fiberglass experts ive got a question

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ok well ive decided to start a winter project for my drag car im going to atempt to make a one piece frontend ive orderd a roll of 4oz weave glass 50"x50yd i know more than i will need. i plan to make some changes to the finders widen them to clear my new 26s with out having to raise the car. make the front smooth and some other stuff. im going to use foam to model the front the way that i want it so that i can make a mold off of it as for the questions

will polyester resin be ok or will i want epoxy?

how thick does the mold have to be? (im only going to use it once)

and 3 layers of glass should be good for me on the nose piece correct?

what should i use on my stock parts to pull a mold off of tape? and what works as a good release agent.

also does the mold for my finished product have to be gellcoated to get it to release properly
 
Hello. I'll start off because I'm new here, by letting you all know that I was employed as an Installer for just over 7 years. Hope I can help out here. In retuen all I'd like is some pointers on getting my ride to where I want it..... So you say you want to fiberglass. Well, I'm not one to back down from a DIY project, so here goes.
1) Yes, Polyester resin will work best for proper curing. Use a good quality resin. Don't cheap out. From what I know, it is available as "waxed" or "unwaxed". I' m guessing that from a standpoint of mould-releasability, that waxed might be better. Also pick up some "Mold-Release". It's a waxy blue compound that you rub on the mold....(or in my line of work, on the amp and subwoofer plugs). This should make separating your new super-cool and super-custom bumper a snap. You can get the MEKP catalyst tinted if you need to, but generally, if you're mixing follow the directions carefully. A capful or two is all you need in a 1.5L bucket. Make sure you really mix this stuff good, like about 3 minutes using a figure 8 motion and scraping the bottom. Worth noting, you should mix not more than you can use in a 10-15 minute period. When the resin starts to kick it will turn a darker brown and get like jelly. You'll know it's starting to harden when it gets warm to the touch and is no longer tacky.
I've gotten the best results from using 1" disposable brushes, Blue Latex gloves..(tattoo quality), some disposable containers(the jumbo-yogurt ones work best)and a respirator that has changeable cartridges and applying a thin layer of resin to the work surface to make the mat stick and then dab, not brush, the resin onto the pieces of mat so as to get any air bubbles out of the workpiece. (Air bubbles can cause vibration to amplify while driving and you might get a nasty crack in the paint.
Now, when it comes to the actual mat itself... you may want to get the thinner stuff because you'll need to tear it into workable chunks(use gloves when doing this and get your self a big ol' cardboard box). The reason you tear this stuff is so that when you are "glassing" that all the edges mesh nicely without any big ridges. This is important for when you do the next layers. Start off with about a layer of 2-3 pieces thick. Let it cure. If you try to do it too thick, there's a chance that the heat created during the curing will be enough to warp the mould.
(Break for a six-pack with your buddies here and show them the cool stuff you just made with your own hands)
OK! Back to work, slacker!
Now that your mould is all hard and dry(not
 
Now that your mold is all hard and dry(not unlike my ex)... You need to make your work piece. Apply a uniform film of mold-release and do the same thing you did for the mold, using the smooth side as your mold. Use thin layers so you don't warp both the workpiece and your mold.
When it's cured, and when your hangover's gone, separate the two.
Now it's time to apply some 2-part epoxy. This stuff is generally not environmentally friendly, so sever all ties to Greenpeace.
This stuff will look crap-beige brown when it's dry. A light sanding should do with some super fine snad paper..(400-600grit)
Now that you're covered head to toe in body filler and primer dust, run your fingers over your creation and ensure that it's just as smooth as your girlfriends legs after she takes your paycheque to the beauty parlour. Voila! instant pimp.
Clean yourself up and bring your new cool creation over to the paint shop.
Enjoy
"DO IT RIGHT OR PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT"
 
"it's just as smooth as your girlfriends legs after she takes your paycheque to the beauty parlour. Voila! instant pimp."

You are so Canadian.


Welcome aboard, I look forward to seeing some more of these posts.
 
wel here is the progress that i have made did a positive mold of the hood it has 5 layers of 4oz weave with epoxy resin it is still really flimbsey and im un sure why is it the resin or just still to thin but it seams to be geting heavy and i sure dont want that or i would just leave the stock hood on any sugestions


also if i let a layer dry completly b4 i do the next do i need to sand or any thing for the next layer to get proper adhesion
 
from what I remember...for fiberglass to be strong.... it has to be thick....think of it this way; it takes 8 -12 layers of fiberglass to equal 1/4" of MDF ... and seeing as how there's still a massive shoratge of Carbon Fiber, it seems as tho you're gonna need a few more layers. Don't worry tho' if the hood seems too heavy, just equip your car with either a "fartcan" or some "tireflies"... that should bring your horsepower back up nicely to offset the tremendous weight added by using fiberglass instead of metal... oh, and don't forget to install some righteous non--functional "nostril" hood scoops, and make sure to not cut holes in your hood; wouldn't want those babies to actually funnel cold air into your engine.:D
 
wel it happens to be a 11sec drag car and im doing this to save weight and make room for my biger slicks that way i can run 200hp of nitrous off the line
 
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