first time fiberglassing

this is a Q for all you guys that have had LOTS of experience with FG and know how it works and stuff. well this Q will prolly go out to all the first timers, and will prolly speak for them when i ask the Q, where do we start first? like for example. what do we start on first for a project, do we start small and do lil pods for tweeters?, do we do kickpods for the kickpanels? or do we do a big encloser for a sub? just kinda give us the idea on where to start on! :) i am, there for, a first time FG person, and i actually havent started a project. and i would like to know what would be a good experience to start on! :) xTimx

The first time I used FG was to patch a 14' FG ladder.  I didn't have a clue how it was going to turn out, but I went overboard and now the patches are stronger than the rest of the ladder--not necessarily a bad thing.  A little practice would have helped the repairs turn out alot better.  Start with something simple, something you will finish, something that will not use a lot of material and something you could use in a larger project.  Maybe the spare tire well.  Then move on to turning it into a sub box.  Just be sure to finish it, even if you don't end up using it permantly.

go all out your first time. thats what i did. and ive learned alot by it. just do alot of research and use good sources such as this site. although latly, it seems the more expeirenced guys are hesitant to answer noob questions.....

I personally wouldn't do anything that you don't want permanant (i.e. door panels, any dash pieces...so on) I would start with something small though. Trying to FG large projects will only discourage because it's hard to lay FG on a large curved surface. try this: Tape off some sort of panel on your car (the bezel around the radio, bezel around your gage cluster, or even a section of your dash) then lay aluminum foil over it and plastic or newspaper beneath it. lay about two layers over the taped off piece, let it dry for about two hours...when you come back out, take it off, trim it up, then use your imagination to build something. Lay out designs, try to add a speaker housing, maybe even try to add a monitor...you can learn by making molds of pieces that you might want to re-construct in your car, build off of them, then eventually work your way into bigger projects. Trust me, I have met alot of people that are so serious about getting into FG then loose all interest after starting a speaker box and they end up wasting alot of money on all the materials they needed. Just try something small to get your feet wet.

Something small would be the ideal choice. If you start something large and it goes to hell you've wasted a bunch of materials. If you decide to scrap a smaller project your not out very much. Just enough to get comfortable with the materials and techniques. DEFINATELY try to FINISH the project. That's the hardest part don't get it to a certain stage and say ok I'm done with it - finish it. Good luck show us some pics of your project. Mike

my first project was a spare tire wheel well sub enclosure. I finished it this week, so this stuff is still fresh in my mind. It came out pretty well. By the way, I vow to not work with FG again unless it is absolutely necessary. you will need: fiberglass mat/cloth resin hardner assorted paint brushes well-venilated area very good breathing mask saran wrap masking tape power tool for finishing (dremel) bondo long sleeves and pants ( don't cut the cloth or mat without gloves and cover as much skin as possible. rinse your skin off with cold water and soap.) someone add more things to this list, I know I probably missed something.