Where to buy Microballons

[drcuzo]

I can procrastinate no longer. I have run out of excuses. Fear has been replaced by shame. I have officially begun work on the Erwin XL. Where can I get microballons locally - sunshine coast if possible. Barnes have them online for the bargain price of $11:00 but want $30:00 to post something weighing 200g!.

Steve

[nick]

howdy steveo
i can get you some in caboolture if you like and they wont cost much i think, i you want me to just pm me and i will get some for you

how much do you want, they go a long way, and good luck with the erwin

regards nick

[thevon]

Steve,
any decent marine supplies shop has it, because microballoons are used for "yacht fairing" which is a nice name for "bogging up". I got a tub of about a litre volume (ie about a poofteenth of a gram of microballoons) two years ago for about $10 and it still looks almost full, which is a shame coz I got the dark brown stuff by mistake and wish I'd got the pale white-ish stuff.

[sean]

Hey Steve,

I buy a lot of my fg supplies from 'Industrial and Hobby Fibreglass Supplies' in Kawana:
www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Industrial-Hobby-Fibreglass-Resin-Supplies

I bought a huge tub of Q-cells from them and it's great stuff. As far as I know its interchangable with microballoons for what we do. I don't think it cost very much, and the tub is enough to last about three lifetimes.

For structural applications, like gluing in servo trays etc I think it's better to use cotton flocks over microballoons or Q-cells. They make a much stronger filler, but are harder to sand and not as light.

[drcuzo]

Thanks everyone,

Sean, what is cotton flock?

Steve

[sean]

It's another white powder looking epoxy additive. The shop in Kawana sell "West Systems Microfibre" which is the same thing apparently. Pretty cheap and a small bag has lasted me a couple of years.