How to Make a Fiberglass Enclosure

Here's some simple steps and photo's on how to make a fiberglass enclosure/amp rack. The techniques outlined in this step by step is my own personal techniques and experiences so please feel free to modify the way it is done here. Hope this will help you in your enclosure fabrications and these techniques can be transferred to fabricate other fiberglass parts & projects....even vehicle body parts & home audio projects.

Let's start from the trunk:

Here is the trunk of a 1992 Plymouth Laser Turbo ( or Mitsubishi Eclipse or Eagle Talon ). We start out with a clean trunk and an idea of what we want to do with the enclosure and the equipment that we're installing into the trunk.

The next step is to draw out the base of the enclosure and use poster board paper cut into strips to contour the edges of the base. This will ensure a tight and accurate shape around the trunk edge.

Next step is to mask the sides of the trunk to avoid fiberglass from sticking to areas that you don't want it to. **TIP: for large areas that doesn't require a mold you can lay down two layers of tin foil and some plastic to save time and masking tape **

After you have cut the base out of MDF( Medium Density Fiberboard ) & masked the edges of the trunk you can start building the initial shape of the enclosure you designed. Using MDF I cut the peices that I needed to frame the inside of the enclosure and hot glued & super glued the peices in place. Using Cyanoacrylates (best known as Super/Krazy glues) bond in seconds through the evaporation process when in contact with air.

After you have cut the MDF trim ring you must mount the trim ring and suspend it in the position you want. I used strips of MDF and super glued them in place to hold the position.

After you have framed the entire enclosure and glued all the peices in place securely, you are ready to wrap the project in fleece and start with the resin.

Using an pneumatic staple gun I used light weight fleece from my local fabric store and started to staple the fleece to the enclosure. ** TIP : Make sure you staple the fabric on the bottom of the project and not the side ( if possible ). This will save you time in the end because you won't have to cover your staple divits you create when you attach the fleece to the MDF.

Here is the enclosure pre-resin state. Make sure that you attach the fleece on the top of the project with spray glue or staples. This will ensure that the fleece is attached to the frame. I used 3M Super 90 spray adhesive & you can get this at any Home Hardware store or Home Depot.

Here is the first coat of fiberglass resin that I used on the enclosure. Soak it down until the resin shines on the fleece , this will indicate that the resin is completely saturated with resin. Allow this to dry and next step will be the fiberglass matting and resin.

After you have the first 3-4 layers of fiberglass matting alow it to dry. I used a roller to smooth out the bubbles and also this allows me to sqeeze out all the extra resin that I used. I just applied more matting to soak up the resin that the roller sqeezed out.

Here's the enclosure after the 2nd 4 layer coating. THere is 8 layers of matting on this enclsoure and now it's time to smooth out the fiberglass and continue to the final stages of the enclsoure.

After doing a little sanding to get rid of the small pills of resin your ready to apply the first layer of filler/fiberglass resin. Note the smoothness of the fiberglass and the fact the we need little sanding here to go tot he next step. The entire project requires it to be sanded to 80 grit for the filler/fiberglass resin to adhere properly.

Next you will need some body filler ( Rage Gold is what we used ) and some fiberglass resin, mixing cup and hardener for both.

By mixing a batch of body filler and resin ( 5:1 ratio ) you create a thinned out mixture that you can paint onto the project. Add the appropriate hardener amounts for each of the resin and the body filler as normal

** TIP: this allows you to use this mixture to fill in dips and cracks without having you spread it on with a body filler knife.

Here is the completed subenclosure with the mixture completely covering the project. Get it at the stage where the mixture is 75 % dry and use 36 - 50 grit sand paper on a soft sanding block and go to town and sand down the project before it totally dries. It will gum up your paper rather quickly but will take off lots of the semi dry mixture ( which is what you want ) because this is the excess stuff that is the high spots on the project.

Next we covered the trunk with a thick plastic sheet and proceeded to make our enclsoure cover.

We placed the enclosure into the trunk and made another trim ring to fit on the outside of the subwoofer with a reverse mount on the sub for asthetics.

The enclosure was completely masked over and the amplifier was tin foiled to add protection incase of some resing getting through the first layer of tin foil.

I used 2 layers of tin foil to cover the entire enclosure so that when I fiberglass over top, I will be able to remove a perfect mold of the enclosure. Use 2-3 layers of matting for the shape of the cover as this will be plenty strong enough for the cover peice. After you have the cover peice glassed and edges cut and sanded your ready to use the body filler/resin mixture again on the cover.

