How to Fiberglass Something
You have something to fiberglass but you dont know how? Here are some basic guidelines for using fiberglass and polyesther resin.
Things You'll Need
* Enough Fiberglass mesh to cover what you want it to do
* Fiberglass kit
* Disposable paint brush.
* Disposable gloves.
* Disposable mixing container.
Steps
1. Purchase a "fiberglass kit". It will contain the poly (polyester) resin, the hardener (catalyst), and cloth. You can buy kits from home centers, department stores, or auto parts stores in various sizes depending on your project.
2. Build your mold. If you are making a one step project, like a simple box, bowl, or other shape, assemble a "mold" or "form". This can be nearly any shape, or you may be doing a fiberglass repair on a boat or car. This is a basic view of how to create your form.
* Assemble materials. Cardboard, plywood, styrofoam, or other materials that are easy to shape and build with, and can give satisfactory results.
* Cut the shape organic compositions from a block of styrofoam or polystyrene foam. An example would be a fountain bottom, bird bath, or dome. Cover the material with wax paper, and use wax to seal and attach all joints, as well as for smoothing rough seams.
* For boxes or other regular geometric shapes, you may build with stiff cardboard (smaller projects like speaker boxes) or plywood for large projects like dog houses, or even a boat. Again, cover with wax paper, or a good, even coat of paraffin wax.
3. Prepare the fiberglass matt or cloth in sheets cut to suitable sizes to cover your form, allowing for plenty of lap where you need to join it at corners or sharp curves. The material will become very flexible when the resin is applied, so don't worry if you cannot get it to conform to an exact shape while it is dry.
4. Measure an appropriate amount of resin in a metal container. A large can or metal bowl will work, but it should be of a disposable nature. Resin can be mixed in a clean plastic container, but because it generates heat when it sets, extreme care should be taken if you use one.
5. Add the hardener, according to package instructions. In a kit, you will have a pre-measured "can" or bucket of resin, and a pre-measured "tube" (like a glue tube) of hardener, so you can safely use an equal proportion of each material, ie, half your hardener and half your resin, or some other proportion.
6. Stir this material thoroughly, being careful to stir the bottom and sides, and not just the middle of the container, using a paint stick.
7. Lay mat on or in your form, and spread the resin mixture over it with a disposable paint brush. The mat (or cloth) will seem to melt into the resin as you spread it, and you can use the brush and additional coats of resin to build up the layer of fiberglass to a thickness of up to 1/4 inch.
8. Work the mat and resin completely over your form until it is covered uniformly, continuing until you have used all of your material.
9. Clean up any tools or spills with a solvent containing acetone before the material hardens.
10. Repeat the steps of applying matt and resin until the finished project is as thick as you want it. Fiberglass is usually applied in layers until it is thick enough to give the required strength you desire to achieve, and can be sanded between steps to eliminate rough spots where matt or cloth may project through the resin.
11. Finish your project by coating with gel coat or a smooth coat of resin, then painting with a polyurethane or alklyd enamel if desire.
12. Remove your fiberglass from the form. If you have covered your form or mold with wax paper or paraffin wax, you should be able to peel the form from inside the shape, or peel the shape off of the form, as the fiberglass will not stick to the wax.
Tips
* Large projects can be built by forming separate sections and then fiberglassing each one, then using fiberglass and resin to join them together.
* "Chopped mat" can be used if you have access to a "chop gun", and you can build up the fiberglass as thick as you want it in one application.
* Temperature affects the speed of hardening of the polyester resin, as does the amount of hardener used.
* Curve any corners if you are able, as it is difficult to work fiberglass matt around sharp corners.
* To ensure an even impregnation of resin to the cloth, try sandwiching the cloth between two larger sheets of clear plastic sheeting. Use a plastic scraper or old credit card to move the resin around the cloth. You can also trim your impregnated cloth into a specific shape or size by tracing onto the plastic. This also makes clean up a lot easier
Warnings
* Polyester (fiberglass) resin produces significant heat when catalyzed, especially if too much hardener is used.
* Wear gloves and safety glasses when applying the resin, and avoid contact with skin.
* Do this project in a very well ventilated area.
