I gotta do it...I just gotta...

[sumone]

Okay so I'm on spring break next week, and I feel it's the perfect time to try fiberglassing some kick. take a look at the weather we're gonna be havin next week - 40s and 50s with only 2 days of raining & snowing! Even though I still have to work 5-6 hours every day, I feel it's the right time.

So...tryin to get my materials ready. As of now I'm only focusing on doing the fiberglassing part that requires you to be in the car.

So I'm gonna need (correct me if I'm wrong):
- some fiberglass mat
- some paint brushes
- some bondo (that's the resin right?)
- some hardener tubes
- some masking tape & aluminum foil

I got the 2x4x1/2 mdf, but I tried sawing with that jigsaw I got and I ended up cutting a 0.25 x 1 inch piece in a very crooked line. Keep in mind I was on my knees with my left arm slumped over the board to keep it steady (which I failed at) and my right arm holding the saw to cut it (cutting a piece from the top-right side of it). I don't know how the hell I'm gonna cut a circle for the baffle....

And as for trimming the fiberglass, I'm gonna do that with the rotary tool that I got from here. I just hope it can cut through the fiberglass.

I'm not worried about the mdf & trimming yet, I just wanna get the fiberglassin done first.

Oh yea, I'm not gonna screw them down either; I think if I just got some duct tape they'll stay in their place.

I've got gauntlet's tutorial saved locally to be printed out.

This should take less than 2 hours per side right? Cause I'm gonna have to start like 8/9 in the mornin or maybe I'll just do the left one day and the right another day.

So, no mask, no respirator, no garage; I hope this'll work out.

btw, the speakers are 6.5 cdt hd-62efs & cl-61s. also sbc's cutting our phone off over the weekend since we can't pay the bill and can do without it, so I won't be able to view this site until I don't know when (unless I'm at work and decide to get sidetrack and pop it up - I put in 99% when I work...)

So any comments, suggestions, let me know.

[LoneRanger]

First and foremost, i don't suggest using a mask or a respirator. Catching a buzz from the resin fumes is half the fun

Here's what you'll need:

Resin and hardener. They're sold as a pair. Lowes has a gallon for $23 and wal-mart sells quarts for $9. If you need a bunch, save yourself the time and money and buy the gallon.

Fleece. Not fiberglass mat. Mat doesn't streach and it comes apart when you start brushing on the resin. I'm sure it's great for repairing your bass boat, but for the application you're using, make it easy on yourself and just get some fleece (its cheaper too!)

Mixing cups. This can be anything from a disposable plastic cup to an old ice cream bucket. I personally save the little tubs that butter comes in just for 'glassing.

Paint Brushes. Buy the cheap ones (less than a dollar each) cause once the resin hardens on them, they're ruined.

Acetone. You use this stuff to thin out resin if it starts to get thick on ya. Also very helpful for cleanup if you happen to get some on your skin or on some metal. If you spill it on anything that will soak up liquids, don't even waste your time trying to clean it up. Its there forever.

Latex Gloves. Very important. Either the kind the doctor uses when he gives you the "turn your head and cough" test or the yellow/blue cleaning kind. Unless you have a good reason to have your fingers sticking to everything you touch for the next 48-72 hours, make sure you wear some gloves.

Patience. Lots and lots of patience. Chances are your first project won't turn out so great, but if you keep practicing you'll get it sooner or later.

If you run into any more snags, let me know and I'll do the best i can to help guide ya thru it.

And for gods sake, pay the internet bill before you go out and buy all this crap. The weather is only gonna get better, ya know

[Mark_ab]

I disagree with Don on his materials/supplies list slightly.
A) Get a respirator, we don't need to be losing any more brain cells than we need to, right?
B) Fleece is not an adequate subsititue for fiberglass matt - it's brittle and doesn't layer properly. Fleece is used once the mold is created in order to obtain the contours you desire out of your kick panels. Keep in mind you need to reinforce the fleece with at least one layer of FG mat (Depending on the type/thickness of the fleece. As stated, it is brittle and does not actually add a great deal of strength)

You will need a small-ish can of bondo for your work on finishing the kick panels, depending on how you plan on finishing them - whether it be carpet, vinyl, paint, or whatever.

You will also need some duct tape and petroleum Jelly (I prefer duct tape to aluminum foil by virtue of keeping true to the contours of the floor).

If you don't plan on securing the kick panels, try using some velcro. It would be awful for the pod to come loose and find its way under a brake peddle.

[sumone]

...isn't a fleece what those old navy sweater things are made of? I'm confused....

[helotaxi]

Fleece. Not fiberglass mat. Mat doesn't streach and it comes apart when you start brushing on the resin. I'm sure it's great for repairing your bass boat, but for the application you're using, make it easy on yourself and just get some fleece (its cheaper too!)

He'll need mat, too for the first mold for the base.

Unless you have a good reason to have your fingers sticking to everything you touch for the next 48-72 hours, make sure you wear some gloves.

Now I say that this is half the fun. Looking like "Teen Wolf" with long strands on glass fiber hanging off your hands is my favorite!

Patience. Lots and lots of patience. Chances are your first project won't turn out so great, but if you keep practicing you'll get it sooner or later.

