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Re: Europa-List: Honey, I Shrank the Perspex!

Subject: Re: Europa-List: Honey, I Shrank the Perspex!
From: Fred Fillinger <n3eu@comcast.net>
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 09:06:01

> Fred,
>
> Did the Perspex shrink, or did the fiberglass move/change.  Given my
> recent experience with the wings my bet would be on the fiberglass
moving.
>
> Paul
>

Well, polyester resin is pseudo living tissue, even more so than epoxy
composite, Paul.  I did the newer, preferred attachment of the gas
struts, but it has needed weeks to settle out its stress effect.  The
fuselage was first SuperFill'd to be flush with  the doors;  gonna
need little bit more now, where the struts attach to the door.  Thus,
one concern was if  plexiglass stresses could ruin my nice door fit
over time.

---From what I could google, shrinkage in one direction can occur (after
cool down of a molded part) when using acrylic sheet made by some
extrusion processes.  But not long term of significance that I could
find.  The words residual stress did pop up a lot, stemming from the
molding not done the best way.  But you'd think the shop made mine
just like all the others.  However, I had to return one to Lakeland
long ago, as the obvious optical defects at the top edge were just
awful.

Reg,
Fred F.




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