headliner fg project

hey everyone, i work alot with fg, but never attempted a headliner before. i know there will be a weight issue, but need to know hoe to prep this one.  i took off the headliner and factory material on my 2003 f150 extended cab and there are many bolt points to support it, but the hard foam board is got me stuck here.  do i need to wrap fleece to start off and then resin and matting? or should i just start glassing it? i know many of you have way more experience with this type of work than i do, so i am asking for some advice here. please let me know. thanks again. and to smooth this one out is there any tips you could give on the fool proof finish for all the curves or should i get my sanding hands ready for this one?

I will post pics as the progress moves forward.

ok then i have that stuff thanks

Chillin420: no prob here it is let me know if you need any help this process works great. 

For the few headliners I did I coated them with resin lightly first. Then I added shredded matting with a brush and a roller. Be sure to add even layers and work out bubbles. Let it dry and see how strong it is. Add more resin and matting if it's not strong enough. Be very careful not to mix your resin to hot or it may warp your headliner. That also means no heat guns or hair dryers. Don't rush it, give it time to dry or you may have problems. After everything is dry I used a bondo blade/ squegy to spread resin over it to float the low spots. Then use light weight filler, I like evercoat and rage gold but make sure it's a light weight filler. The light weight is easer to sand and goes on nice and smooth. How much sanding is going to depend on how good you are at spreading.  You can also do the resin and filler mix but the resin makes it a little harder to sand when it's completely dry. I use a D.A. sander to get the large flat areas and a foam sanding block to do the contors. 80 grit to even it all out then 200 before priming. I use high build primer then sand with 600 use spot glaze to fill any pin holes then prime and wet sand with 600-1000 for a super smooth finish ready to paint. I know sanding is a bitch but if you want a really nice finish you have to put in the work. Hope this helps and good luck! Post up pix so I can see how it turns out and let me know if you have anymore questions.   

ious Private Message --
Sent by : joyrydn
Sent : March 21, 2008 at 9:10 PM

i want to know about what steps should i take nowthat the headliner material is off and ready for fg.  i have worked alot with fg just need to know a few things for this project so it is strong enough and less sanding. thanks.  should i wrap it in fleece then apply resin and matting or just resin and matting no fleece?  and how do i get a glass smooth finish with less work.

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Make it Euro'n!!!

sorry for the double post, but i have been working on this all weekend and i will post pics on monday or tuesday hope that helps. thanks again

ok so the pics are up, it sure helps having an 8 year old. they can be a big help when it comes to tearing up the matting.  i used a gallon of resin so far and only got half the headliner covered.  so when i can get another gallon i will post more pics.  and i got to say the bud light cups are very helpful lol.

The roller is one of my favorite glassing tools. Can't wait to see the finished product. One thing I forgot to tell you is make sure you test fit along the way. You don't want to paint it and find out your post covers don't fit.

thanks, they are feeling alot better.

im working on the headliner tonight, like everyone i keep getting distracted with other stuff.  im getting a 1961 ford fairlane 500 with a police interceptor in it soon so i will be working on that alot as well. and yes i will post pics on this site for everyone.

There's no exact number of layers you'll need. If it flexes any where you might want to add some so it doesn't crack after painting. I didn't really count how many layers I used. But I can tell you that they were strong as hell and had some good weight to them. The last one had 3 10" monitors and a set of 6.5 components so it had to be strong. Good luck and let me know if you need anything else.

Sorry for the late response joyrydn. I have been BUSY with work and as soon as I get home... SMACK! Bed...

Sounds like an interesting adventure in learning about FG... As for layers... how thick is everything so far? In my opinion (please no one get annoyed or what not) It's not so much the number of layers, but how thick the glass/resin work is.

Keep us up to date

Ganbatte ne!

its 1/8 inch. im gonna add the 2nd layer, but im going a little slow right now, i gotta a show to attend on sunday. and unfortunately my grandpa probably wont make it through the weekend.  so it may be a little while before i get back to glassin this next week, sorry to all of you who are waiting on pics, its been a bad week. i will keep you posted though.  please keep my fam in your thoughts and prayers. i will check in within the next few days though.

Jeremy

Sorry to hear about your grandfather. I fully understand times like this. I'm sure everyone understands as well, so take your time. Best wishes to you and your family.

Eric.

thanks eric, he did pass away early this morning.  so i am a little tense right now prolly get some sanding in since it seems to work better when you need to vent.  so this next week i promise i will have an update for everyone.  so i will be back on here next week my friends, hope all is well on your end,

Jeremy