lamination gauge

for all you chop gun users how do you determine the lamination thickness of boats or any spray-up's. ive been looking for some sort of lamination gauge to try to take thickness readings and aint found nuttin..ive looked at ultrasonic setups and pincher types..any info would be appreciated..thanks Tim

 

If you're looking for a gauge to measure wet chop, you can get one from Composites One (C1) or Magnum Venus (MVP). You can get ultrasonic devices to measure a cured laminate also, I had one, but I loaned it to a customer and it came back broken, can't remember the brand though.

 

i took a look at c1 but theres a zillion links and no search engine. do you know the company that carry's them? mvp the same thing clicked on stuff endlessly and zilch..i might have to email one of them.

 

Chopper gun users can run rovings with a trace mark, a red line. It is very visible in the laminate, and hence possible to spray evenly via the visible red lines every two inches.

 

I googled Composites One and Magnum Venus, the first thing that came was the correct companies, look again, then call the closest location.

 

heh,,,you guys making it to expensive,,,,,do what i do,,,,use ya finger
and people are still trying to use chop guns?
hehe,,i jus playing with you guys,,i think,,
im jus interested in it just to know,,heh,,course i'd kill myself before using 1 again,,,but,,is this a "wet " thickness test,,,or after cured?
you damn smart people confuse me

 

* the finger method dont sound to bad ! ill have to give it a try..

* i did find c1 webpage just after getting on there they go by manufactorer's and thats were i was clicking forever.

 

You need to call them for this item, it's not from a supplier, they have them made for them with their logo on it. The C1 gauge is made from SS, the MVP model is plastic.

 

forget the chop gun method all together, since using them introduces CFC and Styrene. Really, IF you have a good sprayer, a 2 second pass would build up 2.5 mm to 3 mm thickness. as for curing (if your are in such a hurry and worrying about time lines you shouldn't be building a boat) to make sure the finished product is past the crystallizing stage, tap it with a rubber mallet, and listen, is you hear crack noises your resin heavy, if you hear a drum your clear. or the fastest way really is to get a paint thickness gauge, or gel coat gauge and check it when it is wet and keep a log.....

 

thanks ill check it out...