Re microbaloon costs. I help make one of these products. And no, I can't
get you free samples. But the prices you are quoting are something like
twice the selling price in bulk quantities. I'm talking shipping container
loads of several tonnes. In those quantities it's sold by mass.

If you are getting one pound mass of spheres in your tin at a retail level,
you are getting a very good deal. I'd suspect however you are getting
whatever fits into a "1 pound tin" - whatever that is. So I can't comment
on what additional costs and margins have been added along the distribution
chain, sufficient to say that anyone who has ever handled this sort of
product will recognise that measuring and re-packaging it is not the easiest
exercise.

I'd rather not get into a discussion of the various measurements of density,
suffice to say that what you are really adding to the epoxy is encapsulated
air. The air is added to modify the properties of the epoxy ( lighter,
easier to sand, different viscosity , whatever ), and/or to reduce the cost
for a given volume.

If you are only interested in reducing the volume cost, I'd be surprised if
it's worth adding a hollow sphere product unless you are using some pretty
serious quantities of resin and filler. If it's volume cost you need to
reduce, there are much cheaper fillers than hollow spheres, but they are
heavier. If it's viscosity you need to increase, Glen has pointed to fumed
silica - it's got the surface area.

Since any filler changes the properties of the polymer it's being added to
( not necessarily for the worse) it's like Glen says - you should understand
what the filler does in the resin system you are working with before you
think about the costs.
DF


"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
nk.net...

"Glenn Ashmore" writes:

Forget it Lew. Until they understand what fumed silica and microballons
do it is no use to argue.

Agreed, but sometimes I get bored.

Lew

Well in keeping this in the spirit of friendly information sharing we
have started....isn't talc a very heavy alternative? Are microbaloons
not a bad idea for structural fillets?



Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Matt Langenfeld" writes:
\ There's a cabinet shop near me. I get the woodflour I want for free.

They wish I'd take more.


It's worth what you pay for it.

Great way to waste good epoxy.

As the old saying goes, "Buy em books, they eat the covers."

Lew



Check your yellow pages. Chances are the a place near you.

--
Matt Langenfeld
JEM Watercraft
jemwatercraft.com

Lew Hodgett wrote:

"Michael Kelly writes:



I pay US $5 for a 1 lb. can of talc or micro baloons.


OK for talc, but for microballoons you are getting screwed.

Lew

Lew says:

but sometimes I get bored.

We'd noticed... ;-)

Steve

"Lew Hodgett" ) writes:
"Glenn Ashmore" writes:

Forget it Lew. Until they understand what fumed silica and microballons
do it is no use to argue.

Agreed, but sometimes I get bored.

How can anyone with that many microbaloons be bored?

--
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homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
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"Matt Langenfeld" writes:

Well in keeping this in the spirit of friendly information sharing we
have started....isn't talc a very heavy alternative? Are microbaloons
not a bad idea for structural fillets?

Talc does nothing but add dead weight.

As far as micro-balloons for structural fillets are concerned, depends on
what you define as a "fillet".

If it is simply a fairing putty used as a gap filling glue with a fillet
formed by a popsicle stick, that is one thing, if you are trying to bridge
say a 1" wide fillet, that is quite another.

For small fillets, NBD, for large fillets, cover putty fillet with a piece
of glass and wet out with epoxy.

As an example, the bulkheads in my boat were installed with a fairing putty
fillet covered by a piece of 24 oz DB glass, about 8" wide to bond them to
the hull.

HTH

Lew

Isn't fumed silica the stuff that smells like hickory smoke? LOL

--
http://www.advantagecomposites.com/tongass -- My 22' Tolman Skiff project


..
"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:R8sAc.8468$cj3.961@lakeread01...


Lew Hodgett wrote:
"Matt Langenfeld" writes:
\ There's a cabinet shop near me. I get the woodflour I want for free.

They wish I'd take more.


It's worth what you pay for it.

Great way to waste good epoxy.

As the old saying goes, "Buy em books, they eat the covers."

Forget it Lew. Until they understand what fumed silica and microballons
do it is no use to argue.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Brian D says:

Isn't fumed silica the stuff that smells like hickory smoke? LOL

That's the cheap stuff - the good stuff smells like mesquite.

now I'm gettng hungry.

Stephen Baker wrote:
Brian D says:


Isn't fumed silica the stuff that smells like hickory smoke? LOL


That's the cheap stuff - the good stuff smells like mesquite.

Matt L says:

now I'm gettng hungry.

LOL! Throw another prawn on the barbie - I'll be there in a couple of
minutes... ;-)

Steve