Laminate Sample #33: Vacuum Bagged Mahogany Veneer with Balsa Core

This laminate sample is about two very different woods working together to make a panel that is stiff and light. The mahogany veneer is strong and thin and the end-grain balsa is light and has very good compression and shear properties. It's like the perfect team! For an adhesive, this Proset M1005/2005 shear-thinned epoxy adhesive provides good gap filling and adhesion while being able to flow under bag pressure to bleed off excess resin. The epoxy is a gel-like consistency in the cup, but once it is spread thin and compressed it flows like a laminating resin. Check out how well the bottom surface is wet out. The process isn't elegant - and the veneers are a mess - but this should give a good idea of what is possible when wood structures are optimized for stiffness at a minimum weight. Other cores can work too - foams, honeycombs, etc. Balsa is nice though because... its wood! The datasheet for the M1005/2005 Proset is here: https://www.prosetepoxy.com/wp-conten... For more information on practical composites, check out the EC! site: https://explorecomposites.com/