I am glad you brought this subject up Gabor. I know quite a bit about fiberglass , done lots of it and every time I think I know everything I am humbled by new information.
Rotoplane (Ed Rosenberger) mentioned a few weeks ago about keeping the fiber strands straight and level for maximum strength (no dips and bends in the material when possible) .
Instinctively I have usually done that but when Ed pointed out the reasons why it should be done that way I valued the information. I love to be educated beyond what I think I know already.
I am just an observer on this topic but the two things I understand clearly is that the thinnest , hand laid glass with much fabric and minimum resins is the goal to aim for. The goal is thin and light and strong.
A cool autumn day in the garage in Montana will require many hours for it to cure and if it is too cold it will never cure properly.
The same mixture in Florida at 101* will kick off and start to cure before Gabor gets to apply it. When they refer to temperature control this gives us an idea of that subject (temperature controlled molds and shops)
In other words ..... are the conditions and temperatures the same every time we homebuilders do our own fiberglass work ?? . Just one of the many things to consider.
One final pointer. If you do indeed get a very well cured , thin and light and strong aviation component ...... make sure you do not sand away all the structural fiberglass and composite threads trying to get it smooth for painting .
I always color tint my structural resins and structural fabrics with a stand out color so if I am sanding too deep I will have instant notification. In the industry we call it a guide coat.
I love perfect flawless smoothly painted surfaces. These things are important when we showcase our homebuilt creations. But if we have sanded away the original structural integrity of the component we could have problems. Anticipate these problems in the garage. Not at a high altitude.
From memory every chemical reaction increases by 20% with every 10 degrees of temperature. Curing fiberglass and composite resins is a chemical reaction.
I am more than willing to be corrected on any of these topics. I still consider myself a student. I love fiberglass work and have done lots of it. But when lives depend on it I prefer to be well informed.
I am a person who loves structurally strong fiberglass aviation components that when painted look perfect. Several times I have come close .
Many thanks for this informative topic. I am all ears.
Arnie.