DIY: Poor Man's Fiberglass - Step-by-Step!

Fiberglass is a tough, durable, and weather-resistant product, but it can be expensive and messy to work with. A more affordable option is what's called "poor man's fiberglass" and in this video I take you step-by-step through the process of using it.
I'm making a tonneau cover for my pickup truck -- a hard cover that covers the bed. It protects what you store under it from the elements and from thieves. While there are commercial tonneau covers on the market, they can run from the hundreds of dollars to the thousands. I'm building one from some materials I have around the homestead and using the "poor man's fiberglass" to make it durable and waterproof.
To make poor man's fiberglass you'll need fabric, Titebond II glue, and exterior grade paint. That's it!
Using a wood base (I'm using several folding tables I had laying around), you paint on a layer of glue and lay your fabric over the top, smoothing it out so it adheres to the glue and wood. You then coat the top of the fabric -- I'm using a canvas drop cloth from Harbor Freight Tools -- with another layer of glue.
Once that coat dries, you sand it lightly and then apply a second coat of glue over the top. When it dries, sand it again. Now you're ready for the paint. Apply two coats of paint to the wood, sanding in between, and then finish with several coats of polyurethane.
You will have a waterproof surface that's tough and impervious to the elements. Poor man's fiberglass is as simple as that!
Mine is finished slightly differently because of the application I'm using it for. Instead of polyurethane I used truck bed liner "paint" to finish it off. But the concept is the same.
People use this technique for all types of projects, from building campers to boats. My tonneau cover ended up costing me about $75, but that's because the bed truck liner paint alone runs $40. That's a big savings to the $100s or $1000s of dollars a commercial grade one would cost. Maybe not as pretty as that, but it serves my needs perfectly!
Where can you use poor man's fiberglass around your homestead?
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[@marzsit9833]

this has been done for over a century to cover decks on wooden boats and ships except nobody ever used glue to do it, they used inexpensive oil-based paint. the procedure was to cover the surface with the dry canvas fastening it in place with staples or tacks, then spray it with water and let it dry. this process allows the canvas to shrink tightly in place and eliminates all wrinkles. then, mix the first coat of paint with thinner and totally saturate the canvas with it, then let it completely dry. after that, coat it with at least 3 more coats of unthinned paint, let dry between coats. it's still used as the standard method for covering decks when restoring old boats because wood boats breathe and expand/contract, painted canvas will move with the wood but fiberglass can't so it starts cracking and blistering...

[@HomesteadDIY]

That sounds brilliantly simple. Now I want to try that. Thanks!

[@bobgade6733]

I've never been a fan of fiberglass because of the need of a resperator during demo... Specifically the damage to the human body and the way it does... It's like black pepper causes taste, but inhaled for basically miles

[@MrKswildman]

This is what we do when we make experimental aircraft, using paint.

[@OffGridColoradoLiving]

Great points! I’m doing a PMF project to enclose our chicken run. Not necessarily pretty but definitely a fun project. I’m an old sailor too and will try a paint like you suggested.

[@guit156]

The method you describe is similar to that used for many years to make canoes. Coated canvas canoes used to be fairly common, although that was some years ago.

[@popsoldboats3406]

This is really a rich man's oiled canvas instead of poor man's fiberglass. 👍

[@JA-qi1fb]

Moving to a new house &looking at the old shed there, I thought I’d tear down the shed & replace it. Then I saw you working with ‘poor man’s fibreglass! Given a few days of hot weather, the shed dried out nicely & I levelled off the old tar/felt roof. Working in 4 ft widths I painted on the PVA glue, rolled down strips of decorators throw - good tough stuff - & then applied more PVA on top. Final coats of black bitumastic paint & the shed is totally dry. A couple of good storms / downpours proved it. Thank for the idea & info you provided, the shed is good for a good few years now. J.

[@JA-qi1fb]

A little more complicated but I’m now partway through saving an 8-sided summerhouse with PMG. Replacement cost would have been £5k or so but the PMG looks promising here too. 👍

[@bretc9644]

Back in the mid 90s my Dad and I made a bed cover out of plywood covered in black Naugahyde. It had a recessed piano hinge midway to fold over. We covered the plywood with some batting before laying the vinyl. The thickness of the batting hid the piano hinge and gave the top a nicer feel. The vinyl held it’s color probably 3-4 years and the cover lasted 6-7, just using mostly stuff laying around the house from other projects. I don’t remember if the plywood was marine grade. Might’ve been since it lasted so long.

