Aeropoxy: High Grade Epoxy Line Aeropoxy is a VERY high quality line of epoxy for the most demanding applications. This is the real McCoy. When you want it done right, do it with Aeropoxy. It’s what we use, and it’s the best. Unlike the other system you’ve heard about, Aeropoxy is optimized for aerospace applications. It’s the number one product for home-built aircraft, and we find it unsurpassed for high power rocketry. According to tests by John Coker Aeropoxy was five times stronger than typical hobby store epoxies, and was also stronger than West Systems.

We carry three types of Aeropoxy, which are listed below.

Aeropoxy Laminating Resin: Ideal for laminating tubes. It's medium viscosity and gives excellent wet-out of fiberglass, carbon and aramid fibers. Special additives are incorporated to promote chemical adhesion to fabrics made with these fibers. AEROPOXY cures completely at room temperature, or can be given an elevated temperature cure. It has no MDA and so it is NOT a carcinogen (unlike other brands). It is tested and endorsed by the Rutan Aircraft Factory, and RAF recommended its use for all homebuilt aircraft applications. The mix ratio of resin to hardener is 3 to 1 by volume. Cure time: approx 1 hour. Tensile strength is 45,170 psi (Properties Derived With 10 Ply Laminate, Hand Lay-up, Style 181 Glass Fabric, 55% Resin Content). Viscosity =900-950 cps

KIT: Quart resin + pint hardener $32.61

NOTE: Epoxy laminates are far superior to polyester laminates. Epoxy is much stronger, and does not have the noxious, brain-melting odor of polyester. Giant Leap makes its glass nosecones ONLY from Epoxy. Next time you buy a glass laminated tube, or a glass nosecone, be sure it's made with EPOXY and not its inferior cousin, polyster. There's a big difference, and like anything in life, you get what you pay for.

Aeropoxy Structural Adhesive: For structural adhesion such as bonding fins, centering rings and bulkheads, and wherever else strength is required. It’s the strongest epoxy we know of. So if you want the best, this is it. It has no MDA and so it is NOT a carcinogen (unlike other brands). It’s a straw colored adhesive with a controlled-flow viscosity for good surface wetting, yet minimum run-out from the joint. Mix ratio is 1:1. Cure to handling is 4-6 hours. Full cure at 77 deg F is 18-24 hours. Tensile lap-shear (Alum-to-Alum) at 77 deg is 2700 psi.

KIT: Quart A + Quart $38.99

Aeropoxy Light Filler: This is the perfect filler. A two-part paste epoxy patching and filler compound for foam, wood, fiberglass and other surfaces. It is smooth and creamy, so it spreads easily, and can be feather edged without separation. It is a non-sag material that will remain in place even when applied upside down! The resin and hardener of this system are color coded for easy mixing. The resin is white and the hardener is brown, giving a good visual indication of complete mixing with a uniform tan color free of streaks. It has no MDA and so it is NOT a carcinogen (unlike other brands). AEROPOXY LIGHT has low density fillers in it that give it a very low weight. Also, the cured material is very easy to sand, making the finished patch undetectable when covered or painted. No shrinkage, mixed 2:1 by volume. Maintains slight flexibility after cure, so you won’t get cracks.

KIT: Quart A + Pint B $23.99

Shop Grade Epoxy Line A respectable shop-grade epoxy for those who do not need the premium grade Aeropoxy and prefer the simplicity of a 1:1 mix ratio. Great for those quick projects, and is a necessity for the field box. Great to have around the shop.

QUIK-CURE™ 5 min. epoxy Lack of brittleness allows it to form a lasting bond in areas subjected to high vibration or stress. It can be mixed with microballoons to form a quick setting putty. Items bonded with QUIK-CURE™ can be handled after 15 minutes. Full strength is reached in 1 hour.	$10.99 9.0 ounces
MID-CURE™ 15 min. epoxy is used in larger areas where more working time is needed. MID-CURE™ is our most flexible epoxy and is ideal for gluing to fiberglass surfaces. Allow 45 minutes before handling parts and 2 hours for full strength.	$10.99 9.0 ounces
SLOW-CURE™ 30 min. epoxy works best for forming reinforcing fillets on joints. It has the highest strength of our epoxies. It is more heat resistant. SLOW-CURE™ can be used for bonding if you’re willing to wait overnight. Fillers such as microballoons can be mixed with SLOW-CURE™ to form a putty-like consistency. Such fillers will usually decrease the working time by about 25%. Bonded objects can be handled after 8 hours and the cured epoxy reaches full strength within 24 hours.	$10.99 9.0 ounces
FINISH-CURE™ 20 min. LAMINATING epoxy is an excellent, low odor substitute for polyester laminating resins. It can be used for applying fiberglass cloth to wood or by itself to give wood a surface ready for primer and paint. FINISH-CURE™ can be sanded the easiest of all our epoxies. Allow 8 hours for full curing. For best results, FINISH-CURE™ should be heated to a temperature above 85 degrees F or applying light weight fiberglass, lay cloth on balsa first, then brush on FINISH-CURE™. If room temperature is below 70 degrees F use a heat gun on the surface several times for the next 2 hours. When dry, lightly sand to a smooth finish ready for primer. For heavy weight fiberglass, apply the epoxy before and after laying down the cloth. FINISH-CURE™ is best mixed in a disposable cup.	$7.99 4.5 ounces

