Source for heavy plastic

[reeljob]

The heaviest plastic tarp Lowes sells is about 3 or 4 mils. I'd like to get some about 10 or 12 mils, or at least thick enough to create a smooth, non-wrinkling surface to make glass plywood joints. Or is 4 mil plastic sufficient? I have one sheet that seems a lot thicker than the 4 mil stuff Lowes sells, and cured epoxy shakes right off of it. It works great, but its getting worn out.

THanks

[paladin]

I dunno if I should say this....being the WB forum and such....but I gots a roll of 7 mil stuff...at....at...at....Home Despot.....:(
....but then...you can use a sheet of 4 x 8 formica, wax well with Johnsons paste wax...paint with PVA....then lay your epoxy coated wood face down and allow the resin to set....lift off piece, wash off the PVA and a super slick surface...clean the formica and repeat...

[Frank Wentzel]

Try this web site. They have various weights and colors. They say this one is 10 to 11 mils.

http://www.tarpsonline.com/silver.asp

/// Frank ///

Note that Dynamite Payson uses waxed paper on his fiberglassed butt-scarfs

[kc8pql]

....but then...you can use a sheet of 4 x 8 formica, wax well with Johnsons paste wax..
Yep, slick finish formica. I use to make proto-type molds for OCF that way. Works great.

[Bruce Hooke]

When other sources fail, http://www.mcmaster.com/ is a good source for all sorts of things, including heavier weight plastic sheeting. I got some really heavy stuff from them a while back to use to make a vacuum bag. They are often not the cheapest place around, but their selection is hard to beat. Unlike Grainger you do not have to be a business to buy from them, but you should expect that the transaction will feel more like a business-to-business transaction...

[JimConlin]

I more frequently use some other ways to form a surface on a glass laminate.
I have a table of a 4x8 sheet of melamine coated particleboard. I keep it well waxed. Its primary use is for cutting glass, but it's often used for laying up flat glassed parts. The finished surface needs only a light sanding to be ready for paint or sendary bond.
As a finishing surface on top of glass laminates, i use peel-ply, a light and inexpensive dacron taffeta fabric. If not vacuum bagging, i squeegee the bubbles and excess resin to the edge of the part. The peel-ply strips easily from the part, leaving a surface that's ready for secondary bonds or paint (almost). There's no amine blush. This saves LOTS of sanding.

When trying to lay up glass shapes over a simple form, i'll make the form smooth and non-stick by covering the form with packaging tape, then waxing it. The resultant surface is glossy, but needs sanding to provide tooth for a secondary bond or paint.
My efforts at forming a surface with poly film have always left lots of bubbles and resin puddles.

I buy peelply from https://www.airtechonline.com

[paladin]

Actually, in Thailand I used a very large sheet of department store glass for quite a while before one of my idiot friends sat on it....then I used the formica bonded to a cheap sheet of 3/4 inch ply...

[JimConlin]

Chuck-
Gee, I'd love to get a piece of plate glass for a table. They're just the bees' knees for developing infusion process.
Not this year.

[reeljob]

Thanks. I think i'll check out Home Depot before ordering anything.

[Tom Robb]

Waxed paper from the grocery store is cheap.

[reeljob]

I tried wax paper once, worked fine. If the curing epoxy gets hot (really hot day) then it will melt to the joint and not work at all. Would work in the winter.

[Dougster]

I've used those big black plastic garbage bags twice with no problem.

Dougster