In this issue of the Composite 101, 202 and Advance Newsletter:

1. AN FRP QUESTION FROM SUBSCRIBERS.

Subscriber’s question by Roberto Nunez. :
-“I have to hand laminate a big part about 5’x3’. I’m alone to do the job. How can I do it before the resin hardens?”

Composite 101, 202 and Advance answer:

There’s few things to keep in mind first prepare all your material so you won’t have to leave to cut some more material. Then make sure to have aceton handy to clean your tools as you work from resin batch to resin batch.
Speaking of resin Work with small resin batch, so the hardening will be gradual and the heat buildup won’t be as high as if you would used a big buck of resin.

Work for from one side to the other.
Don’t try to cover all the mold at once. Work your way through the mold. Let’s say you use : 2 layers of mat and one layer of roving fabric. Have each layer rolled individually. Then wet the mold and place the first roll on the mold. Progressively unroll it while wetting out the material. Then place the other layer on top, unroll it like you did with the first. Then place the third layer. When all the layer are on the mold then unroll gradually each roll making sure to properly wet out each layer and make sure there is no air bubbles trapped as you make your way to the other side of the mold.

Choose the right resin.
When tackling a large part it’s very important no to overestimate our capabilities. This could result in a huge waste of time and money. You have to choose the right type of resin. In the Composite 101, 202 and Advance visual guide there’s a section where we discuss this topic in more details. An important thing to remember is that there’s a wide range of resin available to perform different tasks in different conditions. There’s resin design to be used in the summer with a long working time. Some resin have gel time that can be an hour or more. Giving you plenty of time to laminate. Some other resin are design for winter conditions they have a very short gel time. Some are even design to be used bellow zero they cure with the sunlight (UV rays)! So planning is the key of success taking the time to find the right resin and material can save huge hassles.

Available at Guide.FiberglassTechnique.Com

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