Epoxyglass Sheets

[missbudpilot55]

Hey Gang,

I am on the hunt for a source for us boat builders to find epoxy fiberglass sheeting in various thicknesses, mainly 1/16" (.060) 3/32" (.094) & 1/8" (.125) solid sheet and 1/4" honeycomb composite sheet. Any help would be appreciated by all I am sure.

Bill Diedrich

Ventress, LA.

 

[tracerbob]

Must've watched the Don Mock scratch build video. I'd be interested too.

 

[TimD]

Click here

B)

 

[missbudpilot55]

Hey thanks Tim, just what I was looking for, been making phone calls to different firms I found on the internet but none interested in small orders.

Yes Bob I have had Don Mock's video for several years now but never could find the resources for the materials that didn't cost an arm & a leg. I have built a total of 7 scale hydros from Roger Newton's plans over the last 20 years. 5 of them are in a private collection in Lafayette, LA. an individual bought them from me at the first race that I showed up to, each racing season.

I plan on building the Winston Eagle "Lobster Boat" from this material, using the expoxy fiberglass sheet for my formers and some of the stringers but sheeting with the traditional 1/16th ply. The sponsons and all of the wings will be made from a laminated glass & foam method. I'll keep everone interested informed of the building progress, once I get started.

If anyone else has different sources keep'm coming!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,

Bill Diedrich

Ventress, LA. Baton Rouge "Nitro Burners"

 

[tracerbob]

Bill,

Will you be at the SGRA Hydro Invitational in November? I'd like to catch up with you there and talk scratch building. I'm about to venture into a 1/8 scale project from Newtons plans and would like to talk shop. I found the Mock building series a bit dated but informative. Still lots of unknowns though.

 

[TimD]

Glad I could help B)

 

[myrcbud]

I've been seaching for this stuff forever. I'd love to get my hands on some. I've got the Don Mock videos myself. Let me know what you turn up with.

 

[myrcbud]

I've got a question. If I were to use some of that fiberglass sheet for the skin of a hydro, what thickness would be best? There description of what would be equal to 1/16 thick seems too rigid. Iwas thinking of .015" thick for flex over the frame but not something too lite that it will flap in the breeze. Anybody got any ideas???

 

[missbudpilot55]

Hey Bob,

I may be driving down to the SGRA race for one day, I haven't been racing or running anything at all this year. Been repairing my T-4 Budwieser or I should say completely re-building it after it's last outing 2 years ago, had some major damage. I was actually getting out of the hobby and going to airplanes but had a change of heart after visiting a few flying fields, "nuff said". I would really enjoy getting together, let's keep in touch between now and then.

Hey Myrcbud,

Using .015 material is fine as long as you don't have large open unsupported expanses of thin fiberglass sheet, it also depends on which unlimited hull that you are thinking of building. On most of Roger Newton's hull plans the area between the transom and former #2 requires a 1/8" stiffener for the strut to mount to. The 1/8" or .095 material would be good for this, also encapsulate 1/4" 5ply plywood between the thin glass for a transom and I would also still use the 3/16" stringers as per most of his plans also. They will give you a good gluing surface to epoxy the outer skins to.

Happy Boating,

Bill D.

 

[tracerbob]

I'll keep in touch. Got a question though about scratch building. When appling the skins for the deck, Don Mock says not to put any epoxy on the formers, just around the perimiter or edges of the hull so to speak. Is this common practice?

 

[myrcbud]

What would be a good thickness for the deck using this sheet.

 

[Brian Blazer]

Bob, Gluing the perimeter of the boat, and not the frames is a good idea. The strength is the same. This keeps the deck from sagging where there isn't a frame. Some boats you can see where every frame is 1 year after building the boat. If you just glue the perimeter, you won't see the frames. So it is a great suggestion. If you are using a wood deck, I like to seal the wood and apply it at at the same time so I know the bond will be good. To do this, simply put masking tape over the frames. glue doesn't stick to tape.

