Final Fiberglass Questions...

[Woodmister 10+ year member]

Some final fiberglass questions...

1. For my dremel...what is the best attatchment? Right now im using one thats like a coin, works good but it broke (partly beacuse its like 10years old) whats a good replacement #?

2. Im thinking of bondo'ing the whole outside of the enclousure to make it more stiff and smooth. What kind do i use? At homedepot they have normal bondo for "automotive" and then they have bondo-glass for fiberglass (repairs fiberglass)...so do i use the normal bondo?

3. Any tips for bracing the enclosure? Right now i have 7 layers and its really thick, but is there any thing i can do to make it more sturdy?

thanks!

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[nametaken 10+ year member]

Some final fiberglass questions...
1. For my dremel...what is the best attatchment? Right now im using one thats like a coin, works good but it broke (partly beacuse its like 10years old) whats a good replacement #?

2. Im thinking of bondo'ing the whole outside of the enclousure to make it more stiff and smooth. What kind do i use? At homedepot they have normal bondo for "automotive" and then they have bondo-glass for fiberglass (repairs fiberglass)...so do i use the normal bondo?

3. Any tips for bracing the enclosure? Right now i have 7 layers and its really thick, but is there any thing i can do to make it more sturdy?

thanks!

1) The all purpose one(im using one now on my fg enclosure) is good. cutting with a wheel sounds like a bltch(compared to the all purpose bit).

2) Depends, are you going to carpet it, paint it? But dont use bondo glass, thats to fill in/patch holes. Use regular body filler, and look into the higher end fillers, bondo extreme/gold. I used classic and it was a *****(harder to sand and will have more pin holes in it.

3) 7 layers, that has to be rock solid, i have 3 on mine and its stif as hell. I think ill just put one more on(sub enclosure for a 15" avalanche, 1.5oz mat). But after 7 layers, you should be good to go.

 

[Raven 10+ year member]

1. Since I'm cheap, I use a regular wood bit on my RotoZip. Works like a charm, and they're so cheap if they break, you just get more cheap ones.

2. I use the cheapest body filler available. But not FG filler.

3. The more skill you have, the stronger you can get the FG. My first kicks, the base had 7 layers of 1.5 oz matte. The new ones I'm working on use 5 layers, matte cloth matte cloth matte, in that order. The new ones are by far stronger than the old ones, just because I can work out more air bubbles and get a more consistent thickness.

Anyhoo, use nylon rope and glass that in there between layers. Will make your project pretty **** rigid.

Just offering the POV of a cheapass fiberglasser. =)

 

[Woodmister 10+ year member]

Well thanks for the tips...

Yea 7 is a lot, but im just an overacheaver //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif I dont want anyflexing or this box being less then perfect. Spending 150ish on materials...I want it to work GOOOD

 

[JnEsPappa 10+ year member]

Some final fiberglass questions...
1. For my dremel...what is the best attatchment? Right now im using one thats like a coin, works good but it broke (partly beacuse its like 10years old) whats a good replacement #?

If you have an angle grinder use it. I use it to trim hardened pieces and grind out air bubbles so I can go back and fill them.
If you're stuck with the dremel, then check out **THESE** little wonders. They cut f/g very well, don't shatter like the other kinds and last a looooong time.

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

i dont know if i would use an angle grinder, Just a little over kill IMO, but a good cutting and grinding wheel on a dremel is fine.

 

[MetalMaxima 10+ year member]

1. I would recommend the fiber cutting wheels...they can be purchased @ HD. They are quite strong and have worked well for me.

2/3. You can pour a 50/50 mix of body filler and resin together and pour it over the mold...I would not recommend using straight body filler to cover the enclosure as you will literally be sanding for weeks on end. Just mix the MEKP & resin up as normal, then and an equal volume of bodyfiller to the resin, stir, and pour. This will also fill any gaps that may exist as it is self-levelling.

Hope this helps!