So recently I have been making parts out of a mold a made, I ordered some Epoxy but I was told it was Ideal for infusion but I have been using it for wet layup/vac bag’d parts. I get bridging in almost every part I pop out. Could the viscosity be to thin that it would cause it to bridge?
JDM,
Would it be possible to provide us a picture of the problem you are referencing?
I am not as “expert” as others on here that will most likely be replying to your question, but I have never had resin “so thin it bridged”.
Bridging is typically when the material doesn’t capture the detail (usually a corner or edge) of a mold and it “bridges” over the detail, leaving an air void or resin pool.
Being that you are vacuum bagging, I would personally say that your layup/bagging technique needs a bit of work. I don’t think it is a resin issue, but rather most likely a result from your bag and material not getting properly pressed into the details of the mold.
I’m sure others will expand on this.
-C
Bridging is a fiber issue, not a resin issue.
If there is a certain amount of bridging, a thicker resin will hold up in the cavity easier, so in that context you are right.
However, fight the cause (bridging) not the consequence (voids).
If there are sharp corners, fill them with bog before applying fiber.
Yeah I will try and post a picture up shortly. Now what is “Bog”? I was thinking about doing a gelcoat then applying fabric but because there is a 90* edge around the whole thing I might be a problem. I get great vac and it stays there but when I use the Epoxy I get bridging, When I use PE it comes out great everytime, I was wondering if its because the PE is thicker?
bog: thickened resin. Use coloidal silica, talcum, ath, microballoons of some sort, etc, depending on the product you are making.