Brian

Whiplash Hydros

 

[Chris Lina]

Hi guys,

I have built the 2000 LLumar Window Film from Newton plans using G-10 epoxy glass sheet, back in 2001. The material is a pleasure to work with; semi-transparent and can be cut with a small tin snips. The glue I used was 3M Scotch-weld 2 part epoxy mixed with flox, ( cotton fiber). Both can be obtained from Aircraft Spruce. It produces a very strong flexible bond, not brittle- tested against West Systems, was much stronger, I still use West Systems for other things but for the main hull components the Scotch- Weld worked great.

I purchased my G-10 from Laird Plastics in Rochester N.Y.- 1-800-873-8412, and they also have a website. In 2000 I purchased the following thicknesses at these prices. Prices and thicknesses may vary somewhat today. They were all 3'X 4' sheets.

.011- $20.45

.015- $21.80

.020- $22.95

.031- $23.85

.047- $31.95

I wouldn't purchase any .011 size it's much too thin to be useful for anything. It is heavy in the thicker sizes, and be sure to degrease and sand before gluing and painting. and to answer the gluing question; you only glue the perimeter and along the stringers, all longtitudinal pieces, or you will get the starved horse look if you also glue the cross pieces, (ribs). The final look will be much smoother.

Now you can get G-10 from various places but I found Laird plastics to be the cheapest and carried the widest variety of thicknesess.

Here is a list of the thicknesses I used on my LLumar, now this hull ended up somewhat heavy 17 1/2 lbs. minus fuel, so I would change some things but the weight can't be attributed to the epoxy glass, I've got a lot of scale features that produced a lot of the weight- the boat runs great, you can see pictures on the RCU Unlimited Friends site, I'm LLumar Guy- see albums.

transom= .047 +1/8 ply+ 1/8 alum. inside, now I would use .031

all interior ribs= .047 " " .031

sponson transoms= 1/8 ply & .047

deck sheeting= .020 on both the deck and bottom worked

bottom sheeting= .031 perfect, any thinner, too much flex

sides= .020

fuel tank compartments= .020

For stringers I stayed with the 3/16 spruce, and sponson sides and engine sides I stayed with the 1/8" birch ply. I don't like the honeycomb material, if you wreck water is going to soak into every nook and cranny of the honeycomb. Wings; I used the foam and fiberglass method.

Well guys I hope this helps you out. I'll try and post a picture of my LLumar

See ya, Chris.

View attachment 2915

 

[myrcbud]

Whats the website?

 

[myrcbud]

Chris, how did you get the rounded edges on the sides of the hull and sponson?

 

[Chris Thomas]

Wow what a find. Thanks for the info....

 

[Chris Lina]

The web site to Laird Plastics is; www.laird-plastics.com. On this hull getting the rounded sheers on the sponsons was tough. I just sanded the pointed edges until they were rounded which was not enough. I am in the process of designing and building the new 2003 or 2004 LLumar now and I am designing in the rounded edges. I am just going to make the ribs with flat edges, where normally they come to a point at the sponson sheer, and then after it's sheeted I'm just going to form the rounded edge with a lightweight epoxy putty. I use super-fil a very lightweight aviation grade putty, available through Aircraft Spruce. Any other questions, glad to help. Here is another shot of the LLumar at speed. Chris.

View attachment 2917

 

[Pennywizz6]

I dont have time to check or give you a better link but uhhh, www.robotmarketplace.com , look for materials and they will most likely have what your after! Iff you only need a flat peice I wuld reccomend polycarbonate (lexan) strong, cheap, whats better than that!? :lol:

Phil :lol:

 

[missbudpilot55]

Pennywizz6

Have you ever tried to bond anything to polycarbonate (lexan) sheet permantly? It may be cheap but unsuitable for constructon of a 1/8th scale

hydro, too flexable. The rigidity of polyester or epoxy glass sheet is far supior to lexan.

 

[Pennywizz6]

Sorry I think I may have read what your asking for wrong, I thought you wanted like a small sheet to mount to the transom for more durability. That would work, to like glue lexan to a fiberglass transom wouldnt be hard at all.

Phil <_<