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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, approximate lead time, and purpose of the part. Other materials, such as specific bolts, heat inserts, etc. depend on your specific application.
| Part Name | Description | Safety Notes | Approx. Lead Time | 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 | |||||||
| Dust masks | |||||||
| Respirators | |||||||
| Safety goggles | |||||||
| 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 | Gloves, Safety goggles, Respirator (if working with composites) | ||||||
| Flapper wheel | Gloves, safety goggles, respirator (if working with composites) | ||||||
| Heat gun | 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 | |||||
| Gel coat | |||||||
| SOLVENTS | |||||||
| $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 | Acetone | ||||
| 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 | |||||
Machining/Building Things
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