Figuring cubic feet for fiber glass encloser

[Highroller]

I'm really new to the wonderful world of fabricating. I've never done this before. I have a 1994 Acura integra.

1) My question is how do you come up with the correct cubic feet for the enclosure or you just guestimate the cubic feet by looking at the area where you fabricate it for and said yes I think this is perfect or close to the correct cubicfeet based on previous MDF boxes you have built?

2) Apart from using just spray adhesive on the back of the mold to hold the fleece, what else do you use? staples screws etc or will they crack the fiber glass.

Thanks for your help


each one teach one

[kingpin_jeffie]

1.) I just figure out roughly what the volume is going to be by using simple math formulas. From that point on its mostly guessing. Not too hard to do.

2.) The resin pretty much holds everything in place nice and tight. Staples would probably work though.

[iammiowngod]

i assume that your box is a funky shape so thats why its hard to guess the volume. well i just made a truck box, a kinde of volcano shape and when i got the fleece on it and was ready to slap it with reson i first filled it with packing penuts then emptyed it out into a cardboard box and calculated the volume the packing penuts took up. easy and accurate!
-brian

[Gauntlet]

The most accurate way to measure the volume is to fill it up with water......1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons. If you just want a rough estimate, go with the packing peanuts, but if you need a precise measurement to figure out port size or something of the like, then use water.

http://school.discovery.com/homeworkhelp/webmath/convert_volume.html

As far as applying fleece to the mold, just use spray adhesive or hot glue, don't use staples. Don't worry about the fleece coming over the mold too much and not having it fit as snug and all that mess; after its all dried you can just use your dremel to sand it down so everything becomes flush.

[iammiowngod]

true but the disadvantege with that is it has to be finished, or at least coated with resin.
-brian