Thread: How to Work Fiberglass Right

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So there are a lot of us working with fiberglass bodies, accessories, and parts that need repair, modification or total re-work and it seems that there are a lot of ideas being tossed out as "The Gospel" for what's right and what's not. I picked up my approach by talking to a guy with 40+ years of paint & body, much on glass or using fillers the right way for long term stability, and reading tech articles and books on glass working. That said, my way may not be right for everyone, and simply may not be right!!

I'm posing a question to the guys out there who have been working glass through the years, and who know what's right and what's not without having to ask anyone for suggestions. We have a few guys on here who earn their daily bread slinging resin on mat, and we have a few more who have been building/repairing glass boats, car bodies, consoles, etc, etc, for many years. My thoughts are that it would be a big value to have some true expert input on something like 1) repairing a hole in a panel, 2) repairing a rolled edge, like a door jamb, 3) extending a panel, like a door or hood edge that may need an added 3/4" to close a gap with the jamb, 4) molding a part where one has or makes a mold, lays up mat & resin and then pops it out after curing to finish, maybe relatively small parts, 5) making a panel from scratch, like a Deuce hood side or... that needs to be flat, and stay flat, and maybe free forming with fleece the right way ?

Any true Glass Master's out there who are willing to share? Looking for some good, step by step ideas on how to do the work and thinking it might save some of us some grief as time goes by.

Good idea Roger, I would buy this book too!

first off you need to know what your fixing glass or SMC sheet molded composite

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

first off you need to know what your fixing glass or SMC sheet molded composite

Pat, for the lions share of what we see here I'd say we're dealing with hand laid fiberglass if it's a quality product, and chopper gun fiberglass if it's lower quality. I don't think that I've seen any SMC sheet molded composites being used for street rod bodies or components, but I could be wrong. For purposes of this thread let's assume Fiberglass, not composites as the title states.

Originally Posted by rspears

Pat, for the lions share of what we see here I'd say we're dealing with hand laid fiberglass if it's a quality product, and chopper gun fiberglass if it's lower quality. I don't think that I've seen any SMC sheet molded composites being used for street rod bodies or components, but I could be wrong. For purposes of this thread let's assume Fiberglass, not composites as the title states.

well if your taking hand laid glass or chopper glass that s fine but over the years guys have been fixing what they were thinking was glass when it was smc .what you are looking for is on west systems web pages and making body plugs and making bodys and fixing holes look at any thing on the west systems under jon s . i fixed glass for many years and smc work on many thing s over the years did finish work for jon at one time seen him make many things one of the best i seen. pick a subject and maybe i can put a finer point to how i would do it

Originally Posted by rspears

. . . hand laid fiberglass if it's a quality product, and chopper gun fiberglass if it's lower quality.

Dang, Roger - that hurts!

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

well if your taking hand laid glass or chopper glass that s fine but over the years guys have been fixing what they were thinking was glass when it was smc .what you are looking for is on west systems web pages and making body plugs and making bodys and fixing holes look at any thing on the west systems under jon s . i fixed glass for many years and smc work on many thing s over the years did finish work for jon at one time seen him make many things one of the best i seen. pick a subject and maybe i can put a finer point to how i would do it

Pat, did you read the first post to the end or stop at the title? There are five different subject lines stated as suggested starting points there, but maybe that's not what you mean by "pick a subject"?

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

Dang, Roger - that hurts!

Jack, not trying to throw rocks, just seeking some knowledge.

[QUOTE=rspears;524717]Pat, did you read the first post to the end or stop at the title? There are five different subject lines stated as suggested starting points there,.. maybe that's not what you mean by "pick a subject"?...... yes holes .door jam . what first . body plug . fixing a poor built body what??? you can not do much for a poor body parts that are thin and a air cure lay up out in the sun parts move so that ones been done

[QUOTE=pat mccarthy;524720]

Originally Posted by rspears

...yes holes .door jam . what first . body plug . fixing a poor built body what??? you can not do much for a poor body parts that are thin and a air cure lay up out in the sun parts move so that ones been done

Thanks for your input! Robin? Parkwood? Shine? MP&C? Dave S? Uncle Bob? Others who've fixed stuff for fun & profit?

[QUOTE=rspears;524721]

Originally Posted by pat mccarthy

Thanks for your input! Robin? Parkwood? Shine? MP&C? Dave S? Uncle Bob? Others who've fixed stuff for fun & profit?

oh i am done why not ask the burning question about a air void in a gell coat ? if you can use a ground glass filler to fix the air pockets ?

chopper gun or hand laid means nothing. type of resin is all that counts. there are many different tiers of resins. just like paint there is good better and best with 50 qualities in each. epoxy is the upper tier, vinylester then polyesters. i use epoxy resin for any repairs , vinylester for any mold work , polyester for things like speaker boxes and such. the key to resin work is cure. best way is to wrap in black plastic and set in the sun for a while. exposed to higher temps than normal.

I want to to make a piece for the top of my grille to the radiator to keep the air from going over the radiator. I have fashioned a fair fit from a plastic trash can lid, how can I make this from fiberglas or some other material that will hold up?

Originally Posted by 36 sedan

I want to to make a piece for the top of my grille to the radiator to keep the air from going over the radiator. I have fashioned a fair fit from a plastic trash can lid, how can I make this from fiberglas or some other material that will hold up?

the cost of one in glass will be much more then getting sheet of tin and building it

My tin skills are poor, this has compound curves. I'm afraid I've wasted more on tin already than I could have made it from fiberglas.

Do I need to make a reverse mold out of plaster first, or can I lay over the plastic lid?

Are there other materials besides fiberglas I should be looking into to make this from?

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