...
Part Name | Description | Safety Notes | Approx. Cost before Shipping | 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 | ||||
SAFETY MATERIALS | ||||
Nitrile gloves | Latex-free, puncture-resistant gloves. (for reference, Latex = medical use, Vinyl = for use with food and other non-hazardous substances). Make sure we have small, medium and large (we run out pretty often) | https://www.amazon.com/MedPride-Powder-Free-Nitrile-Gloves-Medium/dp/B00GS8W3T4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=nitrile+gloves&qid=1554841699&s=gateway&sr=8-3 | ||
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 | |||
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. | 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) | Easy to machine, durable. Good choice for making molds, but you can also use foam if ya want. | |||
Mold release wax | Applied to mold to aid in mold release. Apply 3-5 layers, letting set for 15 minutes in between coats. Can choose Meguiar's (first link) or Partall (second link), but it looks like Partall is cheaper. | Gloves | $24.95/11-oz tin $12.25/24-oz tin | https://www.amazon.com/Fibre-Glast-Meguiars-Conditioner-Release/dp/B015NM4QCW https://www.fibreglast.com/product/Parting_wax_1016/Mold_Releases |
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 |
...