fiberglass thread...boxes eyelids kicks etc

[SR]

FT FARFAN barataria check the phone book can be seen from the highway by lifestyle motors

[Firewall]

ressurection?

[kurpal_v2]

bump for the week I have off and needed some tips...


Tweets in the sail ftw

[nervewrecker]

sooo.....exactly how much drops of that activator thingy you supposed to use with half a coco cola can of resin? I used about 4 drops initially & graduated up to about 6.

is that too little bit? car parked in the sun btw....

[nervewrecker]

nuttin goin on yet, some parts get close to 6 drops per 1/3 coco cola can of resin no sign of anything taking place. so far it looks like a green gel-ish substance. how long before it gets hard? I just finish btw & started like 45 minutes ago.

[MONGO]

what type of matting do you guys use?

I am looking for the cloth type which does not shred apart easily..anyone know where i can get and pricing?
Or if they sell this type like the ACE fiberglass repair kits?

[nervewrecker]

I donno about the not shredding apart easily part but it unraveled a bit when I cut it up. I have no idea what it is, I just went to the place & told them "gimmeh mat & resin dey quick"

ok...ok...I fib, I didnt say it like that.

resin starting to get hard a bit btw.

[MONGO]

that matting those make too much fine pieces and does fly allover..

[nervewrecker]

have damn fibers all over my yard, now cleaned it up.

things reading good over here. the 7 drops : 1/3 coco cola can areas dry already

the 4 drops : 1/2 can still gel-ish (probably because I drop some extra resin on that area.

[MONGO]

when i glassin i does just average resin to hardener..first time i glassed the mixture got hot and hardened in the container in less than five mins..

[nervewrecker]

alright, i'd say 5 drops : a little under 3/4 coco cola can of resin is a good mix

[nervewrecker]

so problem.....bubbles in the dried resin & mat mixture.

solutions anyone?

edit, well things looking good for day 2 so far. I used a different technique in applying the glass, I dipped the brush & kinda kept 'dabbing' it in one single spot to press out all the air. I also started from one side or the middle & kept pressing outwards forcing all the trapped air out.

[pimptacular]

those bubble chasers are the shiz.. i dunno how anyone can do fiberglassing without it.. it bonds multiple layers much better an get out all those tiny little bubbles so it wont be as weak.. also makes work look alot neater and easier to work with..

and yes you can reuse them multiple time jus make sure and wash it out with tinners or acetone and leave it to soak so you can get out the resin after

[nervewrecker]

ah yes, bubble chaser is what its named. I couldnt remember. but in my application there are some ummm....areas undulating, will it work? I get little or no bubbles with the new method I use.

btw, smallie look like a newbie.....backside kinda flat though but she pass. I wonder if corsa will gimme a discount though, I send plenty people there this week. I wonder if anyone from there might be reading this *rubs chin* & I buy plenty resin too:



seems I might need double that amount btw.

while we at it, can anyone give me a guesstimate as to what kind of volume 1 yard of that mat equates to? I feeling lazy to fill it with water, is kind of a lot of water too.

[Brian Steele]

so problem.....bubbles in the dried resin & mat mixture.

solutions anyone?

Here's how I do my resin work - and it seems to end up in mostly bubble-free results.

1. Using a brush, paint on activated resin on the mold.
2. Wait until the resin is *just* starting to set (it gets sticky), and apply the mat to it. The mat should stick to the resin.
3. Apply second batch of activated resin on top of the mat with a brush.
4. Repeat from (1) until you've build up the thickness you're aiming for.

And always keep a jar of acetone nearby - you don't want the resin hardening on the brush.

[pimptacular]

what you even trying to do? 4 gallons of resin A LOT of resin..

[nervewrecker]

brian, wouldnt the thickened resin be a bit difficult to get into the mat & result in air trapped inside. I dont know, I asking.

I initially thought 4 gallons would be enough but so far 1 gallon almost finished & I aint got anywhere. the walls & floor less than 1/4" think. I''d say in excess of 3/4" thickness is a good outcome to aim for but 4 gallons is just not going to be enough.
I know I am going to need a sheet of mdf to do some work with so I was thinking of cutting a piece to match the shape of the base (of where I am glassing), drop some resin in there to fill up the remaining uneven spots, put the mdf in & pour some more resin on it.

its my new enclosure I am building. I may have a few other projects to attempt because i'm loving playing with this so I might present pics of those. the only disadvantages are the scent & its a bit time consuming, other than that I do not see why people shy away from fiberglass work.

