I need some 16mm x 16mm x 60mm solid fibreglass for a mechanical project. At the moment it looks like I'll have to buy a bunch of 1.6mm single sided pcbs, grind off the copper layer, cut them into strips and glue them together.
Small diameter rod and tube is common, but plate is hard to find.
Any ideas for a supplier in Aus?
Mike
pcbs,
Fibreglass is often used to make boats. Try and contact someone locally who makes them, they may have suitable scrap or they might be able to knock up a suitable piece for you. Failing that you could also make your own, it ain't rocket science...have a look at:
pcbs,
Dr Google knows about this:
Don...
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pcbs,
Pultruded (with fibre aligned on the long axis) or do you need it made from layered weave, or some other structure?
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Does it have to be fibreglass? Laminated insulating material in various dimensions and shapes is easily obtainable from electrical suppliers, it's really tough stuff. Epoxy/fabric matrix AFAIAA.
pcbs,
A layered weave would be best as it will be machined using a 3mm carbide end mill. In my experience pultruded tends to fall apart once you get down to sub mm structures.
The requirements are "strong, salt water resistant and easily glueable". The first project will be a housing for a pressure sensor in salt water environment.
I just did a search for "laminated electrical insulating site:au" and came up with this "NEMA G-10/G-11 Fiberglass Epoxy Laminate Sheets"
Why not just go down to Bunnings (or wherever) and get a metre of fibreglass cloth and some fibreglass resin ?
geoff
Epoxy curing is an exothermic process which limits a single pour to about 4mm in thickness otherwise you risk thermal runaway which overcures the resin making it brittle (or catching fire).
In practice building a 16mm thickness requires 4 pours over a series of 4 days due to the cure time and the need wait for the surface to harden properly so you can sand off the 'amine blush' that forms on the top surface otherwise the next layer will not stick properly..
So yes, it is possible to DIY, but it's time consumming, and messy.
Laminating a series of already cured 1.6mm boards can be done using a single pour as the amount of resin is small and the surace area for heat dissipation is high.
After more research it appears that FR4 is the fire retardant version of G10 (commonly used for electrical panels). G11 is the high temperature version of G10 but like G10 it isn't fire retardant. G10 and G11 are available in many thicknesses. FR4 seems to be limited to the
1.6mm or thereabouts range used for PCB manufacture. Some suppliers have G10/G11 available as laminated rod or as wrapped tubes, not pultruded.ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.