fiberglassing! @#$#@$%%!!!!!

[UK-Brian]

well to say the least my first attempt at fiberglassing was not what I had hoped. very wavy and multiple nibs. I know that I'm the reason but it has been a learning experience. one side wall curing as I type, will be covering the second tonight. I used chop strand with a flat matting on one side, found a local manufacturer. did not realize the company was local and to find out they are one of the largest in the US. they make fiber for most all of the boat companys. they have a weave type but the smallest is a 24oz. thought that was to heavy.

thanks, for listening to me rant. off to try the other side!

Brian

[starleen2]

Maybe the next side will be better - now that you have some experience

[S. Heisley]

HaHaHa! Can I sympathize! Luckily, my fiber glassing was on a much smaller scale. There are a few good tips in my build thread. Start near the bottom of page 20 and continue to the next until you see success. (…well, sort of….):

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... &start=285

[doug hodder]

While it's great to buy local and as a small business person I appreciate it...sometimes you just gotta go internet or out of town. Most of the epoxy manufacturers have glass cloth/tape in a number of weights. I try to do all the searching prior to getting to whatever point is going to need something, so I've got my sources squared away. A local automotive paint supplier/ or marine place could have maybe ordered up some cloth for you. Depends on where you are and what you need. Just an idea. Doug

[pete42]

While I have never used chopped/matted fiberglass I did build an all fiberglass airplane well most of two
I had help from a friend we were building two at the same time until he became ill and had to quit I could not do it by myself so I sold what I had made.

I used bi-directional and unidirectional cloth and epoxy.
secret is to just wet the cloth not pour on a bunch use a small brush and stipple the epoxy onto the cloth
use a plastic scraper to remove the excess, epoxy doesn't add strength so more isn't better

hang in there practice on scrap before attempting a big piece.

you will get what ever you are attempting keep going.

[Oldragbaggers]

I wouldn't use mat at all for this application. Mat builds up bulk, but it's hard to get it smooth as the strands move around all over the place when you're wetting it out. Woven roving is just overkill for this use also. What you want is a nice cloth, 6 oz. is good.

[Steve_Cox]

I wouldn't use mat at all for this application. Mat builds up bulk, but it's hard to get it smooth as the strands move around all over the place when you're wetting it out. Woven roving is just overkill for this use also. What you want is a nice cloth, 6 oz. is good.

I like to use 4 or 6 oz bi-axially oriented cloth on plywood.

Brian,

I would surmise all this "good" advise is after you have completed the job.... but hopefully it will help someone else down the road. Thanks for sharing your experience, I know of many builders that sealed seams of a painted trailer with 10 oz. fiberglass tape only to realize just how thick it is after it the weave was filled with epoxy and they were trying to sand it smooth...