Get it at the stage where the mixture is 75 % dry and use 36 - 50 grit sand paper on a soft sanding block and go to town and sand down the project before it totally dries. It will gum up your paper rather quickly but will take off lots of the semi dry mixture ( which is what you want ) because this is the excess stuff that is the high spots on the project. Here is the cover after we removed it from the initial mold and used the same technique with the filler/fiberglass resin as before. In this stage we sanded it down to 240 grit and is now ready for some polyester filler to fill in small scratches and imperfections.

Here is the cover pre-paint ready to get a 400 grit sanding and then a 600 grit sanding. Paint is next and installation.

Here's the finished cover with paint and ready to install. The paint was matched to the exterior of the vehicle.

Finished & installed enclsoure and cover.

Another happy customer :D

i'm impressed...........it's nice to know that there is this kind of info, step by step. thank you.

i just learned something new.

lukeyn wrote:

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"Here is the cover after we removed it from the initial mold and used the same technique with the filler/fiberglass resin as before"

Is the technique used in this step just painting the mix of body filler and resin ( 5:1 ratio ) or is it actually repeating the whole process again?

Sorry if this is a dumb question i just wanted to know completely before i start on this

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Not a dumb question at all Dude, all you need to do is mix the body filler and resin ( 5:1 ratio ) after you have the cover piece thick enough. We made the cover pice about 3 layers thick to allow it to be heavy enough not to create rattles and thin enough to be able to still be somewhat flexible.

jlord16 wrote:

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have you noticed a deteriation in the properties of the body filler once mixed with fibreglass resin, or has it been all good??  Do u think its possible to use that technique with any sort of body filler.  Great walkthru, install looks absolutly awesome. 

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The body filler's consistency is thinner but the characteristics of the end result is harder to sand in the dry stages. It doesn't sand down like chalk because there's fiberglass resin in there and makes a tacky feel but is absolutely dry. We did this installation about 2-3 years ago and the customer is still using the system and the cover had not shrunk one bit since we made it.

bobditts wrote:

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I mix resin and bondo together all the time. Its great for coating the inside of boxes. We call it water mung. I havent tried the 5:1 ratio. We usually do 1:1. But again, that s for coating the inside of boxes.

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Wow 1:1.... that would be mung water . You don't want that kind of consistency on any part of the enclsoure where you want to be able to sand to a smooth surface. I use a 5:1 because it give me a paintable consistency with the mixture, but if you want to play around with the ratio if you want it thicker, just use less resin or more body filler. Any type will do as long as you mix the hardeners with the mixture.

tbone31 wrote:

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hey this may be a dumb question but why did you make the cover? and also how did you attach it to the original box?

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More or less what lukeyn said. I made the cover to cover up the wiring & also the amplifier the customer brought to us was an older Alpine unit & the mounting holes were on the outside of the heatsink so we didn't want the amp screws showing.

Hey cool post. Extremely helpful... I have a question for ya as a shop what does something like this cost? I have donen some glass work but in my current building my landlord prohibits this as he is a sissy. I'm always curious on what a larger higher volume place would charge. Last time I did glass the materials were expensive.  Again great post it has some awesome information, ever think about writing how to books?

Thanx again Jeff

Hey Jer, the job cost the customer about $ 1200 with paint, supplies & labor. The customer brought me the equipment and the car ans I just did installed and fabricated the enclosure. This job took about 1 week to accomplish. The sanding took about 3 days of the week !!

cool thats pretty close to what I was thinking.  I was just curious, I've had couple of requests for glass work last night in fact client wanted 2 subs mounted in subarau firing into the back corners of  the trunk.  the enclosures were to hold 2 audiobahn competition subs and then flowing into an amp rack on each side.  cool idea lots of work. I quoted him $1700 total, had to get out my defibrilator and bring him back. I don't think he realized how much work it is. Thanx for the info.

weedfan wrote:

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does the board have to b mdf?

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hellbilly007 wrote:

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I'm still trying to figure out how to attach the cover without it rattling. As far as the rattling goes how could ya allow for some room for sound dampening if desired? I've been interested in building FG box with a cover, just haven't really pondered on how. By the way great thread, very informative.

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IF there are any rattles on the cover you can use a stick on foam ( kind of like sound deadening ) on the backside of the cover to add weight.

xxm3racingxx wrote:

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I see that the way you did it you used 1 sheet of fleece. but the enclosure doesnt fill up the whole trunk etc.. How could you make a cover for a trunk of a i.e Bmw m3 to the weather shield so you dont see anything oem. just fiberglass and the equipment?

