going to attempt fiberglass(any tips?)

[Thomas91169]

anyone know eurogstspyder on here? he took out his back seat and did custom fiberglass sub enclosure? well i too am going to attempt it. i figure the back seat is useless anyways cause im not moving up even an inch for nobody, and usually my best freind feels the same way, so if anyone needs a ride i just tell them "its a 2 seater, spyder duh" and thats that.

so im gonna attempt it, my dad thinks im stupid but he says that on any carmod i do. he says hes not gonna help me deface my car, but i know as soon as im 10 minutes into it hell be pushing me aside showing me how(cause he knows). now im not some stupid kid that wants super bass, i just want 2 12's and the ability to mount another component set. i might get some audiobahn 12's and a big amp, but thats about it. i figure the weight of making another custom wooden trunk box with all the angles compared to a fiberglass molded enclosure and speakers/amp will be the same weight.

so i know this. take out the rear seat, take out the side panels. make a rough mold out of duct tape(a really square one if i can so its easier to make)in the rear, and make sure there isnt a space for fiberglass to seep through and mess up the metal. then lay the fiberglass resin mixture and some hair inside the mold and let it dry. then take out the mold and make some speaker rings and suspend them with dowels and hot glue. then wrap a big piece of cloth over that stretch it to get that formed look. then fiberglass that. then add about 5-7 layers or fiberglass. then use some sort of filler, then sand. primer, paint then clearcoat.

anyone got any suggestions. ive been looking it up online and it seems fairly straightforward, kinda like a art. so i basically know the rough basics, but does anyone have any tips on special tools/techniques to use?

 

['96_Talon_TSi]

When i made the mold for my trunk enclosure i used cardboard. I had an old refrigerator box or somethign sitting in my garage. I cut the basic shape i wanted and duct taped it all together. I then layed tinfoil over the cardboard. The foil keeps the resin from curing onto the cardboard. When i taped down the foil i used masking tape. The masking tape is really good for holding the foil on because it holds well but it will pull off the plastic or the cardboard easily. I layed 2 layers of fiberglass while the mold was still in the car. After the 2nd layer cured it was strong enough to pull out of the car safely. I pulled it out of the car so it was easier to work with.

Don't worry about 'glassing a little beyond the actual edge of the box. This will allow you trim the fiberglass to get the lines the way you want them.

Go to an automotive or marine supply store to buy your fiberglass and resin. These places will usually carry a little heavier fiberglass than autozome or advanced.

Don't forget a good respirator, you can pick one up at the place you get your glass from for about $15.

rubber dishwashing gloves, latex gloves or similar are needed when working with fiberglass. If you are using fiberglass matte soak your gloves in WD-40 while handling the matte, it will keep fewer strands from sticking to your hands.

Grab some cheap paintbrushes from the dollar store or the hardware store down the street, you wil need a lot of these. Cut the bristles down to about an inch or so. These short, stiff bristles will make it easier to 'stab' the resin into the fiberglass

I cut the tops off soda cans and poured acetone in them. THis allowed me to store my paintbrushes and not have the resin harden on the bristles.

Only mix a small bowl of resin at a time. Read the directions on the resin. It will tell you how many drops of catalyst to mix at a certain temp. If it says, say 1 teaspoon of catalyst for 2 tablespoons of resin at 75*, mix less catalyst if it is substantially warmer or mix more if it is substantially cooler; mixing it like this should give you better work time before it cures.

I have found that sometimes the body filler is a bit too thick to work with. If you mix a little resin into the filler it will make it a bit thinner, and a little easier to work with.

Don't forget a lot of sandpaper and a sanding blocks.

Hope I helped a little. You will learn tricks as you do more of it. Happy 'glassing.

 

[Thomas91169]

sweet thanks. i might try the cardboard in the back to make a sturdier mold than the duct tape i was gonna use.

i know about the respirator, brushes, and the pot time and mixing small batches at a time. i will be working in 90* heat so im gonna try to find a catalyst with a little slower harden time.

thanks for the imput. gonna find some cardboard now.

