Q.  Should I let the resin cure between lay-ups?

A.  No, you want the resin to stay wet however many layers of glass you put.  If you let it cure in between you'll need to sand, or scuff the cured layer with 36 grit paper to get good bonding.  You can use peel ply and after removing the peel ply following the cured laminate you can get a good bond.  Some suggest sanding this also just to be on the safe side.  There are some non-blushing epoxies that are advertised as bonding well after curing however. 

Q.  What's the difference in the Volan finish and the Silane finish?

A.  Volan is a finish that is based on Chrome, which imparts a greenish tint, and the Silanes are based on Silicone that is generally clearer.  Volan is good for any resin with there being many different types of Silanes for various resins.  Most of the cloth with Silane finishes that we sell is for epoxy resins with some being for any resin and a few just for the esters - poly and vinyl. 

Q.  What is a heat cleaned finish?

A.  When cloth is woven the yarn has an oily starch type substance that allows it to slip during the weaving do there is less breakage of the yarn.  This is the loom or greige state.  The cloth in this state will have a slippery feel and a distinct smell. Before adding other finishes such as Volan or Silane this starch is removed through heat cleaning.  Heat cleaned fabric is also used with various substrates in tape and film industries and for silicone laminates.  Heat cleaned fabric is not suitable for use with epoxy or polyester resins. 

Q.  What is meant by unidirectional fiberglass cloth?

A.  The unidirectional fiberglass fabrics we sell are 7721 and 1543 with some others from time to time.  These fabrics have most of the fiberglass in the warp direction, which is long ways down the roll.  The fill direction is side to side.  The 6 oz 7721 would work well in structures where you could vary the orientation of the fiber direction such as 30 degrees to the centerline each way.  One drawback of the 7721 and one reason it's priced so low is that the acrylic edge needs to be removed before becoming part of the cured laminate.  The advantage is that it does keep from having the strays on the edge common with some of the other unidirectional fabrics. 

Q.  What is the count of the fabric?

A.  The count information we provide is the number of threads of the fabric per inch in the warp and fill.  Warp is lengthwise down the roll and fill is side to side. 

Q.  If a cloth is a plain weave does that mean it is soft?

A.  No.  A fabric can be a plain weave and soft, or open, like style 7533.  It can be a tight weave like style 7628, which is still a plain weave.  You can get an idea of the softness of the fabric by the count, which is generally given as ends per inch.

 Q.  If I'm going to lay up fiberglass over a wooden boat should I put the cloth on the boat then soak the resin through the cloth?

A.  No.  The best way to ensure a good laminate is to soak the wood with the resin then place the cloth on.  Get the fabric placed well before the final squeeging and wet-out to avoid wrinkles.  It's good to have the cloth ready to put down as soon as the wood is wet out such as having a rack with a roller on one end so you can pull the cloth out and over the boat or whatever structure you're laminating and let the cloth drape over it.  Pull the sides and ends of the cloth to get the fibers oriented as straight as you can.  Put everything in place then put more resin on.

 Q.  What is a satin weave?

A.  Satin weaves which include styles like 120, which is a 4 harness satin, has a fill yarn going over 3 warp yarn then under one and over three and so on with the one above doing the same thing except off one.  The other satin weaves are similar like style 7781 being an 8 harness satin weave has a fill yarn going over 7 fill yarn then under and over another 7 and so on.  Satin weaves are predominately used in the aerospace industry for their reduced kink stress and a much better glass to resin ratio in cured composites.  We have used satin weaves in open layups though satin weaves are generally vacuum bagged in the aerospace industry.  The drawback of using satin weaves in open layups is they are harder to remove trapped air.  The advantage is more flexibility and less pinholes that would be found in more open weaves.

 Q.  Why are some cloth of the same style stiff and some soft?

A.  The finish on a fabric can make it soft or stiff.  Silanes are generally stiffer and Volan is generally softer.  Unfinished cloth, also known as in the greige (gray), is very stiff. It is still in the loom state and has no finish. Call us and ask us about your particular application and we can help you get the best cloth and finish for your purposes.

 Q. Which styles of cloth are the easiest to wet out?

A. 7725, 7500, 7781 are the best styles of cloth to wet out; however, this is not the only styles that can be wet out and manipulated easily. These are the top choices at this time.

 Q: What is Epoxy resin?

A:

 Q: What is Polyester Resin?

A: Polyester resins are unsaturated resins formed by the reaction of dibasic organic acids and polyhydric alcohols. Polyester resins are used in sheet moulding compound, bulk moulding compound and the toner of laser printers, and other applications.

 Q: What type of finishes are used for surfboard cloth

A: S912, A218, F81, 627, SS Clear, and others.

Q: How soon can I expect my order?