Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Use this area for posts concerning preparation, painting, finishing, airbrushing, pinstriping and the like.
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rudog
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Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by rudog »

Something has been put onto my shoulders, and I'm not quite up to the task. I gotta build a MC trailer in 2-weeks.

Where can i get yards of fiber fairly cheap?
Is woven cloth better than random strand?
Will there be a problem with radiused corners drawing in after beefing them up?
Will I need to use a board for the floor?
How can I prevent the rosin from sticking to the mold?
Etc...???

I know some of the methods to form the mold. I have alot of styrofoam for a posative mold. I plan to segment the mold to try and pull it out afterwards. The deck lid will be recessed with weatherstrip and a drain.

Any help/advice is most greatly appreciated.
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Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by BIGJIM »

Here ya go, check out the videos!
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com
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BIGJIM
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Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by BIGJIM »

I'm kinda liking this for a bike trailer.............
http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive ... 66771.html
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rudog
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Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by rudog »

thanx Jim. I'm checking 'em out now.
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Customize IT
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Tell me what I need to do I need help with my girder!!!

PLESE HELP????


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Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by Customize IT »

You can buy fiberglass in cans to be applied and sanded like bondo with different thength hairs too!! I have foamed parts before then trimmed foam and applied this type of product to cover to get the shape!!

I will usally do in two coatings pressing a wire mess in to the first while it still has not set.

Then using a filler after to get the smooothed shape!!

Not for everthing but it is an option!!


Image
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rudog
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Location: Texoma

Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by rudog »

Note to self. When asked any kind of "Can you?"...run.

For future reference, these are some of the things I'll do next time. It would actually be a quicker way.

Use High density sheet foam and cut the pieces to create the buck. Stagger the ends for rigidity. Build the buck 1" thickness at a time. Unless you can find thicker foam.

Glue together sections with wood glue set on floor overnight with lots of wieght to hold it together. Deck screws work to hold pieces together until dry. Contact cement will release if not done perfectly. It will also eat the foam if you use too much. Whatever you use will take a long time to dry since foam is a modest moisture barrier.

A broken bandsaw blade will work to carve large flat surfaces. A simple frame can be build to hold it straight particularly if all of your extra hands have abandoned you. Sandpaper works quite well even on the low density white foam. Wood working tools like planes and routers also work real well.

Well, back to work.
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Customize IT
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SELF INTRODUCTION: I am a young punk kid that needs some help building himself a chopper!!

I am sorry I only have a hotmail account???

Tell me what I need to do I need help with my girder!!!

PLESE HELP????


[url=http://imgur.com/8saXkqN][img]http://i.imgur.com/8saXkqNl.jpg[/img][/url]








[url=http://imgur.com/pXJZqQ0][img]http://i.imgur.com/pXJZqQ0l.jpg[/img][/url]









[url=http://imgur.com/T3Q4Ev4][img]http://i.imgur.com/T3Q4Ev4l.jpg[/img][/url]









[url=http://imgur.com/fsXGYQw][img]http://i.imgur.com/fsXGYQwl.jpg[/img][/url]
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Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by Customize IT »

No PICS???
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rudog
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Location: Texoma

Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by rudog »

Pics take time. I may conjure some embarassing photo's if all goes well.

This is what I'm working towards.I think it's butt ugly. This is what they want.
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prelim Model (1.jpg
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rudog
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Location: Texoma

The Buck

Post by rudog »

This is how the scary start looked. I drew an outline to lay the blocks but some sagging became a problem. Dowels would have helped
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back
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rudog
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Location: Texoma

Good News - Bad News

Post by rudog »

The good news is that foam dust comes off pretty easy. The bad news is that there are some places of the body you really don't want to put an air hose.

This has gone pretty well. Most of my fears are not as bad as expected. I may need to add more foam to the back to fill in the sagged foam or I may change the shape to suite. My homemade radius gage worked real well to arch the back.