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About the enclosure; once you sanded it down, did you do anything else to it?  Primer, paint, or did you just leave it unfinished?

StevePhy

I had a few questions about the cover. I think what you said to do is after you foil the original box you essentially paint on the 5:1 body filler/resin mix to the box and foil? I was wondering is it fairly easy to paint the 5:1 mix on the foil without ripping the foil? Also is it just one coat of the 5:1 mix? Or did you do multiple coats of the 5:1 mix then pull the cover off of the box?  Did you sand the cover before you pulled it away from the original box or did you pull the cover off the box and then sand it? (Just want to know the eastiest way to sand the cover so it dosn't crack. Also seems like it would be easier to sand the cover before you pulled it away so you can put more force into it when you are sanding it) And did you reinforce the back of the cover after you pulled it away from the original box, with resin and fg mat. Seems like it would be a brittle piece it you didnt reinforce it and it would be hard to sand without cracking it. (Ive never done the 5:1 mix but theres nothing holding it together, such as the mat, I want to make a clean piece but dont want to crack it when I am sanding it) Just wanted to be goining in the right direction before I start.

Thanks Chris

dude!

i tried that with the resin and body filler man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

for me it was more work ,because once it dried it had like waves and dips in it. but yours came out awsome.good job 

stevephy wrote:

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About the enclosure; once you sanded it down, did you do anything else to it?  Primer, paint, or did you just leave it unfinished?

StevePhy

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Sorry for the late reply been hella busy of late. I sanded the enclosure down to about 220 grit and then did a black base primer and left it at that because you don't see it anyways so no paint or further finishing was needed.

tebeatles wrote:

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I had a few questions about the cover. I think what you said to do is after you foil the original box you essentially paint on the 5:1 body filler/resin mix to the box and foil? I was wondering is it fairly easy to paint the 5:1 mix on the foil without ripping the foil? Also is it just one coat of the 5:1 mix? Or did you do multiple coats of the 5:1 mix then pull the cover off of the box?  Did you sand the cover before you pulled it away from the original box or did you pull the cover off the box and then sand it? (Just want to know the eastiest way to sand the cover so it dosn't crack. Also seems like it would be easier to sand the cover before you pulled it away so you can put more force into it when you are sanding it) And did you reinforce the back of the cover after you pulled it away from the original box, with resin and fg mat. Seems like it would be a brittle piece it you didnt reinforce it and it would be hard to sand without cracking it. (Ive never done the 5:1 mix but theres nothing holding it together, such as the mat, I want to make a clean piece but dont want to crack it when I am sanding it) Just wanted to be goining in the right direction before I start. Thanks Chris

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After I foil the original box, I used fiberglass matting to get the shape I wanted and after sanding down the fiberglass I used the 5:1 mixture body filler/resin to coat the cover for sanding. Depending on your mold you may have to use multiple layers of the filler/resin mixture.

samtucan11 wrote:

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I am still trying to figure out, the best way to attach a fiberglass trim/insert panel? If you do not want it perminently attached how do you attach it? Lets say i want to make a fiberglass panel over some batteries that i need to get to, to charge, i would make an insert panel right. But how can i attach it? I cannot use screws, because screw heads would ruin the whole look, i cannot use an epoxy because that would be perment, anyone have any suggestions on how to attach a removable fiberglass insert panel? i really appreciate it

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You have to build it so that you have tabs on the back so you can remove the cover peice. Just like home speaker cover's have the bullet connectors that press into a femail connector. You will do the same with the fiberglass cover. It's all in the design of what your trying to do.

the rah wrote:

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dude!

i tried that with the resin and body filler man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

for me it was more work ,because once it dried it had like waves and dips in it. but yours came out awsome.good job 

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The key to makinf sure you don't have waves and dips is to make sure that you get to sanding the area before it dries. Get it at the stage where the mixture is 75 % dry and use 36- 50 grit sand paper on a soft sanding block and go to town and sand down the project before it totally dries. It will gum up your paper rather quickly but will take off lots of the mixture ( which is what you want ) because this is the excess stuff that is the high spots on the project.

xtremej wrote:

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Hey just an idea but sometimes I'll use screened sand paper, usually 80 grit, if it gums up give it a shot of compressed air to clean it out. I ordered mine throught the harware store, I've never really looked to see if it can be bought anywhere else. Hope it helps ya out.

