Overview
It's important to have the materials you need in lab, but it can be difficult to figure out what exactly you need if you're not as experienced. To make it easier, here is a list of materials that we should generally have in lab at all times, along with the price, safety notes, and purpose of the part. Other materials, such as specific bolts, heat inserts, etc. depend on your specific application.
*Note: these links are used as a pretty good reference, but if you find links with better prices/better materials, feel free to update it!
| Part Name | Description | Safety Notes | Approx. Cost before Shipping | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STOCK (metal, plastic, other) | ||||
| Acrylic sheet | Can be lasercut. Rather brittle, so be careful when drilling/cutting (use slow speeds). Strongly not recommended for flight, crashes produce lots of fragments and break other parts. | Fractures easily. Do not use multitools to cut because it produces small particles that will irritate your eyes. | 1/8": McMaster part # 8560K257 1/4": McMaster part # 8560K355 | |
| Polycarbonate sheet | More flexible than acrylic. Don't laser cut it, because it off gases chlorine (serious health hazard) | Do NOT laser cut this (off-gasses, meaning it releases harmful gas when heated) | ||
| Aluminum sheet stock | Good for making thin, flat aluminum components. Can be waterjet, but only up to ~1 inch, so keep this in mind. | Produces sharp chips when cut (especially in mill/lathe, although if you're using a lathe you should be working with aluminum rounds, not sheet) | ||
| 80/20 bars and connectors | Great for building jigs and other structures. Easily customizable, but made of aluminum so may not be rigid enough for certain jigs, especially if used in load testing. | Website which has everything (connectors, bars, etc.) | ||
| G10 sheet | Composite fiberglass sheet. Can't laser-cut. Can waterjet, but beware delamination | Blue 1/8" #85345K422 | ||
| Phenolic sheet | Composite insulating material. Can't laser-cut. Can waterjet, but beware delamination. Tricky to machine.
| Use slow speeds and machine oil when machining because will produce smoke. Make sure you're selecting appropriate phenolic for your application (see links -->) | Phenolic sheet (Nationwide Plastics) Another website that sells/describes all the different types of phenolics (NEMA Grade Laminates) | |
| 3D printer filament | ||||
| Phenolic Tube | Fin can collar. Can sand the inside using a flapper wheel if it does not fit over motor case or other components. | Wear a respirator (or at LEAST) a dust mask when sanding. | 2ft Tube | |
| Stainless Steel Rounds 316 | Used in Rocket Team past for the NC tip. Is a good candidate because it has a higher melting point than aluminum, relatively easy to machine, and has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than aluminum. | Use slow speeds (look online AND check with a machine shop mentor to confirm) when turning on the lathe, and make sure to use cooling fluid. | www.onlinemetals.com Stainless T-316/316L Cold Finish Round 2.625" Cut to: 5" | |
| Titanium | Has higher melting point than steel, but more difficult to machine (must work very slowly and use a lot of lubricant). Would be nice to have titanium nose cone tip but currently the AeroAstro machine shop does not have the capability of working with Ti. | Use very slow speeds (see above note for Steel). | ||
| SAFETY MATERIALS/GENERAL LAB SUPPLIES | ||||
| 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) | Nitrile gloves (Amazon) | ||
| Dust masks | Good for filtering non-toxic particles like dust and dirt. | Use respirator if working with toxic particles. | Dust masks (Amazon) | |
| Respirators | Get these through MIT Medical and EHS. There are different canisters depending on the application (i.e. Only use a filter canister for approved purposes. Consult EHS for details) | Make sure you change your filter when it wears out (this depends on how often you use it and how long you've had it, as well as the type of filter. Ask EHS for details) | Obtained via MIT Medical and EHS. https://ehs.mit.edu/site/respiratory-protection | |
| 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. | We should have these in lab already. | |
| Shop towels | Thick, usually blue towels used for cleaning up spills, wiping surfaces, etc. Tends to leave lint, so get lint-free towels when wiping surfaces that you want to keep clean, especially composites (such as a fin can, for example). | Don't use them as tissues/napkins! | Shop towels (Amazon) | |
| Lint-free towels | Good for cleaning hardware that needs to be kept free of contaminants. Doesn't leave lint behind like regular shop towels tend to do. | Kimwipes (used in cleanrooms) You can search "lint-free cloth" to find other options | ||
| Sharp scissors | Really necessary for cutting carbon fiber and fiberglass. Alternately, you can also use a pizza-cutter like tool for these fibers. Make sure to sharpen the scissors and label them according to their use, or people will abuse them. | Don't cut choself | ||
