wtf? WTH?

 

Here are a couple that I've done and remembered to take pics of...

My door pods.


My old work truck, the only forward cab box truck around with boom.


My buddy's 4runner install.


Another friend's GTI.

 

I've not found too many write ups on glassing, and to be honest, only looked a couple times. The ones that I did find, sucked.

I've learned everything by trial and error. The most important thing is to remember not to be scared.

Then, make sure that your frame work is strong. The glass will want to shrink on you as it cures and can warp a weak frame, causing it not to fit correctly.

One of the things I've seen so many people do is layer the matte on the outside of the resined fleece. Unless you don't have the shape you want, or it is physically impossible, ALWAYS put the layers of strengthening fiberglass on the INSIDE. If you layer it outside, you will have gobs of extra work trying to get everything smooth again.

If you are going to paint, grind the whole piece mostly smooth, and add body filler to the outside. Once you have that shaped, then add Feather filler (a really fine Bondo) and finish sand.

 

I always get working and forget to take pictures. Especially if I have dirty hands.

Use latex gloves, makes cleanup much easier. Acetone will dissolve the uncured resin off of cups, rollers, hands, ect.

I no longer screw stuff together, finally purchased a brad nailer a year or two ago.

The glassing step of every project is the fast part. Most of your time should be used fitting and re-fitting the piece in the vehicle so that you are absolutely sure that it is what you want.

Aim for about 1/4" thickness, on open expanses of fleece and matte, you can add a slice of MDF as a gusset and matte it in to add rigidity.

Once things start to set up, tap on all of the glassed areas and listen for resonance. If it resonates in the frequency range that the enclosure will be reproducing, add more matte and resin. Resonance will destroy a box.

 

Heck yes! Never on the outside. Don't care how good you are, it will almost never lay absolutely smooth without a vacuum bag.
I figure that if I spend all that time getting the shape I want with the fleece, why would I lose that shape adding material to the outside?

Also, if you add it to the outside, you have to account in all your measurements for the additional thickness of the glass. If you are trying to get a piece to fit tight, it just adds to the difficulty.

And the piece will bond to the MDF better by having the resin and fleece (outside) and the resin and matte (inside) making a sandwich.

 

Nice, I am now a member. Wish I'd have found it sooner.

 

If you are talking about my stuff, there were two layers when the pics were taken. You can see one of the wraps over the gusset inside. I usually end up with 4 to 5 layers depending on the enclosure.