Which Brand of Resin Should I use?  
View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Tower Hobbies
Enter up to 4 keywords or Tower stock numbers
Logged in as Guest



Users viewing this topic: none
  Printable Version
       

All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Composites Fabrication And Repair >> Which Brand of Resin Should I use?
Page: [1] 2   next >   >>  

Login
Message << Older Topic   Newer Topic >>
Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/3/2002 1:40:03 PM   
cactusflyer



Posts: 1124
Joined: 2/2/2002
From: Anthem, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		OK, I've got the Aerospace Composites web-site in front of me, the CST catalog on the desk, and the Aircraft Spruce BIG book on my lap. My project is a 10% Saab Viggen turbine model that I already have the molds for. I plan to use a 3 + 6 fiberglass layup with carbon fiber in the high-stress areas. I also plan to vacuum bag the thing. I've used EZ-lam in the past on some small projects.
My choices seem to be: MGS System 285 w/ H285F & 287S , Aeropoxy Pr2032 w/ PH3665, West System #105 w/ 209, or EZ-Lam-60.

What brand and formulation should I buy?

Thanks in advance.


John

_____________________________

Tamjets rep, Not a Wren rep...........Just a very satisfied customer!"
www.jetsnstuff.com
       Post #: 1

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/3/2002 3:31:29 PM   
Ollie


 

Posts: 958
Joined: 12/8/2001
From: Punta Gorda, FL
Status: offline 		Easy Lam is appropriate. Since you are familiar with it, why change?

_____________________________

Regards, Ollie

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 2

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/3/2002 6:27:33 PM   
JL1


 

Posts: 446
Joined: 2/10/2002
From: Mason, MI, USA
Status: offline 		I have used a fair amount of the West System stuff. I use the pumps that you can buy from them and have been very satisfied with the results.

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 3

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/3/2002 9:48:48 PM   
FLYBOY



Posts: 8691
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: Missoula, MT, USA
Status: offline 		Do you find the west systems to have enough streangth? I was told they are a finishing resin only. I use them on my full scale Long EZ for finish work, but never for structural. Any info on it?

Thanks.

_____________________________

Fly it till the wings come off.

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 4

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/3/2002 9:55:11 PM   
bkf



Posts: 1508
Joined: 1/5/2002
From: Rochester, NY, USA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by FLYBOY
Do you find the west systems to have enough streangth? I was told they are a finishing resin only. I use them on my full scale Long EZ for finish work, but never for structural. Any info on it?

Thanks. [/QUOTE]

They have a web site

http://www.westsystem.com/


(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 5

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/3/2002 10:50:20 PM   
JL1


 

Posts: 446
Joined: 2/10/2002
From: Mason, MI, USA
Status: offline 		No, I do not have any data on their use in this fashion. The fact that they are used for boat hulls and such indicates that they are probably ok in this application but I have no first hand knowledge. It may be that they have different products for different applications.
Jon L

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 6

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/3/2002 10:53:36 PM   
AV8TOR


 

Posts: 427
Joined: 12/28/2001
From: Mount Vernon, OH, USA
Status: offline 		I have used both (EZ-Lam and West Systems) for sometime and they are both quality resins. George at Aerospace has pumps now for EZ-Lam as well if that is what you like. I still use a gram scale even with the pumps.

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 7

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/3/2002 11:02:29 PM   
FLYBOY



Posts: 8691
Joined: 1/7/2002
From: Missoula, MT, USA
Status: offline 		Interesting. I use West systems with micro on the EZ because it sands well. Use Safety poxy for structural. Going to use it on my heli molds too. It is really nice to use, as long as you keep it warm. Gets too thick cold. I have used ez lam too for models. Pretty good stuff.

_____________________________

Fly it till the wings come off.

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 8

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/4/2002 1:46:48 AM   
cactusflyer



Posts: 1124
Joined: 2/2/2002
From: Anthem, AZ, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks again for the help guys. I just got off the phone with Barbara at Aerospace Composites. Both she and George have been very helpful.
The only reason that I felt that I had ask was that there wasn't much mention in all the posts about EZ-Lam.

