Fiberglass Advice: First Time User

[Beep]

Hey guys, I saw the advice you gave on "color sanding" and wow,,,,that was the best.  Tha's what I like so much about hot rodders,,,willing to help others and no jealousy involved.

I am about to start on some fiberglass work and need the best advice I can get. I have zero experience, but insist on doing it myself for the learning experience. After all, this project is also about therapy.

I have purchased a new "race version" Vicky body from Speedy and need to alter it to  ake it resemble a chopped, channeled and section 32 Bantam Coupe. I need to widen it somewhat, chop the top anmd do some cosmetic work to Bantanize it  I have purchased fiberglass panels as fillers to do the wideneing.  What I need to know is the basics of resins, preparation, application, sanding, etal.  HELP.................

[Beep]

This is what I am aiming for

[Dave]

Hey guys, I saw the advice you gave on "color sanding" and wow,,,,that was the best.  Tha's what I like so much about hot rodders,,,willing to help others and no jealousy involved.

I am about to start on some fiberglass work and need the best advice I can get. I have zero experience, but insist on doing it myself for the learning experience. After all, this project is also about therapy.

I have purchased a new "race version" Vicky body from Speedy and need to alter it to  ake it resemble a chopped, channeled and section 32 Bantam Coupe. I need to widen it somewhat, chop the top anmd do some cosmetic work to Bantanize it  I have purchased fiberglass panels as fillers to do the wideneing.  What I need to know is the basics of resins, preparation, application, sanding, etal.  HELP.................

Sounds like quite the project. Fiberglass can be fun and it can also be a pain in the but. I bought a book on building fiberglass cars that was great. Do a search on the net and you will prolly find one.  One thing to remember is all the new f iillers work great with glass and tend  to adheare better than on a steel car. Thats not saying you can use it 1/2 inch thick though. I did glaass work on my 32 and my 34 and hey came out great. I blocked both body out with 80 grit before i really even started on them.  Like I said get a book fore you start its helpfull.
Dave

[GPster]

I always wondered if someone that did repair to fiberglass boat hulls wouldn't be helpful with something like this. Another thought would be someone that does repair on fiberglass storage tanks or repair to Corvette bodies. Sometimes there is a difference between finishing and glueing pieces back together. You'd be surprised where you might find this expertice. GPster

[WZ JUNK]

Hey guys, I saw the advice you gave on "color sanding" and wow,,,,that was the best.  Tha's what I like so much about hot rodders,,,willing to help others and no jealousy involved.

I am about to start on some fiberglass work and need the best advice I can get. I have zero experience, but insist on doing it myself for the learning experience. After all, this project is also about therapy.

I have purchased a new "race version" Vicky body from Speedy and need to alter it to  ake it resemble a chopped, channeled and section 32 Bantam Coupe. I need to widen it somewhat, chop the top anmd do some cosmetic work to Bantanize it  I have purchased fiberglass panels as fillers to do the wideneing.  What I need to know is the basics of resins, preparation, application, sanding, etal.  HELP.................

There was a series of articles in Street Rodder magazine a couple of years back that were very good.  I do a lot of glass work but I think you could do better with a magazine article or a book for advice and technical information than what I could tell you.

[donsrods]

I always wondered if someone that did repair to fiberglass boat hulls wouldn't be helpful with something like this. (quote)

Absolutely........fiberglass is fiberglass, no matter if it is a boat or car.  It is one of the most forgiving mediums out there, if you make a mistake, you cut or grind out the section and start over.  On the other hand, it takes a good understanding of proper ratios, product selection, technique, and what you want to do. Simple things like putting a floor in a T bucket body aren't difficult, but when you start getting into something that will show, like a roof of a car, you have to be more skilled.

For reference, I bought a book years ago shown below. Although some of it pertains to things strictly nautical, a lot of it is very informative and helpful in building a fiberglass car.  I keep it handy and refer to it often when doing any kind of fiberglass work. It is published by "International Marine/ McGraw-Hill, Camden Maine."  I would recommend it for anyone interested in doing glass work.


Don

[WZ JUNK]

Here is a link to a site that shows how I made the scoop and some other stuff for Hooley's Bonneville car.  http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/hooley/hooley-construction-2005-1.html   This shows the method I used to make the rather large and hideous looking scoop.  Form follows function I guess.  This is just one way of doing some glass work.  Just this last week I used plaster to make part of a mold for a custom roll pan on the rear of a 32 Ford.  There are lots of ways to make stuff out of fiberglass.  I like it and it does not make me itch.

John

[nzsimon]

Fibreglassing is easy but messy you only need to worry about moulds if you intend to make more than one item

otherwise you can carve it out of foam then glass over it and cut the foam out after wards thats how I modified my grill shell

Watch the mix ratios it is reasonably critical I use lots of food wrap to cover the wet glass so I can see any bubbles and work them out with out getting all the resin on my hands it also allows me to work out the excess

Also watch the temp if you do it in the cold you may need a heat gun to make it kick otherwise it may never go off it is after all a thermo reaction

wear gloves I never do and alway regrett it cutt all your matt before you start mix up small amounts of resin at a time