AeroMarine Products Blog

Out latest foam is an 8# density two part polyurethane foam.  The primary usage is for the manufacture of simulated wood picture frames- but it is also useful for making castings, movie props, and as a stiffening and backup material for fiberglass laminates.

We have a new product intended for making vacuum form molds and tools.  It is called AeroMarine 81188 a/b.  It is a heavily filled, non shrinking polyurethane that can form plastics at temperatures to 325F. In addition to vacuum form molds, it can be used for casting machine parts.

We have looked for years for a good shopping cart system that was easy to use and met these requirements:

1. Our customer would never have to choose a login name and password. We avoid sites that make us remember anything or do any unnecessary typing.

2. It must accommodate the ability to factor in shipping weights of multiple packages and items. Some of our customers buy a lot of line items, many including heavy, bulky 5 gallon pails. The same customer might also purchase a tiny bottle of dye.

3. Our shopping cart had to offer rates based on Zip Codes.

4. We really wanted a cart that just used our existing system with PayPal buttons.  We did not want a rewrite of the site, a new template, etc.  We anted it to be simple enough that we could understand exactly how it works.

We finally found it!  A cart from auctioncart.com.  It seems to do about everything we need. Previously we had tried Zoovy, ProStores, and Yahoo Merchant Services- they were all way too complex for our needs.

There are three methods of fiber glassing a wooden structure such as a boat.

1. Drape the cloth over the structure then apply the resin over the cloth so that the resin soaks through the cloth onto the wood. The advantage of this method is that the fiberglass is easily moved and readjusted during the fiber glassing process. The disadvantage of this method is that it is more difficult to get the resin completely through the cloth and wet the wood surface thoroughly with the resin.

2. Another method is to wet the cloth with the resin before applying the cloth to the wood. The drawback to this method is that it is extremely messy. I can’t think of an advantage, but some people prefer this method.

3. The third method is to brush or roll a layer of resin onto the wooden structure then apply the fiberglass cloth while the resin is still wet. This method is popular because applying the layer of resin onto the wood really wets the wood out well with the resin.

AeroMarine Casting Resin is a polyurethane polymer that frequently exudes an oily film as it cures.  This film seems to dissipate a day or two after curing.  It is also possible to prime the casting resin with Krylon Fusion spray paint before applying any other paint.   If possible, let the object cure for a couple of days, then wipe with a paper towel.   In some cases you may need to wipe the casting with a mild solvent or alcohol to remove any surface oils.

Some used paint the inside of the silicone rubber mold before casting the resin.  The resin then sticks to the “back” side of the paint. This has the advantage of creating a chemical bond between the resin and the paint.

The best way to remove cured epoxy is usually with a heat gun. Home Depot sells some inexpensive heat guns for under $30- They look like a hair dryer but they put out much more heat. Avoid breathing the fumes of the heated epoxy.
A less satisfactory method is to dissolve the epoxy chemically. Methylene Chloride is the most effective solvent, but it evaporates quickly and is toxic. Jasco makes a paint stripper in a gold colored can that contains methylene chloride. It contains some other substances that make the methylene chloride cling better to a vertical surface and evaporate more slowly.

A customer called recently asking how large of the silicone rubber mold could possibly be made. I told him that the largest item I have ever seen made have been life sized palm trees. Actually I’ve seen quite a few palm trees molded in silicone rubber molds. Typically these trees are used in Las Vegas hotels.

Some times if you go into a hotel in Vegas you will smell something that reminds you of white glue.  A lot of “real” tree leaves are preserved with a chemical similar to white glue- and the trunks of these trees are often molded in our AM 128 Silicone Mold Making Rubber.

Climbing walls in gyms have become very popular. We have a lot of customers making molds for climbing holds as well as making the actual climbing holds themselves.  It’s a fairly easy process, since climbing holds are generally simple shapes.

The two products to use are:

• AeroMarine Casting Resin
• Aeromarine 128 Silicone Moldmaking Rubber

We are primarily an internet business but we do have a warehouse that stocks our products in San Diego.

It is open to the public Monday- Friday from 9am until 4pm.

The title is self-explanatory.  How can oil prices drop in half but epoxy prices remain unchanged?  Epoxies come from only three major oil processors/refiners- We buy from all three, and none of them are able to explain why their prices are staying at all time highs.  When we get an answer, we will let you know!

Update July 13, 2009-

Seven months later, oil prices are still substantially down and appear to be going lower.  The  oil companies still haven not provided a reasonable answer.