[Brian Steele]

brian, wouldnt the thickened resin be a bit difficult to get into the mat & result in air trapped inside. I dont know, I asking.

Mix just enough in each batch so that you'll have finished applying it to the mat with the brush before it starts to thicken. When I'm doing fiberglass work, I use two or three plastic ice-cream containers. That way, by the time I've finished the resin in the last container, the scraps of resin left in the first container have usually hardened to the point that I can use it again. About 1/2" of resin in each mix is enough to allow me to completely apply it to the mat before it starts to harden.

One more thing - no matter how much you're tempted, don't just glop on the resin .

[nervewrecker]

empty containers seem to be something scarce around here, thats how I ended up with the coke can the containers are all filled with something.

I mix for a slow harden, I prefer it take a bit more than an hour so I have enough time to start, finish & get out of these before it starts fuming (seems to be fuming a lot when before it gets hard).
Now that the base is out of the car I guess I can mix for a faster hardening so I can probably do multiple layers in one day.

you sure right its tempting to glop it on! twice I did that with the remainders in the can to empty it so I can mix more to start applying on the next sheet of mat. I did 2 layers so far, one set going from left to right, the next batch from top to bottom.

[pimptacular]

dude max layers youll need for a fiberglass enclosure is 6 layers..and y you just dont cut open the empty resin containers? cut that sucker in half

[nervewrecker]

6 layers handles what kind of power approx? I have a 615.44"^2 almost circular area available for flexing too

[nervewrecker]

havent emptied one gallon yet either.

3/4 gallon & 2 layers of mat got me as far as a bit short of 1/4" thick for part of it. so 4 gallons & 6 layers should do it hopefully.
i'll leave room for the bracing from front to back & see how thnigs turn out.

[nigel1977]

6 layers is good enough for what sub with what power.

I used 8 layers for the enclosures I built for the JL6W3's and I only fed the 4 of them off a Linear Power 4.1. and I alternated between mat and woven layers...

Fiberglass by itself has a resonance to it. Its audible and sounds terrible.

Better built fiberglass enclosures have all sorts of compounds added to lower the resonance of the fiberglass. A simple test is to tap the enclosure walls and listen.

This is an enclosure I built for a dash pod.


Notice, the double layer of Second Skin damping, even with the enclosure 3/8" thick


There is a lot of stuff I added to the resin mix, including, but not limited to, barite, lead shot, and microballoons. This is what It looked like when i was done.

[nervewrecker]

whats the microballoons?

I am contemplating melting down some lead from some old wet cells & using that (as it is in the early stages).

cement is priced at $80.00 a bag so.....

anyhow 1,000 watt 15" (you already knew that nigel).

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edit:

so microballoons huh? I will do a little more reading & get back to you but meanwhile where sells it (in case I might need it)?

I am contemplating busting up the wet cells & not melting the lead plates btw. They already look like a mesh so adding that into the mix should make it more dense & decrease the resonance thingies.
its a long weekend & I havent been out shopping so I am a bit handicapped with respect to getting new stuff.

[nigel1977]

If you can convert lead Plates to 1/8" or less diameter pellets... I'll buy 5 pounds worth from you. asap.

Microballoons is an additive. Corsa has it. There are 2 main additives they sell. Aerosil, and Microballoons. Both have distinct separate uses.

Pimptacular could do a tutorial on what they are used for, and what they can be used for, and what they should be used for.

[nervewrecker]

I have half the mind to cut up some of the lead plates into pellets & sell you it

iirc, they are about 1/8" in diameter.

[nigel1977]

1/8" diameter pellets, 5 pounds, im ready.

[silent_riot]

I have some lead strips that I'd like converted to pellets as well. 1/8" would be awesome.

[nigel1977]

The pesky pigeons and blackbirds messing up by you too orr JB.

[nervewrecker]

whats the price per pound those lead pellets go for?

I wondering if what gained ($$$) outweighs the hazards working with lead. Lead is a pretty hazardous substance to be around especially any particles / dust residue that can accumulate from cutting it up.
Being a soft metal it is however easy to cut, a sharpened blade hinged to a solid table top can act as a guillotine & cut thin sheets.

The last time I opened up a wet cell for the metal was years ago & the metal was not a solid plate, instead it was more like a mesh. Wouldn't that be easier / better to use as opposed to pellets in the walls in the enclosure as it not only adds mass but its adds reinforcement to the structure?