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Let’s Talk Fiberglass

Wow, fiberglass.  Used in so many things.  In fact, your Corvette body is made out of it (you know, if you have one).  So is the insulation in your house.  Maybe even your cast if you break a bone.

But that’s not what Goodwinds sells.  We provide American-made fiberglass rods and tubes from 0.060 inches in diameter up to over 1 inch in diameter, used in kites, tents, archery, RC hobbies, catamerans, and lots of industrial purposes including snow plow guides, underground gas detection, and inflatable jetliner slides (in case of emergency).

So what are fiberglass rods and tubes?  How are they made?  What is so special about them, anyhow?

Fiberglass Tubes

Fiberglass Tubes

Well, fiberglass is, essentially, teeny-tiny fibers of glass that are reinforced with a polymer, usually an epoxy or vinylester resin.  The tubes Goodwinds supplies are called Filament Wound Epoxy Tubing (FWET) and are created through a continuous winding process that can create tubes with very thin walls which are then reinforced with impregnated epoxy.  These tubes are strong and somewhat flexible, and are great insulators.

Fiberglass Rods

Fiberglass Rods


The fiberglass rods Goodwinds supplies are formed from a pultrusion process – basically, a pulling of the fibers of glass through the polymer to bind them.  These rods are flexible and have a great strength-to-weight ratio.  If you’re interested in learning more about the pultrusion process, our supplier, Glasforms, has a guide with photos on their website here.

We love fiberglass rods and tubes, and we know our customers do, too.  It is heavy and strong, flexible and durable.  Best of all, it’s inexpensive, especially compared to carbon rods and tubes.  If you’re looking to do a project and weight is not an issue, fiberglass is a very cost-effective way to go.  The great flexibility of fiberglass is why it is used for tent poles and backpack stays, LARP swords and kites – fiberglass can accept a lot of shock force, bending without breaking.

What do you use fiberglass rods and tubes for?  Tell us about your projects, we’d love to hear about them!

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 4th, 2010 at 1:22 pm and is filed under Fiberglass, General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Let’s Talk Fiberglass”

  1. Marvin Proctor says:
    February 22, 2010 at 6:24 pm

    Hi there; Nice Site
    I am looking to buy some rod or tubing but I would like to get some connectors to make shapes. Example polygon or hexagon.
    Do you have connectors available with your rods or tubing.

    Thanks
    Marvin
    Hansville, WA

  2. amelia says:
    February 23, 2010 at 9:40 am

    Hi, Marvin, we’ve got lots of connectors available – check out our site and give us a call if you have any questions. 206-632-6151.

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