to anyone who has worked with fiberglass...... I was wondering if it'd be possible to take a truck hood lay a sheet of the fiberglass cloth over the section I need (for the buggy) and resin it.... the real question is will it come off????

If there is another way to do this fill me in please thanks....

nick i wish i could tell ya something man- but i don't have a clue on glass work- hey im off friday but should have your driveline disconect ready or close monday- sorry its soo late i was sick all week last week not working real fast- Jess :D

first you need to wax the so the glass doesnt stick.
then go resin glass cloth than resin.
if you have any questions pm me my inlaws are all commecial fishermen and work with glass all the time.

Toy family....... the secret weapon for working with fiberglass is clear packing tape ( the kind you use on cardboard boxes ) and Pam non stick cooking spray........ on the part of the hood that you want completly cover the area with clear packing tape ( good thing it's cheap...) with minimal overlap ( get's too bumpy)


spray with Pam........ or use lemon fresh Pledge....... or if you're flush with $$$ get some actual mold release wax


use a layer or two of Mat first ( preferrably a finer weight )

then a few layers of cloth ( maybe throw in a layer of woven roving if you want it to be totally bulletproof , but not as the final layer...)

let the resin kick off and pull your masterpiece off of the "plug" ( usually the tape comes with it, either way it won't F/up the paint underneath )

hit it with the D/A sander and a little putty here and there

voila!

Try

:D :D :Dfiberglass supplies (http://www.fibreglast.com/)

Get into the 20th century, Use Baltec mat and you will never use the old shit again!

Is there a TAP plastics in Chico?

Baltec mat is 9.00/sq/yd

thanks for the info

so if I used the tape deal the steps are:

PAM
resin
resined cloth
resin

how many layers is necessary and how many resins...
Remember this doesn't have to be bullet proof but stay in shape and hold some sponsor stickers :D

thanks

Mylar tape
PAM:D
Polyester resin .....there are two kinds.. Waxed and unwaxed.. get waxed you need to mix the resin with MEKP hardener.
the fiberglass shop should be able to help you with mixing the right amount
Fiberglass mat ( the stuff with strands going in all different directions) wet the mat out with resin using a cheapo throwaway brush.make sure to wet out all the air bubbles..so the inside of the glass looks reasonable..

then while the first layer is still wet lay on a piece of fiberglass cloth ( the stuff that is woven..) wet it out too, keep doing this to build up thickness and strength (ie: layer of mat then layer of cloth)
for the last layer use mat... mostly because it's easier to sand out than cloth.. so you can have a smooth sticker-application area
;)
If you have to stop and the Waxed resin "kicks" off and dries you will need to sand it before doing another layer..
If youre using the fiberglass for your hood and you plan on rolling the truck a lot........:D it would be wise to have a Brother like mine who is excellent at fiberglass repair...
I would say the minimum is three layers
that being said my hood is probably 6 layers and I can stand on it (250#...) no problem

If you use the hood as a mold, then the glass hood will be to big:confused:

Originally posted by Keith
If you use the hood as a mold, then the glass hood will be to big:confused:

I was just thinking the same thing. Remember that the smallest part of the hood you make is going to be larger than the largest part of the hood you just cast from. does that make any sense to you?

Originally posted by Keith
If you use the hood as a mold, then the glass hood will be to big:confused:

I also was thinking this same thing too.:rasta:

I think what you'll need to do is use your hood as a mold to make a glass mold then use that to make your fiberglass hood then your glass hood will be the exact size and shape of the steel hood.

It's been way too many years since I did anything with fibreglass but you may as well make a mold of the hood and then make copies.Like has been said,just copying it will be to big.After you make the mold building more hoods will be easy,hell you could even sell them.

If you put glass on the hood and pop it off, you dudnt make a part, you made a female mold. It may or may not matter depending on how exact of a fit you need.

Mat is for hot tubs not car parts. Polyester resin also sucks, use epoxy. It is way more expensive, but $25.00 worth will do your project and it will be indestuctible, epoxy remains ductile when dry.

Airzukis advice is pretty much what I do, but lay down cloth first and then saturate it with resin. Use just enough resin to turn the glass clear. The more resin you use, the weaker the part.

scawfish....... I am only trying to keep it as simple as possible

yes the hood will be too big ( I am assuming that only a portion is going to be used anyways)

indeed Epoxy resins are far stronger than polyester ( personally I am not too fond of any product that my body develops an allergic reaction to over time ... epoxy is fawking bad for you, having spent part of a summer spraying epoxy tank linings ask me how I know...)

what the heck is wrong with mat???? ( cheap and very forgiving for the non-expert , makes a damn good hot tub too;) ;) )

for a cheap ,easy to replace or repair, lightweight place to put sponsor decals..... you do not need vaccuum bagged kevlar/graphite etc...... plain ol' glass works fine

Originally posted by Keith
If you use the hood as a mold, then the glass hood will be to big:confused:

It'll fit, all I need is the shape of the hood, the size doen't matter as long as I get the width right to fit the tubing.....that's the cool thing about a custom buggy.....everything seems to fit, because there is no right fit......look at the fenders they fit and I just hung them there...

and about breakage...I have flopped this 7x and the hood is untouched the fenders only hit

thanks for all the info

Nick

Airzuki_ I realize the guy doesnt want to make a missle casing or anything, but if its going to be on a comp buggy, I was trying to help his durability.

I dont like mat for a couple of reasons. Mat is very stiff compared to glass cloth, and is actually much harder to get it to conform to compound curves etc. The fibers in mat are also loose and start to move around if the piece needs to be worked, which is also a pita for beginers. Finally the short, irregular strands in mat make weaker parts than any other style of glass. So why does it exist...it is supposed to be used for pieces that need thickness and bulk, but not ultimate strength...eg hot tubs.

Epoxy is nasty shiat, but wear gloves and be careful and this hood won't hurt anyone. At least it doesnt stink nearly as bad as polyester. Spraying epoxy is the next level...yikes...glad your still with us.

Originally posted by scwafish


Epoxy is nasty shiat, but where gloves and be careful and this hood won't hurt anyone. Spraying it in the air...yikes...glad your still with us.

Boy I'm :confused: :confused: Polyester or Vinyl Ester is by far more nasty then the West Systems epoxy I work with on a regular basis. Were are you guys finding nasty epoxy? I have used all the TAP epoxy products and there all VERY VERY mild in comparison to Polyester!

Old Scout-Polyester does smell much worse, but Airzuki is right that epoxy resin is actually much more toxic to the user. I prefer epoxy myself, which is why I recommended it.

Thanks Scawfish. I work with Nitric and Hydrofluoric Acid everyday so I guess I'm a little thick skined .:D

Here is some info on Bal-tec mat

http://www.geocities.com/precisework/Mat_hybrids.html

The stuff is ausome!

How about using kevlar instead of glass? I would think the abrasion and inpact resistance would be great for fenders. What do you guys think?

Originally posted by cruiserrg
How about using kevlar instead of glass? I would think the abrasion and inpact resistance would be great for fenders. What do you guys think?
I think that ToyFamily is more interested in building a couple of cheap pieces than making one which is indestructible and costs twenty times as much.