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Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
By:Dan Caouette (CSCWC)
Date: 2/9/2016, 9:08 am


Is anyone familiar with this cloth?
I'm used to Thayers 3 oz silane finish cloth suggested by Bill H, etc. on my first build.
This has a Volan finish which I'm not familiar with and Steve Thayer said it would have a green hue and be " softer" compared to the crystal clear other cloth.

It should work very well for a kayak. I've used the same one coated in silane very successfully.

For those that don't know, Silane and Volan are chemicals that are applied to the glass fibers and allow the smooth glass to bond to the resin. Silane is clear but can only be used with epoxy. Volan is compatible with any resin (epoxy and polyester). Volan has a slight green hue to it. It's only noticeable when you start getting thicker laminations and on very white substrates. You may not notice any color change when using one or two thicknesses on a wood core.

Being chrome based, Volan is a nastier chemical than silane. It's getting hard to get and is usually more expensive. Silane is clear, makes a slightly stronger bond and is better for the environment.

The "softness" of a fabric compares how it handles and conforms to curved surfaces. A "soft" fabric drapes nicely and willingly wraps around compound curves. On flat panels you want a stiffer fabric as they hold their shape better and won't move around. The weave can have a big impact on this also. A crowfoot to twill weave will be softer than a plain weave. For two cloths of the same weave, the one finished in Volan will be softer than the Silane.

Thayer has a short article on it:
http://thayercraft.com/finishes.htm

IF you want more in-depth information on woven reinforcing (fiberglass, aramids, carbon), Hexcel has a great handbook on how they're made (PDF):
http://www.hexcel.com/Resources/DataSheets/Brochure-Data-Sheets/HexForce_Technical_Fabrics_Handbook.pdf

Messages In This Thread

Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass *PIC*
jjake -- 2/8/2016, 6:41 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
scottbaxter -- 2/8/2016, 7:00 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
jjake -- 2/8/2016, 7:55 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
scottbaxter -- 2/8/2016, 10:19 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Randy -- 2/8/2016, 7:21 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Bill Hamm -- 2/9/2016, 12:15 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 2/9/2016, 9:08 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
jjake -- 2/9/2016, 2:59 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Bill Hamm -- 2/10/2016, 12:44 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Mike Bielski -- 2/9/2016, 9:12 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Jjake -- 2/11/2016, 5:56 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 2/11/2016, 8:58 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Mike Bielski -- 2/11/2016, 9:16 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass *PIC*
Jjake -- 2/15/2016, 6:38 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
scottbaxter -- 2/15/2016, 7:12 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Mike Bielski -- 2/15/2016, 7:42 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass *PIC*
jjake -- 2/15/2016, 8:27 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Bill Hamm -- 2/16/2016, 12:40 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Mike Bielski -- 2/17/2016, 1:59 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Dan Caouette (CSCWC) -- 2/17/2016, 10:26 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Mike Bielski -- 2/17/2016, 6:54 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
JohnAbercrombie -- 2/17/2016, 8:27 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Mike Bielski -- 2/17/2016, 8:33 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Mike Bielski -- 2/17/2016, 6:58 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
jjake -- 2/17/2016, 8:34 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass *PIC*
jjake -- 2/23/2016, 8:22 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Bill Hamm -- 2/25/2016, 2:29 am
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Jjake -- 2/25/2016, 4:41 pm
Re: Material: Thayercraft 3 oz glass
Bill Hamm -- 2/28/2016, 12:20 am