Fiberglassing Sub and Center Console enclosure???

[Loki]

Well first time glassing can be trial and error. Looks like i might have to start this over, but we'll see. my buddy is on his way over to take a look at it, but it looks like the first resin mix was a hot mix. i counted every drop, but still. maybe the drops were too big. after 3 mixes, i finally figured how to mix this stuff. I also learned to work in the center and pretty much nead it back towards the edges. good thing i have a painter's mask. i took it off to smoke after the 3rd layer of matting, and my garage is fuming pretty good.

I think i should have coated the mold first with resin...i knew i should have, but decided to try to put it over the first layer of matt...i think that's why it started bubbling. Oh well. it will take me 20 minutes to restart if i have to. we'll find out. here's a few pics of what i've done so far.

First I layed the matting down over the mold


Then i put a hot mix on it...at least i think so. it hardened really fast. (4 minuntes)


Then I adjusted the mix and by the 3rd mix, i got it right. Too bad the bubbles were already in there. this is only the mold, so maybe i can keep it and strengthen it from the back side. This is 3 layers of matting and resin.


After my boy gets here, i'll determine whether or not i want to start over, or keep it, trim it and reinforce it from the back. But for now...it's time for a beer and another smoke.

[Loki]

Well the mold was about ready to pop, so i pulled the template out, and popped the mold. it was really hard which leads me to believe that i mixed it a little hot the first couple of times, but me and my boy think that because it's just a pod, we can reinforce it from the back and then glass over the pod, and it should be fine, but i'm glad that i learned a few lessons.

Here's a picture of the panel test fitted into the door. Looks like it will fit just fine.


Here I am re-tracing out the cut line for the mold.


And here's a couple pictures of the mold. tomorrow i'll cut the trace line out with a dremel and fit it to the door panel.



Anybody want a budwieser?

So what do you guys think. good bad indifferant, i don't care. all coments welcome.

[addiction2bass]

looks fine other than those bubbles...id say either cut the bubbles out ormaybe if ya drilled a hole into them and poured some resin down into it.
but like you said if its just some testing its all good!
tho one thing my dad did tell me is DONT use a cut off wheel to cut the glass.... fine glass particles will cover you and your cloths! and from the glass ive already had my arms itchen im not gonna take any chances thats for sure.LMFAO
im gonna use my dads sawzaw to cut mine ;)
but mines HUGE but for triming im just gonna use my small gigsaw. should work preaty good.

or wear a old tshirt and cut it down when thiers a strong wind outside ;) keep the pics comen

[hca]

haha nice shirt. 1488! lol

[Loki]

believe me i'm wearing long sleeves. a mask a hat and gloves when i do my cutting...oh yeah and goggles too. don't want to get that **** in my eyes. I'll have a few when i get home, and more later on tonight. and tons of pics over the weekend.

oh and about the shirt...i was drunk in thailand and saw the shirt with the small iron cross on it...i didn't see the rest of it til i got home. i'm not a nazi or anything like that, i just wear it when i'm working on trucks. in the privacy of my garage. what is 1488?

[sack]

actually it's pretty easy to cut with a razor blade when it is in the process of curing, when it's starting to stiffen up a lil bit, but it would be kind of hard to do in your case, don't want to cut the door

[addiction2bass]

LMFAO you nazi.
i woulda just scrubbed it off or spray it with some spraypaint ;)

or redneck it and cut it out with a razor blade.LMFAO
my work shirt is my fugitive shirt thats all riped up started riping cause i leaned back to open my rear slider window i loved that shirt!!!!! i bought it right after i got locked up about 7years ago

instead of working on my box this is what i was working on. LMFAO

tho the frame is trashed with extreme rust now ill be buying a newer body and swaping all the guts with another shell.
LOL

[hca]

Originally Posted by Loki

believe me i'm wearing long sleeves. a mask a hat and gloves when i do my cutting...oh yeah and goggles too. don't want to get that **** in my eyes. I'll have a few when i get home, and more later on tonight. and tons of pics over the weekend.

oh and about the shirt...i was drunk in thailand and saw the shirt with the small iron cross on it...i didn't see the rest of it til i got home. i'm not a nazi or anything like that, i just wear it when i'm working on trucks. in the privacy of my garage. what is 1488?

some skinhead $hit. it was a joke tho, im not one either!!!

[cajundragger]

something I just read and realized...do not use red bondo....go buy a high quality white or light blue bondo..reason is the red bondo soaks alot more and needs alot more primer than a white or light blue bondo. Also don't focus on bondo that is pin hole resistant...cause its not because of the bondo you have pinholes but because the applier did not work the bondo after laying it and it had air holes in it...something else, after you finish glassing...rough everything in with 36 grit, then skim coat it with bondo, rough that in with 72 grit, then allpy bondo where needed and smooth everything out...

[hca]

glazing putty?

[cajundragger]

Originally Posted by hca

glazing putty?

I don't suggest using any pigment other than white or light blue for any type of filler, whether its bondo or spot putty...I use all white/light blue stuff, the 3m reps showed my Dad's shop about a year ago and we've been on it ever since...but the bondo is a napa bondo Im sure because my Dad's shop gets all their materials from Napa, Im just not sure of the actual name. Stuff is awesome though....its stays "mushy" and thick from the time you mix it till right before it hardens...so you can apply it as thick or thin as you want. And ofcourse theres a matching spot putty that goes with it that is really thin and perfect as well, Im hooked on the stuff. Once you work with a quality filler you will never want to even attmept to mess with the lesser stuff again...

[Loki]

Well i just got back from work and didn't get much done on the mold because i had some stuff to do, but i did manage to cut it down to size and test fit it in the door panel...here's the pics...now i'm going to glass it in and start on the top of the pod.





I know there's a little gap at the bottom, but not to worry...it will be closed for sure. Now time to suit up for more glass work.

Wish me luck.

[cajundragger]

Im confused...why you took the whole lip off?

[addiction2bass]

cause thats just the back side.... still more glass work to be done for the front i asume....
i just cut my mold down to size as well. and dang that stuff ate thru my old jigsaw blade realy quick. smooth as a butter knife now.LOL tried using my dads big sawzaw... and man that dang blade kept jumpen around screwen up my cuts but for the rear and sides it wasnt to important. i cut the front with some new blades.

[Loki]

Originally Posted by cajundragger

Im confused...why you took the whole lip off?

to allow the enclosure to have more air space it will make more sense soon enough.

[cajundragger]

Originally Posted by Loki

to allow the enclosure to have more air space it will make more sense soon enough.

so that part will be pushed back further....I thought you were going to leave the lip and bondo the front and back together at that lip...I dunn Im watching haha. You're building your pods different than mine, its neat.

[Loki]

Originally Posted by cajundragger

so that part will be pushed back further....I thought you were going to leave the lip and bondo the front and back together at that lip...I dunn Im watching haha. You're building your pods different than mine, its neat.

don't get me wrong...these aren't going to just be pods...they are all new door panels.

looks like i might redo that part anyhow. after the test fit, it hit the guts of the door. i trimmed it down and it worked, but we'll see what i decide. going to watch some of the draft and i'll be back to the project around 3pm.

[addiction2bass]

any new work yet ;)

[AirManFL]

I long for an update....

Rob

[Loki]

sorry guys i have more work done to it, but i had to put the project on hold. I've been swamped lately with work and preparing for my trip. I leave on tuesday next week for a month in Thailand, so when i get back i'll have more updates for you. If you're subscribed to this thread it will be in the email. check back around mid-june. Sorry fellas, but military life can be tough on truck projects.