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Is the screened sand paper available in a Hook It style ?

I just made my fg enclosure today and i am planning to use a 5:1 mixture of stucco with wood white glue as a filler.

What is Stucco? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stucco

The white glue helps to make the mixture stronger when dry.

This type of filler is easy to sand and quite strong and very cheap to buy.

However my only concern is whether it is compatible with high power bass frequencies. The box is made using 8 layers of glass so i dont think that there will be much force exerted on the filler.

yeah the primer sticks to the stucco.

now the enclosure is finished and i used a 10:1 stucco : white glue mixture over 6 layers of matting.

Had no problems after 3 weeks! The secret is the white wood glue which makes the mixture very strong. This is being used with an 800W subwoofer.

I m not sure how long it will last considering that where i live reaches 40 degrees celsius almost daily now in summer which may result in expansion problems ???? or not?? and will there be expansion problems with any other types of fillers?

mbaumann4 wrote:

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Well im new to most of this and Im still pretty young but i know a few things about electronics, and enclosures.

I just am wondering about how much the equipment costed you to make this enclosure.You see i havent done any fiberglass work,yet but am verry anxious about starting.I would just like to know an approximate cost that it will cost me.

Thank you (and i love the original post and the pics)

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I'm also New to Fiberglassing and cant wait to start my first piece and would like to know what exactly i need...Does anybody have a list of what i will need to get started.

Thanks

Renee, if you have any questions I'm sure there will be plenty of help here on the forums. Just post your questions and there will be about a half dozen Knights in shining armor here to help you .  Post your pics and hope to see you here more.

i see the costumer paid $1200 for the enclousure .is the sub and the amplifier included in the 1200?

if not what is the price of the enclousure only?

and if you hade to make speaker pods for that car how much would you ask?

i'm just doing a research i really like to know

thanks

srsoupy wrote:

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i see the costumer paid $1200 for the enclousure .is the sub and the amplifier included in the 1200?

if not what is the price of the enclousure only?

and if you hade to make speaker pods for that car how much would you ask?

i'm just doing a research i really like to know

thanks

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goosie wrote:

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Wow... thanks for the tutorial :D
Im learning how to build speakerboxes and kind of want to learn how to fiberglass (but i wount try it untill im actualy good at MDF) but i was woundering when your planning out fiberglass if you still make the enclosure the same size you would with MDF?

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The size will change as long as the internal volume + speaker displacement is accounted for & stays the same. The exterior of the enclosure you can have any shape but keep the internal volume the same.

goosie wrote:

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Also, how do you measure the space inside of the box with all the curves?

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Go to this post for internal volume : Sticky Packing peanut volume measurement

goosie wrote:

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Also is the box ported or sealed when you make it with fiberglass or does it matter? Something tells me its completely different than doing MDF but i'm just trying to learn as much as i can

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YOu make the box whatever you want ( sealed or vented ) but you have to calculate the tuning frequency when venting an enclosure. Most  if not all the custom boxes that I make are sealed.

Ok, Ive just read through  this and found what ive seen very helpful. Im new to fiberglass and basically all car fabrications. Im 17 and own a 2003 mitsubishi eclipse GS all stock besides a In-dash dvd player with a flip out screen. The dvd player has A/V output for additional screens so I got to thinking maybe some enclosure for a small screen and some subs wouldnt be a bad idea for the trunk....then I kinda wanted to do the whole interior with small bits of fiberglass or repaint for a glossy look.

Questions

1)My doors are made of a combination of the soft leather/pleather(like a dashboard) stuff and plastic pannels...the factory painted the plastic parts some black and some gunmetel. The gunmetal color has started to scratch off and the black is just bad on the eyes. My intentions would be to give the doors a glossy RED / silver look, would I be better off painting or making a mold and FG parts to cover or replace the plastic?

2)Painting, im sure you have all your FG work airbrushed but im on a budget and dont own or know someone with a airbrush.For small parts can you use spray/brush on car paints?  I have a 1/2gallon of exact color paint that was given to me for touching up the outside(i was backed into and had some minor body work done). I see cans of car paint at every automotive store and was wondering if this is a applicable product for this sort of thing?

sps01] wrote:

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I am new to this forum and would like to start my first fiberglass box, but I have a easy question that I would like if some one could help me out with. is resin the same as hardner or are they two diffrent things. thank you

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Hi everyone

As a newbie, Ive found the info giving in this forum extremly helpful. But i do have a couple of questions in which might sound stupid.