[@gregry111]

Thanks for a well spoken, detailed, instructional video. no acting stupid or loud, dumb yelling. Also, I like your Pennsylvania Dutch accent. My dad was born in amish country and I've always liked the Eastern Pa. sound.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thanks! I don't know if I've ever had my accent described like that, but I certainly admire their work ethic so I'm willing to go with it. Thanks again!

[@FT4Freedom]

The benefit of this technique is the fabric and coatings are flexible when you want flexibility. Fiberglass and resin are much less flexible and better applied to a rigid base. In this example the rule does not apply because the cover is hard. But for coating foam or some other flexible base this system will flex with the base material better than fiberglass. For example diy kayak building.

[@lumimobb]

You think this will work with insulation board?

[@michaelosmon]

Jason Rivero it does, there are people using this method to make foam kayaks, look on KZbin you’ll find it

[@PainterD54]

They use the same technique for boat building. Don't use Titebond II for boat building. It's only water "resistant". Use Titebond III because it's actually waterproof (says right on the label) I gave mine three coats and sanded after each coat. After the third coat, it's like fiberglass smooth and probably as strong. Instead of using a scraper, use a paint roller for the first layer of glue or even a wide paint brush. A 6" or an 8" wide scraper will work better to pull out all the air bubbles. It will save you time and it less of a headache and will be more uniform to look better.

[@JMAV357]

Hey Dave, I’m thinking of making a simple plywood boat, could I do thois to waterproof the outside instead of using actual fiberglass?

[@PainterD54]

@@JMAV357Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to use. One layer of cloth and three coats of Titebond 3 will give a coating just like fiberglass. And on the inside of my boat I will be using two layers of just glue alone to water proof it before painting it.

[@heliocentric9971]

What do you think of diluting the glue somewhat with water?

[@PainterD54]

@@heliocentric9971 It would flow easier no doubt but take away its strength.

[@bobbuddenhagen449]

@@JMAV357 pp

[@bobsmoot2392]

Good idea! I build design/build sailboats for a hobby. To save weight and $$, I've used this method (same glue) on very thin plywood, but instead of canvas, I used thin, finely woven nylon cloth from Walmart (cheap/STRONG). You can almost see through it. I found that it wasn't necessary to pre paint the wood before placing the cloth on it. Just lay the cloth where you want it, pour glue on top and squeegee/flatten it smooth. The glue works right through the weave and comes out the same. Because I wanted my hull surface smooth, I squeegeed additional coats of glue to fill in the weave. Less glue needed for each coat as you go. Works great! Way less clean up (and with water), lighter weight, easy to use, no bad smell. Prime and pant when done. Thanks.

[@thomassater3462]

Hi; do you have a link for the nylon cloth you have successfully used? I would really rather go a lightweight route vs a canvas dropcloth or something, as I am building stabilization pontoons for a jon boat.

[@GalenEppley]

Yeah what's the fabric

[@ernie5187]

You can use landscape fabric. No wrinkles and the fabric is waterproof

[@bobsmoot2392]

The cloth I found at Walmart is nylon I think. It's very fine and has little stretch. I've used it to stain clumps out of older paint for spraying houses. Main thing is to get it as flat/straight as you can. No wrinkles. I was amazed at how well/easy it went on with a Bondo type plastic squeegee. Wrinkles just squeegee right out. I cut the cloth in strips 6-8" by 24" works. Thinner on tighter curves. Overlap steps about half way for strength. This give you a double layer of cloth when finished. I just used an old brush to put the glue on the hull, then squeegeed the cloth down into the wet glue. Do a little at a time, to keep control. Layers are fine. Multiple coats, after the cloth has dried, really smooths it out. No sanding needed. Good luck.

