jons2000z24 wrote:so whats your secret to keep it all smooth what tolls do you use
from what ive seen is people rush putting the cloth/matting on and dont take there time and it ends up chunky and needs tons of sanding your best bet is to just take your time making your frame and laying on the fabric to get the structure right so you dont fiberglass anything you dont need to. then take your time laying down the mat so it lays down flat. people dont realise the the most time consuming part is the sanding, the fiberglassing is really relativly easy but when people do the fiberglassing sloppy and have tons to sand down allot of time they get frustrated and give up.
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how would you go about installing a piece like that? it seems like you covered up the screw holes...
i just ask because thats the only part i cant ever figure out, is how to reattach the part after i have glassed over it, keep in mind i have never actually tried yet, but putting all the steps together in my head i cant seem to figure it out.. im sure its pretty obvious, but someone telling and explaining it to me in words before hand would be helpful.. a few examples of how to reattach certian parts after being glassed over
and another thing i would like to know is what type of safety equipment and areas should work like this be done in? gloves, ventilated area? just things like that are important for first time users of fiberglass.
thanks man, you might have just convinced me to take up glassing.
Thanks Bryan.....as far as re-installing that piece, i got rid of the center screw hole, so it will be held in by the 2 stock clips that pop in up front....if that makes sense, lol.
as far as safety gear, etc.......when glassing I highly suggest using latex or nitrile gloves. i use nitrile(blue) just because they seem alot easier to work with than latex IMO. I also suggest wearing a respirator. now I used to use one, but I just have a hard time breathing thru them and end up getting more light headed than when i dont wear one, but I wouldnt follow my example. also, it helps some to wear long sleeves as fiberglass can cause you to itch like crazy.....one more thing that doesnt affect me, lol.
and lastly, DO NOT try and glass in your basment next to a furnace or something like that. i work out in my garage so i have plenty of ventilation, and can open the window/door if needed to vent more.
Joey....I've tried glassing before and my biggest problem was mixing the hardener with the resign. On the can of resign, it say 12 drops of hardener per ounce of resign. I always mixed about 4-5 ounces at a time. The first few times I mixed the proper amount of hardener:resign. It would get hard way before I needed it to. After the first few times of that happening, I backed off the amount of hardener to resign. I would make it about 6 drops of hardener per ounce of resign. It would still get hard before i needed it to. So i just gave up. lol. I want to start glassing again, but don't want to run into that problem again. How should I go about it?
start off with very small amount of fiberglass so you can get your mixture right, once you get the right ratio down you can just start basically doubling your mixture. just start small and work your way up. as far as saftey, yes a well ventilated area. sucks my garage has an alcove with our hvac unit built in so i can't fiberglass in the winter. also a respirater is very important. most important when you are sanding. fiberglass dust is extremely sharp and can cause serious damage to your lungs. i know a buddy that had serious issues with his lungs bleeding from inhaling to much fiberglass dust.
as far as screw holes. i try to keep them. you can use like a hollow tube and fiberglass around it and then flush it with your shape so you can still get a screwdriver in there or various other ways. its just one of those things that you have to work into your design. not to down on easy's project because i know it was more to show how to do it then anything but i'd try to keep the screw holes esp if you drive the car. (not as important if its just a show queen.) or in an accident that speaker could become a projectile.
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^^^another way to do quality sotck mounting holes, is using metal washers, and glassing them in right from the start...makes for a very flush, perfect stock bolt hole.
k this may soound kinda dumb but u just said you use the 440 resin but in the pics u have the 404 resin.. did u just make a typo by chance?? and whats the diff between all of them on that site??
19sunfire99 wrote:k this may soound kinda dumb but u just said you use the 440 resin but in the pics u have the 404 resin.. did u just make a typo by chance?? and whats the diff between all of them on that site??
wow, i didnt even notice that when it came. i did order the 440, but they apparently sent me the 404.
from what im told, the 404 is a better resin than the 440, but either one will get the job done well.
alright thanks alot.. ill hav to order sum up as i plan to start fiberglassing or attempting to by the end of the year
Just kinda curious.. what is the main difference between fiberglass mat and cloth.. which is easier or does it all depend on the application?? I really want to start glassing, but just want to make sure i know most everything before i start..
thx in advance
~Jeff
Joey Baggs (Eazy716) wrote:19sunfire99 wrote:k this may soound kinda dumb but u just said you use the 440 resin but in the pics u have the 404 resin.. did u just make a typo by chance?? and whats the diff between all of them on that site??
wow, i didnt even notice that when it came. i did order the 440, but they apparently sent me the 404.
from what im told, the 404 is a better resin than the 440, but either one will get the job done well.
if i`m not mistaken 440 is a polester resin and what they sent was an isothalic resin witch is better stands up to more heat among other things. i`ve been in the fiberglass industry for 22 years trust me there is no secret to getting it to lay flat but practice. as far as mixing it there is a formula what we do is mix it by weight our catalyst is measured in c.c witch is cubic centimeters add so many cc per pound of resin if you find it goes hard too fast go a little less till you get a good mixture. Just on a side note be carefull when handling catalyst (hardner) if you get it on bare skin it will burn you!!! Any other questions just ask i hope this helps some of you
Jeffrey LaFond wrote:Just kinda curious.. what is the main difference between fiberglass mat and cloth.. which is easier or does it all depend on the application?? I really want to start glassing, but just want to make sure i know most everything before i start..
thx in advance
~Jeff
It depends on the application and your preference. The thinner stuff is easier to work with in tight spots or on curves while the thicker stuff is better for flatter areas and where you need thickness.
The best part of glassing is making mistakes. I can just about guarantee you'll use too much hardener your first few times and get a minute or so before your resin hardens.
Jeffrey LaFond wrote:Just kinda curious.. what is the main difference between fiberglass mat and cloth.. which is easier or does it all depend on the application?? I really want to start glassing, but just want to make sure i know most everything before i start..
thx in advance
~Jeff
the cloth is stronger, but takes more time to build an area up. i personally prefer the cloth. but if im looking to build an area up quickly i'll use the mat.
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joe loved the write up man, very nice job...i fwd'd it to a few people who really found it helpful. trade me dash pads
sndsgood wrote:Jeffrey LaFond wrote:Just kinda curious.. what is the main difference between fiberglass mat and cloth.. which is easier or does it all depend on the application?? I really want to start glassing, but just want to make sure i know most everything before i start..
thx in advance
~Jeff
the cloth is stronger, but takes more time to build an area up. i personally prefer the cloth. but if im looking to build an area up quickly i'll use the mat.
Thanks very much^^^^ now i just need to find somewhere to start... boo winter
THanks Kris.
Jeffrey - Jason is correct in his reply. I personally only use cloth on long flat areas, then anything else like corners, rounds, misc shapes i use mat. Cloth is alot easier to lay down on flat areas, but for some reason i prefer the mat in most situations.
so wheres part 2???
also, even though this may have been covered, what weight glass does everyone prefer for what projects?