Im hoping to build a box for 2x12'' visonik subs (700 max each) as well as an amp. I would like for it to be similiar to the one jeff built, with the exemption of two subs. But somethings are unclear to me.

How big should my box be?

As well im hoping to build an amp rack (for another one of my cars) out of fiberglass it is to be placed in front of my subwoofers. Ive made a mold out of wood. Can i just proceed to put fleece and add fiberglass, then take separate the wood from the mold? Sorry if this question might sound stupid but help and advice would be appreciated

Thank you

Ok, im currently working on my project, decided to make my box as similar as i can get to the one shown, picked a 12" speaker and a small amp to power it, everything is going fairly well however I have a few questions....

1)How did you mount your speaker to the enclosure? If you made your holes in the first circular ring did you drill through the fiberglass? be very specific if you can.

2)Just checking but you ran your wires to your speaker and amp above the enclosure and then made a cover to hide the wires? I cant really tell by the pictures if you attempted to run the wires through the enclosure.

1. I pre-drilled the mounting screw holes for the sub onto the actual enclosure and mounted the sub this way. Depending on how you made your cover peice to cover your amp and subwoofer, you can have the sub cutout covering your mounting screws or have it cutout the same size as your subwoofer.

2. I just ran the wires under the cover to the amplifier but if you didn't allow the thickness of the wires into your design what you can do is drill out two holes on either side of the terminals to pass through your wires. Make sure that the holes drilled is exactly the same if not a hair larger than the wire your passing through it. Before you place the sub back into the enclosure and run the wires, make sure that you use some silicone on the inside of the sub wire where it touches the sub surround to ensure a sealed enclosure.

I wasnt expecting for it to sell for the same price as it would in different states such as california. I am from saginaw Michigan were the economy is horible. How much do you think it would go for in michigan

bennett29 wrote:

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I wasnt expecting for it to sell for the same price as it would in different states such as california. I am from saginaw Michigan were the economy is horible. How much do you think it would go for in michigan

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huhjake wrote:

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ok this may sound dumb but I'm new to this. How did you resin over the tin foil? Wouldn't the bottom of the fiberglass mold form to every little crease and crinkle of the aluminum foil? Does the resin stick to the aluminum foil or do you remove it after the mold is made? Thanks, Jake

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bennett29 wrote:

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When you mix the body filler with resin do you have to put hardner in with it or does the resin make the bodyfiller harden.

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bennett29 wrote:

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When you mix the body filler with resin do you have to put hardner in with it or does the resin make the bodyfiller harden.

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Wow, love the guide.  Few questions, as I'm just getting started into this:

1)  Approx. how much did it cost you to make a single enclosure such as this one?

2)  Approx. how long did it take you?

3)  When you say "layering", you're using fiberglass mat?  seems like a ton of fiberglass cloth, just wondering if i misunderstood the fabric you were using.

Only thing I can say to help the guide would be more specifics, ie. exact materials, not just "put the layer on".  Can't wait to get started though, great guide.

K, questions 1 and 2 were answered(finally read entire thread).  Few new questions though after reading your post at least 15 times:

1) Is the cover needed?  Can the wires still be hidden without it?

2) Are all the layers needed?  Can less layers be used to save cost but still look and sound decent?

3) If I have door panels covered in leather (Acura Cl), how exactly would I make a mold?  I would like to eventually do my entire car in fiberglass...door panels, truck, dash, etc.

Thank you so much, you must hate answering idiots like me.  Fiberglassing looks tedious but it's obviously worth it.  I want to get into it because I would rather spend 1000$ learning a skill and getting something than simply getting something.

mr79c10 wrote:

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New Member here and looks like a great place
A BIG UPz!! on Velcity Motors for the info on enclosers.
Question, would that be strong enough to make door panels for an old Shoe box? 79 C10?
Thanks!

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nutt] wrote:

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For the sides of the box you built where you have it kind of curved with piece by piece did you just glue them together or would they have to be sealed with some form of silicone for it to be air tight?

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shrug53 wrote:

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Hi, is there any chance you could go in to some more detail about the cover? The article just kind of skims over that and it is something I would really like to do.

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I know you have probably been asked this question alot but how do you determine the volume for a fib'ed box and i have know idea with all the fancy lingo to be honest is there just a way where you can build the chamber to about the same dimensions as a regular box....

