home diy fibre glassing

[steveo3002]

id like to try and make something like this for a car

random pic there i found

i think i get the gist of what to do , but whats the score the buck /mold ...i recon i can make something out of wood and body filler but how do you finish it so you get such a nice finish

doing it this diy in the shed so low budget ideas please

also i see theres carbon cloth on ebay for ok money ..anyone used this ? does it shape into nooks n crannys ok?

 

[Psychosaffa]

the secret is in the prep work. your mold or plug needs to be perfect. the better the finish is on the mold, the better the finish will be in the end product, so it dosent matter if your budget is £100 or £1 000 000.it all comes down to elbow grease.

 

[steveo3002]

so what gives a finish that the fibre glass materials wont ruin ? i take it rattle can paints would react?

ive got lots of time but not so much money

 

[overload]

I would recommend looking at this to get a good idea what you can do for DIY.

http://www.carbonfiberdiy.com/2010/11/diy-carbon-fiber-kayak-greenland-paddle.html

 

[DrNik]

normally you would need to make the finish as smooth as possible so everytime you use the mould the item actually comes out of the mould and also has an acceptable finish, you normally wax the buck with many coats of release wax, although a handy tip is that if you melt wax over the buck it can be warmed and smoothed to quite a good finish and the glassfibre would never stick to the wax, the carbon fire on ebay is ok, there are a few things to remember but its childs play when you get a bit of experience and watch all them youtube video's

 

[CompoSimmonite]

I would recommend looking at this to get a good idea what you can do for DIY.

http://www.carbonfiberdiy.com/2010/11/diy-carbon-fiber-kayak-greenland-paddle.html

Good link. Bet it isn't as easy as they make it look ! Even the quality of the mound is better than I could achieve

If you are just after the "carbon look" then why not consider making in easier and cheaper fibreglass then just using carbon for the visible layer (under clear gelcoat ?)

Paul H

 

[wyn]

I have used a bit of sheet aluminium when having a bash at some carbon fibre resin infusion.

It came out a bit rough but another coat of resin and some sanding got it looking better.

 

[steveo3002]

doesnt have to be carbon fibre

im just assuming if ive made a suitable mold it would just be the extra cost for the cloth if i wanted that look?

 

[KemppiFrog]

Apart from getting the mould as smooth as possible, there is stuff called release agent, that you wipe over the mould. Mainly, the finish of the mould is paramount. Carbon is usually (as in always) set in epoxy. Bit different from simple GRP with polyester, but not difficult, just need to be a bit careful on the mixing. And it costs more..
KF

 

[Splatterer]

I use these guys. The tutorials are excellent.

Those pieces are vacuum bagged.
Are you concerned about the finished weight and strength?

 

[rkde]

I have made quite a few items now out of GRP at home and it can be quite cost effective but time consuming. I have made, doors, bonnets, bumpers, roof skins and lots of little bits. I will go through how I have made GRP bumpers in the past and it may help you.

First I made a rough bumper with filler, foam and card to make a basic shape

After hours of sanding

Painted with primer

I then applied several layers of high temperature release wax, then with the bumper on the car added the first layer of gel coat (2% catalyst mix)

Once the gel had tacked off I started to add chop strand 250g mat and resin (2% again) making sure that each layer of mat was fully wetted out and rolled to remove the air

Removed the bumper and trimmed

Then I used that mould to make another bumper which I added black to the gel coat and did the same process with about 2 to 3 layers of 250g chop strand mat and some core mat in places where I needed some strength

Left the bumper in the mould for a week as it does take 7 days for a good cure, then popped it out

Then popped it on the car

Later bumpers off the mould

Roof mould

gel coat going in

matting and core matting in

On the car ready for a trim

trimmed

The main thing is the preparation and making sure you do add about 5 layers of high temperature wax before you start else it can be a ****** to get off the part.
When adding gel coat make sure you do not add any glass till the resin has got a skin and tacked off, the way to tell is drag your fingers lightly across the surface of the gel, if you can drag your fingers without it sticking to you then its ready. Do NOT push your finger in as you run the risk of lifting the gel of the part.
Get a metal roller for removing the air from the glass as you add each layer.

I generally mix my gel / resin at 2% catalyst but if its cold I may go up to 4% but never less or more.

Leave a good cure time else it may change shape, on complex moulds consider adding wood to make it stronger.

Anything else just ask

 

[Keith 66]

Practice with polyester first, East coast fibreglass are good suppliers as are Glasplies, the latter do some first class DIY guides.
A cheap one shot mould can be made from melamine faced chipboard & brown packing tape always gives a perfect release.
Wax polish is good but it does not have to be high temperature, ordinary car wax is fine. The secret is PVA release agent, Dont confuse it with the white PVA Glue. The PVA release agent is a blue liquid that can be wiped on or thinned 50/50 with water & sprayed at 60psi with the gun set real fine so you can hardly see the spray fan. It gives a first class release every time & should always be used in a new mould for the first few lifts.
To start straight of attempting to make carbon epoxy parts is probably a recipe for disaster and liable to be expensive!
Here is a link to my blog that chronicles the building of a 27ft 6" Rowing Gig, she is built in GRP foam sandwhich, http://eastcoastrowing.blogspot.co.uk/,

 

[Wedg1e]

brown packing tape always gives a perfect release.

I thought I'd invented that dodge

 

[Normsthename]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith 66
brown packing tape always gives a perfect release.
I thought I'd invented that dodge

No, it was me!
Used brown Tape for years, it's a GRP Laminators best friend!
Also used Sellotape for covering Joints on Multi- Part Moulds.
Some great advice above, but like everyone has said the amount of Elbow grease done to the Plug/Mould equals final Finish.

Andy

 

[steveo3002]

no not concerned about weight or strength really , its just the original rain tray is is made from very brittle plastic and no longer available , a longer full length one like in the pic would be ideal

just needs to sit there and bear up maybe a spanner sitting on it from time to time ...the idea of carbon is for looks only

youre all saying shinney for the mold...but what ?? resin over the wood /filler or paint ? if paint what sort surley tape would leave lines?

edit didnt notice there was a page 2

 

[Keith 66]

Once you have the plug sanded to shape you need a polyester spray filler, Upol do one called Reface, its available in litre tins. Another really good one is Durabuild surface primer. Thats only available in i gallon cans & does not have a long shelf life. Whichever you use it can be applied with brush roller or spray & can be cut back easily, then its go down through the grades with wet n dry & polish with G7 or similar, by then you should have a decent plug finish. 5 coats of wax then 1 of pva & you can layup your mould. Once the mould is cured its wet sand & buff, then more wax & pva.
To do a decent mould takes a lot of hours.