Amen. I am on my second tire well in 3 days. I really didn't like the way the first one was coming out so I scrapped it. This one is going to be money. Pics will be up soon.

And for gods sake, pay the internet bill before you go out and buy all this crap. The weather is only gonna get better, ya know

Amen!

[LoneRanger]

I disagree with Don on his materials/supplies list slightly.
A) Get a respirator, we don't need to be losing any more brain cells than we need to, right?
B) Fleece is not an adequate subsititue for fiberglass matt - it's brittle and doesn't layer properly. Fleece is used once the mold is created in order to obtain the contours you desire out of your kick panels. Keep in mind you need to reinforce the fleece with at least one layer of FG mat (Depending on the type/thickness of the fleece. As stated, it is brittle and does not actually add a great deal of strength)

You will need a small-ish can of bondo for your work on finishing the kick panels, depending on how you plan on finishing them - whether it be carpet, vinyl, paint, or whatever.

You will also need some duct tape and petroleum Jelly (I prefer duct tape to aluminum foil by virtue of keeping true to the contours of the floor).

If you don't plan on securing the kick panels, try using some velcro. It would be awful for the pod to come loose and find its way under a brake peddle.

The thing about sniffing resin was a joke. That stuff is really bad for ya.

Every fiberglass project i've undertaken (except my dash), I've used fleece and nothing else. Once the initial coat of resin is hard and dry to the touch, give it with another thin coat. It's not brittle at all. I can actually bend my trunk panels a good bit and they just flex back to the original shape....maybe i'm just lucky.

Painters masking tape is a little better, in my opinion than duct tape. That stuff tends to leave nasty residue when you take it off.

The part about the petrol and bondo were oversights on my part. Thanks for the correction.

[sumone]

so let me get these points straight:

1. I don't really need fiberglass mat, all I need is a fleece. LoneRanger, you don't use ANY fiberglass mat, am I correct? Also, where can I get fleece from? acehardware.com didn't have any relevant matches and homedepot.com didn't have any.

2. what's the petroleum jelly for? cleanup like with acetone?

3. resin is bad to inhale. is it worse than elmer's glue? can I just cover my mouth/nose with some cloth/rag?

[Acidburn]

1. well i guess you could use only fleece, i used a couple layers of fiberglass cloth but i believe it is kind of just personal preference, you can get fleece from a fabric store or maybe even a craft store

2. the petroleum jelly is the "mold release agent" its so you can get the mold out of your car after it dries

3. the resin is 78834463 times worse than elmers glue, if elmers glue was water, resin would be everclear, i used a respirator and i could still smell it some through it

[LoneRanger]

so let me get these points straight:

1. I don't really need fiberglass mat, all I need is a fleece. LoneRanger, you don't use ANY fiberglass mat, am I correct? Also, where can I get fleece from? acehardware.com didn't have any relevant matches and homedepot.com didn't have any.

2. what's the petroleum jelly for? cleanup like with acetone?

3. resin is bad to inhale. is it worse than elmer's glue? can I just cover my mouth/nose with some cloth/rag?

1. fabric store. it's the crap they make baby blankets and jogging pants out of.

2. release agent. makes it to where the 'glass won't stick to the mold.

3. it's worse than sniffing markers while huffing duster. just do it outside where it's well ventilated and take breaks every 10-15 mins and just get away from the smell. if you start to get light headed or dizzy, go inside and take a breather. If you're a smoker like myself, try not to smoke too often while you're doing it....something about cigarette smoke and resin fumes combined makes me sick as hell. I'd suggest at least a cheap ventilator mask. they're like $2 for 5 at lowes.

[brandonloserkid]

respirators are a good purchase i got mine for $21 at home depot... better than those **** lay over peices of fabric paper... not to change the subject, made any progress on that dashboard don?

[jbl_marshall21]

i did all my fiberglass without a mask and respirator. i got headaches everytime i did it though.

[sumone]

..seems like I have a question for everything, sorry:

out of the matches on here which one would be the best for the job (excluding that $99 one)?

[sumone]

okay that link didn't work; (all it was search results from home depot on "respirator")

am I looking for:
1- organic vapor, paint & pesticide respirator
2- dust & mist respirator
3- fiberglass particulate respirator (is this for resin too though?)
4- respirator for paint lead removal
5- particulate respirator for woodwork/sanding

I'm gonna guess and say #1?

[brandonloserkid]

#1 is what i got, when you search respirator, its the one thats 19.97, it works better than a crappy paper mouth cover, but you can still smell the resin a little, so just take a couple breaks if you feel sick

[helotaxi]

1- organic vapor, paint & pesticide respirator
2- dust & mist respirator
3- fiberglass particulate respirator (is this for resin too though?)
4- respirator for paint lead removal
5- particulate respirator for woodwork/sanding

#1 is for chems and is what you want.
#2 is for an environment with lots of large particles in the air
#3 is for when you are cutting fiberglass (the fibers not the resin) with a cutting wheel or sanding it. The particles are much smaller than what is filtered by most masks and will tear your lungs up if you inhale a lot of it.
#4 is just what is says. Neutralizes the lead in the dust made when sanding off lead based paint
#5 is for wood particles. Not really tiny particles but they are an iritant to most people and cause allergic reactions in some when they come in contact with mucous membrane.