HTH!
You have something to fiberglass but you dont know how? Here are some basic guidelines for using fiberglass and polyesther resin.
Things You'll Need
* Enough Fiberglass mesh to cover what you want it to do
* Fiberglass kit
* Disposable paint brush.
* Disposable gloves.
* Disposable mixing container.
Steps
1. Purchase a "fiberglass kit". It will contain the poly (polyester) resin, the hardener (catalyst), and cloth. You can buy kits from home centers, department stores, or auto parts stores in various sizes depending on your project.
2. Build your mold. If you are making a one step project, like a simple box, bowl, or other shape, assemble a "mold" or "form". This can be nearly any shape, or you may be doing a fiberglass repair on a boat or car. This is a basic view of how to create your form.
* Assemble materials. Cardboard, plywood, styrofoam, or other materials that are easy to shape and build with, and can give satisfactory results.
* Cut the shape organic compositions from a block of styrofoam or polystyrene foam. An example would be a fountain bottom, bird bath, or dome. Cover the material with wax paper, and use wax to seal and attach all joints, as well as for smoothing rough seams.
* For boxes or other regular geometric shapes, you may build with stiff cardboard (smaller projects like speaker boxes) or plywood for large projects like dog houses, or even a boat. Again, cover with wax paper, or a good, even coat of paraffin wax.
3. Prepare the fiberglass matt or cloth in sheets cut to suitable sizes to cover your form, allowing for plenty of lap where you need to join it at corners or sharp curves. The material will become very flexible when the resin is applied, so don't worry if you cannot get it to conform to an exact shape while it is dry.
4. Measure an appropriate amount of resin in a metal container. A large can or metal bowl will work, but it should be of a disposable nature. Resin can be mixed in a clean plastic container, but because it generates heat when it sets, extreme care should be taken if you use one.
5. Add the hardener, according to package instructions. In a kit, you will have a pre-measured "can" or bucket of resin, and a pre-measured "tube" (like a glue tube) of hardener, so you can safely use an equal proportion of each material, ie, half your hardener and half your resin, or some other proportion.
6. Stir this material thoroughly, being careful to stir the bottom and sides, and not just the middle of the container, using a paint stick.
7. Lay mat on or in your form, and spread the resin mixture over it with a disposable paint brush. The mat (or cloth) will seem to melt into the resin as you spread it, and you can use the brush and additional coats of resin to build up the layer of fiberglass to a thickness of up to 1/4 inch.
8. Work the mat and resin completely over your form until it is covered uniformly, continuing until you have used all of your material.
9. Clean up any tools or spills with a solvent containing acetone before the material hardens.
10. Repeat the steps of applying matt and resin until the finished project is as thick as you want it. Fiberglass is usually applied in layers until it is thick enough to give the required strength you desire to achieve, and can be sanded between steps to eliminate rough spots where matt or cloth may project through the resin.
11. Finish your project by coating with gel coat or a smooth coat of resin, then painting with a polyurethane or alklyd enamel if desire.
12. Remove your fiberglass from the form. If you have covered your form or mold with wax paper or paraffin wax, you should be able to peel the form from inside the shape, or peel the shape off of the form, as the fiberglass will not stick to the wax.
Tips
* Large projects can be built by forming separate sections and then fiberglassing each one, then using fiberglass and resin to join them together.
* "Chopped mat" can be used if you have access to a "chop gun", and you can build up the fiberglass as thick as you want it in one application.
* Temperature affects the speed of hardening of the polyester resin, as does the amount of hardener used.
* Curve any corners if you are able, as it is difficult to work fiberglass matt around sharp corners.
* To ensure an even impregnation of resin to the cloth, try sandwiching the cloth between two larger sheets of clear plastic sheeting. Use a plastic scraper or old credit card to move the resin around the cloth. You can also trim your impregnated cloth into a specific shape or size by tracing onto the plastic. This also makes clean up a lot easier
Warnings
* Polyester (fiberglass) resin produces significant heat when catalyzed, especially if too much hardener is used.
* Wear gloves and safety glasses when applying the resin, and avoid contact with skin.
* Do this project in a very well ventilated area.
HTH!