 

[Chuckster]

Nice write up 96! One thing though, do NOT saturate rubber gloves with wd-40. Don't you guys remember sex ed?

Steal some old plastic food storage containers from the kitchen. They work great for mixing the resin and hardner. While you're using one, the other cures and you can just pop out the solid material when you're ready to reuse it. Letting the old brush cure in it provides a great handle to separate the resin from the container too.

 

[devlish]

Letting the old brush cure in it provides a great handle to separate the resin from the container too.

buy cheap brushes from the Dollar Store, or buy decent brushes, and let then soak in acetone or paint thinner and then you can resuse them.

at the bottom of my webpage there is a write-up i did while doing my fiberglass enclosure. it may help you out somewhat.

http://webpages.charter.net/devlish


good luck!
~Kurt

 

[Chuckster]

buy cheap brushes from the Dollar Store, or buy decent brushes, and let then soak in acetone or paint thinner and then you can resuse them.

~Kurt

I saw that mentioned in 96's post.

You guys living in the farm states don't realize what laws there are in states like Cali and NJ governing disposal of acetone and paint thinner. Granted it will evaporate over time, but it's really a lot easier to just throw away a 25 cent paintbrush.

 

[devlish]

let it evaporate. you can just use that stuff forever then while it works it way down in the barrel!

 

['96_Talon_TSi]

I saw that mentioned in 96's post.

You guys living in the farm states don't realize what laws there are in states like Cali and NJ governing disposal of acetone and paint thinner. Granted it will evaporate over time, but it's really a lot easier to just throw away a 25 cent paintbrush.

What the gov't doesnt know won't hurt em. Just let it evaporate and save yourself a few bucks. You will go through a lot of brushes.

 

[Thomas91169]

thanks devlish, i read youre whole writeup and im feeling more confident. btw how do you like your type-r's? i had 1 12" with a 600w kenwood amp in the trunk and it still gave me a pounding. i wouldve never attemped this build but someone jacked my sub, amp and tweets.

i am thus far on the buildup........................

i have the whole back seat taken out. i used alum foil to countour the side panels on the inside. i then used duct tape on the bottom to get a nice, flowing bottom mold. i then used more duct tape on the back where there used to be the rear seat cushion, its all smooth looking and i hope it will make for a good back piece.

i will be doing the back mold today. i got some fiberglass resin from home depot that comes with its own hardener tube . it says to use like 7 drops per tablespoon, or 15 drops per ounce. but since ill be in 90* cali heat ill prolly use a few less drops. i bought 6 packages of 2x4 fiberglass fabric/matte. hope thats enough, ill prolly need more a few layers down the road.

i still need to figure out what sub/amp combo i will be using. im leaning toward some audiobahn subs and amp, not the flame subs though, the ones with the big thick pillars on the side, i think those look hella clean. ill be using the flamer amp though, prolly just 1 good one. i will be getting another set of infinity components and putting them in the rear also.


i will give some updates and pics tomorrow night.

 

[devlish]

glad to know it helped. if you get to a point where you're not quite sure what to do... feel free to email me and maybe i can help you out. i'm by no means a pro at this, but i've had good luck with trial and error thus far, and love helping out if i can

good luck, looking forward to your updated pics!

~Kurt

 

[HighPsi92GST]

I saw that mentioned in 96's post.

You guys living in the farm states don't realize what laws there are in states like Cali and NJ governing disposal of acetone and paint thinner. .

we just pour it one the ground and let it disapear :laugh:

but yea your right....i didnt know there was diffrent laws for your states...i learned something today

 

[Chuckster]

Pennsylvania has their own weird laws, HighPsi. I think it would be easier to buy nuclear bombs in your state than it is to find and buy beer.