-width of chamber, then the height of the circular ring, or something..

After taping off and wrapping in aluminium foil does the cover that you create come off easily?

nutt]< wrote:

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>I know you have probably been asked this question alot but how do you determine the volume for a fib'ed box and i have know idea with all the fancy lingo to be honest is there just a way where you can build the chamber to about the same dimensions as a regular box....

-width of chamber, then the height of the circular ring, or something..

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Use this link for volume calculations.

kmgraphix wrote:

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Hi, I am new to this site as you can see and I am loving the amount of detail that the membere here post....

But anyways, just a quick couple of questions about the encloseure that you built,

1. What is the reason for the cover that you built, can you paint on the original enclosure or do you heed to make the cover to put over the box in order to paint, from what I am thinking , it seems like the reason for it is for less sanding and preo time... But dont know for sure.

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I did this because I wanted a flush look for the amplifier and the subwoofer. I couldn't flush the amplifier because the mounting holes were wider than the face of the amp. By making a cover peice I was able to cover the screws and flush the amplifier face.

kmgraphix wrote:

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2. Did you put fiberglass on the sides of the enclosre and on the bottom????

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Just on the side. The bottom was made of MDF and did not require fiberglassing.

kmgraphix wrote:

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3. Is there any need for some wood screws for the braces or is wood glue and super glue addaquate????

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Super glue was adequate as the frame would add the support required.

kmgraphix wrote:

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4. What is the general cost on just the fiberglass materials... Minus paint, mdf, etc. just like resins and mat and other needs for fiberglassing only, plus roughly how much resin and matt did you end up using for this project, im assuming alot by the looks of it....

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THe cost was about $ 75-100 depending on where you get the materials or what kind of deals you get from a supplier.

kmgraphix wrote:

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5. Is there any internet websites on where I can purchase all of this, I've read that home depot has some stuff, never looked, but from what I read it was elmers brand, is that any good???? I know of autobodydepot.com, which is a great site for paint and abrasive needs,but never came accros fibergalss stuff, maybe i wasnt looking hard enough... But thanks alot!!!!

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There are alot of places online that you can get this stuff, but try your local marine shop or even Wal-Mart.

nutt]< wrote:

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>After taping off and wrapping in aluminium foil does the cover that you create come off easily?

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yes it comes off with ease. It's a little snug because it's friction fitted, but should come off without prying.

firebirddrvr wrote:

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i was just curious...about how long did it take you to complete this?? i would love to do a custom enclosure in my 96 firebird with four subs and three amps. i dont need it really loud so im sticking with my sony 12 inch subs ...but i would like to make it look like thousands were put in. i love the steps and how it shows pics! i definately want to get into this   thank you

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This job took about 1 week to accomplish. The sanding took about 3 days of the week !!

runyanzoo wrote:

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I was wondering how the top peice stays on the box, and also how did you place the secone ring on the foil before you fiberglassed again.  The description is very good and want to try it on my 2000 gmc jimmy with 2 subs.

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The cover peice is friction fitted. The part that I didn't put on there was that I used 1/4" sticky foam tape to reduce vibration and also added to the fittment of the cover. As far as the second ring, the enclosure was flat and I just rested the ring on the enclosure and it did not move. If your going to be designing a vertical enclosure I suggest spray glue to hold the ring into place.

I'm new to fibreglass and this forum. I'm searching for information related to fibreglass and this is a pretty good guide I found.

However, I am more interested in making bumpers for my car, instead of an enclosure for speakers. Can the guide you posted above be applicable to make bumpers?!  Could anyone gimme a reference where I can get a detailed guide on fibreglass/polyurethane for creating bumpers/skirts, etc?

Thank You,

Thanks for the reply.

I want to make a bumper from scratch. Do you have any guide that can help me with it? I am absolutely new to this, and I have no idea how to build moulds and how to work with fibreglass/urethane. I've heard that urethane is MUCH better than fibreglass. Could please help me out on this?

It'd also be nice if you could list the essential materials for front/rear bumpers and side skirts for a car?!

Thank You

I have no woodworking skills. What about foam?!

It'd be best if you could provide me some links. I've been fishing around the net but can't find enough fibreglass information, to help me get in-depth knowledge to build something.

The tutorial is awesome!! But i was wondering if i can apply the same techniques to the interior parts? And can i get a list of materials required for making the fibreglass enclosures and Where did you get them?

Thanks

Hi Jeff!! Thanks SO much for the step by step. Its better than any I've seen.

