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Part Name | Description | Safety Notes | Approx. Lead Time | Approx. Cost before Shipping | Links | ||||
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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 | |||||||||
SAFETY MATERIALS | |||||||||
Nitrile gloves | Latex-free, puncture-resistant gloves. (for reference, Latex = medical use, Vinyl = for use with food and other non-hazardous substances) | ||||||||
Dust masks | |||||||||
Respirators | Get these through MIT Medical and EHS. There are different canisters depending on the application (i.e. don't use the same ones for fumes as for particulates. Consult EHS for details) | ||||||||
Safety goggles | Smaller ones are more comfy, larger ones for people with glasses. | If cutting certain plastics, make sure to wear goggles that cover the sides of your eyes. | |||||||
TAPE | |||||||||
Painter's tape | |||||||||
Duct tape | |||||||||
Gaffer's tape | |||||||||
Kapton tape | |||||||||
TOOLS (for cutting, drilling, sanding, etc.) | |||||||||
Multimaster | Gloves, safety goggles | ||||||||
Angle grinder | Gloves, safety goggles | ||||||||
Dremel (and Dremel bits) | Gloves, safety goggles | ||||||||
Drill | Gloves, safety goggles | , safety goggles | |||||||
Sandpaper | The higher the grit, the finer the sandpaper. (We usually use 60-2000 grit, but there's a wide variety that you can choose depending on your application. Wet-sand when using higher grit to get rid of the particles as you're sanding. | Sandpaper | Gloves, Safety goggles, Respirator (if working with composites) | ||||||
Flapper wheel | Good for sanding the inside of tubes to save time. Attaches to a drill. | Gloves, safety goggles, respirator (if working with composites) | |||||||
Heat gun | Good for speeding up epoxy cure times, and for other applications. | Gloves, safety goggles, respirator (if material off-gasses) | |||||||
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 | Gloves, ventilated area | |||||||
West Systems epoxy - SLOW hardener | Cures in 24 hours | Gloves, ventilated area | |||||||
Fibreglast System 3000 epoxy | 24 hour cure time. Can oven-cure to increase strength (cure cycle listed online and on back of container) | Gloves, ventilated area/respirator | |||||||
Aeropoxy | Used for low-temp applications. | Gloves, ventilated area | |||||||
5-minute epoxy | Used to bond things that are NOT structural. Short working time, cures in 15-20 minutes. | Gloves | |||||||
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. | Requires respirator, gloves | |||||||
Proline | Black in color, used as filler. Real messy. | Gloves | |||||||
COMPOSITES | |||||||||
E-glass | Used for electrical properties (hence the "E"). Can't be laser-cut. (This applies to fiberglass in general) | Gloves (causes splinters) | |||||||
S-glass | Stronger than E-glass ("S" for structural) Can't be laser cut. (This applies to fiberglass in general) | Gloves (causes splinters) | |||||||
Carbon fiber | Not radio-frequency (RF) transparent. Can be laser-cut if dry (no epoxy applied) | Gloves (causes splinters) | |||||||
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 | Gloves | ||||||||
PVA film | Applied in a thin layer, helps with mold release. Dries in 20 minutes, can be wiped away with warm water after part released from mold. | Gloves | $10.75/quart | https://www.fibreglast.com/product/PVA_Release_Film_13/Mold_Releases | |||||
Gel coat | Used as a finish for molds. Don't apply too thick of a layer or it'll come off with the part. | Requires respirator | $46.95/quart | https://www.fibreglast.com/product/white-gel-coat-682/Gel-Coating-Supplies | |||||
SOLVENTS | |||||||||
Acetone | Dissolves liquid epoxy. Very volatile (keep container closed or it'll evaporate away) | Gloves | |||||||
Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) | Gloves | ||||||||
Ethanol | Gloves | ||||||||
POWDERS | |||||||||
Colloidal silica | Essentially powdered fiberglass. Can be mixed with epoxy to thicken (acts as filler/adds strength) | Requires respirator | |||||||
Cabosil (fumed silica) | Powdered fiberglass. Can be mixed with epoxy to act as a filler | Requires respirator | |||||||
Phenolic microballoons | Phenolic in dust form. Can be mixed with epoxy to form an ablative mixture. | Requires respirator |
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