John

_____________________________

Tamjets rep, Not a Wren rep...........Just a very satisfied customer!"
www.jetsnstuff.com

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 9

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/4/2002 6:19:51 AM   
Ed Smith


 

Posts: 2837
Joined: 12/29/2001
From: Brantford, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		Something to consider if you are molding fairly large components is the working time of the resin. You do not want resin setting up while you are still laying up. You will be unable to work out the excess and end up with a heavy part. If you intend to vacuum bag the layup the resin must still be wet to allow the bleeder cloth to soak up the excess. I have used both West and Ezy-Lam. Even with the slowest hardeners they offer the working time is not long enough for me. They start to go thick after about 45 minutes. For me to lay up and join a fuselage in one sitting I need three hours (I layup and join in the mold while everything is still wet).

I use only MGS. They offer two hardeners, fast and slow. The fast starts to go after 20 minutes, the slow is good for about 5 hours. The big advantage of MGS is that the hardeners can be mixed to give you the working time of your choice. MGS has a chart for the mixing of hardeners.

I now use MGS for everything, molded parts, gluing on the wing skins, glassing the wings, mixing with microballoons and a general finishing resin.

Ed S

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 10

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/4/2002 6:24:01 AM   
branded



Posts: 984
Joined: 7/16/2002
From: cary, IL, USA
Status: offline 		West System 105 and 209, of course!

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 11

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/4/2002 12:17:24 PM   
ptxman


 

Posts: 351
Joined: 7/31/2002
From: Calgary, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ed Smith


I use only MGS. They offer two hardeners, fast and slow. The fast starts to go after 20 minutes, the slow is good for about 5 hours. The big advantage of MGS is that the hardeners can be mixed to give you the working time of your choice. MGS has a chart for the mixing of hardeners.I now use MGS for everything, molded parts, gluing on the wing skins, glassing the wings, mixing with microballoons and a general finishing resin.

Ed S [/QUOTE]


Ed made a good point I was also going to mention. Having the ability to custom blend hardeners is a big plus & something I do all the time. For example, 1 part 15 min + 1 part 60 min yields a 38 min blend,or, 1 part 15 min + 2 parts 60 min = 45 min bend etc. In reality its not exactly a volumetric equivalant, it apparetly tends towards the faster cure time but you get the idea. The wider the available range, the more in-between options without buying odd lots of hardeners. This isnt so important for vac bagging operations as long as the pot life exceeds the working time to get the bagging set, but comes in very useful for everything else including conventional hand layup on odd sized components, varied mold shape profiles, layup sequences, seaming operations, wing skinning etc.

Re West system & your particular application I recommend checking into the HDT (heat distortion temp) rating. It is quite low compared to most commercial structural epoxies mentioned. Most are in the 180 - +200 deg F range. A summary appears at this link. Maybe West has since published their own data, last time I looked HDT was absent.

http://www.fibreglast.com/products.php?session=c2c55619207da46e895ceb6aa45cb8d5&area=3&PHPSESSID=c2c55619207da46e895ceb6aa45cb8d5

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 12

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/5/2002 6:36:16 AM   
TiGuy


 

Posts: 81
Joined: 1/9/2002
From: Denver, CO,
Status: offline 		I have used both EZ-Lam and West Systems. They both work great. I have switched to West Systems for a couple of reasons. The main reason being is that if I run out, I jump in the car and go get more! I have found it to be easy to work with and it skins over faster than EZ-Lam.

Both have resulted in good, strong parts, whether from wet layup or vacuum bagged composites.

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 13

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/5/2002 6:51:45 AM   
winship


 

Posts: 151
Joined: 3/18/2002
From: Plainfield, IN, USA
Status: offline 		West Systems Pro-Set has a higher HDT

(in reply to cactusflyer)
       Post #: 14

Which Brand of Resin Should I use? - 12/5/2002 8:34:37 AM   
ptxman


 

Posts: 351
Joined: 7/31/2002
From: Calgary, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by winship
West Systems Pro-Set has a higher HDT [/QUOTE]

If you examine the table in the link, youll see its actually Pro-Set they reference & the Tg is low.

(in reply to cactusflyer)