first glassin' project

[ETK-kAos]

Well, I was up all night last night reading old topics on here, and there was one talking about how to fiberglass with links to tutorials. I have been wanting to learn to glass for along time now, I went out and bought the stuff needed, I will post pics of my progress as I go along.

I love to have alot of bass, I have 2 12" cerwin vegas in a huge ported box that wont even fit in the hatch, it has to take over where my rear seat is. It's around 100lbs, so I decided to glass a box for them which will hold my amp and my cap also. The goal is to have it all be removable, and also have not take up too much space. I think it is highly possible. Here are my materials.

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I have the rest of the stuff lying around here. If anyone else wants to learn to glass here is the link to the tutorial, it actually doesn't seem too hard from reading it.

http://web.njit.edu/~cas1383/proj/main/index.htm

Also, the people at Ace Hardware were very helpfull, and all the supplies only cost me around $30 awesome deal I think!

 

[ETK-kAos]

by the way, if you guys and gals want, i'll post a writeup when i'm done? should i?

 

[ETK-kAos]

Well, I think just now I am starting to realize what I have gotten myself into. The resin is extremely sticky, you get pieces of fiberglass stuck to your gloves while you are working. More sticks to you then where you want it to. Anyways, here are the pics, with explanations.

Here is the before pic, with my single 12" kenwood...

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Starting to cover where I am going to glass...

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Some of the glass curing I think it is called. I am taking a breather before going out there and finishing up the first complete layer.. wow... This is pretty hard.

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My Vegas that are going to be in the fiberglass box.

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I'll be sure to post more pictures working late into the night probably ! This is one project I am determined to finish!

 

[Redmachine]

Just letting you know something I learned when I finished My enclosure, The marine supply store has way thicker fiberglass mat the bondo brand is 1/2 oz and the marine supply stuff is 6 oz. just a thought,I burned through 6 packs of the bondo stuff to finsih mine off and my enlosure is way smaller, so I guess what I'm saying is when you start running out of mat check out the marine supply store for resupplying.
BTW looks good bud
edit:
You are gonna run out of supplies quick, you need roughly 1 gallon and 1 quart of resin plus around 6-8 glass mat packs, Also are you gonna use fleece or cloth for the front? or are you using wood?

 

[ETK-kAos]

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, I do think I am going to run out of supplies pretty quick, but I think I have enough to use until I get bored, I have 2 packs of fiberglass mat, have the 1st thin layer done, and used maybe 1/4 of a pack. And I have a quart of resin, so I should be good until tomorrow at least ! Do you have any pics of your enclosure that you built?

 

[Redmachine]

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, I do think I am going to run out of supplies pretty quick, but I think I have enough to use until I get bored, I have 2 packs of fiberglass mat, have the 1st thin layer done, and used maybe 1/4 of a pack. And I have a quart of resin, so I should be good until tomorrow at least ! Do you have any pics of your enclosure that you built?

Nah I'm too ####ing lazy, I'll get some up tommorow after i get back from the beach. I used the oppostie side of the trunk(mines passenger side) And I load my enclosure as an Isobaric setup(two subs facing each other in push-pull config). You'll have alot of fun doing this project I did, I went thru 20 pairs of latex gloves and 20 paint brushes(thank you dollar store)
I should have the pic up in the afternoon evening sometime saturday

 

[FiReBReTHa]

use thicker mat for boxes.

youll spend to much on think sheets or youll add too much resin and make a brittle box.

use alum foil for whatever you dont want the resin to get on.

dip strips sometime and see if that method is easier.

 

[ETK-kAos]

i tried dippin one and it actually worked fairly well except it pretty much just stuck to my gloves , here is the progress. almost done with one package of the fiberglass mat, and out of hardener. i have a little bit of resin left. anywho, here are the pics..

The talon in the garage

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my progress, i think its startin to get there, i'm planning on using up both packs of mat just for the back, than another two for the front, and however much resin that takes should be fairly strong. I have made some progress since the last post.

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Here's me with my crappy resperator mask

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comments on my progress anyone?

 

[FiReBReTHa]

looks like too much resin......

use a friend when it sticks to your fingers, he passes you dry strip, you dip, saturate, then place, he places finger and holds piece, you pull your fingers off.