 

[Thomas91169]

ok im through stage 1 of the build. i have gone through 1 gallon of fiberglass resin to get this far. it was pretty fun once i got the hang of it. i had my freind (krazywhitboy) come over and help me with the glassing. i used the thinner fiberglass cloth on the 1st coat. i was having trouble with the proper mix of fiberglass resin and hardener. we used it the directions stated(7 drops of hardener per tablespoon of resin) and in 2 minutes the mix turned to jelly. so i improvised, i used 20 drops per 20 tablespoons(or an inch of resin in my bowl) and it worked out well. after the 1st thin layer had started to cure, i went to home depot and picked up more gloves, more brushes and more cloth, which is when i noticed they had stocked up on the thicker fiberglass matte. so i bought lots of it. i then used that on the 2nd layer and its hard as hell now. heres some pics.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_28_full.jpg
this is the piece that will be used for the mold
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_29_full.jpg
adding some alum foil to it to make for a airtight seal and loose fit
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_30_full.jpg
more foil and now duct tape to make the contour of the bottom
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_31_full.jpg
the back
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_32_full.jpg
more of the back
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_33_full.jpg
1st layer of glass with the thinner cloth fabric
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_35_full.jpg
another shot
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_37_full.jpg
this is the 2nd coat with the thicker stab matte.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_38_full.jpg
more of the thick stuff
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_39_full.jpg
side panel, 1st coat
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_40_full.jpg
side panel, 2nd coat
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_41_full.jpg
and me, while we wait for it to dry. dam im white.

 

[devlish]

white boy drinking & getting high on resin fumes!! the only way to go!

as for your progress so far, WOW! if this is your first time, i'd say excellent job! actually, i'd say that either way. so far it looks really nice to me from the pics you posted.

i'll be looking forward to your next update

~Kurt

 

['96_Talon_TSi]

looking good. ARe you facing the subs towards the front seats, or are you aiming them up?

 

[Thomas91169]

had to help my freind move today so i didnt really get a chance to do much, but the few hours that we worked on it we got some things accomplished.

earlier in the morning i took out the mold from the car. it was a pain in the ass cause duct tape in those huge quantities didnt want to give up easily, but i prevailed. got the mold out, and noticed the first layer of fiberglass that i didnt let dry before putting the second layer over it was still stick and moist. i ripped off most the alum foil and tape and turned it so the 1st layer was towards the sun and let it bake outside in the sun all day. got back to the job at about 7 after helping my friend move. bought more fiberglass, hot glue gun, carbide tip for dremmel(for cutting fiberglass) and some more fiber matte, and wooden dowels for positioning the sub rings.

got some of my in stock 3/4 particle board and cutout the base for the sub rings. then got some of the thinner board and cut out the outline for the subs, so if i put them in regular mount, theyll be flush mounted in there. i hope to do them reverse mount(coil sticking out) but i really dont know the cubic space of the enclosure so i dont know how its gonna sound.

while i was cutting the rings for the subs, my buddy was cutting out the excess fiberglass with the dremel. there are some parts of the edge of the mold that stick out about a half inch from the plastic pieces in the back, though if i decide to ditch the plastic pieces the mold will take its place. well see, if not ill just add more glass to make it even. heres updated pics. tomorrow i will be mounting the rings and amp backing.


oh and the subs are going to be facing up and inward, with the amp in the middle. its gonna look sick. ive already bought my audiobahn 12's, im looking into 1 of 2 amps, a 4075HCT, or the 2150HCT, whichever one is cheaper. im not going for full out bass, im going for good bass and good looks. also its an excuse to buy shit and learn to fiberglass.

heres pics.

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_42_full.jpg
heres the mold out of the car, untrimmed, you can still see the alum foil and tape that didnt want to come off. no biggie, cause you wont see that when its sitting in the car anyways.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_43_full.jpg
another shot. looks pretty dam big, no wonder 2 layers used a gallon of resin.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_44_full.jpg
and it trimmed away of the excess and outline of the panels
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/509000-509999/509528_45_full.jpg
another shot.