I have never done this and am in the prelim stages of research on how to do this. I have a couple of Qs

1. You had the skeleton wrapped in fabric very tightly and stapled on the bottom right, then you took it out of the car and soaked the fabric in resin only?? Then, you used fiberglass matting and resin to build up the outside, correct?? You also did this on top of the foil for the cover, right?

What is the procedure for this?? Do you put down some fiber matting just any old way and then brush on the resin soaking the mat, then rolling out the excess liquid and bubbles then doing this over and over until you have 4 layers. Then do you let it dry and/or sand or do you start with the 2nd 4 layers immediately.

Keep on keeping on with your very professional work!!

Thanks

steve

99 2envy wrote:

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Velocity Motors nice box/amp rack. I have a few questions for you.

1.) What is the benfeit of brushing on the bondon vs. applying it with out the resin?

2.) I notice you brushed the whol box instead of doing sections, do you find it easier this way? Are you able to sand the whol box before it hardens?

Nice job once again

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swhuffman96 wrote:

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Hi Jeff!! Thanks SO much for the step by step. Its better than any I've seen.

I have never done this and am in the prelim stages of research on how to do this. I have a couple of Qs

1. You had the skeleton wrapped in fabric very tightly and stapled on the bottom right, then you took it out of the car and soaked the fabric in resin only?? Then, you used fiberglass matting and resin to build up the outside, correct?? You also did this on top of the foil for the cover, right?

What is the procedure for this?? Do you put down some fiber matting just any old way and then brush on the resin soaking the mat, then rolling out the excess liquid and bubbles then doing this over and over until you have 4 layers. Then do you let it dry and/or sand or do you start with the 2nd 4 layers immediately.

Keep on keeping on with your very professional work!!

Thanks

steve

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tackbradley wrote:

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im a little curious on foam as well. i have a towncar and i want to eliminate all the trim down the sides that carry through to the bumbers. but if i pull all the trim, adding to the bumpers will just make them bigger. any advice on what to do? like perhaps cut the bumpers or just yank them completely and go from scratch? you said by starting from scratch to make a mold of where the bumbpers meet the wheel well...ok what do i do in my case haha?

by the way Jeff, thanks for all your help to everyone. i was able to build my first sub box with minimal problems( at least i learned from my mistakes!!!) thanks to you and this site!!! i cant wait to do more!!!

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I would like to make a full trunk(hatch)/backseat enclosure for my 2000 Tiburon... I've fiberglassed before, including basic sub boxes, a TV in my steeringwheel and pass. air bag ETC ETC...

1) How do I get the enclosure to go around the sides of the car perfectly, Do I take a mold of the side of the carpet, all the way around the hatch?

If so, then I would not be able to remove it because of the way the interior comes outward

2) IF you can't remove your enclosure and must build it inside the car, How do you get a sealed box for subs if the whole trunk is going to be fiberglassed with TV's speakers and amps, how do you get the box underneath for the sub to seal to the rest of the FG without looking bad?

yes i know i am a rookie,but, i have a few questions. i have installed a few car stereos before but they were the easy prefab types where it is really a no brainer... and i just bought a new chrysler 300c and i need some info..

a) how do i know how much space to give a sub in a custom built fiberglass enclosure?

b) is there going to be a difference if i angle sub up ,down, front, back etc?

c) how do you run the wiring into the box? becasue in your writeup it doesnt show that.

d) what is the approximate cost ratio between building a fg box to a prefab box?

as i said before please excuse the newbie questions. thanx Greggk

kustomizedtib wrote:

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I would like to make a full trunk(hatch)/backseat enclosure for my 2000 Tiburon... I've fiberglassed before, including basic sub boxes, a TV in my steeringwheel and pass. air bag ETC ETC...

1) How do I get the enclosure to go around the sides of the car perfectly, Do I take a mold of the side of the carpet, all the way around the hatch?

If so, then I would not be able to remove it because of the way the interior comes outward

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kustomizedtib wrote:

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2) IF you can't remove your enclosure and must build it inside the car, How do you get a sealed box for subs if the whole trunk is going to be fiberglassed with TV's speakers and amps, how do you get the box underneath for the sub to seal to the rest of the FG without looking bad?

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greggk wrote:

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yes i know i am a rookie,but, i have a few questions. i have installed a few car stereos before but they were the easy prefab types where it is really a no brainer... and i just bought a new chrysler 300c and i need some info..

a) how do i know how much space to give a sub in a custom built fiberglass enclosure?

