today's work

[Timothy L]

I love thus thread - wish I could give many photos a thumbs up - but don’t seem to have administrative permission to so - so I will just waste a bit of space saying thank you again for all of the effort that goes in to making these posts ON TOP of the work itself!!!

[Subculture]

I wondered what the spray gun was for, are you applying a release agent?

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

I wondered what the spray gun was for, are you applying a release agent?

Nope. It was yet another semi-successful attempt at producing a 'gel-coat' for my glass layup work; this time using micro-balloons.

Over the decades I've tried all sorts of resin doping-thickening mediums, including silica fibers, micro-balloons, talc... everything but Kryptonite and lawn-dirt!

But, from this same thread, the good Doctor put me onto a commercially available thickening agent that should be in tomorrow (lov'n Amazon!). We'll see if that does the trick.

Thixotropic agent, this stuff:

Amazon.com: Fasco Epoxies - Fasco Cab-O-SIL Fumed Silica thickener in Quart tub : Tools & Home Improvement

[Subculture]

Isn't that just a standard thixo agent? I've also used cellulose fibres for thickening resin, although it's not a smooth as colloidal silica it adds lots of strength. Also makes for a great coupling coat between a gel layer and fabric reinforcement, a tip I picked up from a video showing model aeroplane fuselage moulding.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Isn't that just a standard thixo agent? I've also used cellulose fibres for thickening resin, although it's not a smooth as colloidal silica it adds lots of strength. Also makes for a great coupling coat between a gel layer and fabric reinforcement, a tip I picked up from a video showing model aeroplane fuselage moulding.

Good tips, I'll file them away, Andy.

[DrSchmidt]

My experience:
Standard gel coat with a bit of color as top coat. When applied and still wet, I use a kitchen sieve to lay down a thick layer of cotton fibre, then I let the gel coat cure. After that you blow away the remaining cotton fibre and you get a turf like surface that is ideal for coupling the fibre galss layers to the top coat.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

My experience:
Standard gel coat with a bit of color as top coat. When applied and still wet, I use a kitchen sieve to lay down a thick layer of cotton fibre, then I let the gel coat cure. After that you blow away the remaining cotton fibre and you get a turf like surface that is ideal for coupling the fibre galss layers to the top coat.

Sounds like the perfect interface between gel-coat and laminates. I'll give it a shot. Thanks again, Doctor.

David