Tip: Composites

[DanB]

As I am making my way through A&P school I came across a tip in my composite class that some may be interested in. I'm sure it is known in some circles, however, I had never heard of the technique.

To generate a desired shape whether it be compound angles, curvatures, etc...use styrafoam as your form. Shape it to what you want and then do a wet lay-up of your composite material (what ever you choose). After the cure, take a spray bottle of MEK (use a filtered mask) and spray it on the styrafoam. The MEK will quickly melt the foam away and leave you an awesome part to work with.
FWIW
Dan

[Davepar]

On the subject of tips, a composite builder gave a great talk at our EAA meeting a few nights ago. I learned that epoxy flows better when it's warm. Makes it easier to wet out an area of cloth. And that you shouldn't let resin (or maybe it was the hardener) get cold while you're storing it. I guess it crystallizes over time. Not sure how I missed those important points.