Hydro Cowling...ABS or Lexan

[Archie Stanton]

If someone were to make a run of thermo-molded cowls. would the preference be for ABS or Lexan and why?

given that Lexan is more expensive...do you think it's worth it?

 

[Chris Wood]

kevin,

i would go abs just out if shear cost.. you can buy a 4 x 8 sheet of abs for around 25.00 here in the corn state

.060 white

chris

 

[Archie Stanton]

kevin,

i would go abs just out if shear cost.. you can buy a 4 x 8 sheet of abs for around 25.00 here in the corn state

.060 white

chris

great feedback!

thanks Mr. Wood

 

[Bob Howard]

I like the ABS better as it is usually stiffer and is easy to paint to match the rest of the hull.

Bob

 

[Scott Schneider]

ABC while easy to work with .. just totally sucks structurally ! ... you can tear it with your fingers and it cracks so damn easy

Lexan on the other hand is 100 fold tougher material, you paint it as you would a RC car body, inside and masked for effect. You cannot tear it as you can ABS, it is really tough stuff and WHY cars/aircraft/slot cars Etc use it as a body material ... tough **** !! especially at the thicker specs of .040" to .063"

 

[Archie Stanton]

ABC while easy to work with .. just totally sucks structurally ! ... you can tear it with your fingers and it cracks so damn easy

Lexan on the other hand is 100 fold tougher material, you paint it as you would a RC car body, inside and masked for effect. You cannot tear it as you can ABS, it is really tough stuff and WHY cars/aircraft/slot cars Etc use it as a body material ... tough **** !! especially at the thicker specs of .040" to .063"

I'm somewhat partial to the Lexan myself. I've had car bodies outlast years of abuse with the .040 lexan. I also like the look of interior painted Lexan. I believe that .040 lexan is about as rigid as .063" ABS but I have to be honest and say Ive never done a side-by-side test.

 

[misshydro]

abs,but rather go with fiberglass or carbonfiber...

 

[Ron Olson]

Lexan will take the heat better than ABS. I've unbent an ABS hull with a blow dryer, that alone tells me what will hold up better near a hot nitro engine.

 

[Alexander King]

Lexan will take the heat better than ABS. I've unbent an ABS hull with a blow dryer, that alone tells me what will hold up better near a hot nitro engine.

your water cooled nitro motor better not be that hot! where its putting off as much heat as a hair dryer! or something wrong Ron :blink:

I like ABS but I will settle for lexan if its thicker than a car body because its mighty flexible !