FreeShip- FGR-95 Gypsum Cement, Epoxy Substitute for Fiberglass Layup, & Forton Component- (Prompt rebate on orders with 3+ FreeShip items!)

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Please note the "instructions" are in this description.
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Brief instructions (see below for more details at "More on how to use"):
Please note that this material has a recommended proportioning of 32 parts of water to 100 parts of FGR-95. It is a thick but pourable mix. As with all gypsum cements and plaster, it's much more accurate if you proportion it by weighing. It eliminates any guesstimating and results in the optimal end product.
Gypsum cement shares the basic principles as plaster mixing: Always add the cement to the water, never the other way around.
Slowly sift the powder into the correct amount of water, let the water wick up the mound of powder and wet it, then start stirring. Use cold water at first, it will extend the working time. Use disposable plastic cups to mix it in (if you reuse a container it will accelerate the set so you won't have time to mix).

This is an "alpha" gypsum cement. Most gypsum cements in use like hydrostone, ultracal, duracal, drystone, etc are not alpha cements. FGR 95 and FGR 115 from USG Corp and Densite HL from Georgia Pacific are the only three I know of. This is usually referred to as just "FGR-95" but it's full name is "Hydrocal FGR-95". It is similar to regular hydrocal but it's been formulated to be compatible with fiberglass ("E" glass) and to be compatible with the polymers that go with the Forton MG casting system. Forton MG needs an alpha-calcium sulfate hemihydrate gypsum cement, which is what this is. Note that this does not contain any fiberglass, it is simply compatible with fiberglass and will adhere to fiberglass due to the type of gypsum cement it is.
But FGR-95 can be used for applications outside the Forton system. As stated it is compatible with fiberglass and so can be used with fiberglass as the binder instead of the usual epoxy or unsaturated polyester. Here's what the manufacturer of FGR-95 (USG Corp) says about it { https://www.usg.com/content/usgcom/en/products/industrial/architectural-ornamentation/hydrocal-fgr-95-and-hydrocal-fgr-115.html } :
"Hydrocal® FGR 95 is a fast-setting gypsum cement designed for strong, resilient glass-reinforced product fabrication. Superior fire retardant properties allow for code-compliant installations in a variety of public and private structures.
Hydrocal® FGR 95 and Hydrocal® FGR 115 are high-strength gypsum cements specially formulated for use with glass fiber for fabricating glass-reinforced architectural details. Both are alpha hemihydrate gypsum-based materials, with low water requirements that result in high-strength, high-density pieces.
MAIN FEATURES
Hydrocal® FGR 95:
Produces lightweight, thin-cast, fire-resistant architectural details
Superior fabrication flexibility – from simple cornices to ornate capitals and medallions
Effectively duplicates pieces formerly made of plaster, wood, concrete and stone
Overcomes building fire code incompatibilities faced by many plastics – at roughly one-third the cost of filled polyesters
Exceptionally quick set – 50-70 minutes with manual application
Accepts most coatings and finishes."
Here is another site that describes FGR-95 { https://www.reynoldsam.com/product/hydrocal-fgr-95/ } :
"Hydrocal® FGR-95 Gypsum Cement is specially formulated to set fast, develop high strength, and permit fabrication of strong, resilient glass-reinforced products. The superior fire retardant properties allow for safe, code-compliant installation in all types of public and private structures. Can be used in combination with FORTON® VF 812 or duoMatrix® G polymer additive systems for alpha gypsums that greatly enhances physical and performance properties."

To use it to best advantage outside the Forton system, it requires the addition of chopped fiberglass 3/4" strands of fiberglass, although it can also be used in 'hand-layup' of fiberglass cloth. This makes for a lighter end product because it's meant to be a relatively thin hollow layer material, not a solid casting. USG considers architectural moldings to be the main application, but many other uses, like lightweight hollow large sculpture are possible.
Note that Forton MG and USG are 2 separate entities, so the applications and usage of FGR-95 advertised by the two don't necessarily coincide. Yet another application for stand-alone FGR-95 is solid castings:
"A very special product that is extremely versatile. Originally intended for use as a laminating material with fiberglass for thin wall construction, FGR-95 can also be cast solid (although the people at U.S. Gypsum may not admit it) into a wide variety of mold materials. A bright white in color, this material lends itself very well to accepting a multitude of modifiers and additives. Fine aggregates can be used with it; metal powders can be used with it; the possibilities are endless. It is even modified with a retarder to give you ample working time, and when cured, has a ceramic like feel."

When FGR-95 is used with the Forton MG system:
Here is an excellent source for information on mixing and using FGR-95 with the forton MG system (and where to purchase the 4 components that make up the Forton MG system:
https://www.smooth-on.com/products/forton-fmg/
"Forton® MG or FMG is a four component system which consists of an alpha gypsum blended with three specialty additives. FMG is based on the VF-812 water based polymer emulsion (50% solids) and greatly enhances the physical properties of alpha gypsum products. VF-812 drastically reduces water permeability, making it suitable for both interior and exterior applications (for exterior use, product must be sealed – see “Finishing” section).
The Forton® MG system is easy to use and can be cast solid, rotationally cast, laid up by hand with glass fiber or sprayed. Fully cured pieces can be painted, sanded, machined and polished. FMG is used to make lightweight pieces that are very strong and water-resistant. Applications include making architectural elements, reproducing sculpture and special effects."
Another good resource is { https://pinkhouse.com/forton } :
""The Forton MG Casting System is odorless and easy to use for solid and hollow castings. The procedure is essentially like that used for casting in polyester resin and fiberglass. Forton is easier to work with, so a casting made with this material takes less time to complete. Furthermore; patching, sanding and finishing are all easier on a casting made of Forton than on a casting made of polyester resin or epoxy. An additional advantage is that, unlike polyester and epoxy resins, Forton may be cast directly into an alginate mold. From the standpoint of health and safety the Forton casting system is considerably less hazardous when compared with polyester resin or epoxy casting."

