How to make fibre glass body kits

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

Hey this thread is on how to make a body kit out of fiberglass, carbon fiber, Kevlar
In this example we are going to use a front bar. I suggest you buy the equipment from fiberglass wholesalers, as you will save 50% more aprox.
Before you start this make sure you read all the instructions very thoroughly


Key:
Fiber glass = fg
Carbon fiber = cf
Kevlar = k

What you will need:
Wax (floor wax works fine)
Some clean rags
Gel coat
Polyester resin
Catalyst (hardener)
Sheets of FG, cf, k (you don’t need all of these just the ones that apply to what you are making)
Disposable mixing cups aprox 5 or more (not polystyrene)
Disposable mixing sticks aprox 5 or more
Aprox 10 pairs of latex Gloves
Safety glasses (splash proof)
Breathing mask
4 paint brushes
Something to take a mould off (a friends front bar)
Some plastic leavers to release mould
Compressor roller


Before you start this it is best to ask how much of each product you will need to complete both your mould and product you will need
Step 1
Get your front bar and clean it thoroughly
Step 2
apply a thin layer of wax with a cloth to your front bar allow to dry for five mins
Step 3
Use a clean old rag to wipe of the wax.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 six or more times
Step 4
Mix your gel coat with your MEKP very thoroughly (refer to list (a) for details)
Step 5
Apply a thin even layer of gel coat to your mould with a paintbrush aprox 1mm thick (making sure no runs occur)
Allow drying for 2 hours
For safety reasons after you finish with your gel coat fill cup up with cold water (can combust if you don’t)
Step 6
Pre cut FG to size required
Step 7
Thoroughly mix your resin with your catalyst (refer to list (a) for details)
Step 8
Apply a thin layer of resin to your mould with a new paintbrush then add a sheet of FG on top of the resin
Dab more resin on the FG till the FG becomes transparent
Compressed air out with compressor roller
Apply another layer using method above
Allow drying over night
For safety reasons you must also fill the cup of resin with water after use
Step 9
The next day repeat step 6 up to step 8
Step 10
If you are planning to make for then one product in the future repeat step 6 to step 8 once more
Step 11
Allow sitting for a further 2 days
Step 13
Release mould using plastic leavers (don’t use metal)
Step 14
Sand lightly and neaten up
Step 15
Paint and allow sitting for a couple of days


Before attempting this you should read this carefully

MEKP (Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide) is a very dangerous chemical that and cause skin burns poisoning and blindness. So if you come in contact with mekp use the following steps for safety

1 Use all the safety items listed (I don’t tell you not to buy them if your not going to use them)

2 If mekp gets into eyes you only have 12 seconds to get to a tap and rinse for 20 minutes. Then call the doctor or if possible get some one else to call the doctor while your still rinsing your eyes

3 If mekp gets on your hands wash hands thoroughly and DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES!!!

4 If mekp gets in your mouth rinse for 20 mins and call doctor (DO NOT SWOLLOW WATER WHILE RINSING)

5 this is for sanding make sure you ware your glasses and breathing mask

If any one needs any help plz feel free to contact me via msn or PM

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

Sorry about that


LIST (a)


50 grams of resin mix with 1/2 to 1ml of catalyst
100 grams of resin mix with 1 to 1 1/2 ml of catalyst

Before using this chart read back of the tin different companies have different mixing instructions, average is 1% catalyst to resin

If you have any more Qs PM me

[vnwagon91]

yeah can you make one for me for my vn and ill buy it off ya

[michaelw]

To add, steer well clear of 'freekote' that is if you want your brain to function. Yes it works better than the wax, but is nasty nasty stuff.

Also you can vacuum bag stuff using a vacuum cleaner if you want. Just use an old one (not your mum's) and be careful it does not burnout.

Mike

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

so u know ur stuff mike

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

i cant make a vn bar with out a vn bar to start with

[michaelw]

so u know ur stuff mike

No, I just hung around people who did.

Mike

[LJfity]

why bother commodores look like shiiiiit with or without body kits

[walesy]

why bother commodores look like shiiiiit with or without body kits

well sign up to a torana forum if you dont like them...easy

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

yeah sign up for a torana forum
btw commodores go harder

[rattattack1313]

Don't worry....LJfity has gone away now......... my 4th "Kill"......

[Dead Head]

I dont understand are you explaining how to make the mold, and are you taking it of the outside? I assume that you need to lay the glass back into the mold to reproduce the original bumper.

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

you have to make a mould then repeate but on the inside of the mould

[michaelw]

I also note you are using polyester resin. How about epoxy? It is a bit more expensive than polyester but IMHO in wins on two fronts: 1)it is less toxic 2)you are less likely to burn down you mixing container when you mix it up.

Other than the cost one advantage of polyester is that you can regulate the curing speed by adding more or less catalyst, but I don't see that being a big deal for the back yard game. Infact you might like to add less to give yourself more faffing time.

Also if you use any resin if you put it into a large surface area container, the heat has a better chance of escaping.

Again this is not my game so I'll bow to more learned comments.

Mike

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

u got a point there with the polyester resin. epoxy is safer but it is also harder to work with and more expensive

[holden twinkle toes]

Crazy
Crazy Crazy

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

um i dont recomend 1 or 2 years olds try this (holden twinkle toes)

[fentos]

3 year olds should be fine tho....*chokes*

[sc0pe]

a 10:1 mix of resin/catylist is a rather hot mix? not good structurally either. much better to mix at 100ml resin/3-4ml cat. takes a little longer to cure but is much stronger. adjust the mix according to the type of day it is also, on hot days, use less cat, on cold days, use more

[fentos]

So roughly how much would this cost?? WOuld it save you much money?

[sc0pe]

wouldnt save u any money unless u had lots of cars to do. u will make half a dozen dodgy ones before u make a decent one. once u learn tho its awesome

[_-_s15_-_]

**********sold****************

[bisonlee]

You may want to add some renforcing to the mold cos polyester has a high shrinkage rate and can distort if the mold is to thin, ok if you are laying up flat sheet but on a bumper can twist it out of shape. use pieces of wood or at a pinch cardboard and glass over them to support the mold and thicken up the edges, especcially if you want to make more than one product. also remember any surface defect on the original will transfer to the mold and therefore the finished product so clean up the original bumper to make less work for any you make...........

plastic is the best thing to mix resin in, and epoxy is more dangerous than polyester it just doesnt smell as bad(trust me on this i work with the stuff every day)

sing out if anyone one want anymore tips

[stylin_vr2]

pfft. that looks WAY 2 complicated for me... itd be fun 2 experiment with thou! *ponders on it* haha kudos 2 any1 who knows how 2 do it! where do u buy all that stuff anyways?

[WILD VR CLUBBY]

You can buy it from any fiberglass whole sellers