Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

Epoxy Resin or Polyester Resin

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic4236.aspx

By RRE - 1/12/2013 6:04:21 PM

Which is the best to use? As I understand it, if I am painting the parts its ok to use epoxy, but if I plan to leave it unfinished, then its best to use polyester. Is this correct? Also, is it recommended to use a gel coat first then the resin or just go straight resin? I want my parts to be as lite as possible. I am trying to make my parts around .040 - .050 thick. I tried making my first panel just as a test run and it came out ok, but when I go to make my parts for real I want to make sure they are the best they can be. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips?

I attached a pic of what I am trying to replicate. You can see what is carbon here. Bascially all the cosmetic panels and hood are what I want to make.http://www.talkcomposites.com/Uploads/Images/9a1b3922-6a83-40bd-bdbc-b41f.jpg
By RRE - 1/14/2013 1:48:04 AM

I am being told polyester has better UV protection than epoxy.