[@paulrichmond6903]

Boatbuilders have traditionally used a similar procedure. The only difference is we use a good quality paint instead of glue. The edge treatments, for joints between parts that had potential movement, ( Like between the deck and cabin), we used a 2” strip of lead across the joint held in place with copper tacks. Old time tradition but quite durable.

[@beerus1]

What paint do you recommend?

[@NicholasLittlejohn]

Lead!

[@gangleweed]

I once made a canoe and covered it with canvas.....then gave it 2 coats of oil based paint to keep the water out.…...years later I swapped it to a friend for a steam engine.....that was back in the 50's.

[@NicholasLittlejohn]

👏

[@oscaraguayo4423]

Thanks for doing this tutorial! I am going to attempt to use this method on a little motorcycle trailer I've built :)

[@hugostiglitz6914]

I busted my small trailer cover. So until the new one arrived I made a temperory one out of an old plastic shop sign. Worked great and was free.

[@keithmenia8470]

Holy macaroni! I just got done skinning the first half of my tonneau cover build using this method. Exceeded even my tough standards. Used the Titebond II, but I splurged and picked up some fiberglass cloth. I skinned both sides; top for appearance and wear, bottom for added rigidity...and it definitely does add some strength. I ended up draping the extra fabric and trimming the overhang. Sides will get a coating of glue. For others who may try this, I used a 4-inch rubber printer’s roller to apply the glue as the fiberglass is a pretty tight weave and the glue is thick. Thanks again for the video! I’m liking everything sbout this! I have an F-150, so thanks also for the link on connecting it to the truck.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Great! I imagine the fiberglass cloth will give it even extra durability. Glad it work out for you as it did for me.

[@isaacmadhavan]

Perhaps you could dilute the glue as explained elsewhere by RuggedHomestead.

[@mohammadkhalifa8594]

thank you that gave me an idea for a different project I'm using your method to cover an old cracked surface, cheers:)

[@samadamms3432]

Had to build a plywood box to store some bikes for the winter, sealed that with some cheap sheets from Walmart, coated with Redguard water proofing. Completely waterproof for three years now

[@Truth-Crusaders]

Looking at finishing a home made camper, this is interesting. I hate fiberglass but still will prolly use, maybe this technique on smaller projects another time. Thanks for the video

[@erichicks2978]

I don't know about the truck part, but this guy sure can stick fabric to wood.

[@WiKiTWoNKa]

😝😂😂😂😂😂🤔

[@1nvisible1]

*This guy could build you a house out of burlap bags and superglue but that looks like a lot more work than fiberglas.*

[@warrenclyde2467]

One can also dilute the glue and use much less. It just takes a bit longer to dry. For those concerned about being waterproof it is the paint that seals it. Foam boats use this process.

[@heliocentric9971]

How many much water per gallon of glue?

[@ed.puckett]

Thanks for sharing your technique!

[@ryanryanryan4329]

nice job and lay out on the poor man's fiberglass good job

[@suoppsdn9751]

Thanks for sharing. This seems easy enough and you described it very well.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thanks!

[@mfw1936]

Enjoyable video. He isn't in love with the sound of his own voice, like so many other amateur video makers who waste my time talking for two minutes before they begin. He seems to be a skilled craftsman and he gets right down to work. Two things I would do differently: I'd use a bigger scraper and I'd wear shoes.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thanks for the comments, and I can't argue with your suggestions. Cheers!

[@lhb4031]

Thats great , i may need to build something, that would need a nice top like a storage place for racks and shovel. Thanks for doing this.

[@PeterSFam]

I don't even iron my dress shirts but would consider ironing a canvas tarp to try this.

[@ephestione]

This tutorial looks like the most thorough of them all on youtube. You appear to be the only one to use the glue both under and over the blanket, and you even sand the layers. Being almost two years, and pretty much three winters, since this video, are there any updates on how it's holding up?

[@HomesteadDIY]

Ephestione's HQ I actually got rid of it after a year, but not because it failed. In fact, despite being outside in all kinds of weather in that time it held up perfectly and looked as good as the day I finished it. However, using the wood from the folding tables that I did, about 5/8” thick, made them way too heavy. It became a pain in the neck taking them off when I wanted to remove it when I had big bulky items to move. I’m actually in the planning stages for building a sleeper camper that will fit in the bed of my truck and I plan to use this technique to waterproof it. I also plan on building a new tonneau cover, but this time with just 1/4” wood. FWIW, I actually made this video precisely because I couldn’t find a step by step video on KZbin. Thanks for watching!

