Step 4: Digesting the research
Alright so for most of this article I've been using the term "Fiberglass" well.. while I did use fiberglass cloth in the construction using fiberglass on its own is sort of incorrect since this is a fiberglass composite. So here's a run through of the correct terminology. What this really is GFRP (Glass fiber reinforced plastic). The matrix I used was Polyester reinforcement.
The final product is actually a composite which is constructed and made up of the following. A chemical or mechanical bonding of dissimilar materials such as glass fiber and polyester resin, whose cumulative properties are superior to the individual materials... Awesome... say what?
Matrix is the liquid used for this project, polyester resin.
Reinforcement is the woven fiber used, one of the most common and what I used in this project was fiberglass, but carbon fiber,
Kevlar, etc... could be used.
Lay up is the process of building up multiple layers.
Laminate is applying materials to a mold.
If I misunderstood something from my research please leave a comment (polite) so I can correct it.
With all that laid out one of the things that should be understood about using a polyester matrix, is that you cannot use it on foam like you can epoxy. You can if you have some medium acting as a barrier between the two but seeing as this was my first attempt with the materials I didn't want to miss something and have my mold to dissolve mid lay up. Since I had no intention of making a duplicate I decided to go with a one of mold out of cardboard wrapped in packing tape. As far as ease of construction and cleanliness this definitely worked for me, however if you want a finished product with a little more detail and a lot less finish work I would recommend going with foam and epoxy.
The final product is actually a composite which is constructed and made up of the following. A chemical or mechanical bonding of dissimilar materials such as glass fiber and polyester resin, whose cumulative properties are superior to the individual materials... Awesome... say what?
Matrix is the liquid used for this project, polyester resin.
Reinforcement is the woven fiber used, one of the most common and what I used in this project was fiberglass, but carbon fiber,
Kevlar, etc... could be used.
Lay up is the process of building up multiple layers.
Laminate is applying materials to a mold.
If I misunderstood something from my research please leave a comment (polite) so I can correct it.
With all that laid out one of the things that should be understood about using a polyester matrix, is that you cannot use it on foam like you can epoxy. You can if you have some medium acting as a barrier between the two but seeing as this was my first attempt with the materials I didn't want to miss something and have my mold to dissolve mid lay up. Since I had no intention of making a duplicate I decided to go with a one of mold out of cardboard wrapped in packing tape. As far as ease of construction and cleanliness this definitely worked for me, however if you want a finished product with a little more detail and a lot less finish work I would recommend going with foam and epoxy.
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