Anybody used FPL-16A epoxy?

[Beechdrvr]

Looking for some input about FPL-16a epoxy and how it ranks with West Systems and System Three T-88 as a structural adhesive.

[Thorne]

Welcome to the Forum! I'll recommend updating your location in the USER CP link in the upper left of this page, as we don't know if you are in Tacoma or Timbuktu -- and that matters for product recommendations.

Also be more specific about the "structural adhesive" application -- as some marine joints may need differing adhesives depending on size of boat, use of same, material types, etc.

[JimConlin]

This question gets asked about once a week and the typical answer is "Yeah, I've used it X times and it cured hard and the boat hasn't fallen apart." Only a very few epoxy manufacturers, including West System (http://www.westsystem.com/ss/typical-physical-properties/) and System Three (http://www.systemthree.com/members/tds/T-88_TDS.pdf) publish the physical properties of their product. The others publish adjectives.
Personally, I prefer to know what I'm buying.
I couldn't find anything on Hughes FPL-16a.

[Canoez]

That particular adhesive seems to have been originally formulated by the Forest Products Laboratory (Hence the 'FPL' in the name) They have an article published about the properties of the material on their website (http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1997/vick97c.pdf). It seems to be an adhesive targeted at bonding wood for aviation requirements. From the PDF on the website, the epoxy seems to have been specifically formulated to deal with moisture issues and getting a good structural bond. (a resourcinol modified epoxy?)

[Beechdrvr]

Thanks. It is for an aviation application. got all the info I need now. thanks for the help.

[Captain Blight]

Aren't ya gonna hang out and talk airplanes down in the Bilge? We got a few pilots and av nuts down there.

[Beechdrvr]

would love to talk airplanes. sitting in Orlando waiting for mine and its broke in San Juan!

[pila]

I used that glue many years ago on a home-built airplane. It was great stuff for wing ribs etc, but don't really remember a lot about it.
Epoxies were a new thing back then.

[Mad Scientist]

...From the PDF on the website, the epoxy seems to have been specifically formulated to deal with moisture issues and getting a good structural bond. (a resourcinol modified epoxy?)

Resorcinol-modified epoxy sounds like a dream-come-true, and a chemist's nightmare, simultaneously. What I mean is, how do we ensure that the two resorcinol components and the two epoxy components mix properly? I'm not a chemist, just a mechanical-engineering dropout, so this is another situation where the experts will probably prove me wrong, and we all win.

Tom