 

[Chuckster]

Looks good! Does it slide in and out easily? Will you bolt it down?

What volume do you need for those speakers? Are you porting them? Considered putting the amp in the trunk to ward off thieves? Bought your t-nuts yet?

Seriously, I'd used two layers of that 3/4" for the baffle. You can make the inside ring larger and scallop around the bolts a little. I had good luck laying the glass over the edges of the opening. Afterwards, just use a flush trim bit in the router and you'll have the perfect circle again.

 

[Thomas91169]

i was hoping on getting the flame amp but their output wattage is half the power of amps half the price, so theyre just for looks. the one i wanted is like 350. my freinds audiobahn 12's he has in his truck are powered by a kenwood 800w amp, and when i was setting it up in the back cab, the bass gave me a stomach ache it hit so hard. but i just talked to him and he says he will get in touch with a guy that can get me the flame amps for around 150 for the good ones, so well see.

if not the kenwood amp will be going in the trunk, cause it wont match the color scheme at all. im really on pause with the project till i figure out which amp i will be using, so im waiting for my freind to get home and call that guy.

i used my dads rotozip and circle cutout for the rings. this is the first time ive ever made perfect circles, except for the outer edges cause the circle attachment wasnt long enough to make 13" circles, so i had to eye it.

ill update tonight if anything gets done.

 

[devlish]

so far looks very good. make sure it is solid enough. is it going to be a single chamber enclosure or not? you should make sure to brace it enough either way. sometimes the fiberglass will flex on something that large. take it slow and do it right. so far so good!!

 

[Thomas91169]

prolly just a single chamber, unless i mount them like eurogstspyder did on his, which i dont like to blatantly copy other people, so ill prolly just do it my way. if it sounds like crap, oh well, ill try porting it to see if that works. if the top part turns out horrible, ill just cut it off, save the bottom mold and make another top part thats dual chamber.

 

[devlish]

since it's single chamber, make sure to brace the front to the rear very well. use good 'stilts' when attaching your woofer rings, and that will help too. last thing we'd want to see is all this work and then it cracks soon after!

 

[Thomas91169]

ok one half of it is covered. i put up the rings and covered the one side with cloth and stretched it as good as i could. the cloth meets the back mold in the middle, so as of now it just kinda drops to the middle after the ring. once i do the other side, the middle will be the amp rack, once i get the amp figured out on which it will be. the middle will be covered in another cloth that stretches between the 2 sub rings, the top and bottom mold. i didnt get any pics but i will tomorrow.

 

['96_Talon_TSi]

how many layers is the sides/back of the enclosure, and what weight did you go with on the fiberglass?

 

[Thomas91169]

the back layer is 2 layers right now, but as soon as the fronts are done the whole thing will be covered in more layers, prolly an even 4, then the front will be filled in and sanded smooth. its pretty sturdy as it is now, but i want more layers to make it soundproof.

as for what weight fiberglass, i have no idea. i just got the big gallon jug of all purpose fiberglass from home depot for like 20 bucks. im on my secong gallon already.

 

[1997RS]

buy cheap brushes from the Dollar Store, or buy decent brushes, and let then soak in acetone or paint thinner and then you can resuse them.

at the bottom of my webpage there is a write-up i did while doing my fiberglass enclosure. it may help you out somewhat.

http://webpages.charter.net/devlish


good luck!
~Kurt

Hi Kurt,

I have seen your work and I must give it to you it is a fine nice form of art. I would like to do something similar to what you did with your trunk on mines and would like to do it very similar if thats ok with you. I have a 97 RS undergoing some exterior changes right now will be posting pictures in the future. I plan on entering some car shows next summer 2005. If I have any questions upon how to make something relating your application would you be able to help me? Your ride looks COOL DUDE! Thanks for helping others like you have helped me believe me you have Thanks.

George