Kirk quoted a webpage: >>>>>>" Vacuum bagged aluminum clad carbon hull The boats are constructed of carbon with a skin of lightweight aluminum cloth, providing a light stiff hull with heat reflective qualities, very little weight is added as a gel coat is not needed with the vacume bagging process"<<<<<< Gelcoat is more necessary with vacuum bagging than with hand lay-ups. Because of the pressure during cure more glass fibers are squeezed against the mold's surface and end up at the surface of the boat's laminate. Just a little erosion of the surface resin and you will likely find a silvery sheen (made by freed glass slivers glinting in the sun to go with the "aluminized" fiberglass cloth--and just waiting to give you the fiberglass itch. I'm sure the ad is talking about aluminized glass fabric rather than a fabric made from woven aluminum. Several paddle makers have begun using the aluminized glass (basically glass cloth sprayed lightly with some sort of aluminized paint) on one or both surfaces of their blades. Epic and Big Spoons are two paddle makers that I can think of off the top of my head who do this now. I like it for brightening up the blades of a graphite to be more visible to other boaters. White or yellow pigment would work even better than the aluminized fabric to help the kayaker be more visible. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Jul 21 2003 - 00:37:53 PDT
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