CYANOACRYLATE ADHESIVES (CA) CAs have become the adhesive of choice for most hobby and household applications. High quality CAs such as INSTA-CURE™, when used properly, form bonds that in many cases are stronger than the material that is being adhered. INSTA-CURE™ is a highly refined CA which, combined with its freshness, gives a guaranteed 2 year shelf life. CAs are reactive monomers that chemically link (polymerize) when pressed into a thin film. Ideal for tacking fins or other parts into place to get perfect alignment before adding epoxy.

INSTA-CURE™ THIN has a water-thin viscosity that wicks deep into joints by capillary action and cures in a matter of a few seconds. Surfaces to be bonded must be tight fitting and should be held together while you apply the CA around the edges of the seam. At the moment CAs cure, they give off a vapor that can irritate the nose and eyes, so be prepared. 1 oz.	$3.99
INSTA-CURE+™ THICK is a higher viscosity CA for loose fitting joints in which the adhesive must bridge gaps. Normally, the thicker CA is applied to one surface and then the parts are held tightly together for about 5 to 15 seconds. For large surface areas, including those with close fitting joints such as laminations, INSTA-CURE+ ™ should also be used. To prevent premature curing, don’t spread the glue into a thin film. Lay down a serpentine bead with about 1" separations on one surface, then assemble the parts, letting the pressure spread the CA out. 1 oz.	$3.99

3oz satin weave 50" wide, Per Yard $9.05 10oz satin weave 52" wide, Per Yard $12.25

Finally, an easy way to fiberglass your bodytube! The EASYGLAS SOCK is a stretchy sleeve that fits over your airframe to make fiberglassing a breeze. Traditional fiberglassing methods are tricky, and involve wrapping cloth around a tube. The downside of this old approach is that it's time consuming, really messy, frustrating and, worst of all, leaves an overlap ridge that has to be sanded down. In short, it's a royal pain! Finally there's an easy way to glass your tube - - with the EASYGLAS SOCK. The EASYGLAS SOCK is not fiberglass, but is made of a material that readily absorbs resin and adds structural strength. We've tried it and it works beautifully. Best of all, it finishes easily. The EASYGLAS SOCK is about as thick as 3 or 4 oz fiberglass cloth. Here's the simple procedure: Slide EASYGLAS SOCK over dry airframe and tie the loose ends with twist-ties. Mix your resin, and apply thoroughly over the EASYGLAS SOCK. Squeegy excess material and rotate tube occasionally while resin cures. Once cured, lightly cut down high spots with sandpaper, then prime with several coats of extra thick filler primer (available at department stores). Be sure to sand between coats of primer. That's it!! Trim the ends and you're ready to paint! Finally...lamination for the rest of us!! For additional strength KEVLAR® sock (below) can be used underneath the EASYGLAS SOCK. $1.48 per foot EASYGLAS small diameter for 4" airframes only. (order 1.5 times length of airframe) $1.80 per foot EASYGLAS large diameter for 5.5" to 6.0" airframes. (order twice length of airframe). $2.12 per foot EASYGLAS EXTRA large diameter for 7.5" airframes and larger. (order twice length of airframe). The EASYGLAS SOCK is easy to slide on. The EASYGLAS SOCK has no overlap ridges to sand, and tightly hugs the tube so there's no need for vacuum bagging. It doesn't get any easier.

Dave Rose puts the Kevlar Sock onto a 6" and 7.5" diameter airframe. He used a nosecone to taper on the sock. He then wet it out with fiberglass. A new stretchable KEVLAR® sleeve made of 100% pure Aramid KEVLAR® that slides onto your airframe. Laminating your tube is rewarding. But while fiberglass is easy to work with, KEVLAR® cloth is costly and tricky. NOT ANY MORE! Now reinforcing your tube in KEVLAR® is like putting on your socks. Just slide the AIRFRAME SOCK of KEVLAR® on the tube. Because it’s stretchable - - like your socks - - it conforms to the tube and compresses down to hold in place (vacuum bagging optional but not necessary). And since there’s no seam overlap, there’s no bump to sand. Because KEVLAR® can’t be finish sanded, you’ll still need to cover the AIRFRAME SOCK of KEVLAR® in a thin layer of glass. The AIRFRAME SOCK of KEVLAR® stretches to fit tubes from 3” to 6” diameter. It adds between 1/64” and 1/32” to wall thickness. AIRFRAME SOCK of KEVLAR® $3.51 / FT. (order 1.5 times the length of the tube for up to 4” in diameter, and 2.0 times the length for 6”. E.g., for a 3” diameter tube four feet long, allow six feet of sock. For a 6” tube that is 4 feet long, allow eight feet of sock).

