Usenet Newsgroups
Dateline: 05/26/97This week, let's take a quick look at some of the newsgroups which discuss composite materials. There is no group dedicated solely to composites, so it takes a bit of searching to find discussions on the topic.
The only group which discusses composites on a regular basis is rec.boats.building. You will find new postings about composites just about every day. Most of the discussions are very practical. Recent topics have included material suppliers, vacuum bagging, use of foam and honeycomb cores, and repair methods. Most of the people who post are boat owners, but professional builders and resin formulators regularly respond, too.
You can find composite discussions on other groups dedicated to sports which use composites, but don't expect as much. rec.bicycles.tech has some decent discussions, primarily on repairing composite frames, but they are few and far between. A common recurring thread revolves around the benefits of composite versus metal frames. Although this discussion can be technically interesting, it often becomes a simple listing of opinions (this frame feels good, that frame feels flimsy, etc.).
Other sports-related groups which have some composite discussions include rec.aviation.homebuilt, alt.skate-board, alt.sport.racquetball, rec.boats.paddle, rec.models.rockets, and rec.sport.tennis. Most of the threads in those groups mainly mention composites as a key material in the sport's equipment, but occasionally someone will ask a question such as "What's a composite?", and an often inaccurate discussion will follow. The homebuilt newsgroup has surprisingly few composite threads for a product which uses the materials so extensively.
For more technical discussions of composites, try the groups sci.engr, sci.engr.manufacturing, sci.engr.mech, sci.materials, and sci.polymers. Because these groups are not dedicated to composites, they cover a wide range of other topics. However, most people who work with composites should be interested in the other topics. For example, the sci.engr groups often talk about CAD programs, finite element programs, and other analytical techniques. Although not directly related to composites, these are tools used by composite engineers.