Need Fiberglass Advice
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Fiberglass, Fabrication, and Interiors
Forum Discription: Fiberglass Kick Panels, Subwoofer Enclosures, Plexiglas, Fabrics, Materials, Finishes, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=33817
Printed Date: May 16, 2024 at 10:52 AM
Topic: Need Fiberglass Advice
Posted By: big_ed
Subject: Need Fiberglass Advice
Date Posted: June 13, 2004 at 6:38 PM
Hey I am building my first set of kick panels. I am using white fleece and Bondo brand Home Solutions fiberglass resin from the home depot. It says "no shrinking" on the can but I am not so sure about that. I made the back of the kickpanels in my car (two fleece layers) and let them dry for about a day then pulled them out. They seemed to fit well except they looked warped about 1/4" (1/4" gap at the top) at the top so the fit wasnt perfect but i could live with it. I then made my MDF rings, aimed them, fleeced the front, and fiberglassed it. Looked great except that when i put the pods in the car the 1/4" gap was not about 1.5" and the upper portion was visibly curled inward even more. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG....AHHHHHHHHH. Do you guys have this problem, or do you use an epoxy based resin...??? Any help is greatly appreciated.
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Kick his A$$ c-bass
Replies:
Posted By: AirNavy
Date Posted: June 13, 2004 at 10:50 PM
Did you use fleece to make the base mold? If so that could be the culprit. The base mold should be made from resin and mat.
Posted By: drunkenbreaker
Date Posted: June 13, 2004 at 11:43 PM
I'm backing AirNavy, always back enclosures with f/g mat or f/g cloth.
Posted By: big_ed
Date Posted: June 14, 2004 at 5:43 PM
Nice appreciate the advice. Yes I did use 2 layers of fleece for the back mold. Does the fleece shrink???
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Kick his A$$ c-bass
Posted By: AirNavy
Date Posted: June 14, 2004 at 5:48 PM
It would appear that if it is not stretched and anchored in some way it does shrink. Thanks for finding that out for us... 
Posted By: big_ed
Date Posted: June 14, 2004 at 10:56 PM
Lol ouch do i sense some sarcasm. JK yeah I guess I didnt think it would shrink at all, at least from what everyone has been telling me in forums and such. What i have noticed is that it doesnt fully cure in 1.5 hours. When i did the back panels i laid the first layer (spray glued to the masking so it wouldent move), and then did the second layer about 2 hours later. After letting that dry for about a day i pulled it out of the car and it would fit. But a few days later is when the problem arrived. I talked to a sales rep for one of the fiberglass resin manufactures and he said that basically all polyester resins will shrink to some degree and will not reach full hardness for at least a couple of days. I think next time i will go for an epoxy resin.
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Kick his A$$ c-bass
Posted By: big_ed
Date Posted: June 15, 2004 at 10:17 PM
Any other advice???? anyone....Bueller...??
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Kick his A$$ c-bass
Posted By: drunkenbreaker
Date Posted: June 15, 2004 at 11:19 PM
poly is stronger than epoxy. It's also sprayable if you have a gun
Posted By: big_ed
Date Posted: June 16, 2004 at 7:39 PM
Really?? I read from various resources that epoxy is stronger and does not shrink. The only real disadvantages are the cost and you need to sand between layers if you wait more that one day. Anyone ??
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Kick his A$$ c-bass
Posted By: sam1
Date Posted: June 17, 2004 at 5:28 PM
might of been a combination of shrinking and if the base wasnt stiff enough you could have warped or bent it when you stretched the fleece over the top. if it can flex, its not hard enough.
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