Glassing...Epoxy or Polyester resins?
12-29-2004, 12:46 PM
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Glassing...Epoxy or Polyester resins?
I am building a giant scale warbird and it will be fully sheeted with balsa. The next step in my plan is to glass the entire plane. I read so much about using epoxy resins for the job, but having had considerable experience with both epoxy and polyester resins, I plan to use the much less costly polyester on my plane. For round numbers, epoxy is $50 per gallon, while polyester is only $10 per gallon. Beyond the cost, I have found the polyesters to be a bit more fluid and will more easily accomplish a very thorough wetting out of the fiberglass fabric, as well as, permit a more complete removal of the excess resin. I'd like to hear of results from others who have used polyester, and also what the perceived pitfalls may be...if any. Hey, if it's good enough to build ocean cruising boats...it's gotta be just fine for covering our little planes. So why are most guys using epoxy for a simple covering job?
Thanks.
Jim
Thanks.
Jim
12-29-2004, 02:07 PM
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RE: Glassing...Epoxy or Polyester resins?
Capt, I have been reading alot about builders using water based Polyurethane to glass their planes and so far the response has been positive. It seems to be much less work then usual way.
12-29-2004, 03:29 PM
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RE: Glassing...Epoxy or Polyester resins?
Hello!
I have used both polyester and 24 hour Epoxy laminating resin for 20 years now and I can say that epoxy makes a harder surface and doesn't smell. negative points are it cost more and will make you allergic sooner or later ( getting terrible itching on hands for 2-3 days [
]).
Polyester is cheap and is easy to mix, you don't need a scale..just pour in some drops of the hardener.It is also a little bit easier to sand, especially if you have mixed in some brown micro-ballons. Negative points are it smells terrible and is not as hard as epoxy.
Regards!
Jan Karlsson
Sweden
I have used both polyester and 24 hour Epoxy laminating resin for 20 years now and I can say that epoxy makes a harder surface and doesn't smell. negative points are it cost more and will make you allergic sooner or later ( getting terrible itching on hands for 2-3 days [
]).Polyester is cheap and is easy to mix, you don't need a scale..just pour in some drops of the hardener.It is also a little bit easier to sand, especially if you have mixed in some brown micro-ballons. Negative points are it smells terrible and is not as hard as epoxy.
Regards!
Jan Karlsson
Sweden
12-29-2004, 07:17 PM
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RE: Glassing...Epoxy or Polyester resins?
The reason they build boats with it is because it's cheaper. Believe it or not, Polyester resin is not waterproof. The gel coat is what seals a boat hull, but epoxy is waterproof. Also, polyester resin will not bond to epoxy, but epoxy will bond to cured polyester (!).