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greggk wrote:

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b) is there going to be a difference if i angle sub up ,down, front, back etc?

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greggk wrote:

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c) how do you run the wiring into the box? becasue in your writeup it doesnt show that.

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greggk wrote:

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d) what is the approximate cost ratio between building a fg box to a prefab box?

as i said before please excuse the newbie questions. thanx Greggk

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Great write up. I am going to starting a project car and this just the ideas spinning in the head for what I want to do.

Reading through the whole article and seeing what people were asking and all I found this company that has some how and whats on resin and fabrics and some good calculators for estimating resin needed for materail etc...

Hope people find it helpful.

www.fibreglast.com

couple questions

1. every picture i saw of a custom build never showed what happens to the dowels that hold up the subwoofer rings? can you keep it in there or take it out?

2. since the sides of the box is only help up by mdf and glue gun.. doesnt it easy tip over when the fleece is pushing on it from all sideS? can u take it out after the resin is set in or is the resin/fleece bonding to the mdf?

sorry for a double post. 

when drilling into the mdf should i predill it? or would it be better to drill it straight on.

samtucan11 wrote:

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I am still trying to figure out, the best way to attach a fiberglass trim/insert panel? If you do not want it perminently attached how do you attach it? Lets say i want to make a fiberglass panel over some batteries that i need to get to, to charge, i would make an insert panel right. But how can i attach it? I cannot use screws, because screw heads would ruin the whole look, i cannot use an epoxy because that would be perment, anyone have any suggestions on how to attach a removable fiberglass insert panel? i really appreciate it
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nice

If i dont want to make a cover for it when i get to the dry and sanded bodyfiller/resin mixture phase do i add more fiberglass or do i start painting it from there?? does the cover add and structural strength if its just for aestaethics(cant spell lol) couldnt i skip that part... basically i want to make an enclosure similar to the one in your DIY tutorial but my subwoofer (audiobahn aw1208Q) weighs like 40 pounds lol and i want to make sure im not driving and one day hear a tump in my car and find my subwoofer rolling around in the trunk.  im mounting my kicker kx600.1 right next to it but it has a cover on top of it so all the holes and wiring will be hidden by the amp cover.  so i dont think i need the cover but i want it to be nice like the one in ur tutorial!! LMK

Jon

BTW the tutorial is pretty sick for people like me...good with hands but never tried FG

Tripnbeats wrote:

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dudes where do I get the resin from? please help id like a 5gallon bucket.

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spoolingv8 wrote:

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Looks great. How much do you charge the customer when doing that kind of setup?

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Velocity Motors wrote:

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spoolingv8 wrote:

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Looks great. How much do you charge the customer when doing that kind of setup?

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The job cost the customer about $ 1200 with paint, supplies & labor. The customer brought me the equipment and the car and I just did installed and fabricated the enclosure. This job took about 1 week to accomplish. The sanding took about 3 days of the week !!

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Velocity Motors wrote:

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That filler is more for finishing than it is structural. If your wanting to add structure but want to make it look smooth, use short strand fiberglass filler instead of regular body filler. The SSF filler is heavy but adds alot of structural strength to any part.

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cade1114 wrote:

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I am new to fiberglass and was curious what kind of paint you used for fiberglass, or does it matter

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shockwavezx9 wrote:

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hey man just a few quick questons, i am learning how to do this fiber glass deal. how much do you think it actually cost if you were building your own box?

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shockwavezx9 wrote:

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i also noticed that inside the box was wet as well? where did you make the port to send out the wires?

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shockwavezx9 wrote:

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is it pretty easy to make a dual bass fiberglass set up if so do i need to put a wall in between? thanks alot man

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rudy1980 wrote:

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any thoughts on using ABS plastic to get the correct shape instead of mdf strips?

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new saxo guy wrote:

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also, jw how did u make the ring for the sub?

thanks

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xTimx] wrote:

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i have a couple of questions

A: the way i'm gonna do the enclosures, is the back is gonna be fiberglass and the front will be MDF. how do i mount the taught fleece to the back of the fiberglass???? can i still staple it?

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xTimx] wrote:

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: i'm scared to mount the enclosers and the amp rack in the hatch area..aka drilling a screw and possibly hitting the gas take or something else vital. any tips or tricks i can do?? how do you guys mount these things????

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pogothemonk3y wrote:

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Quick question: Is there any heating issues involved with the amp with this enclosure?

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