Fiberglass How To's

[TimberJon 10+ year member]

How bout i mail ya a tube? My business uses it in production, Ive never really had to go online to try to find it..

Now ive never looked at the MSDS or the material properties, but this stuff has the consistency of liquid dynamat, and its a nasty oil-black, when it cures its tough and rubbery. And it has a low elasticity rating (from my own tests).

I usually smear this stuff to fill cracks or gaps, and then on the interior of boxes, coat with pure resin.

 

[astroboy 10+ year member]

hi, i have a an van and i am trying to find a way to mount 5x7 in holes for 4x6 in the back pillars. i cant just cut a bigger hole because it is kinda on a coner and i dont have enough room behind the pillars. is there a way that i could fiberglass on the plastic so i dont have to make a whole new panel?

 

[ANeonRider 10+ year member]

hi, i have a an van and i am trying to find a way to mount 5x7 in holes for 4x6 in the back pillars. i cant just cut a bigger hole because it is kinda on a coner and i dont have enough room behind the pillars. is there a way that i could fiberglass on the plastic so i dont have to make a whole new panel?

Yes, take that plastic peice and follow this procedure:

1. Cut a baffle for the 5x7 (I'd dump the 5x7 idea and go with a 5.25" or 6.5" component set or at least co-axials though)

2. Using hot glue, attach the baffle to the plastic (use your imagination to mount it the way you want it)

3. Take some fleece, and stretch it over the baffle and hot glue it to the plastic piece.

4. Apply resin to the fleece.

5. Follow normal fibreglassing procedure to continue.

 

[astroboy 10+ year member]

well i am doing the 5x7's because vans come with 8 speakers. 6 1/2's in the back doors, 4x6's (which i am changing) and 5's in the front doors and 3's in the front doors.

 

[TimberJon 10+ year member]

Like he said, 5.25" Coaxials will work in your situation.

The fiberglassing will be strange your first time.

There MAY, keyword MAY be molded panels for the Astro that accepts a variety of speaker sizes. I know this because they make them for MY car and dozens of others, and i KNOW there is an enormous support for Astro vans. Try searching and asking around for plastic speaker panels. You might even find one NOT for your Astro that will fit in the back just right.

Always try the bootleg way first =) It might work.

 

[astroboy 10+ year member]

thanks for the help i finshed it tuesday night they look alright be sides the grilles i tried to cut the up and make then kinda flush it worked but the look crapy i am just gonna get some grill like material and work with it see what happens i will get pics when i am done

 

[NJack2AF 10+ year member]

WOW this thread is great! I want to start doing fiberglassing so bad, this will help me a lot! I want to build some pods over the stock 5x7 locations in my front doors that will hold some XXX mids //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[RFmustang 10+ year member]

how would you do something like that? would that whole piece be fiberglass? or is fiberglasss not even used? thanks

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

basically, i would take out the stock console. then fabricate up a piece made of ABS plastic sheets and special plastic glue that chemically bonds it together, then glue it all together to fit that area. useing a special ABS plastic filler (again, the chemical bond), you fill the areas that are low, and make the smooth contours with some rough sandpaper - much like how you would make a figure from clay... but a little different //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

then you keep sanding, and painting and mount all the stuf, and put it in after its paintmatched //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

check it out - http://www.hzemall.com - they sell the 'plastic filler' stuff, and they have quite a few walkthroughs. look at the MAZDA6 - and you will understand.

 

[RFmustang 10+ year member]

where else could i get that "plastic filler" stuff? (cause his store is down)

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

3M Duramix 40\40 works well, but its more expensive, and you need a special caulking gun for it. there are other products - but ive not looked into it extensivly.

the stuff from hzemall works great and is cheaper. email tim (the owner) @ info@hzemall.com - or post on his forums.

ABS plastic is just a type of plastic, kinda rigid and lightweight. but you definatly wanna use some kind of chemical-bond glue (it basically melts the plasic together chemically) or it wont be very strong.

heres a link to that dash moulding install i was talking about;

http://www.hzemall.com/our_gallery/installs_misc/mazda_3_dash/mazda.htm

 

[RFmustang 10+ year member]

yeah i saw that one and a few others where he mounted lcds. i am very much inspired to redo my fiberglassing with this stuff

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

yea - its much much eaiser.

i only use fiberglassing when i need somthing sealed, or i need a large curve. if im just 'filleting' somthing small (like a tweeter mount on an Apillar) then i just fill it and sand it.. glassing\stretching is a waste of time for sure.

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

Fiberglass tip: Avoid plastic cups

I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but working on my first kickpanel, the plastic cup holding the resin started to deteriorate. The resin ate through the cup and started to spill resin across my floor. UNWAXED paper cups = teh win.

 

[ruckus]

Fiberglass tip: Avoid plastic cups
I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but working on my first kickpanel, the plastic cup holding the resin started to deteriorate. The resin ate through the cup and started to spill resin across my floor. UNWAXED paper cups = teh win.

lol I found that out on my first kick panel lucky for me I had aluminum foil on my floor so it acted as a bowl catching everything. the paper painters 1 1/2 quart buckets work perfect for me cause I only mix 1 quart at a time.