working with fiberglass

[Clip]

looked on the web, through the library, and searched on here. if i wanted to start working with fiberglass, where should i begin? is this simple process correct, for making a glassed console cover?

make a mold of the console

use fiberglass strips and resin to make layers and add reinforcement to the general shape

peel the mold away

sand and paint?

ive also heard about making a wooden frame, stretching thin cloth over it and using resin to harden it up (especially sub boxes) and then sand and paint.

which way is best?

 

[SupraDerk]

That'll be pretty hard. You could do it a few ways. You could make a frame and then either cover the frame in t-shirt or some other cloth and then lay some fiberglass mat on it and then the resis. OR use fleece to cover the wood frame and then just lay the resin on the fleece

Or you could cover the lid in tin foil to get your mold. Then take the lid out of one side of the tin foil and then mold the tin foil back so you get the shape of the lid again and then lays some fiberglass mat and resin over the tin foil. You'd have to find some way to be able to place it so that you can get the mat and resin over the whole shape though.

Then let it cure overnight or for a full day, depending on the weather, and then sand your little hard out.

 

[Clip]

my fault, wasnt clear on the parts i was aiming for. just had my armrest recovered. i was referring to the trim around my climate control, radio, and shifter.

 

[Yellow 13]

You can get fiberglass materials cheaper from Boat stores compared to Home Depot. Dont forget to get a respirator and all the proper materials before starting cause its bad stuff for your lungs.

Either way will work, but youll get better results with the mold since its already the size you want.

If you go with the wood and cloth method you want to use like a house paint brush and cut the bristles short so they dont bend too much and jab the resin into the cloth instead of smear it on then place fiberglass sheets. For molds I usually cover what I want in foil and go from there.

Dont forget to use the right amount of drying chemical (Forgot what its called) depending on the weather/temperature. you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to work.


Edit: Also get something you can even out the air bubbles out with or else it will come out funky and significantly weaker. The less air bubbles the better. If you get any uneveness or anything you can use autobody filler (bondo, Rage gold works better IMO) to fill it in and make it all even.

 

[Clip]

right. is the best molding material just some aluminum foil, kinda like that nonstick renoylds?

 

[Yellow 13]

Foil is my weapon of choice. Any kind should do.

I hear of some people using garbage bags but Ive never tried it.

 

[Clip]

would the foil side i apply glass to matter that much?

 

[Yellow 13]

Foil should be the same on both sides.

If you cant peel the foil from the glass when its dried then You simply grind it off if you want, but since its gonna be on the inside I dont think itll matter to much.

 

[Clip]

ok. just to make this blindingly clear, i foil my center console cover, apply my glass to it and then break the whole mold away from the original; then start applying more layers to it?

 

[Yellow 13]

http://www.carstereo.com/help/fbglass.cfm

Not the one I was looking for but it should work.

 

[Yellow 13]

ok. just to make this blindingly clear, i foil my center console cover, apply my glass to it and then break the whole mold away from the original; then start applying more layers to it?

I work with the mold on what im making and then use a dremel to cut off the mold when its all dry. Then add my layers to that.

Another option is to foil the cover then make a thin paper mache mold over it, after that you can foil the paper mache then make a cover around that so you dont have to worry about the original cover.

 

[Clip]

thanks for the link, thats what i was looking for.

 

[Yellow 13]

More helpful than me lol

...Puts the smirnoff down.

 

[Clip]

haha, anyone else care to chime in?