Avoid Common DIY Fiberglass Mistakes

[@aligzaidi]

You explained everything that I did wrong and lost my expensive master/plug or whatever you wanna call it. I almost gave up on fiberglass journey. Your video gave me a reason to get back and try agin. Thank you Bill.

[@logsdongarage]

This really is the most informative composite channel there is for diyers Thank you bill!

[@ekim000]

Thanks Bill. You have saved me an embolism or two in my infrequent fibreglass projects. Very kind of you to put your experience out here.

[@RobertEHunt-dv9sq]

Excellent video. Thanks for posting. I find your videos very informative and helpful for those of us who tackle fiberglass, FRP and CF. Thanks again Professor Gelcoat. Cheers from Texas.

[@bradleygoins380]

Thanks Bill. With your guidance, I've decided to build my first fiberglass hood for my 91 GMC c1500.

[@stephenfrench4417]

Thanks Bill that was good timing for my work truck mods very useful

[@georgem8200]

Great video,we need more aussie content like this with experience and good teaching 👍

[@Healthfighthunt]

Thanks to your videos, just did my first 4 piece mould on a Golf Mk4 r32 front bar. Needs tidying up in some areas around headlights although looks ok. Will see how the first copy goes. Thanks again mate.

[@aussietruckphotosandmodels8510]

Great comments Bill. I go to the chemist and get 10ml syringes to measure my MEKP. As long as you don't dip them in the resin they last a couple of months before the rubber seal fails, but at 40c each it's not worth taking into account.. It's getting very difficult to get Estapol, even the local Wattle shop has to special order in for me. There are some other paint products that I used over the years that have gone by the way side. Some have EPA problems and others just went out of fashion.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Yes Wattyl's marketing supply is far from what it used to be, although the product itself is one of their biggest sellers. If you pick your way through the (now trendy) "Table Gloss" products you may well find another 2 pack polyurethane clear gloss on those Bunnings shelves.

[@aussietruckphotosandmodels8510]

@@BillsBuildandRace The big green shop marches on like a plague consuming all contenders.

[@mr2ferrari]

Bill, I've been using your technique of wax application for years now and it works great! Only question i have about it is: how to keep the mold from lifting off of the plug during curing? In some spots, particularly flanges to widen the edges of my molds, it'll lift when curing and warp the surface. My guess is I'm letting the stack get too hot too quickly?? But that's just a guess. Any ideas?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

To be honest mate I have never experienced that lifting. Detail your mold layup for me.

[@mr2ferrari]

@@BillsBuildandRace must just be my luck! I start with the one thick coat of wax, don't polish it, let it dry for an hour or so depending on temp. Spray a few light coats of PVA next. Set a fan on it cause I'm impatient. Once dry, I proceed to apply gelcoat. Let it dry to where none comes off on my finger when touched. First layer of reinforcement is either a veil of fiberglass or 225g csm. Let it either cure overnight (depending on my schedule and the weird weather we've been having here in Tennessee) or let it tack and then three to four layers of 450g csm. I've been using a foil backed foam board as my flanges, can't say I ever remember this "lifting" when using corrugated realtor signs though 🤔

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@@mr2ferrari Four layers of 450gm csm is double what you need for a mold. They don't have to be super thick like people in the fiberglass industry or car racing think. It is far easier to just add extra strips or overlaid half rubber tubing to flat areas, or edges that simply must not warp. Otherwise your layup technique sounds spot on. I think that foil backed foam board is what's causing your lifting, as foam products get soft with heat like fiberglass resins generate when curing. Stick to the Coreflute realtor signs & I think you'll find this problem goes away.

[@mr2ferrari]

@@BillsBuildandRace I'll do the coreflute on my next mold and less layers, then report my findings. Cheers Bill, thanks for all the knowledge 🍻

[@granturagemmotorsport570]

Excellent videos Bill 👍 However I wish I'd listened to this before I ruined the wife's kitchen scales on a project 😂

[@BEYTEK]

great advice dude, its time i try a boot for my rx7 fd

[@monetroshi]

I took notes

[@STAY-GOLD-VINYL]

So if I understand this if molding to a painted car fender I need to wax fender, pva dye and strand mat and the resin to use is epoxy resins?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Almost. It's PVA paint on release film - not a dye. Also - epoxy does not adhere well to chopped strand mat. With CSM general purpose (or LSE) polyester resin with 1-2% MEK catalyst is the norm.Watch the very first video in my Fiberglass Tutorials playlist here. It covers all the basics.

[@STAY-GOLD-VINYL]

@@BillsBuildandRace Thanks for the tips and knowledge. I’ll watch the 1st video now. Thanks again Bill

[@Rhinexing]

How is the new race hauler working out for you, Bill?

[@BillsBuildandRace]

Brilliantly. I drives with the car on the back effortlessly, and without those stresses of a trailer. I have a six day round trip through two states coming up this month, and I will just pull into caravan parks on a $40 a night powered site, use their showers, toilets and bbq, sleep in my truck & be on the road the next morning. Getting an oversized winch was a good thin too, and I've had no problems loading or unloading on those 4m aluminium scaffold planks.

[@lumimobb]

In usa, even at my composites store, they carry only 3/4oz matt and 1.5oz matt. Anyway you could give a rough estimate on how to make similar strength parts? you say 225gsm is light but seems when I do the research 225gsm is way heavier than our heavy 1.5oz

[@BillsBuildandRace]

225gm + 8oz. 450gm + 16oz Chopped strand matt - not woven.

[@lumimobb]

@@BillsBuildandRace Yes going by matt. Our heavier matt is 1.5oz , which is still way lighter than you 225, which I cannot grasp my head around it because the 225 you use looks super light to be 8oz. Looks a bit more like our 3/4oz.

[@BillsBuildandRace]

@@lumimobb You may well be right. The weights and designations by which fiberglass cloth is sold around the world varies. 225 you can easily pull apart with your hands, and it readily tears. You can do the same with 450, but it takes a determined effort.

[@lumimobb]

@BillsBuildandRace yes our 3/4oz is easy to tear and 1.5oz does take a bit more effort.. maybe we measure gram by the foot rather than meter?