Chopper Gun Overview

 
A Chopper Gun is used to automatically chop and deposit fiberglass gun roving strands into a mold or composite part. The Chopper Gun makes it easy to quickly cover large surfaces with fiberglass. Our #1171-A is a hand held, variable speed air powered chopper gun that is primarily used for coating molds or parts with fiberglass. #526 Gun Roving is fed into the rear of the gun. The gun then chops the roving into short pieces and deposits them onto the mold. Resin is then applied by brush, roller or sprayed on using a cup gun.

By altering the number and location of chopper blades, the length of the fibers can be varied from 4" down to 5⁄16". This gun will deposit the equivalent of one layer of 1 oz mat onto a vertical surface without fall-off before wet-out.

Features

• Accommodates up to 16 blades at once.
• Compatible with our #526 Gun Roving.
• New design increases cutter head surface by 32% and increased quantity of chopped material between blade replacements by 33%.
• Deposits the equivalent of one layer of 1 oz mat onto a vertical surface without fall-off before wet-out.
• Kit contains: Chopper Gun (1), White Anvil Roller Sleeves (1 installed, 1 spare), 3/32" Hex Key (1), Blades (6 installed, 10 spares), and manual

Tips

• Ideally suited to quick mold or part build-up once the first layer or two are in place.
• Some parts come preinstalled in the unit, others are spares for for modification of chopped length.
• Use a fiberglass saturation roller to remove trapped air.

Guarantee

Fibre Glast is committed to ensuring that every tool and supply accessory we offer is manufactured to the highest standards, so that you can expect reliable and compatible supplies every time you order.

Click here for more information on our First Quality Guarantee.

How Does the #1171-A Chopper Gun Work?

An adjustable blade assembly controls the size of the fiberglass strands, and the trigger controls the speed at which these strands are ejected from the gun and onto the mold surface.

Why Choose the #1171-A Chopper Gun?

The Chopper Gun can also be used with 24K Carbon Fiber Tow (#2393) to create chopped graphite fibers for localized carbon fiber reinforcement.

The spray-up process is ideally suited to quick mold or part build-up once the first layer or two of finer surfacing materials are in place. In mold construction, chopped fiberglass from the #1171-A can be combined with other reinforcements such as #250 Chopped Strand Mat and #223 Woven Roving to create sturdy, durable molds.

Fiberglass is the all-purpose reinforcement choice in the composites industry, and the #1171-A provides one of the most efficient methods of applying it over large surface areas.

What Is Included with the #1171-A Chopper Gun?

All wear items are available as individual replacement parts, including #1850 Chopper Blades, #1851 White Anvil Roller Sleeve, #1852 Blade O-Ring, #1853 Anvil Roller Assembly, #1854 Feed Roller, #1855 Feed Roller Assembly, and #1856 Cutter Assembly.

How Should the Chopper Gun Be Used for Best Results?

After depositing chopped fiberglass onto the mold surface, apply resin by brush, roller, or sprayed on using a cup gun such as the Fibre Glast #120 Gel Coat Cup Gun. Use a fiberglass saturation roller to remove trapped air and ensure complete wet-out of the chopped fibers.

The physical properties of composites are fiber dominant, meaning that when resin and fiber are combined, their performance remains most like the individual fiber properties. Proper wet-out ensures the fibers carry the load as designed.

Gun roving used with the #1171-A is typically paired with polyester or vinyl ester resin. The #526 Gun Roving yields approximately 205 yards per pound and is available in 50-pound rolls (#526-A), cases of four rolls (#526-B), and skids of 12 rolls (#526-C).