Thank goodness I found my hand plane. Thanx Bob Villa for making me buy all those tools when I didn't need them. That power plane is the shit for shaping the foam. I'm contouring the sides and working the middle with a straight edge wich also happens to double as a radius gage.
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roughing
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so far
so far
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hose_dragger
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SELF INTRODUCTION: Former member of CBH....learning the ways to chop. Had a few bikes before....a few now...and lots more to come. Currently on a trike build, and a bike build. Thanks for having me back on board Dan. Hopefully I will do you guys proud!

Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by hose_dragger »

Looks good to me man...something I have never tackled, but would like to one day.
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rudog
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Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by rudog »

Thanx for the encouragement. I'll have more pics in a few days when I crash again. I've got some hands coming this morning to do the running around. I've put over 200mi on the bike just checking on things.

I filled in the voids and finished the profile. I was hoping to be finished shaping last night, but I'm starting to slow down. I did some thinking on the lip design for the hatch and it won't work. The design was just like the trunk lid on a car. I may just go with a 90* lip to strengthen and cover the weather stripping.

The time crunch will be felt today.
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Customize IT
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Joined: Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:54 am
SELF INTRODUCTION: I am a young punk kid that needs some help building himself a chopper!!

I am sorry I only have a hotmail account???

Tell me what I need to do I need help with my girder!!!

PLESE HELP????


[url=http://imgur.com/8saXkqN][img]http://i.imgur.com/8saXkqNl.jpg[/img][/url]








[url=http://imgur.com/pXJZqQ0][img]http://i.imgur.com/pXJZqQ0l.jpg[/img][/url]









[url=http://imgur.com/T3Q4Ev4][img]http://i.imgur.com/T3Q4Ev4l.jpg[/img][/url]









[url=http://imgur.com/fsXGYQw][img]http://i.imgur.com/fsXGYQwl.jpg[/img][/url]
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Re: Urgent Help with Fiberglass

Post by Customize IT »

MAN Thanks for the PICS it sure looks profesionally done like you have done it before!!

What foam did you use I have always used Great foam and it does not really work right???

I have never made a tank just customized body pannels!!
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rudog
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Location: Texoma

AAARRGH!!!

Post by rudog »

Thanx for the kudos. But, just when you get comfortable, power tools will bite you in the ass.
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Dont even try a DA. I've had good luck with an electric hand plane and electric palm sander. To get the flat contour, an air file was working real well untill the paper caught the foam and cut it like butter. If you use one use adhesive on the paper.
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A handy tool for foam bondo is wood glue, toothpics and foam dust. I've been filling voids like this and moving to a different area until it dries. The foam I'm using is ordinary white ball foam and works real nice with "gentle" persuasion. Get in a hurry and it will not let you forget it.

The surface is coming out nicer than I expected. I just heard that 36 yards of 23oz fiberglass will be donated to the cause. That's sweet. Well back to making he flat surfaces flat and the curves curved.
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rudog
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It's a beutifull day in the...

Post by rudog »

Vinyl Spackling and sheetrock mud are my new best friends. It dries quick with a fan and sands soooo much nicer than foam. I had finished the final shape but still wasn't happy with it. The less work I do now the more work I'll have to do in glass. Voids, cracks, holes and general imperfect shape will be worked out with mud prior to applying a latex paint to seal the core.

I finally got someone to come by with 18 yards of donated fiberglass. It was random strand and only good for the 1st layer, so, I got another 18 yards of woven cloth coming tomorrow. She's a girl and very good at getting her way. I got half a dozen people coming tomorrow. One is donating the tires. One will help me with the hatch and overall design. We get the paint and sundries. Others will track down the hinges and latch. Bikers ain't such bad people after all.

One more good coat of mud and I'm gonna get some sleep. The glue realy doesn't sand well against the foam and ends up being a high spot. Mud = bondo for foam..
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