Folding FRP

Finishes, paints and coatings

Folding FRP

Postby joshuag » Fri Sep 25, 2020 9:21 pm

Hello!

I don't want to buy a 4x8 sheet of FRP just to test this so I thought I would ask. Has anyone tried folding FRP by making a 45 degree plunge cut along the crease, heating it, and then folding it 90 degrees?

Even if this works the seam would probably tear right during normal use, right?

Thanks!
-Joshua

I want to build a Tipoon clone foamie but I bought a truck, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.

Tipoon Youtube
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Re: Folding FRP

Postby saltydawg » Fri Sep 25, 2020 9:28 pm

It might work with the home depot stuff, but anything with actual glass in it I doubt it. I will go grab a scrap piece of actual fiberglass with gel coat and try heating it to see what happens. Give me a few mins

Edit that was a big nope. I got it very warm basically hot to the touch. As soon as it bent the gel coat cracked, infact it cracked when normally it would have flexed. I think the resin did soften so much instead of bending it tried to fold which put more stress on the gel coat. As I said I dont know that the home depot stuff has real gel coat on it or even much glass. I do know when you cut it smells like polyester resin thou.
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Re: Folding FRP

Postby joshuag » Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:11 pm

That was so fast. Thanks for doing that saltydawg! :)

Did you cut along the crease first before heating? I was wondering if removing material along the crease / hinge would make it work. Like how a plastic living hinge is notched out on the sides.

Sounds like the gel coat would crack regardless from what you said though.

Thanks!


saltydawg wrote:It might work with the home depot stuff, but anything with actual glass in it I doubt it. I will go grab a scrap piece of actual fiberglass with gel coat and try heating it to see what happens. Give me a few mins

Edit that was a big nope. I got it very warm basically hot to the touch. As soon as it bent the gel coat cracked, infact it cracked when normally it would have flexed. I think the resin did soften so much instead of bending it tried to fold which put more stress on the gel coat. As I said I dont know that the home depot stuff has real gel coat on it or even much glass. I do know when you cut it smells like polyester resin thou.
-Joshua

I want to build a Tipoon clone foamie but I bought a truck, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.

Tipoon Youtube
joshuag
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Posts: 28
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Re: Folding FRP

Postby saltydawg » Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:21 pm

joshuag wrote:
Sounds like the gel coat would crack regardless from what you said though.



Yup thats where I was going with it. I did not cut out any of the back, the gel coat was just way to brittle even warm/hot.

Send me your address and I will mail you a piece that fits in an envelope.

if anyone wants scrap and lives close I have 4 pieces 10 to 14 long by 2.5 wide they could have just for showing up.

I live in maryland
Scott
Lost in Maryland
2021 just said to 2020, hold my beer and watch this.
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Re: Folding FRP

Postby joshuag » Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:43 pm

Looks like it's back to PMF for me. Thanks again!


saltydawg wrote:
joshuag wrote:
Sounds like the gel coat would crack regardless from what you said though.



Yup thats where I was going with it. I did not cut out any of the back, the gel coat was just way to brittle even warm/hot.

Send me your address and I will mail you a piece that fits in an envelope.

if anyone wants scrap and lives close I have 4 pieces 10 to 14 long by 2.5 wide they could have just for showing up.

I live in maryland
-Joshua

I want to build a Tipoon clone foamie but I bought a truck, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.

Tipoon Youtube
joshuag
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 28
Joined: Sun Jun 09, 2019 1:25 pm
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Re: Folding FRP

Postby saltydawg » Fri Sep 25, 2020 11:10 pm

PMF for me would be my third option. First would be fiber glass skin with the corners glassed in, next would be fiberglass third would be PMF.

But I would not use a single piece of wood in it except removable stuff, nothing structural or skin which would put PMF a distant third. After seeing the video on the brudder trailers I thought about going over grown foamy completely glassed inside and out. There are some easy ways to do glass and not need to fill the weave near as much, like simple plastic drop cloth. Epoxy wont stick to it, so just brushing a final layer of epoxy and putting on plastic sheet and smoothing it out will fill 95% of the weave. Or just simply micro ballons mixed with epoxy and sanded off then/or lots of primer to fill. You put enough micro ballons in epoxy and you could sand a 1/2 bump off by hand in 30 seconds.
Scott
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Re: Folding FRP

Postby joshuag » Sat Sep 26, 2020 3:40 pm

I'm limited to what I can build in my apartment :)
-Joshua

I want to build a Tipoon clone foamie but I bought a truck, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do next.

Tipoon Youtube
joshuag
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Re: Folding FRP

Postby saltydawg » Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:10 pm

joshuag wrote:I'm limited to what I can build in my apartment :)


if your not in a large city, go rent a 10x20 storage space for a few months. Find one that is 1 dollar to move in and rent it for 3 months, its an excuse to buy a inverter generator for power to work with
Scott
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