the jelly belly build

[Micro469]

Today I fiberglassed the door side.

Two problem areas, the seam, and inside the window. The window is where I pushed many little air bubbles and I made one big one, not worried about this one. The seam air bubbles will not go away though.

del

Del.. I haven't worked with fiberglas before, so this is just off the top of my head. Might work if you let it dry, then sand down the glass, then apply resin to the edge, then lay a new strip of glass in the resin, then apply more resin on top.

[del]

Del.. I haven't worked with fiberglas before, so this is just off the top of my head. Might work if you let it dry, then sand down the glass, then apply resin to the edge, then lay a new strip of glass in the resin, then apply more resin on top.

Yes that sounds like it just may work, this is my first fiberglass like this, so I am still learning. Today I started to put the roof on.

birds eye view of roof from just in front.
Next frame in vent.

[Steve Frederick]

Hey Del! SCRAPE, do not sand the bubbles out. Then patch with a new section of 'Glass. That sort of thing happens a lot!

[del]

Hey Del! SCRAPE, do not sand the bubbles out. Then patch with a new section of 'Glass. That sort of thing happens a lot!

Now you tell me, I sanded a few out. Do I need to understand why?

del

[del]

I framed a spot for the vent.

View from above (if it were not sitting on its side)

Trial fit of vent.

Trouble will come when I have to seal around the clamp.
The gospel of teardrop building (generic benroy plans) has me building the vent opening 14.25" square. The directions with the vent called for 14", with that it would be snug, I split the difference.

del

[Miriam C.]

Splitting the difference is probably good. Mine fit with spare room.

[Jst83]

Del, been following your build closely like everyone I'm sure let me add


One question, looking at the picture and the one in your avatar, I'm cornfused. Is the to going to be flat? It looks like it from the picture of the vent.

[Steve Frederick]

Hey Del! SCRAPE, do not sand the bubbles out. Then patch with a new section of 'Glass. That sort of thing happens a lot!

Now you tell me, I sanded a few out. Do I need to understand why?

del

Green epoxy just messes up the sandpaper, and is difficult to get smooth.
Also, I've found that the "dust" will settle in any small openings..in the cloth, small pin holes, etc, leaving a white pimple in the next coat, if you don't catch it! Not a problem when painting, But annoying when you clear coat!!

BTW..Love the build!! Excellent work!!

[del]

:lol: Splitting the difference is probably good. Mine fit with spare room.

Too much room and it falls through, a quarter inch would have worked. If I would have gone with no space, the screws would have air to tighten in. Mike is right allowing for a quarter inch gap is best.

del

[del]

Del, been following your build closely like everyone I'm sure let me add


One question, looking at the picture and the one in your avatar, I'm cornfused. Is the to going to be flat? It looks like it from the picture of the vent.

Jst83 my avatar is from Mike, when he took the picture he held the camera close to the ground, making the roof less visible (be it created on a computer). The roof was always flat, I just made the body six inches wider than the roswell, intern making the flat spot bigger. I hope this helps.

Thank you for the compliments.

del

[del]

Hey Del! SCRAPE, do not sand the bubbles out. Then patch with a new section of 'Glass. That sort of thing happens a lot!

Now you tell me, I sanded a few out. Do I need to understand why?

del

Green epoxy just messes up the sandpaper, and is difficult to get smooth.
Also, I've found that the "dust" will settle in any small openings..in the cloth, small pin holes, etc, leaving a white pimple in the next coat, if you don't catch it! Not a problem when painting, But annoying when you clear coat!!

BTW..Love the build!! Excellent work!!

Steve would blowing it out with air help? I am going to paint this, so my concerns are strength and smoothness. The fiberglass is no longer green, a day in the desert takes care of curing (yes it is slow hardener).
Thanks for the compliments, without you and the many members of this forum this build would not be possible.

del

[angib]

....I split the difference.

That's no problem - differences are quite easy to repair with epoxy.

Andrew

[del]

....I split the difference.

That's no problem - differences are quite easy to repair with epoxy.

Andrew

The frame work is only 3/4" wide, and the screw holes most likely make a square slightly larger than 15 1/2". I made it 14 1/8" so if I center it, the screws can bite into frame work, instead of just ply. Mike must have thought about this and said 14 1/4".

del

[del]

Put the last piece of skin on the body today,and trimmed the vent.

A lot of sanding ahead, but the only skinning left is the hatch.

del

[del]

Been busy the last couple of days, and have very little to show for it. My air sander/grinder I use for roughing in stuff has a backing plate behind the sanding disk. Went all over town looking for one to replace it. The clerks in box stores/sears at night are about as useful as t***s on a boar! This morning I found one. I sanded around the edge of the roof, and filled the cracks with fiberglass.


del