Stator Casting Materials

[GerryS]

I'm ready to cast my first stator.  It will be about 8 inch diameter and 3/4 inch thick. I have read a bunch of Dan's writings on stator materials.  For this simple windmill, I would like to use something simple and cheap.  I guess that limits my choices to epoxy or fiberglass resin?  I was thinking the fiberglass resin would be my choice.  Where do I buy it?  Do any local big chain stores supply it?  Home Depot? Loews? West Marine? Walmart? Ace Hardware?  Or is it something I have to mail-order?  

[kurt]

fiberglass resin you can buy at most hardware stores do yourself a favor and get some fiberglass cloth and put that on each side of the casting. Danb uses  vinyl ester resin now for stators you would have to mail order that. look in danb's stories for a link were to get it.  

her are some good instructions how to cast a stator http://otherpower.com/stator.html and make the mold http://otherpower.com/statormold.html you should be able to adapt them to your use

[ADMIN]

We really like vinyl ester resin for stators, and use it for our 10 foot machine's magnet rotors. You can get it online:

http://www.shopmaninc.com/products.html

it's more heat resistant, stronger and shrinks less in the mold than polyester resin (the stuff you get at the auto parts store, often Bondo brand, and often called 'fiberglass resin' tho it has no fiberglass in it). If you have to use the comonly available stuff, tho, it'll work fine. We used it for many years and many stators.

ADMIN