THE FUTURE OF ROCKETRY HAS ARRIVED... Aerospace Composite Fins! Giant Leap Rocketry now offers the ultimate in fin material. This aerospace composite material is used in advanced aircraft. It is much stronger than wood, more rigid than G-10 (for equivelent thickness). Lighter than wood, 1/3 the weight of G-10. An inner layer of NOMEX(TM) honeycomb, sandwiched between either thin G-10 Fiberglass or Carbon Fiber! TECH NOTE: One of the many advantages of high strength composite fins is their low weight. Indeed, you can actually realize a double-weight savings. Here's how: suppose that by using composite fins, your entire rocket comes in at, say, 2 lbs lighter. Because removing weight at the AFT end of the rocket makes it more stable, that's an extra 2 lbs or so that you don't have to add as compensating nose weight. So you've saved as much as 4 lbs or more in this example. Not only is that a huge performance advantage, it opens up a wider range of possible motors. EDGING YOUR COMPOSITE FINS IS EASY! TO HIDE EXPOSED EDGE YOU HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS: Edge the fin with a dowel of matching thickness. Simply epoxy dowel to fin, and apply epoxy fillet to fill seam. Miter corners as needed. Or...edge the fin with hardwood strips of matching thickness. Epoxy strip to edge of fin, and miter corners as needed. Then bevel wood strip to a sharp edge. Or...edge the fin with G-10 of matching thickness. Similar process to hardwood strips, but cutting/beveling G-10 involves a little more skill. Now you can get RAW composite board so that you can cut your own material! 1/8" thick nomex honeycomb with fiberglass sandwich. (a good lightweight replacement for .062 G-10 fins, or for mounting boards) $11.70 sq foot 3/8" thick nomex honeycomb with fiberglass sandwich (great for scale projects) $12.76 sq foot 1/2" thick nomex honeycomb with fiberglass sandwich (great for lightweight bulkheads like my L3 project and for light, strong but authentically thick scale fins). $14.44 sq foot 3/8" thick nomex honeycomb with CARBON FIBER sandwich (great for L3 fins or other serious projects. It's the ultimate material, super light, super strong. Used on my 55 pound - - successful- - level 3 project. $19.19 sq foot NOTE ON PRICING: Raw board comes in various width. Your price will be adjusted slightly due to different sizes of the board. Normally, these come in 12" widths and up to 36" or sometimes 48" long. NOTE ON AVAILABILITY: COMPOSITE BOARD IS REALLY GETTING POPULAR AND THE SUPPLY FLUCTUATES. THEREFORE, IT IS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. DOWEL FOR FIN EDGING: 1/8" DOWEL ...19 CENTS PER FOOT $0.20 1/4" DOWEL....29 CENTS PER FOOT $0.31 1/2" DOWEL.... 39 CENTS PER FOOT $0.42 3/8" DOWEL (MATCHES CARBON FIBER FINS)....34 CENTS PER FOOT $0.36

Composite Supplies

Shop Brush 1/2" wide Great for spreading epoxy in small areas. Heavy duty horse hair bristles handle everything from glue to oil to flux. 7/8" bristle length Metal tubular handles with 6-1/8" length	Pack of 4 $0.95
1" INDUSTRIAL GRADE CHIP BRUSHES Ideal all-around brush. Used in laminating, adhesive application, fiber glassing, cleaning, and touch-up work. Rugged construction with pure china bristle and sturdy hardwood handle.	$0.49
2" INDUSTRIAL GRADE CHIP BRUSHES Ideal all-around brush. Used in laminating, adhesive application, fiber glassing, cleaning, and touch-up work. Rugged construction with pure china bristle and sturdy hardwood handle.	$0.69
Graduated Mixing cups 4.5 oz. For accurate mixing of Epoxies, foams and other liquids. Pack of 4 $2.12
Mixing Sticks. High quality tongue-depressor type. Pack of 25 $1.06
Nitrile Gloves Superior Protection from Most Substances Much better than latex for resisting chemical solvents and oils. Conforms to user's hand the longer they are worn, providing support and reducing hand fatigue. Caution: prolonged skin contact with epoxy can be harmful to your health. We’ve had customers who are no longer able to handle epoxy because of skin-hypersensitivity. Don’t take chances; wear gloves when handling epoxy. Besides, for a few pennies, gloves save you from having to wash your hands with thinner - - which is another toxic substance.	Pair $0.49

Mixing Set (SAVE 27%)                                                             4 mixing sticks 4 mixing cups 4 pairs of Nitrile Gloves 4 shop brushes 1/2" 4 brushes 1" 4 brushes 2" $6.13

Epoxy and CA Combo Set (SAVE 20%!)                                            5-Minute Epoxy 12-Minute Epoxy 30-Minute Epoxy Laminating Epoxy (all are 8 oz set) FLASH thin CA 1 oz. FLASH thick CA 1 oz. $46.32

Hosting, Development and Maintenance by The Blast Zone
Copyright © Giant Leap Rocketry, all rights reserved.
Contact the Webmaster