Fiberglassing didn't go so well... help.

[sexiewasd 10+ year member]

So my box is permanently in my trunk now and almost finished, I just have to fiberglass part of the top. I started laying down mat today and I made one really big mistake, I bought bondo brand resin and hardener. The mat stuck to my gloves more than the box and after I got it on it would fall off. (it's upside down, top of box and glassing from the inside.) I made a huge mess but managed to get two layers stuck down before I got too pissed off to finish.

Now I have a **** ton of cutting and sanding to do that I didn't plan on because of the air bubbles and parts that just wouldn't stick. I ended up going through four of those tiny tubes of hardener at $2 a pop and had to throw most of it out as it would not stick.

(Question)

I know I can order some better stuff from UScomposites, but what should I get that will actually stick to the box and not me, I have a heated garage to work in (70-75deg). Also what weight mat should I use?

I am never using that bondo **** again, I made a mess and about 3 hours more work, my arm is sticky and later I will have to pull out lots of arm hairs.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

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[JeepCreepin96 10+ year member]

pics?

 

[aturcotte127317 10+ year member]

when i did my box, i used some **** that they use to fill holes in dry wall, it works good if you put a sealer over it at the end (i put a later of resin) and cover it with something (i used fleece)

 

[sexiewasd 10+ year member]

I will later, it's a snow storm outside, ok a few quick ones but thats it, tis coooooolddd...

messy, lotsa air bubbles, didn't saturate well at all.

This is the box so you can see how I have to lay the mat down.

burrrrr.

 

[brokeitagain 10+ year member]

tried thinning the resin with acetone?

 

[sexiewasd 10+ year member]

Yea I did there was more but mixed with acetone it didn't stick at all and I ended up just taking it off before it cured. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[brokeitagain 10+ year member]

are you dipping the mat in resin before applying and coating the surface to be applied to before laying mat?

EDIT it appears that you are applying mat dry and that makes air bubbles near impossible to remove

 

[sexiewasd 10+ year member]

I didn't coat the cloth but that layer actually stuck, I tried dabbing at it with one of the those foam brushes but it just pulled the mat off and made a big mess, I was stuck with dipping the mat and trying to hold it in place until the resin soaked through.

 

[brokeitagain 10+ year member]

dont use foam brushes use bristle brushes, i have better luck with them. you need to first apply resin to the surface then soak mat and then dab the mat down wtih a resin coated brush, keep working until all of the air pockets are worked out

Bondo brand resin is fine to use its got the same chemical compisition as us composites, its your technique thats giving you the problems

 

[sexiewasd 10+ year member]

I'll trust you on that one, It's my first time using fiberglass and it obviously didn't work out too well. If I coat the surface then dip the cloth, then dab with more resin that seams like it would be way too much resin, when I dip the mat in it comes out with a two millimeter thick coat of resin on one side and it doesn't seam to soak through well at all..

 

[Crzy 10+ year member]

you might of mixed it with too much ardener seeing as you had to buy so many tubes of it. ive used the bondo brand, it isnt the best but it does stick decently well. ive had it adhere to abs plastics in the car very well

did u try scuffing up the surface and preping it? try to mix it with less hardner and use a heat lamp to cure it for the first layer

i by no means am an expert at glassing but those are somethings i would of tryed

also i liek to use bondo spreaders when spreading resing, i first spread a thin layer on the surfacee im adhering to, then wet the matt off of what will be glassed (on a bench) then i place it where it needs to be and use some more resin if it is not adhering well. i never use brushes when doing glassing just bondo spreaders, those plastic ones and then clean them up with laqeur thinner so i can re use them. never had a problem or many air bubles doing it this way.

way my dad tought me and he did glass work in the autobody industry for a good amount of time, doing it that way has yeilded me good result

 

[NeverEnuffBass 10+ year member]

So my box is permanently in my trunk now and almost finished, I just have to fiberglass part of the top. I started laying down mat today and I made one really big mistake, I bought bondo brand resin and hardener. The mat stuck to my gloves more than the box and after I got it on it would fall off. (it's upside down, top of box and glassing from the inside.) I made a huge mess but managed to get two layers stuck down before I got too pissed off to finish.
Now I have a **** ton of cutting and sanding to do that I didn't plan on because of the air bubbles and parts that just wouldn't stick. I ended up going through four of those tiny tubes of hardener at $2 a pop and had to throw most of it out as it would not stick.

(Question)

I know I can order some better stuff from UScomposites, but what should I get that will actually stick to the box and not me, I have a heated garage to work in (70-75deg). Also what weight mat should I use?

I am never using that bondo **** again, I made a mess and about 3 hours more work, my arm is sticky and later I will have to pull out lots of arm hairs.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

Is this your first time glassing? If so I'd recommend maybe starting out playing around with glassing something outside of the car

 

[speedfreak28 10+ year member]

dont use foam brushes use bristle brushes, i have better luck with them. you need to first apply resin to the surface then soak mat and then dab the mat down wtih a resin coated brush, keep working until all of the air pockets are worked out
Bondo brand resin is fine to use its got the same chemical compisition as us composites, its your technique thats giving you the problems

ive always wondered everyones beef with Bondo brand resin, ive never had problems with it other than the price

 

[brokeitagain 10+ year member]

ill give you that, it does cost more but when its 3am its all walmart has lol

 

[91Chevy 10+ year member]

ive always wondered everyones beef with Bondo brand resin, ive never had problems with it other than the price

Ditto. First and only time working with fiberglass (so far) I used Bondo resin and hardener, and the piece I made is nearly flawless. Absolutely no air bubbles, saturated the cloth nicely, stuck to what it should have, stayed off of what it should have. Overall good experience with it.