 

[ETK-kAos]

thats a good idea

 

[yoshimitsuspeed]

I just finished writing you up a long ass reply when my computer froze right befor I hit submit. Fortanatly I have nothing better to do at 2 am than try again.
Ok here goes. First off if you have time to order somewhere like fiberglass.com will have a larger selection and much lower prices than most local supply stores.In the fiberglass business we have Rollers, much like paint rollers, only smaller and plastic or metal. If you can't find something like this locally and don't want to wait to order it, you could try a paint roller with as short a nap as possible. If this doesn't work so well I would take the roller and get a nice even coat of resin in the nap, making sure not to get any in the part that spins. Let this cure fully and now you essentially have a resin roller. This roller helps roll out excess resin to give you a better fabric to resin ratio, and also gives you a tool to help unstick it from your hands. I hope you have Acetone, or the proper solvent to clean up the resin, if not make sure you use something compatible with your resin. With the Pollyester resin we use acetone. when you are using the roller make sure you clean it off with the proper solvent before the resin kicks (starts to cure) this way you should be able to use it more than once. We sometimes use acetone to thin the resin down, this will make it less sticky and easier to work with. When thinning it down do tests before applying it to your project, too much acetone will cause the resin to cure improperly.
In fiberglass I have learned a couple things.
1. there is one right way to do it, if you try to take shortcuts you will pay in the long run.
2. An hour spent now will save you four later. when doing prep work, and masking put a little extra time making it's how you want it, when laying up the material get it as close as possible to how you want the finished product to look. Fiberglass is a lot easier to work with before it cures.
Ask away if you have any other questions
Hope this helps

 

[lasteclispe]

ok i have a question. for example say your sub need 0.30 - 1.00 cu.ft. of space inside the box...how would u know if the box ur building is the space needed?

 

[yoshimitsuspeed]

ok i have a question. for example say your sub need 0.30 - 1.00 cu.ft. of space inside the box...how would u know if the box ur building is the space needed?

rithmatic
not my area of expertise. Is that between .30 and 1 because if so I would think it would be pretty easy to hit somewhere in the middle. I don't know if I entirely understand your question, but for 1 cubic foot it has to be 1'x1'x1'. If it's an unusual shape you could guess, calculate it, or if it holds water you could fill a 1'wide x 1' wide x 1' deep container with water pour it in and see what you got.

 

[Chuckster]

ETK, the respirator you're wearing in the picture isn't going to help your lungs against fiberglass resin. You're still working with great ventilation, right??

And where is all the sandpaper to use after you finish shaping the box? That's the worst part of the whole project.

 

[super95awd]

You can always spray wd40 all over your gloves before you start messing with the resin. Less sticks to you that way.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

i hope your doing it outside...or atleast with the garage door open..

good luck and keep us posted

 

[ETK-kAos]

of course i'm doing it with the garage door open

 

[HighPsi92GST]

of course i'm doing it with the garage door open

okay good just checking

 

[14.5 drift]

So let me see if i am gettin all this

You are forming a glass layer over the wall you want, than once it's cured you will trim and shape it to your liking and attach wood to form the rest of the enclusure??????

 

[pinknuggit]

Is the box you have now ported? Cerwin Vega vega series subs only produce good results in ported boxes. I hope you planned out the new glass box to be the appropriate volume for each sub.

A little tip for determining volume: use packing peanuts.
Find a box that is 1 cubic foot. Fill your enclosure with packing peanuts, and then take those peanuts and put them in the 1 cubic foot box. You can tell from there how big your new enclosure is. If the new enclosure is bigger than 1 cu. ft, then just get yourself a box that's bigger than 1 cu. ft and use it.

 

[ETK-kAos]

So let me see if i am gettin all this

You are forming a glass layer over the wall you want, than once it's cured you will trim and shape it to your liking and attach wood to form the rest of the enclusure??????

kidna, after i get it thick enough and it cures, i take it out, trim it, attach rings where the subs will be and then cover with cloth, soak the cloth in resin making the basic shape, then after it cures, cover the cloth in fiberglass, sand, prime, paint, install.

 

[Chuckster]

You are on track. Only add to your sand. Add: sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sandsand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sandsand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sandsand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sandsand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sandsand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand.sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sandsand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sandsand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand.

It's pretty much that easy. Good times!!

 

[Chuckster]

Oh, and have fun Sanding!!!!!

 

[ETK-kAos]

i think you left out... sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, sand, and sand.. oh you can sand it for me if you want!

 

[Chuckster]

I did a French Polish finish on a pair of home speakers last year that left my shoulder sore for three months. Never, never ever will I do that again!!

My fiberglassed box is covered in carpet. I carry too much crap in my hatch to have to worry about scratching paint.

You're planning to paint this, aren't you? Better go get some Bondo. They make another paste product to fill in the small air bubbles from your last layer of Bondo. I can't remember what it's called.

http://www.geocities.com/natsp2000/finishing-fiberglass.html
http://www.sounddomain.com/memberpage/27344/1
(Page 6&7 on the kickpanels are really good.)

There's some good motivation while you wait for things to cure.

Have you cut out your baffles yet? Are you recessing the speakers? What are you lining the inside of the enclosure with?