Customer Focus: The future of personal protection.

Yes, we have all seen the future, films like Robocop, Terminator and the like. Post-apocalyptic gangs are ruling the burning remains of what we used to call England, how are we going to pop down the shops without being shot, laser'd or blown apart. I always imagined "Mech-suits" are the future and CFS customer Jo Betteley gives us a preview of what it means to look cool and be deadly when picking up 2 pints of blue top and a lottery ticket in the year 2052.

"Just nipping to Costcutters, dear"

"Shattered Man" is 10ft tall, equipped with 'working' rocket pods and mini gun.......

GRP thefts on the up?

Looks like Australian police had their work load increased after a fibreglass Utahraptor was stolen from a Dinosaur Museum (a REAL Dinosaur Museum and not CFS admin dept.) according to this report.

At 1.6 metres tall and worth $2400, the museum's Ben Wardle said, "we'd left a couple of the life-like fibreglass dinosaurs unsecured overnight, and in the morning we discovered that one was missing."
Mr Wardle says the museum would love the dinosaur statue to be returned.

He added, "we've got a couple of large ones by the road and they definitely bring people into the museum."

I am sure they do.

Superintendent Brett Kidner says anyone who spots the life-like dinosaur statue should call Crimestoppers.
"It's brown in colour with dark stripes across the back," he said.
"It would probably stick out fairly obviously on a trailer or possibly someone may have put it into the back of a truck."

I suspect the thief also has a hangover and a bad back.

This fibreglass Utahraptor declined to comment.

Rumours of a Fibreglass iPhone?

There have been rumours floating around the web for a while now that Apple is intending to create a lower cost version of the iPhone featuring a plastic and fibreglass casing.

Current colour options for iPod may be made available for iPhone

Tips for Restoring Faded Gelcoat

Time takes its toll - sun, salt and sea water will oxidise gelcoat, stealing the shine and leaving a rough, dull surface. The question is, if GRP is so good, why does this happen? It's simply that Gelcoat suffers from both oxidation and UV attack. Now, oxidation and UV damage are not the same thing. They don't have the same effect on a boat's finish and it's important to know the differences between them. Oxidation, caused by exposure to oxygen, results in the chalking you see on the palm of your hand when you touch an unprotected boat. This process is slowed by good maintenance and this means regular waxing, protecting the gelcoat from the elements.
UV damage is increased if you don't maintain the shine of your gelcoat. Shiny surfaces reflect UV rays better than dull surfaces and UV rays not only cause discolourations but can mechanically degrade the Gelcoat.
While oxidation only affects the surface, UV damage penetrates the full thickness of the gelcoat and can even damage the fibreglass beneath it. So, keeping oxidation under control will also keep UV damage at bay.
However, despite your best efforts, you will, eventually, find yourself losing the shine. Surfaces may look dull and tired and also feel rough to the touch. It may be time to consider some plastic surgery.

Blue turning white. This neglected gelcoat requires more than a quick wax!

Phase 2 of NCC Approved

Phase 2 of the development of the National Composites Centre in Bristol, announced in December, has officially received planning approval.

Customer Focus: The Twins FX

For the third Customer Focus, we spoke to The Twins FX, one of the leading companies operating in the field of theatrical, visual special effects, illusions and animatronics.  

We had a chat with Gary and Paul Hardy-Brown, Directors of the company, and asked them exactly what they do and the process involved in creating such weird and wonderful effects.

Animatronic Dragon with 10m wingspan

Resin Jewellery: Daimblond

We stumbled across this lovely resin jewellery by Russian designer, Elena Gueno. 

Read an interview with the artist here.

Fibreglass fabric could strengthen walls against effects of earthquakes

Old buildings could be protected from earthquakes using fibreglass fabric developed by researchers in Germany.

Developed by research partners, Moritz Urban and Lothar Stempniewski at the KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), the fabric is intended to perform two levels of protection: preventing cracks from forming; and preventing walls from collapsing if damage should occur.

Happy New Year from CFS!

We'd like to welcome all our customers into the brand new year the right way - with a fantastic offer on Protective Equipment throughout January!

See you next year!

We'll see you in 2013! 

Chinese Escape Pods

Remember the Japanese escape pod, named 'Noah' we told you about in October last year? Well now there is a Chinese version, intended to combat the Mayan apocalypse due to be happening this Friday...

Customer Focus: David Imrie's Christmas Sleigh

For this festive edition of Customer Focus, we spoke to David Imrie, a customer who has been using our products to revamp and remodel Santa’s sleigh!

A nice festive red!

Having no previous experience of using fibreglass at all, he decided to give it a whirl with some technical help from us – in his own words, “How hard can it be?!”

Phase II of NCC Development Receives Government Funding

The National Composites Centre in Bristol is to receive a £28 million investment from the Government to fund further developments, bringing the total funding to over £40 million.

Christmas Holiday Closing

Dont Miss Out!

CFS offices are open until Friday 21st December 2012.

We will be closed for Christmas on the following dates:
From Monday 24th December 2012 to Tuesday 1st January 2013.

We will re-open 08:30 Wednesday 2nd January 2013.

To ensure deliveries arrive to you BEFORE Christmas please note the following:

NEXT DAY orders must be placed by 1pm on Thursday 20th December

THREE DAY orders must be placed by 1pm on Tuesday 18th December

Orders placed over the holidays will be processed and despatched on Wednesday 2nd January.

We would like to wish all our customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Stuck for a Christmas present?

There's always someone on the list that has a big fat '?' next to their name.

We have found the solution!!

BUY THEM A BATMOBILE...

Ancient mouldings...

We know how GRP moulds are used these days, whether they be for cars, boats, sculptures or any number of other applications.

The process of moulding is by no means a new one, however, as shown by this ancient Mayan terracotta mould.

Right hand image has been generated to show how the castings may have looked.

Gromit Unleashed in Bristol!

60 giant fibreglass Gromit sculptures are to be 'Unleashed' on Bristol in July next year.

Customer Focus: Names In Lights

For the very first Customer Focus, we spoke to Names In Lights. Based in Wirral, they make custom decorative lights – mainly in the shape of words, although they have been known to dabble in something a little different. The lights are made using our clear cast resin, strengthening and UV additives, and occasionally our gelcoats and topcoats on bespoke projects.

We spoke to Jill Bonner, one of the partners there, about how they came to create their lights and how they do it.

Shipping Container Supplies

Do you have a shipping container that’s in need of some TLC?
Why not visit CFS’s new website – www.shippingcontainersupplies.com. We’ve got everything you need to keep your container looking its best, including rust treatment, industrial paints and primers, traffic film remover and much more.

We aim to be the one-stop-shop for all your shipping container maintenance needs. If there's anything you need that we don't currently supply, drop us a line at sales@cfsnet.co.uk and we'll see what we can do!

Life Casting with Grotesque FX Studio

Just in time for Halloween, we went down to see Steve Hollins at the spooky Grotesque FX Studio in Camborne, and watched him work his magic on Alex, our very own Technical Advisor. Alex wanted a mould of his head taken, and Steve is just the man for the job. 


Steve's workshop appears very unassuming as you approach, but when you open the door you're greeted by a sea of disembodied heads, hands and feet, as well as some creatures that have never been seen before...

The whole process of life casting is very involved, and Alex went through various stages - from bald cap, right through to mummification!