Fiberglassing Quick Tip.

[GabbaDj]

*Use a spray bottle to apply the fiberglass resin*

FIrst prep your area well for and guard for any possible spills or over spray.

Next, cover the area your working on with a good layer of Vaseline Patroleum Jelly, the thick kind.

Now spread one layer of Fiberglass Mat over the surface. The mat comes apart easily and is easy to form around the curves and contours of the trunk wells and you can use extra pices to cover any holes or thin spots that result.. The patroleum jelly, if applied right should hold the mat up

Now take your pre measured spray bottle of Fiberglass Resin and add the recomended amount of hardner and shake well... Give a few squirts onto an old rag to get things going and then spray an even layer over the surface of the mat. Use your hands and a roller to press the resin into the mat and to keep its form fit too the well.

Adding other layers is a bit more trickey, you will need to use smaller sheets of mat because its a bit hard to stretch it into place over the sticky first layer.

Your local grocery store should sell spray bottles for about a buck a pice. Look areound till you find 4 or 8 oz bottles. Ive found 8 oz bottles for 40 cents ea and they do work well.

No more brushing, no more applying strip after strip..

Enjoy.

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[req 5,000+ posts]

um. last time i checked, my fiberglass Resin was about as thick as pancake syrup.

i dont believe id be able to 'squirt' it thru a spray bottle.

i usually lay a whole layer of tape, i dont even worry about it stickin to the tape, cuz ya cant see that side anyway. the tape sticks well, but can be taken off with a little shaking... and less mess.

as for the brush. isnt that the same cost as a brush? it sounds like just as much, or even more work than brushing. i dont think youd be able to get all the bubbles out doing it this way.

but if you like it, go for it.

 

[jrz126 10+ year member]

I think it's easier to brush it in, I picked up a bunch of 2" brushes for 78 cents each, (they had 1" brushes for 50 cents). So it's not like you save a ton of money.

Also, I think it would be a ***** to try and refill the spray bottle in the middle of a layer.

The container I used was the bottom of a laundry detergent bottle. It was the perfect size, and it was flexible enough that I could crack out the old dried resin from the previous layer before I started the next one.

As for the petrolium jelly, that sounds alittle risky, I just put a layer of tin foil down taped the edges really good, and that worked great.

 

[#1AlpineFan 10+ year member]

The jelly seems like a very ugly mess to clean up later. But it does seem like a good idea to keep the matt on a vertical panel. but the spray adheasive works ok for me.

if you use resin from like home depot then yeah its way to thick, but there is better stuff out there. Try this place http://www.fiberglasssupply.com/default.asp

i would think my hand would get real sore of squirting the bottle to get all the resin on. Just seems like it would take a while. but what do i know i never tried it that way.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Gauntlet 5,000+ posts]

No offense, but this seems a little redundant. If you have to use your hands and a roller to work out the air bubbles anyways, using the spray bottle to save time and make things easier doesn't really make sense.

 

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

As for the petrolium jelly, that sounds alittle risky, I just put a layer of tin foil down taped the edges really good, and that worked great.

Risky??Why?

If you masked and foiled well, why would it be risky? The Jelly will make it a snap to pull the mold out and it holds the mat/carpet in place while your applying the resin....

 

[GabbaDj]

Yes, the jelly makes for an easy mold release and a good spray bottle will spray even the petroleum jelly.

Theirs no Problem spraying the fiberglass resin from Home depot in most spray bottles, just make sure theirs an air tight seal and it will **** every last drop up and spray it out. Plus with it being in a sealed environment it wont harden up on you half as fast as it does in cups...

Someone said that their hand might get tired... Just use your right hand.. Propably takes longer for you to ******** than it will to spray a single layer on...

As for using a roller and pressing everything to avoid air bubbles.... Ha,, Just use one layer then.. Remember, your just making a mold. Once it sets, you just pop it out and apply new layers till you get your desired thickness and strength.

Ive just finished using this method and it was my first fiberglass project... Everything I did just made since to me so that I didnt have to waste too much time just to make a mold..

I even thought of making a plaster mold first, which would be a nice time saving idea cuz lets face it -

Ripping apart fiberglass mat and painting on strip after strip is just a sucky idea..

 

[jrz126 10+ year member]

Risky??Why?
If you masked and foiled well, why would it be risky? The Jelly will make it a snap to pull the mold out and it holds the mat/carpet in place while your applying the resin....

I mis-interpereted his post (I quickly read through it while I was supposed to be working). I thought the jelly was to be used instead of the foil and tape. That does sound like a good idea to hold the mat in place. It would have saved me from getting a bunch of air bubbles.