> > To Larry Graves
> > Is there an advantage or disadvantage to Cabosil or
> > Flox in a structural bond
> > Regards
> > Art

The contributors on the subject of cabosil are correct: it is not
structural, and it does increase the weight of the resin. It is
intended to thicken mixed resin so that it will not run on
horizontal or under-surfaces prior to gel and cure. All other
things being equal, adding cabosil to your flox in a structural
bond will not add to the strength of the bond, and may weaken it
slightly if you use "a lot." A flox mix with Cabosil added will
tend to "stay in place" better prior to gel and cure.

Flox (chopped cotton fibers) and milled fiberglass fibers, when
mixed into resin will make very tough structural bonds and
fillets. Keep your flox dry in an airtight container as it is
hydrophilic and will absorb moisture from the air. Flox tends to
be a bit less harsh on the user than milled fiber.

Micro(balloons) and Q-cell are used to displace resin in a mix to
create lightweight filler material. Fillets made with micro are
not structural and are easily sanded.

Cabosil can be used in combination with flox, milled fiber or
micro to thicken the resin and prevent running, but with most such
applications its use is redundant, as these additives all tend to
thicken up the resin as their mix ratios are increased.

It's easy to experiment with all these additives in several small
batches of resin -- make up a bunch of identical fiberglass
coupons and bond them together with the different additives.
Later, pull them apart after they've cured and see which bonds are
the strongest & which are weaker.

Best Regards,

Larry Graves

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In theory, there is no difference between
theory and practice. In practice, there is."
--Yogi Berra