[@ljaysperspective1775]

This is a very unique and practical idea, very cool!

[@murraymadness4674]

I'm impressed you are willing to do so much work when polyester resin is super cheap would be done in an an hour and shiny smooth if you use some glass or another smooth surface as a form.

[@loudelvis610]

Lol..my thought also Titebond 2 is just as expensive as resin

[@the.j.b.5782]

This was pretty cool and had plenty of good info. Thanks for the video!!

[@HomesteadDIY]

Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!

[@Arnickification]

Brilliant!!! I’m going to try this on my earth air tunnel to seal the barrel connections!!

[@Muertodia]

Great info, very detailed. Thank you.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@jaymag3125]

As a cabinet maker/professional painter, titebond 2 isn't waterproof, if you decide to use this method I'd recommend titebond 3 which is waterproof glue

[@hbradar1]

Yes, titebond II is water repellent, neither is polyester fiberglass. Need epoxy or titebond III . Probably an oil based enamel paint . Thanks

[@Ch4grin]

As a non-professional that has built paddles and boats with Titebond 2 I can say that it will easily outlast his particleboard core. The industry requirements to meet the "waterproof" rating aren't really relevant.

[@jeremiahshine]

@@Ch4grin Correcto. I've been sealing, waterproofing, staining, painting, exterior surfaces for 35 years. Particle board is great as long as it's not wet. A rock, a tool set on top, hail...the end is a couple years away. Once the skin cracks for sure sand and paint again. The edges should get extra treatment. High maintenance to look good. I'll wager latex caulk would last longer. Just re-spread over the sun cracks in 5 years...re-paint.

[@MayTheLightBeWithYou]

@@hbradar1 Polyester resin is 100% waterproof and chemical proof as well, I was in the business.

[@brandonedwards7166]

Probably cheaper to but a gallon of resin.

[@smwon1]

I love this. The only problem is you didn't really give us a finished look. Perhaps you have a follow up you shared.

[@aliposhtpazan2625]

Excellent and dared DIY. Thanks for sharing your DIY with us

[@HomesteadDIY]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching

[@nakedgoatlastnamesarelame8868]

Rimworld Music! Aw man I was hoping for the build also :)

[@judichristopher4604]

Great Video... Thank you for sharing.

[@Stephanie9959]

I appreciate this practical and detailed demonstration.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thanks, and thanks for watching!

[@americanboathead5390]

Thank you for a great video! Im thinking of this for boat applications.

[@HomesteadDIY]

I've learned that was a primary use of the technique once upon a time. Good luck with it!

[@Bahnamoon]

@@HomesteadDIY hows the top 2 years later?

[@mikerevello3828]

Love this! Subscribed! I can see Many uses for this affordable method around our property and outbuildings. Thank You for posting this terrific idea.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Awesome! Glad you liked it. It realize does seem to have a lot of applications and I know it's been used to waterproof boats, camper vans, even planes back in the day. Cheers!

[@nipz8053]

Wow, that really is a poor man's fiberglass, but it works. 👍

[@mikestefanick7542]

WWII PT Boats had canvas covered decks. Easy, cheap and quick to repair

[@davidj837]

Mike Stefanick my vintage Norfolk Broads boat has a canvas over ply top to the salon and front cabin roof which is called scrim covering and was quite common practice before fibreglass was used.

[@roncline3120]

Great idea and I cant wait to make new worm bins this way...Thanks for info........

[@HomesteadDIY]

Well that's an interesting use for this technique I haven't seen elsewhere!

[@atubeviewer4942]

When you finished, was the outcome smooth like painted plywood or still rough like paint on cloth?

[@ruck-a-tron]

I always see the PMF for campers. I never thought about making a tonneau cover with it; that's brilliant...and probably much easier.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thanks! I would not use the 5/8" thick particle board like I did though. That was surprisingly heavy to maneuver about. I said afterwards if I was to make another one of these I'd make it out of 1/4" plywood. Much lighter and easier to move out of the way when necessary.

