Reinforcing Materials

Enhance Epoxy's performance with

Reinforcing Fibers

Using epoxy (rather than polyester) makes sense when working with high-performance reinforcing fibers. WEST SYSTEM Epoxy will cure fully at room temperature and doesn't require a lot of special equipment. This has made epoxy a favorite choice for professional and casual builders of all kinds of high-performance composites.  For more about the role of reinforcing fabrics and epoxy in composite laminates, read James R. Watson's Fiberglass Reinforced Composites in Epoxyworks magazine.

Determining Epoxy Laminate Thickness

To determine the number of fabric layers required to achieve a specific laminate thickness, divide the thickness desired by the single-layer thickness of the tape or fabric you intend to use.

Product	Fabric Weight	Single Layer Thickness*
740 Glass Fabric	4 oz	.008"
742 Glass Fabric	6 oz	.010"
729, 731, 732, 733 Glass Tape	9 oz	.017"
745 Glass Fabric	10 oz	.016"
727, 737 Biaxial Fabric	17 oz	.035"
738 Biaxial Fabric with Mat	23.9 oz	.042"

*Average of multiple layers applied by hand lay-up

Estimating Epoxy Coverage for Fabric Application

Below is an estimation of how much epoxy is needed to wet out one sq. ft. of fiberglass cloth and apply two fill coats.

Fabric Product Number	Fabric Weight Per Yard*	Mixed Epoxy Needed
740 Glass Fabric	4 oz	1.4 fl. oz.
742 Glass Fabric	6 oz	1.61 fl. oz.
729, 731, 732, 733 Glass Tapes	9 oz	1.94 fl. oz.
745 Glass Fabric	10 oz	2.05 fl. oz.
727, 737 Biaxial Fabric	17 oz	2.81 fl. oz.
738 Biaxial Fabric with Mat	23.8 oz	3.55 fl. oz.

*Includes 15% waste factor.