Need advice on fiberglass

[MercFan]

For those of you with fiberglass experience...

I just put on a new winch on my LandCruiser behind the factory bumper - turned out pretty good (if I do say so myself), however, I'd like to make a little cover for it to protect the fairlead , which, cable from the mud, and other road hazards.

I could make it out of the metal, but I thought it would be nice to make it out of fiberglass - though I've never tired it.

I watched some videos on youtube but there is such a dazzling array of applications for fiberglass that I have a hard time picking the right minimal things that I would need.

I would like it to be strong, about 1/4 inch thick and able to take a stone off the road - think it's doable?! Maybe I should combine thin metal plate with fiberglass sides that go around the fairlead?! What materials would I need for fiberglass work (mat, resin, hardener) - where do I get it?!

Thx,
James

[panZZer]

Originally Posted by MercFan

For those of you with fiberglass experience...

I just put on a new winch on my LandCruiser behind the factory bumper - turned out pretty good (if I do say so myself), however, I'd like to make a little cover for it to protect the fairlead , which, cable from the mud, and other road hazards.

I could make it out of the metal, but I thought it would be nice to make it out of fiberglass - though I've never tired it.

I watched some videos on youtube but there is such a dazzling array of applications for fiberglass that I have a hard time picking the right minimal things that I would need.

I would like it to be strong, about 1/4 inch thick and able to take a stone off the road - think it's doable?! Maybe I should combine thin metal plate with fiberglass sides that go around the fairlead?! What materials would I need for fiberglass work (mat, resin, hardener) - where do I get it?!

Thx,
James

You can fab a quickee pattern of the cover out of something like 1/8 or 1/4 " fine plywood and bondo it together (on the inside corners)-round off the outside corners with a grinder. Then a few wet coats of tompsons water seal letting dry between coats. then carnuba car wax--about 5 coats buffed off each between.

then get good resin--NOT auto parts store resin. and some matt and some cloth. set it up in your garage with a heater so you got around at least 77 degrees.

[panZZer]

Then cut layers of matt to completely cover your pattern you can tear it at the corners the overlaps will be twice as thick so yo either tear out a pie slice or dont worry about it. A 1/4" part is about 6 layers rolled out correctly--but you probably dont got a roller--you could get one off of ebay.
put on your nitryle gloves.
You get a piece of cardboard and lay the first ply on it and once you got the resin catalized CORRECTLY get your 3" poly chip brush and wet it out Q U I C K, then the next 4 right on top.
pick the whole pile of layers up and drape them onto the pattern. With the correct pressure smooth it down on the pattern-( it has to be built robust enough not to fall apart). smooth out all the matt using the brush to work the air bubbles out and where the corners of the plys were torn-frayed smooth down and all the air out. lay the layer of cloth on last and go over again using a squeege AND your fingers.
Keep checking it for gell time. You want to time it so its past the inital gell and half way to completely kicked--you can use a stanly trim knife to easily cut the EOP when the time is right.

[panZZer]

Anyhow, The above is how to quickly get a part--without a production female mold.

[MercFan]

Originally Posted by panZZer

Anyhow, The above is how to quickly get a part--without a production female mold.

Thanks - whew, sounds complicated... got me wondering if its worth doing... though I'd like to learn it. From wht you've described it sounds like there is a lot that I can do wrong....

Where do I get 'good' resin / hardener, cloth, mat?!

[panZZer]

Originally Posted by MercFan

Thanks - whew, sounds complicated... got me wondering if its worth doing... though I'd like to learn it. From wht you've described it sounds like there is a lot that I can do wrong....

No but if the price is right you could just pay me, there is a lot that can go wrong if you dont understand it wont do its thing in denver wether. I got a faring pattern like the one in tylers savage thread and just 5 gals of the real stuff.

[panZZer]

Originally Posted by panZZer

You can fab a quickee pattern of the cover out of something like 1/8 or 1/4 " fine plywood and bondo it together (on the inside corners)-round off the outside corners with a grinder. Then a few wet coats of tompsons water seal letting dry between coats. then carnuba car wax--about 5 coats buffed off each between.

then get good resin--NOT auto parts store resin. and some matt and some cloth. set it up in your garage with a heater so you got around at least 77 degrees.

A reverse of this method would be glue the wood parts together on the Outside, and radius the corners on the inside with bondo-and a wood tounge depressor. And one could use glazing finish putty for the gelcoat of the part being made.
a little more involved -youre making a simple female mold.
but there are reasons why this technique is better for a novice.

[MTUpower]

Why don't you build one made of Starboard? Google kingplastic starboard. It cuts, drills and acts like wood but it's quite tough. Easy to work with; one of the few down sides it that it can't be painted so build it in black.