Folks,
I've used my plans built SEMB for several lay-ups now and am satisfied
that it works as Mr. Levine advertised. (April '98 Sport Aviation, p.
123) A lot of painstaking measurements during the build resulted in an
accurate ratio balance. I'll need a scale to determine just how
accurate, but each of my epoxy batches have shown the signs (clean break
of sample blob, proper scratch test) of a good mix.
That being said, I'm not sure I'll actually use the SEMB that much. The
main reason is that, since it's a ratio balance, I have no way of
knowing how much goop I've actually poured. Without being able to match
my epoxy/resin weight to my cloth weight, I've found myself mixing up in
a TLAR (That Looks About Right) mode, giving me a lot of wasted epoxy
cooking off in the cup. I realize that practice might make this error
shrink, but I feel it would be better to spend the money on a good scale
and take the guesswork out of the process. Also, now that I've worked
out a spreadsheet with the proper weights of resin/hardener for a given
amount of glass, I'm not concerned about making a math error during the
mix.
All in all, I feel the SEMB does what it's supposed to do and does it
well. If you're in the market for a cost effective ratio balance you
should give it a look. (Mr. Levine's address follows.) In this
instance, I feel a scale is much better suited for my particular needs.
Blue Skies,
Steve Genotte
SEMB Info:
Melvin Levine
201 East 79th Street
Apt. 6D
New York, NY 10021
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