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Part Name | Description | Approx. Lead Time | Approx. Cost | Links | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
STOCK (metal, plastic, other) | ||||||
Acrylic sheet | Can be lasercut | |||||
Polycarbonate sheet | More flexible than acrylic. Don't laser cut it, because it can catch fire/discolor | |||||
Aluminum sheet stock | ||||||
80/20 bars and connectors | ||||||
G10 sheet | Composite fiberglass sheet. Can't laser-cut. Can waterjet, but beware delamination | |||||
Phenolic sheet | Composite insulating material. Can't laser-cut. Can waterjet, but beware delamination. Tricky to machine. | |||||
3D printer filament | ||||||
GENERAL LAB SUPPLIESSAFETY MATERIALS | ||||||
Nitrile gloves | ||||||
Dust masks | ||||||
TAPE | ||||||
Painter's tape | Dust | |||||
masksDuct tape | ||||||
Duct Gaffer's tape | ||||||
Gaffer's Kapton tape | ||||||
TOOLS (for cutting, drilling, sanding, etc.) | ||||||
Multimaster | ||||||
Angle grinder | ||||||
Dremel (and Dremel bits) | ||||||
Drill | Heat gun | |||||
Sandpaper | ||||||
Flapper wheel | ||||||
Heat gun | ||||||
EPOXY (and other bonding/filling materials). In general, cure times increase if it's colder, so keep that in mind. | ||||||
West Systems epoxy - FAST hardener | Cures in 6 hours | |||||
West Systems epoxy - SLOW hardener | Cures in 24 hours | |||||
Fibreglast System 3000 epoxy | 24 hour cure time. Can oven-cure to increase strength (cure cycle listed online and on back of container) | |||||
Aeropoxy | Used for low-temp applications. | |||||
5-minute epoxy | Used to bond things that are NOT structural. Short working time, cures in 15-20 minutes. | |||||
3M Bondo | Used as a a filler for cracks/low spots, etc. Has a low melting point, so don't use it for high-temp parts. | |||||
Proline | Black in color, used as filler. Real messy. | |||||
COMPOSITES | ||||||
E-glass | Used for electrical properties (hence the "E"). Can't be laser-cut. (This applies to fiberglass in general) | |||||
S-glass | Stronger than E-glass ("S" for structural) Can't be laser cut. (This applies to fiberglass in general) | |||||
Carbon fiber | Not radio-frequency (RF) transparent. Can be laser-cut if dry (no epoxy applied) | |||||
LAYUP SUPPLIES | ||||||
Squeegees | ||||||
Super77 spray glue | ||||||
Wax paper | ||||||
Popsicle sticks | ||||||
Disposable squeegees | ||||||
Foam rollers | ||||||
Silver Sharpies | ||||||
Epoxy mixing boats | ||||||
VACUUM BAGGING SUPPLIES | ||||||
High-temp vacuum bag | ||||||
Low-temp vacuum bag | ||||||
Vacuum tape | ||||||
Release film | ||||||
Bleeder fabric | ||||||
Peel ply | ||||||
MOLD-MAKING | ||||||
MDF (medium-density fiberboard) | ||||||
Mold release wax | ||||||
PVA film | ||||||
Gel coat | ||||||
SOLVENTS | ||||||
Acetone | ||||||
Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) | ||||||
Ethanol | ||||||
POWDERS | ||||||
Colloidal silica | ||||||
Cabosil (fumed silica) | ||||||
Phenolic microballoons |
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