| TAPE | ||||
| Painter's tape | Usually blue tape, sticky but can be easily removed. | Is not super sticky, so not ideal in vacuum bagging. | Painter's tape (Amazon) | |
| Duct tape | Can fix anything!! | Duct tape (Amazon) | ||
| Gaffer's tape | Heavy cotton cloth pressure-sensitive tape with strong adhesive and tensile properties. Surprisingly expensive. | Gaffer tape (Amazon) | ||
| Kapton tape | Flexible amber-colored tape made from polyimide film, good over wide temperature range | Kapton tape (Uline) | ||
| Teflon tape | Also called PTFE tape, or plumber's tape. Used for sealing pipes, valve attachments, etc. | $10.30 for 12 1/2" rolls | 1/2" and 1/4" Teflon tape (Uline) | |
| Vacuum tape | See "VACUUM BAGGING SUPPLIES" below. | |||
| HAND TOOLS (for cutting, drilling, sanding, etc.) | ||||
| Multimaster | Tool with many different attachments that can be used for sanding, cutting, etc. Usually for more heavy-duty/larger applications than a Dremel (has larger attachments) | Gloves, safety goggles | ||
| Angle grinder | Handy tool for grinding metal and other materials. Can also be used to sand, sharpen, and polish. | Gloves, safety goggles. Make sure the tool is spinning AWAY from the edge that you are trying to sand/grind. | ||
| Dremel (and Dremel bits) | Tool with an end that spins at various different speeds. Comes with different attachments depending on your purpose (sanding, cutting, etc.) | Gloves, safety goggles. Pay attention to the bit you're using, because if you're cutting something too roughly the bit may fly off. | ||
| Drill | Used when precision is not important - if you need a hole precisely drilled, use a drill press or a mill. Make sure you're using the correct settings. (How to Use a Drill) (order of accuracy: Drill (lowest) --> Drill press --> Mill) | 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) | Easy to find at a hardware store but here's a link just in case. | |
| Flap wheel | Good for sanding the inside of tubes to save time. Can also be used to sand metal. Attaches to a drill. Mounted flap wheel comes with the shank that attaches to the drill, and unmounted does not have a shank. | Gloves, safety goggles, respirator (if working with composites) | Mounted flap wheels (MSCDirect) | |
| 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. WARNING: Sensitizer, repeated skin contact will develop an allergy | ||||
| West Systems epoxy - FAST hardener | Working time = 9-12 minutes, cure time = 6-8 hours | Gloves, ventilated area | $69.99/quart kit | Fast hardener quart kit (Amazon) |
| West Systems epoxy - SLOW hardener | Working time = 20-25 minutes, cures in 12-18 hours | Gloves, ventilated area | $74.95/quart kit | Slow hardener quart kit (Amazon) |
| Fibreglast System 3000 epoxy | Working time = 90-120 minutes, cures in 24-36 hours. Oven-cure to increase strength (cure cycle listed on link and on back of container) | Gloves, ventilated area/respirator | $279.95/gallon kit | System 3000 epoxy (Fibreglast) |
| Aeropoxy | Used for low-temp applications. Gel time = 60-90 minutes | Gloves, ventilated area | $59.75/quart kit | Aeropoxy (Aircraft Spruce) |
| 5-minute epoxy | Used to bond things that are NOT structural. Short working time, cures in 15-20 minutes. | Gloves | $17.53/9 oz | Can find in Gelb if you need it but here's a link: 5-minute (Amazon) |
| 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. Working time is short, so plan for this (don't add too much hardener or it will harden faster) | Requires respirator, gloves. Smells very strongly. | $7.84 for 14 fl. oz. | Bondo (Walmart) |
| Proline | Black in color, used as filler. Real messy. Also comes with a honey-colored substance- mix these together (like epoxy) and it will cure. | Gloves | Proline (Wildman) | |
| 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) | 3K 2x2 Twill (Fibreglast) 2069-B | |
| LAYUP SUPPLIES | ||||
| Squeegees | Spatula-like tool used to apply epoxy, Bondo and other fillers. Can be cleaned with acetone while still wet. Make sure the squeegees are smooth, or they will tear your composite. | Gloves | Plastic and rubber squeegees (Fibreglast) | |
| Super77 spray glue | Spray adhesive used to attach dry composite plies to wax paper/parchment paper. Spray lightly (too much and it'll be hard to remove) | Gloves | $8.68/can | Scotch Super77 (Amazon) |
| Wax paper | Used to protect your working surface, and can be attached to your fiberglass or carbon fiber cutouts if you are applying epoxy before laying them onto your part/mold. | |||
| Popsicle sticks | Used to mix resin + hardener and other mixtures. Can also be made into small chisels that can aid in mold release (i.e., hammered gently into the sides of a nose cone mold using a mallet to crack the mold apart) | |||
| Disposable squeegees | Thin plastic cards (look like business cards) that can be used to work with epoxy. Can be reused if cleaned with acetone. | |||