[@capt.toddwalkersonofafish7206]

Pretty cool I’ve been thinking about doing something like that to my truck.

[@sunnyvoid7206]

Consider the cost to build what he made, a Tonneau cover runs 180 at Walmart I googled it after watching this

[@keithchilcote8088]

Fun project - especially for those of us with vintage trucks where covers aren't available. I was thinking of doing something similar with 1/4 plywood that would lay on separate supporting spares . Since my 8 ft. bed would require a joint in the middle, I thought maybe the canvas only could act as a continuous hinge? Maybe add a strip of canvas on the reverse side of the joint and stitch the two together before gluing. This would make for manageable handling and 1/2 bed use.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Well I can tell you the 1/4" plywood would be a heckuva lot lighter than the 5/8" particle board I used. Man that was a bear to maneuver! I was considering redoing the cover doing just that. I think your idea for the canvas hinge is a good one.

[@isonovoso8312]

Great Job!!

[@IshanDeston]

You need Titebond 3, which is water proof. Titebond 2 is only water resistant, which means it will soak through on a long rainy day. Or you need to buy some boat varnish to coat it before you go and paint it.

[@FT4Freedom]

Titebond III has been used as well. However, the overall process works better with titebond II.

[@Smitty-op4ld]

After you put several layers it's water proof. It's a hack. They didn't design the glue to go in several layers. Toilet paper is water proof of it's enough layers. The way he did this is water proof.

[@rosskellynmoore4207]

Not to mention the obvious fact that the truck bed liner is waterproof. What I don’t understand is why he even bothered with the glue and fabric. He could have just coated the board with the touch bed liner and had the same result.

[@SlyC00p3r]

@@rosskellynmoore4207 thats because he is showing anyone else who could use this as a replacement for fiberglassing. Hence poor man's. Also truck lining is expensive

[@jimharris2897]

Titebond 11 is highly water resistant and with good paint should be okay for things that aren't submerged or too regularly soaked. I would be more concerned with the particle board softening up.

[@52memor]

Brilliant idea many thanks

[@kevinburgess6112]

good video, thanks for sharing the technique

[@cndbrn7975]

Pretty cool bro! I was thinking about using an old school "Whitewash" technique , it also acts as a glue, for the final coat. It's a slurry of Portland cement and water, mixed into a paint like consistency. After it dries use an acrylic paint and sealer.

[@cadenwhite982]

Great video! Very helpful

[@MIKEH.777]

Great job on the cover

[@ZORRO4652]

going to build a camper shell for my truck using 1/4 in. plywood....this will keep my weight down plus reinforce the shell..going to double up on glue and canvas. using either titebond III plus Polyester resin. thank you again!!!

[@HomesteadDIY]

That's exactly what I plan to be doing with it next! FWIW, I still think Titebond II is the better choice than Titebond III. Although TB says "waterproof" on the label for III, if you read further it is not meant to be used in instances where it would be submerged or below the waterline. That makes it more water-resistant like TB II than waterproof. Where TB III excels is in high-temperature water resistance, meaning where it would come into contact with steam or boiling water. It's good on cutting boards that you will run thru the dishwasher but in a PMF application it will not have any better water-shedding properties than II. Also, TB III will essentially melt at high temps (figure 150 degrees) but TB II (and original) won't. While I don't expect my camper to see those kinds of temps -- though maybe a summer sun beating down on it could raise the temps significantly -- for all of the above reasons I plan on staying with TB II. And maybe best of all, TB II is cheaper than III. Good luck with your project!

[@kdigiacomo]

3:00 Those are used for body filler, they flex really well. *Bondo, Evercoat Rage or Eastwood Contour type stuff.

[@1miltond]

I have a question mi concern is weather exposure no so much to water but cold and heat now fiberglass clothes and resin will degrade after a. Long period year's really but wood glue? So how is your test on that how is the cover doing now

[@HomesteadDIY]

My cover survived intact throughout some pretty harsh weather, but I ended up removing the cover after a year because it was so darn heavy. When I remake it I will use thinner material instead of 5/8" particle board because it became a bear to move after a while. But the cover itself stood up to the elements just fine.

