Started my first glass project!

[lilmaniac2 5,000+ posts]

no i thought u were using the mat as the mold... cuz i saw no pics of the resin on the tabe

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

LOL.. yeah thats what i thought u were talkin about. I just now got done layin the first layer of resin, and before it could set i layed a layer of glas, and in the corners and the hard to reach places and stuff i knew would flex i added 2 layers. Just waitin for it to completely harden so i can get a good look at it.

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

Okay, i ran into a problem... i think i didnt use enough hardener on the first layer of resin... is that going to be a huge problem? Or maybe i jsut layered on too much glass and resin at once? I took the enclosure skeleton out to inspect it cuz it seemed rigid enough not to get deformed, and noticed that it wanted to separate from the tape... this got me thinking that maybe i didnt use enough hardener on the first batch, and that by adding more resin and glas on top it wasnt allowed to fully cure? IS this going to be a big problem? I was thinking that if i remove the tape that maybe it would help it cure? or could i just mix up a batch of super hardener rich resin and apply it over the not cured areas and maybe the hardener would mix with the other resin and help it cure? Or do i have to start over AGAIN?

 

[Nexson 10+ year member]

brushes at wal-mart, 50 cents, buy like 10 of em, i go through a brush a layer of fiberglass mat

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

i figured that... but what about my un-hardened resin problem.. will it eventually harden, as long as there was SOME hardener in there?

 

[Nexson 10+ year member]

yea, actually one time I didn't put enough hardener in there and it took forever to dry, I believe resin without hardeners will dry, but will take very long. Addin the correct amount of harder with the given weather conditions allows you a given amount of time to work and a given period of time the resin will dry. With the correct amount of hardeners, your layers should dry to the touch in some areas around 2 hours.

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

hmm.. cuz i added maybe half of what i usually do, so i could use a single brush to lay a layer of resin and then come back over with fiberglass... plus weather today was ghey... off and on rain, overcast ALL DAY, and very very wet outside. Thats probably a big factor... ima leave it on my roof tomorrow in the sun for a few hours while i work on my motor...

 

[dbornotdb 10+ year member]

Where to start??

 

 

Put the mold BACK in the car and let it harden there. That resin will cure. It sounds like the weather has slowed it down.

Then add 2 more layers of mat to it BEFORE you remove it. If you don't and add mat outside the car, IT WILL WARP.

 

Then remove the mold and add a couple more to the inside area. Trim it to your desired design and start with the rings and fleece.

 

[dbornotdb 10+ year member]

IF the resin does not fully cure, you can mix up some more resin and extra hardener and add to the top of it and it will cause it to react and harden.

 

[Nexson 10+ year member]

. the cup looks like its melting. man, i'm too easily entertained.

i was pouring acetone in a plastic cup for a brush one time and all the sudden i feel my shoes get wet, LOL acetone melting the cup, so cool!! acetone kills the brushes brishles, its a loose loose situation

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

I cant put the mold back in the car. Its supposed to sit against the carpet... and i dont wanna resin it to the carpet... what if i were to lay down an assload of wax paper in the trunk so that it doesnt get all over the place, and lay down 2 or 3 more layers of glass on the inside, so that it wont flex when i re-resin the outside of the box?

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

Left it outside last night, and i came back this morning to check it and it was still gooey, but not as much as before... so i took all the tape off of the back and placed it on my roof to dry. Went to McDonalds, PepBoys, and Home Depot for some fiberglass supplies and food, and to my suprise, the resin was hard to the touch... Sweet. Put it back in the car and started another payer of glass... pics in a few minutes...

 

[troy_audi0 10+ year member]

I cant put the mold back in the car. Its supposed to sit against the carpet... and i dont wanna resin it to the carpet... what if i were to lay down an assload of wax paper in the trunk so that it doesnt get all over the place, and lay down 2 or 3 more layers of glass on the inside, so that it wont flex when i re-resin the outside of the box?

tape off the inside of the car so the carpet wont wont get messedup..

I leave the brush in the plastic bucket so you can pull the dry reson out with a brush & toss it all.. & your bucket is ready for the next round..

I got some pix in the link on my Sig

 

[squeak12 10+ year member]

No offense, but you need to read up before doing anything else. Tape the area off in a crisscross pattern. Spray on some release agent, such as Pam. Lay a light coat of resin on then put the matt up overlapping. Mix small batches of resin in 2-4 oz containers. Mix hardener as you go. Make sure to get any bubbles out also. Then remove the mold after 3+ layers.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGGL,GGGL:2006-14,GGGL:en&q=fiberglass+tutorial

 

[phantom240 5,000+ posts]

lol i need to get my camera and post up some pics of what it looks like now. Much better than the first. ive been working on it for about 6 hours now, adding resin, fiberglass, trimming glass up to fit on the next layer and all. I have about 4 layers on so far, alternating between fiberglass weave and chop mat. Is there any real difference between the weave and chop as far as integrity? If you read up on my thread, you would have knowen the trouble i was having with the resin yesterday ... or maybe that was my thread on fiberglasforum.com... anyways, i set it on my roof this morning to cure, and the only warping was on the top of the enclosure because the weight was right there.. the area was only about .5"x6" so it wasnt too hard to fix.... trimmed it off and layed some tape on the back of the enclosure so that i could lay new glass there and she fits like a glove now. I think another layer or two and she'll be ready for rings.

Now i have a few questions about the rings. Ive heard that since the resin heats up its not good to hot glue the dowels and rings as the heat might make them release and fukc up my box. Could i hot glue the dowels and rings together where i want them, and then use resin and glass around the bases to attatch them more firmy? Also, whats a good way to fasten my fleecing material to the box when i go to stretch it over the rings? One last thing, there are some smaller bubbles in the box, less than the size of...well ranging from the size of a pin head to about half the diameter of a dime... and most of em are between the first and second layer of glass... is that gonna be really bad? or will the other 3 layers on top of it make up for it?