nicely. Just make sure you have enough overhanging the tube to do so. And whatever you do, don't put any resin on the tube before sliding the sleeve on and fitting it.

 

[RCBrust]

Thanks Mark. Which type of sleeve did you use? All glass? Carbon? Kevlar? And how did they work out for you?

Randy

 

[RocketMonkey]

I buy fiberglass and resin from here... https://www.fiberglasssite.com/servlet/StoreFront

+1 their glass top quality, super tight weave! Really top notch stuff.

 

[MarkM]

Thanks Mark. Which type of sleeve did you use? All glass? Carbon? Kevlar? And how did they work out for you?

Randy

The all fiberglass. They worked really well. Super easy to use, but they did take up a lot of resin. The sleeves that fit the 6" tube are about 10 oz weight, so pretty heavy.

 

[Bondo]

We have used fiberglasssite multiple times. They have very fast shipping and great satin weave cloth that makes for less sanding and bondo on the finish! I wouldn't recommend any one else!
We are going to try some of their epoxy on the upcoming project (1/3 scale X15) so we'll report on that later. The company rep said its about a 30 mmin dry time and after drying you wipe off the "scuff" with hot water then the sanding goes relatively well. Also according to rep, doing this avoids clogging sand paper. we'll see.

 

[Peartree]

All right, up front I admit that I haven't (yet) done a truly HPR build but am working my way up through MPR this winter and am beginning to think seriously about HPR techniques for fall. Mostly I've been lurking in the HPR forums to see what I can pick up. I have seen folk talk about the different weights of FG cloth and i know that the weights refer to ounces per Sq. ft. but how does one choose which weight to use? How does it matter? How do you know which to use for a given application?

Thanks for being patient...

 

[jrogers]

U.S Composites

 

[ben_ullman]

www.cstsales.com

I order from them all the time. I will be getting some soller Carbon sleeves for my Deuce.

Ben

 

[Peartree]

All right, up front I admit that I haven't (yet) done a truly HPR build but am working my way up through MPR this winter and am beginning to think seriously about HPR techniques for fall. Mostly I've been lurking in the HPR forums to see what I can pick up. I have seen folk talk about the different weights of FG cloth and i know that the weights refer to ounces per Sq. ft. but how does one choose which weight to use? How does it matter? How do you know which to use for a given application?

Thanks for being patient...

Bump

 

[troj]

How do you choose what weight?

It's less scientific than you might hope.

I know folks who use multiple layers of 10oz, followed by a layer of 2 or 3 oz. That's horrific overkill -- I'm not building prybars, I'm building rockets.

I've found that two layers of 6oz cloth is way more than adequate. Never had anything that was a fiberglass failure, and I've had a rocket with 2 layers of 6oz over phenolic come in hard. The phenolic inside shattered, but the fiberglass was still intact.

When you get into carbon, it's an order of magnitude different. I have 2 4" cardboard tubes that each have 2 layers of 8oz carbon fiber on them. I can stand on those tubes, when they're laying on the ground, and I'm a "svelt" 200lbs.

-Kevin

 

[sailmike]

Choosing fiberglass weight:

I thought this might help. For my 20" 54mm MMT saucer, I used soft 1/2" foam insulation, peeled off the plastic that covered it on both sides, then glassed that with one layer of 2 oz fiberglass. I used that weight because I needed it to be flexible for landings. It flies great!

I think you need to think about whether you are just stiffening the underlying material or strengthening the whole thing. So, thicker fiberglass means more overall strength. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Here's a couple photos of my saucer:

 

[Diosces]

I recommend Soller Composite sleeves. I did a 2.6 diameter 6ft carbon fiiber project came out excellent with their sleeving.
Description on their Site explains the max and min diameter that will work with a nominal sleeve diameter. To say a bit of weight and maintain flexibility I went with a 50% carbon fiber 50% fg sleeve. My process is described Jaguar build

 

[JDcluster]

I usually match the weight of the cloth with the diameter of the tube.
So, if you have a 5.5" tube I'll do 1-2 layers of 5-7oz cloth with a lighter layer over the top to give it a smoother finish.
I buy my stuff from US Composites as well. They know their stuff & have what you need , even if you plan on vacuum bagging.




JD

How do you choose what weight?

It's less scientific than you might hope.

I know folks who use multiple layers of 10oz, followed by a layer of 2 or 3 oz. That's horrific overkill -- I'm not building prybars, I'm building rockets.

I've found that two layers of 6oz cloth is way more than adequate. Never had anything that was a fiberglass failure, and I've had a rocket with 2 layers of 6oz over phenolic come in hard. The phenolic inside shattered, but the fiberglass was still intact.

When you get into carbon, it's an order of magnitude different. I have 2 4" cardboard tubes that each have 2 layers of 8oz carbon fiber on them. I can stand on those tubes, when they're laying on the ground, and I'm a "svelt" 200lbs.

-Kevin

 

[cobra1336]

Next question, how much resien and hardener will I need to buy for 10" X 6 ft. Any rule of thumb ?

 

[hardinlw]

The ideal glass-to-resin weight ratio is 60-40 for max strenght. Us amatuers usually come out more like 50-50. Figure out how much your cloth is going to weigh, remembering that the "weight" of the cloth is in ounces per square yard, and buy the same weight of resin/hardner. Example : If you are going to use 20 oz of cloth and your resin and hardner are a 50-50 mix, then buy 10 oz of each.

 

[FROB]

The ideal glass-to-resin weight ratio is 60-40 for max strenght. Us amatuers usually come out more like 50-50. Figure out how much your cloth is going to weigh, remembering that the "weight" of the cloth is in ounces per square yard, and buy the same weight of resin/hardner. Example : If you are going to use 20 oz of cloth and your resin and hardner are a 50-50 mix, then buy 10 oz of each.

Thats the theory, but plan on getting a bit more because of unavoidable waste