Guest Anonymous Posted October 16, 2002 Share Posted October 16, 2002 Thinking of doing layup of small fiber glass parts for my 280Z. I am familiar with the FRP layup process but am looking for what I can use for male and female plugs(forms), and release agent. I want to make air scoops etc. I guess I can use 1.4 inch alumininum plates. Any ideas beyond that to make curvey surfaces? Also, how can I mount stuff into FRP with screws? Do I need to drill pilot holes and then use self threading screws?? Any advice/ Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Steve, I have been using an unlikely source for repair and small fiberglass parts: sheet metal roof sheathing which is thin and easy to cut and form.The stuff with the electro galvanized coating does not even require a release agent. Today I made a "reversible" cardboard template to cover the ugly factory holes in the radiator cross member on each side of my Griffin radiator. I transferred the one reversible template to the sheathing and made a cover for both sides with enough extra allowance to bend a 90 degree two inch angle to round out the corner of the covers to the radiator side tanks. Flat taped 2 inch masking tape around the out lines and layed the fiberglass starting with cloth and then mat to the inside surface of the sheathing covers (flat molds/female ! ). Placed Saran wrap over the wet resin to cut off the air for drying purposes. Tomorrow I will pop off the sheathing and have a smooth outside finish and trim the edges of the 2 covers. I will then take some more sheathing and bend 90 degree angles in it and attach it to the new fiberglass covers with pony clamps to make the needed mounting flanges. As you can tell I do not make the entire cover in one step. You could make a hood scoop in two or three sections and join them together later I recently bought two fiberglass fenders that were cut in two piece for Fed X shipping. By using sheathing, flat bar and dry wall screws to join the halves back together. I had the fenders back together the same day they arrived plus filled in a large gap of missing fiberglass in one of the fenders using the sheathing and dry wall screws. For mounting bolts in sheet metal use a flat bar anchor imbedded in the fiberglass to hold the bolts. Also metal threaded "T nuts" for attaching bolts to wood can be incorporated into fiberglass.For composite material information plus everything under the sun order this free catalog (2) from Aircraft Spruce 1-877-477-7823 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 you can use alot of stuff. Clay will work, plaster will work as well. Polish the part with some wax, pour plaster over it, let it harden and pry out the old part carefully and you have a female mold. Of course the Oxandale florist foam method works fantastic if your doing one off pieces, I tried that and it worked super well. I love doing fiberglass work, but boy the stuff really tears up my arms and makes me itch, but its cool when someone says, wow I like those where'd you get em? Your chest puffs up and you go, 'Oh those, yeah, well you know, I made them.' ' Can you make more?' ' Umm, well not really... ' Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Yes, Thanx to Lone's website which got me started on this fiberglass adventure. I will put away my sheathing cover molds and use them again for my second project.Lone, also watch where you scratch after applying fiber glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Yeah, you ain't kidding.... I get itchy just cutting the cloth/matt... And yeah I can imagine what could end up itching if you get it in the nether regions and I ain't talking the netherlands either... know what I mean? BTW anything I learned about glass, credit has to go to Terry Oxandale, he's the jedi master in glass, hell yoda wouldn't even try out glassing Terry. Seriously, the guys good at it, hell look at his car now, it gets tricker looking every time he updates his signature picture. Good stuff. Regards, Lone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 17, 2002 Share Posted October 17, 2002 Thanks for the advice and ideas Gentlemen. Loved the flap vents. Terry O's foam idea is great. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 Found an interesting URL about building an entire car with fiber glass over foam..check it out. http://www.rqriley.com/frp-foam.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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