REFLECTOR:STRUCTURAL ADHESIVE

[reflector@tvbf.org]

At 12:41 PM 5/6/03 +0000, you wrote:
>Is this accurate?  I was under the impression that a very small percentage 
>of the ultimate (load bearing) strength is from the resin.  "strength" is 
>derived from the fibers .  the resin merely keeps the fibers lined up?

Think of it in the extreme case.  Would you be just as happy building your 
plane with the same laminate sequence and rubber cement?

The resin does provide a small percentage of the overall strength - more in 
some dimensions (flex) and less to none in others (tension.)  Whenever you 
load a structure you're getting forces in all dimensions.  When you flex 
the spar, the top spar cap mostly goes into compression, the bottom mostly 
goes into tension - but there's still some bending.

If you want to see the difference, lay up a single ply of fiberglass on 
waxed aluminum.  Do one ply with a laminating resin, do the other with 
WEST.  Or do the second ply with 5 minute epoxy.  Wet out, squeegee 
equally, let cure, pop loose, don't cut yourself, and flex them.