More on how to use ("instructions"):
Weighing is always the best way. If you have a digital lab scale that will measure grams (they are very inexpensive nowadays, check Amazon), weigh out the water and the gypsum cement powder. These types of gypsum cements want to be correctly proportioned. They are deflocculated like clay slips are (thus the thixotropy) to minimize the amount of water needed.

If you don't have a scale?
Forget about all of the above and do this instead (it's a bunch of guesstimating):

Start with just a 4 or 6 oz container with a small amount of water (couple tablespoons or so) in it and start sifting FGR-95 into it. Keep adding until you've got a mound of powder a half inch or so out of the water. Wait some seconds to see how high the water wicks up the mound for future reference (it should be just high enough to suck about all the water up into the mound), then start stirring. It should be paste-like but still stirable, and still be able to wet all the powder into a smooth consistency. If it stirs too easily you don't have enough powder in it. Sprinkle a little more in, since this is just a test. It should take some noticeable effort to stir. When you think you're there, pour it out of the cup onto some flat surface. Tap the cup as you pour. If it was a larger amount (like a quart), gravity would provide some force to keep it moving and pouring. It should form a thickish puddle on a flat surface and then stop flowing as its momentum slows. If it all flows off the surface you used too much water. If it won't pour out of the cup with tapping, just spoon it out onto your surface, then tap the surface. If it stays as an unmoving blob of cookie dough and doesn't spread out then you used too little water.

It would help if you repeat that a few times with just very small amounts until you get a feel for how far you can push the water/FGR-95 proportion towards very viscous, but still being able to flow with tapping. The setting time is dependent on temperature, thickness of the casting, and the proportion of water/cement you ended up using. Poke at the puddle over the next hour or so to get a feel for how fast it sets. Using warm water speeds the set.
All of the above guess work is eliminated if you have a scale.

Here is some general information on Gypsum Cements, alpha-calcium sulfate hemihydrate or not:
USG is the largest manufacturer of plasters and gypsum cements in the world and this is one of their products. There are maybe a dozen different gypsum cements. Think of them as "super" plaster. You mix them with water using the same tools and methods as plaster (if you're not familiar, the basics are: sift the plaster/gypsum cement gradually into the correct amount of clean water, then mix. Those last two are crucial. You must use the correct water/plaster ratio or your end product won't be as strong, and the better you mix it the better the physical properties will be. A jiffy mixer on a drill is preferable). There are charts from the manufacturer that give the water/plaster ratio for each type of plaster/gypsum cement.
If you've used plaster but never the higher grades of gypsum cements, you're going to be surprised with how "thick" they are. One of the things that make them so strong is the relative-to-plaster low water ratio you need to use. They've added deflocculants so they will flow with a very little added water. As a result of the low water usage it is very much a thixotropic material: stirring it (making it move) will allow pouring it, but if it sits motionless it will become paste-like. You just need to get it moving by stirring it so you can cast it.
Here's a nice brief chart giving essential mixing info (from Laguna Clay):
http://www.lagunaclay.com/support/plaster-mixing.php
Here's a technical pdf on plasters and gypsum cements from USG, how to mix and use them:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0ahUKEwj_iqqoxN3OAhVB2WMKHU_uDB0QFgg3MAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usg.com%2Fcontent%2Fdam%2FUSG_Marketing_Communications%2Funited_states%2Fproduct_promotional_materials%2Ffinished_assets%2Fplaster-mixing-procedures-application-en-IG503.pdf&usg=AFQjCNF7ckKZCt9Ad99M16sXqZZjjZN5aA

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Reviews

Reviews (5)

Average:

Aug 19, 2022

Fast shipping. Excellent customer service. Great products! Definitely recommend!

Lu LG

Jun 30, 2021

I cannot say enough about this seller. Through my own stupidity I ordered the wrong product. And to top that off, I was not careful when I stated my case for a return. I realized they had filled my order perfectly. They were gracious and customer oriented in every way and helped me maneuver through the process. Over and above what they needed to do for me. Thank you so much!! Would recommend to everyone!!!!

Denise Slucher

Aug 8, 2020

Quick delivery. Product works very well. Thank you

Maryl Ice

Jun 21, 2020

Dayson

Oct 9, 2019

This material is most commonly found in 100 pound bags. I needed a small sample to find out if it would fit my needs. It dried too fast for my purposes, but that is no reflection on the quality of the product, only a learning that my need was not an intersect with this product. I am glad I could buy this sample here with quick shipping instead of having a useless 100 pound bag setting around. Thank You

Dave Thornburg