fiberglassing?
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TECH Apprentice
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 377
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From: Salem, Indiana
fiberglassing? ive never fiberglassed before and i would like to try it and master it but is it very difficult to do? i would like to fiberglass a hood scoop on and thn get it painted but i duno if its just to hard to do!?
its a bitch i would learn on some small projects then tackel the hood i fiberglassed a center councle for my girlfriend (first time ive ever fiberglassed) and lets just say it didnt turn out like i planned it. but i see wear your are comeing from because i would also like to master it too.
On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 149
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From: oxford, alabama
It is a pain in the *** even when you can do it well. Its not that hard but all the work and stickiness makes it a pain. You have fiberglass strands stuck to your hands even if you wear gloves. The resin gets everywhere. I would just practice on something small like the above post says.
Its not too bad, take your time and be prepaired to screw it up a time or two. It does make one hell of a mess, and you will have fiberglass all over your hands & arms and it will itch like a **** for a day or two. Good news is your hands wouln't itch because they will be covered with resin. 
Work as smooth as you can, a little more work earley on makes for a lot less work later on when it comes time to start honing in your final shape. Resin is a bitch to sand. Good luck
Work as smooth as you can, a little more work earley on makes for a lot less work later on when it comes time to start honing in your final shape. Resin is a bitch to sand. Good luck
i freakin hate fiberglass, i like how it looks when done properly but i am super sensitive to it and even when sanding on glass i have to cover my arms and neck. i am starting to itch right now just thinking about it....
If you do decide to try it use fiberglass mat and polyester resin. I hav edone this numerous times if you want to pm or call me i can step you through it.
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On The Tree
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 149
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From: oxford, alabama
I forgot to mention. If you do end up with fiberglass in your hands/arms/whatever, here is a tip. I sat in a doctors office for 5 hours. Once he actually called me into the room and I told him I had fiberglass all in my arms and hands he said "well all I can say is go home and get masking tape. Put it on your arm or hand and pull it off in all different directions. Then just rub the masking tape on it sticky side down". It was a great tip. It gets it out quick and easy.
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I've delt with "glass " quite a bit . The best tips I can give outside of normal procedures for body work,.... No butt joints, overlap and grind thin as much as you can. The joint will eventually bleed through. Scratch as deep as possible, 24,36, or 40 grit. When resin cures it produces a "wax" on the surface and this must be removed before you proceed with more resin or surfacer or anything. Speaking of surfacer use a polyester, it sticks great but top coat doesn't like it much so follow with a urathane sealer or surfacer. One more thing ,resin cures more with heat than time and needs it to "gas-out" When I paint a corvette it takes a month or two so don't rush it. Good luck
TECH Resident
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 840
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From: SE OHIO
Hey man I'm just trying to give something back, I've learned a lot from this forum. The correct terminolgy is FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) The name Fiberglass is a trade name owned by Corning Glass.....Corvettes since73 or so and late model cars use SMC (sheet molded compound) which is more plastic like and uses a different resin...............beotch!
Hey man I'm just trying to give something back, I've learned a lot from this forum. The correct terminolgy is FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) The name Fiberglass is a trade name owned by Corning Glass.....Corvettes since73 or so and late model cars use SMC (sheet molded compound) which is more plastic like and uses a different resin...............beotch!
I tackled it when I did my T Top conversion and it wasn't that bad. It was however pretty small areas so I wasn't using a TON of resin or glass. One tip I found to be extremely helpful was to lay Saran Wrap over the glass / resin once you have it laid down. You can smooth the Saran Wrap down with your bare fingers and it wont' stick to the glass. Then once it's hardened after about 30 min or so you just peel the wrap off and you have a decent finish to start sanding on. I found it very helpful to keep the peaks and valleys to a minimum. It makes a nice flat surface to start with before sanding.
Fiberglass is an adventure into the unknown. The reason i say that is because the little details with grinding ,overlapping, filling, spreading etc. most guys have little things they do involved in that, that makes a big difference in durability,look, and finish. the best thing to do is call a buddy and go through every step and get every little detail and trick they do. I would hate to write out everything on fiberglassin but for the most part "raffman" put down a lot of good basics. Sounds like he did it a couple of times too
