Fiberglass

[JessyBoy86]

I want to build custom A-pillar trim for my tweeters and maybe door panels for my 6.5.

I'm totally new to this but youtube is my best man and i'm sure i can handle myself.

Just want to know what grade of fiberglass roll i should buy....i see there's 2oz, 4oz, 6oz, 10oz. Wich one ? Typically, how many layers would i need to do ?

Feel free to throw any helpful tips at me !

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[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Thinner is easier to lay down in corners or angles.

Call up US Composites and tell them what you plan to do and they are very helpful explaining what product is best for your application. Might find polyester resin cheaper at auto parts store but the cloth is super cheap from US Composites.

 

[JessyBoy86]

Thinner is easier to lay down in corners or angles.
Call up US Composites and tell them what you plan to do and they are very helpful explaining what product is best for your application. Might find polyester resin cheaper at auto parts store but the cloth is super cheap from US Composites.

Good, thanks !

 

[tymoto21 10+ year member]

For tweeter pods you can just do felt and resin

No need to be bullet proof for tweeters

 

[ciaonzo 5,000+ posts]

Bondo and sand paper is your friend for the finishing touches. You got this.

 

[ashren315]

Does this stuff stick to the existing plastic trim panels? I have always understood that fiberglass resin would not bond to plastic.

 

[JohnKuthe]

Does this stuff stick to the existing plastic trim panels? I have always understood that fiberglass resin would not bond to plastic.

I'm not at all an expert in fiberglassing, etc. but have dabbled in it. And yes most plastics are pretty resistant to glues, epoxies, etc. like fiberglass resin basically is.

John Kuthe...

 

[NSTALN 10+ year member]

Cut the mat into small squares or strips it will be easier to deal with.

Do not mix the resin too hot…where you're new a this you will likely be slower and you risk the resin starting to kick before you've applied it all.

Mix small batches of resin until you're used to applying it and become familiar with the time it takes to start to cure (kick)…then you can work with larger batches.

Have a ton of cheap paint brushes around…they're one time use only so plan on using a few.

Do not use any fabric cloth that has any type of elastic…the resin will not soak into the rubber elements of the fabric and will be exposed and fray when sanded…I recommend fleece, it stretches and easily accepts resin.

***Cut the bristols of the paint brushes down to about 1 inch…this makes the bristols stiffer and easier to make the resin penetrate the fibers of the mat.***

Number of layers will depend on the application..just a 'shell' or pod to hold tweets can be just a few layers…speaker pods maybe 4-5 layers…sub enclosure, hehehe many many layers.

Don't paint the resin on the mat, dab it into the fiber and give the brush a little twist while pressing down.

Good luck…doing custom work yourself is excellent. Post pics!

 

[JessyBoy86]

Does this stuff stick to the existing plastic trim panels? I have always understood that fiberglass resin would not bond to plastic.

For what i understand, you have to stick the first layer of fabric at first...i saw a video and the dude was using some LOC-TITE product, don't know what exactly though....

 

[JessyBoy86]

Cut the mat into small squares or strips it will be easier to deal with.
Do not mix the resin too hot…where you're new a this you will likely be slower and you risk the resin starting to kick before you've applied it all.

Mix small batches of resin until you're used to applying it and become familiar with the time it takes to start to cure (kick)…then you can work with larger batches.

Have a ton of cheap paint brushes around…they're one time use only so plan on using a few.

Do not use any fabric cloth that has any type of elastic…the resin will not soak into the rubber elements of the fabric and will be exposed and fray when sanded…I recommend fleece, it stretches and easily accepts resin.

***Cut the bristols of the paint brushes down to about 1 inch…this makes the bristols stiffer and easier to make the resin penetrate the fibers of the mat.***

Number of layers will depend on the application..just a 'shell' or pod to hold tweets can be just a few layers…speaker pods maybe 4-5 layers…sub enclosure, hehehe many many layers.

Don't paint the resin on the mat, dab it into the fiber and give the brush a little twist while pressing down.

Good luck…doing custom work yourself is excellent. Post pics!

Thanks a lot man !

please confirm if i'm right :

for my tweeter pods, if i go for fabric only, no fiberglass, i can use 4 or 5 layers of felt or fleece;

I stick the first layer using spray adhesive;

Mix resin with hardener, with the proper ratio of course, and spread it all over until it's nicely soaked;

repeat for every layer;

Once at the final layer, i sand;

Mix some filler with resin and spread it all over;

i sand;

fill the larger spots with the mixed filler and resin;

i sand;

fill the smaller spots with Bondo putty;

i sand;

Aerosol primer;

whatever the paint finish i want ( might use a Truckbed coating for the undercoat, to keep the factory touch of the trims and some matte black for the to coating)

that's it ?

 

[NSTALN 10+ year member]

Thanks a lot man !
please confirm if i'm right :

for my tweeter pods, if i go for fabric only, no fiberglass, i can use 4 or 5 layers of felt or fleece;

I stick the first layer using spray adhesive;

Mix resin with hardener, with the proper ratio of course, and spread it all over until it's nicely soaked;

repeat for every layer;

Once at the final layer, i sand;

Mix some filler with resin and spread it all over;

i sand;

fill the larger spots with the mixed filler and resin;

i sand;

fill the smaller spots with Bondo putty;

i sand;

Aerosol primer;

whatever the paint finish i want ( might use a Truckbed coating for the undercoat, to keep the factory touch of the trims and some matte black for the to coating)

that's it ?

You shouldn't need that many layers…a piece of fleece when soaked will be about 1/8 inch. Use that for the first layer to get the shape you're after. After that cures use the glass pieces on the inside for strength, maybe just a couple layers…it will be plenty strong to hold any tweeter. Use the body filler on the outside for the finish work.

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

I'm not at all an expert in fiberglassing, etc. but have dabbled in it. And yes most plastics are pretty resistant to glues, epoxies, etc. like fiberglass resin basically is.
John Kuthe...

I will pay you to stay off this forum.

 

[JohnKuthe]

I will pay you to stay off this forum.

ROFL!!! Like I need YOUR MONEY?! Ha!

Now jump HIGHER, d a m m i t! Lying PUPPET!!

John Kuthe...

 

[Boomin_tahoe 5,000+ posts]

So....

how high should I jump?

Ya you need $...to pay for someone else to do something else for ya.

 

[dmuney]

[quote name='Boomin_tahoe']I will pay you to stay off this forum.[/QUOTE]

@ Boomin_tahoe. I agree but I can see that some people need to learn some respect

[quote name='JohnKuthe']ROFL!!! Like I need YOUR MONEY?! Ha!
Now jump HIGHER, d a m m i t! Lying PUPPET!!

John Kuthe...[/QUOTE]
@JohnKuthe watch what you say, and you should learn some respect, let this be a warning we don't allow this type of stuff on this forum
Or You Will Be Banned

You say your not an expert yet your giving advice why not let somebody with years of experience chime in and verify your info


Me personally I prefer fiberglass some do some don't but it is the proper way different materials will work yes but how well I agree it's only for tweeters but the next person asking for fiberglass help may need to know how to do it correctly he may want to build a wall for 4 15's, how many layers of felt do you think he should use or how many layers of fiberglass ? It all depends that's why we have experts here chiming in to inform people proper techniques

Yes anybody can use whatever they want but if you do it wrong for a particular application bad things can happen.
One last thing John Kuthe don't ever disrespect people on this forum again



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