[@samuelluciano8672]

Wonderful Job, you a natural engineer & materials alchemist, your completely awesome 👏 awesome 😎 awesome 👍🏼✅🧰. ThkU 🖐🏼

[@gusargoan]

Welding blankets are the poor man's fiberglass, and they are fiberglass.

[@je-fq7ve]

My friend pulled pink insulation out of the attic. wetted it out and filled holes in his truck.

[@EnFuegoDuo]

Ha ha ha!

[@jestork1]

For the fibreglass advocates. Fibreglass will generally last longer but it needs to be scuffed down and then painted if you are using waxed resin. With unwaxed resin, you can put down a waxed gel coat. Not much margin to get a good finish. Layers 1: unwaxed resin to seal wood and keep wood from pulling resin out of the fibreglass cloth. 2: lay down cloth: smooth out 3: saturate fibreglass with unwaxed resin 4: top coat with waxed gel coat. Gel coat and the (at least two layers of resin) won't be cheap but will last arund 25 plus years if no water gets in the wood from the underside. The cloth glue and paint will last as long as the truck. The paint can be easily recoated. The old boat decks lasted quite a while and they had a lot of wear and water exposure. Fun stuff to play with.

[@matthewklumper1248]

Just use epoxy. Put a thin layer on the wood Apply your cloth and wet it out. DONE. Make sure it's UV stable and you don't need a gelcoat. If you don't want to use fiberglass, you can use epoxy with the same cloth your use here and it will STILL work far better than paint will. Your assessment of how crusty paint will outlast even the worst fiberglass is laughable. You talk about the durability of the "old boats", but did you consider for a second that there's a very good reason that no NEW boats are built using that method?

[@josephleister9198]

Looks good , thanks

[@davidbaker4879]

Awesome video thanks

[@laserfalcon]

Excellent video, well done

[@HumbeTX]

great job!

[@mwt5258]

Great video. I am doing exactly this. And thanks for the ideas

[@HomesteadDIY]

Good luck! I’d recommend thinner wood because 5/8” particle board turns out to be heavy as all get out after a while

[@CheekyMonkey1776]

GREAT TIP! thanks.

[@alisha75006]

I applaud you for your creative, effort + end results, knowing that mature criticism always come up with helpful information. If I may say so this is very similar process which most R&D Research labs would address and make incremental adjustments for improvements till software come along, other than that those vinyl cannot save someone in wilderness. Lol "& cause I have an opinion" "That's my 2CENT"

[@whatnowok]

What happened to the rest of the video man!,were you show us the install?

[@peanutbutter2597]

Great job buddy

[@robertswyers4420]

Would a mini paint roller help with consistency even coats?Nice video

[@davidfusco6600]

Good idea, thanks!

[@davidmiller6196]

Very neat!!! Thank you!

[@HomesteadDIY]

Glad you found it interesting. Cheers!

[@robbehr8806]

Good tips!

[@rg7145]

Interesting! Thanks

[@ArmadilloJunction]

Nice demonstration, looks like some good content on your channel , subbing a fellow DIYer ! Not many of us brave enough to do a pmf demo. When I built my camper last year I could only find one and wasn’t helpful. That’s why I did one . If I do it agin I will for put a second coat of glue on top and sand more like you did .

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thanks! A teardrop camper is on my to-do list and researching a build is actually how I discovered the PMF process. Subbed back and keep up the good content!

[@philliptoone]

Armadillo Junction I would have used a paint roller to apply the glue, then saturated the cloth in the glue. Probably watered down the glue also.

[@Mark-gg6iy]

Interesting. Was that particle board you used? If so, my last choice. Another way to do this is to use XPS (extruded polystyrene) in combination with insect screen fabric and a good weather-resistant paint. Experimenting with Gelcoat would be interesting. The screen provides excellent tensile strength, the XPS deflection is minimal while being very lightweight. If fasteners and\or hardware is to be employed solid wood can be embedded for screw strength. I just watched a video of a man using this method to build van cabinetry.

[@texedwards3039]

looks like a good idea

[@GPDIY]

Love the project man, Respect.