| Foam rollers | Used to evenly apply epoxy during a layup and soak up excess epoxy | N/A | ||
| Silver Sharpies | Used for marking center lines on carbon fiber cutouts, and marking carbon fiber in general (cause black won't show up) | Just don't sniff it too much | $8.69/pack of 4 | Easier to buy in store but here's the link for online: Sharpies (Staples) |
| Epoxy mixing boats | Small containers used for mixing epoxy and other mixtures. Use larger bowls when adding colloidal silica, phenolic microballoons and other powders. | N/A | ||
| Pizza cutter | Tool similar to a pizza cutter, used to quickly and accurately cut fibers without fraying the edges (which happens when using scissors) | Don't cut yerself | This link has the pizza cutter and other handy cutting tools. | |
| VACUUM BAGGING SUPPLIES | ||||
| High-temp vacuum bag | Outermost layer in vacuuming process. Bagging film designed to stretch up to 450% original length. Light pink in color. Suited for temperatures up to 400F. | N/A | ~$131.25/25 yards | Stretchalon 800 (Fibreglast) Go with the 1688 series and get around 20-30 yards. |
| Low-temp vacuum bag (Stretchalon 200) | Outermost layer in vacuuming process. Bagging film designed to stretch up to 500% original length. Light green in color. Not suited for temperatures over 250F. | N/A | ~$88.75/25 yards | Stretchalon 200 (Fibreglast). Go with the 1678 series and get around 20-30 yards. |
| Vacuum tape | Yellow tape used for sealing vacuum film when vacuum bagging parts. Pressure sensitive, so the harder you press, the more it sticks (so make sure it's where you want before you press it down!) | N/A | $7.95/roll | Vacuum tape (Fibreglast) |
| Release film | Generally used on top of peel ply, can be found perforated or non-perforated, used to aid in releasing part from vacuuming materials. Low temp = suitable up to 315F. High temp = suitable for up to 500F (probably won't need this one) | N/A | Low temp: $131.25/25 yards High temp: $159.50/10 yards | Low-temp release film (Fibreglast) Get the perforated kind. (1580 series) High-temp release film (Fibreglast) Get the perforated kind (3787 series) |
| Bleeder fabric | White fuzzy cloth that soaks up epoxy when your part is being vacuumed. | N/A | Breather/bleeder cloth (Fibreglast) | |
| Peel ply | Light blue material, first layer applied to a part when vacuum bagging. | N/A | Peel Ply 582-B (Fibreglast) | |
| MOLD-MAKING | ||||
| MDF (medium-density fiberboard) | Easy to machine, durable. Good choice for making molds, but you can also use foam if ya want. | Produces a lot of particles when being routed/cut/sanded, so wear a respirator or at least a dust mask. | ||
| RenShape | Very easy to machine. Excellent surface finish. Good thermal stability. Professional mold-making tool | $350 32in x 8in x 4in block | ||
| 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 (Meguiars) $12.25/24-oz tin | Mold release wax (Meguiars) Mold release wax (Fibreglast) |
| PVA film | Green fluid, helps with mold release when applied in a thin layer. Dries in 20 minutes, can be wiped away with warm water after part released from mold. Dissolves in acetone, so keep acetone away unless you're trying to remove it. | Gloves | $10.75/quart | PVA release film (Fibreglast) |
| Fine-haired brush | Can be any soft brush - want it to be fine so that you apply an even layer. I used a makeup brush, which was fine. | |||
| Gel coat | Used as a finish for molds. Don't apply too thick of a layer or it'll come off with the part. "Smells horrendous" - Dev | Requires respirator | $46.95/quart | Gel coat (Fibreglast) |
| SOLVENTS | ||||
| Acetone | Dissolves liquid epoxy. Very volatile (keep container closed or it'll evaporate away, which is a waste). Can be mixed with epoxy to thin it (but this will increase curing time) | Gloves. Do not wipe this on your skin unless you get epoxy on yourself (which you shouldn't if you're wearing gloves) because it dries out your skin and is generally yucky for you. Store large containers in flammables cabinet. | ||
| Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) | Dissolves liquid epoxy. Also volatile (evaporates easily because it's alcohol) so cover container when not using. Can be used to wipe surfaces like a fin can to keep it clean. | Gloves. Store large containers in flammables cabinet. | ||
| Ethanol | Pretty sure ethanol cannot dissolve epoxy, so don't use it for that. | Gloves. Store large containers in flammables cabinet. | ||
| POWDERS WARNING: SILICOSIS AND RESPIRATORY HAZARD | ||||
| Colloidal silica | Essentially powdered fiberglass. Can be mixed with epoxy to thicken (acts as filler/adds strength) | Requires respirator | $16.95 | Colloidal Silica (Amazon) |
| Cabosil (fumed silica) | Powdered fiberglass. Can be mixed with epoxy to act as a filler | Requires respirator | $26.00/gallon | Cabosil (Amazon) |
| Phenolic microballoons | Phenolic in dust form. Can be mixed with epoxy to form an ablative mixture. | Requires respirator | $19.99/quart | PMB (somewhat sketchy, from Ebay) |