fiberglass cloth vs fiberglass mat?

hey i just started my install on my first attempt to make a coustom fiberglass enclosure.... i have both fiberglass mat and cloth... exactly what is the difference? i used a few pieces of the cloth and mostly mat... the cloth doesnt seem to work very well... can someone help me out on this? thanks a lot in advance!
-benjamin

Its really just a matter of preference man. The cloth is stronger but some say the mat is easier.  Too me the cloth is a ton easier, but its all in what you want to use. 

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Learning the trade one fiberglass creation at a time!

I like using a layer of cloth, then a bunch of layers of mat (depending on the strength needed) because it builds up quicker, then a couple layers of cloth just because I think it is a little easier to finnish then the mat

hm i couldnt figure out whats best so i just did mat then cloth every other layer.. if i wanted strength which one should i use? also isnt one better for flat surfaces and the other for curves and angles? which is which? also if i made a box completely of mat and one with cloth would you see the difference?

thanks again
-benjamin

Niether is good for flat surfaces but cloth would be the better of the two.

You need fewer layers of cloth to achieve the same strength, but both mat and cloth can be very strong.

If you made a box out of each, and finished it properly, no one would ever be able to tell which was which.

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Nik
Jeeputer Progress
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Check it out.

Its all about prefrence, i like to start with cloth for first layer because its easy and clean after that i use mat because it builds quicker. then i finish off with cloth to give me smooth final layer.

Just think of gcloth, mat, and fleece as a your toolbox.  They are all good but some work better for some situations then others.  You just need to keep trying them out to see what works best in perticular situations.  Hope this helps.

The JML  Audio Staff

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i like mat on irregular curves, and cloth on flat, and smooth curves.  If your in a rush to get stuff done, then mat is the way to go since cloth takes some time to be shure its smoothed out.

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2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.

wow im surprised you guys all perfer mat... its kinda annoying when you rip them... those little freys always gets stuck to everything... and it seems a lot hard to soak them with resin (become clear) then the cloth... but the cloth doesnt seem as strong.. i turned out doing mat cloth mat cloth ect for 7 layers..

wow im surprised you guys all perfer mat... its kinda annoying when you rip them... those little freys always gets stuck to everything... and it seems a lot hard to soak them with resin (become clear) then the cloth... but the cloth doesnt seem as strong.. i turned out doing mat cloth mat cloth ect for 7 layers..

I cut my mat with sissors, it dosn't frey unless you want it to. Ripping causes alot of extra work thats not needed.

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2003 Chevy Avalanche,Eclipse CD7000,Morel Elate 5,Adire Extremis,Alpine PDX-4.150, 15" TC-3000, 2 Alpine PDX-1.1000, 470Amp HO Alt.

i though you were suppose to rip it...

why in the world would u rip it?

From what I've seen, most people prefer to rip it. They like the fray because it decreases seams between pieces. I don't rip it. I cut it with scissors. Then I fray it a little with my fingers. I like the fray, but I like to have a...more "controlled" fray. When it really comes down to it, most of fiberglassing is just personal preference. It is nice to learn and try different techniques, then use the ones you feel most comfortable with.

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Nik
Jeeputer Progress
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Check it out.

Definately rip the cloth and do not cut it with scissors.  I've been to many fiberglass training and one of them was with Gary Biggs and he was explaing how the cutting matt with scissors makes a very uneven overlap, which riping does not.  Just from our experince at the shop riping is the way to go with mat.

The JML  Audio Team

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wait you first state "dont rip the cloth" then go on talking about the mat.... is that a typo? because i surely cant rip the cloth lol i tried...

just curious... where do you guys buy your cloth/mat? do you have any good wholesale sellers or sites that sell for a good price? ive been getting th packs at home depot and they're getting rather pricey and i would like to do a lot more fiberglass projects...

sorry for so many post... what oz fiberglass mat/cloth do you guys use? whats the best one to get?

sorry i ment rip the "mat" not cloth my bad.  You use different oz's for different projects

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Do not rip cloth it is a loosing battle. I only use 2 Oz. cloth and I rip it. Ripping seems to be a lot easier to "blend" the edeges together. I get all my supplies from Uscomposites.com awesome websight with great prices.