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thank you!

[@kengrimes4586]

How long does it take to fire off or dry i should say

[@reowhite4862]

Old biplane wings were made in a similar way. Very cool.

[@chuckaddison5134]

Old canoes and boat decks too!

[@mortneff4674]

What else did you use to make the truck bed cover???

[@johncasor9698]

Another Great Video... Thank you...

[@HomesteadDIY]

Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers!

[@VerifyVeracity]

I've done quite a bit of fiberglass work even 4 flat roofs, & I think it would be almost as cheep to just use the fiberglass & etc. But still it's something to think about & maybe as said by Jay L make sure I'm using waterproof glue.

[@gergemall]

What a creative idea.thank you

[@Crow3112]

bro im a poor man and this is a great idea very smart im going to be putting this on my new truck bed cover imma make @ a small portion of the price, thanks for sharing

[@HomesteadDIY]

Awesome! Mine held up very well through all kinds of weather. I’d recommend using much thinner plywood, maybe 1/4”. I had to take mine off because 3 sections of 5/8” particle board was too heavy to lift after awhile. I was actually thinking of just making a frame to go around the top edge of the bed and no wood in the middle to lighten it even more.

[@johnicc907]

How has that cover held up overall?

[@stewartcpitt]

7 or 8 years ago we helped out a local school who was doing a environmental Project. They were making a racing car out of environmental and recycled materials. The company I work for now-defunct called Lola cars in Huntingdon UK we were mostly used to making cars for the Indy circuit and lemons cars. But we were helped out by making most probably the cheapest panels ever made using flax and resin flax is used in making all sorts of things from shopping bags 2 climbing rope and it seemed to work ok when you think of the materials are generally work on which are roughly starting at £50 per square metre this was surely money for old rope as we say in Britain

[@MrWayneploof]

Looks good

[@davek6630]

I would like to try something like this over 2” pink foam, for a hot tube cover. I think, I will use fiberglass resin though, for long term exposure.

[@McTickles777]

that will melt unless you use 5 coats of latex paint.

[@TripleD_225]

Tick Mcdiarmid I just watched the video of the guy testing that out🤣

[@verbon5434]

Great video.

[@hodgecooter]

I question smooth sanding between coats of glue. Would have thought the glue would adhere better with a rough surface.

[@southernnyer6086]

Thanks! Thats a great idea.. I was looking for a way to build a toolbox for my Ram 1500 pickup.

[@tommysmith5082]

Very Good. Thanks

[@harvmac69]

This is so cool!!

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thanks! It's a pretty effective solution that has all types of applications.

[@dustintinsley3899]

so what is the price comparison to doing this with fiberglass vs PMF?

[@rocksanon689]

great idea

[@sureshbabu5687]

So......................Awesome……. Thank you very much. 🙏🙏 🙏

[@PRDMRE]

Well done!! Thinking about building a paddle board using a lot of this method

[@HomesteadDIY]

Thanks! My next project using this method is to build a foam kayak. I think I have a thing for homemade boats as I also built a boat out of a single sheet of plywood. Cheers!

[@cadechristopher6456]

Truckbed liner is already enough. BTW, you should go to the source for truckbed liner. Company called Durabak. Any color, texture and UV for much cheaper.

[@webbtrekker534]

I was using this back in the 70's when I was doing boat repair. Boat builders used a fine weave canvas duck and a product made by Borden, the same folks who make Elmers' Glue. Water soluble. Same procedure, spread, canvas, coat, coat, dry, paint. Was told at that time the basic technique was over a 100 years old. Looks like the same thing except with an updated glue. Should have put a radius on the edges so they won't wear through so fast.

[@HomesteadDIY]

I've since learned that this was, in fact, a common boat building technique. Everything old becomes new again at some point I guess. And I'd agree on the radius. I've commented elsewhere however that I'm going to build a new one out of much thinner material next time -- maybe 1/4" plywood -- because the 3 panels of 5/8" plywood is a bear to move.

[@ensignj3242]

Very clever

[@robertnancarrow9433]

We use a tent indoors when all glued down use a heat fan inside the tent and close the tent up and leave for 1 hour done ready.