Fiberglass, Wood, Fleece, etc.

[jbisme]

I've seen several pages with pictures around the internet showing an existing fiberglass body with added in wood followed by more fiberglass mat applied over the top to strenghten the body. Is there a particular type of wood I should use? Is there woods I should avoid?

I've also seen articles showing fleece cloth used make a unique woofer cabinet for a car. Do you guys have any tips when working with fleece prior to laying fiberglass. For instance if I wanted to make a hard top, can I build a frame, lay the fleece and follow that up with a heavy fiberglass mat?

Are there other materials out there that are compatable with fiberglass? I'm wondering if PVC pipe can be used in light frame building, chicken wire or other materials.

 

[oldtman]

I installed wood in a steel 23 touring. I still have the blueprints somewhere. A lot of intricate cuts and curves.. I used oak...My nephew worked at a stairway shop and i got a lot of free wood scraps ...oak is harder to work .. if you can do lap joints with the wood it will be stronger. knot free pine would work since you are going to glass over it... somewhere I read details on reinforcing the body.. sometimes the position of the wood will show thru when the glass cures.

 

[jbisme]

This is what I was wondering when it comes to wood. How the COE (coefficent of expansion) of wood vs. the COE of fiberglass. Pine may be too soft if used in long sections and eventually crack the fiberglass. I was thinking a harder wood like oak, maple, or something else would be better.

It is also possible I have no idea what I'm talking about.

I've worked with fiberglass before on an old trike I no longer own. The deck over the top of the VW engine and transaxle was blown fiberglass. The fenders was cracked and broken from bad mounting locations and I moved the gas tank location. Those holes needed filled in, but that was just adding fiberglass to fiberglass. I didn't change the structure, but in this project there will be some structure changes and generous amounts of fiberglass used.

I just want to get a feel for what I'm doing before I waste time and money.

 

[RPM]

We have done several wood jobs here. We used scraps fron the floor. 3/4" plywood cut up to measure about 2" wide and 3-4" long. Glued them in the top of the body with Liquid nails, clamped and let set over night. Then laid 2 layers of glass over the wood the next day.

"TIP" the outer edge of the wood, that the glass will go over round it off quite a bit so the glass will go around it.

 

[Youngster]

I just use pine to wood my bodies. Then i'm done with the final shaping i cover all the wood with a tin coat of resin to seal it.

Ron

 

[putz]

Alot of people are using foam like used in arrangements. Here is a link to other posts on this subject.http://www.tbucketeers.com/forum/f18/wood-place-2069/

 

[jbisme]

So it really doesn't matter? I've got lots of scrap CDX plywood.

 

[jbisme]

What is ABS?

 

[putz]

Depends what you are talking about. It is a type of plastic used in pipe or antilock brake system.

 

[donsrods]

Contrary to what one might think, the better woods like Oak aren't as good as Pine for these jobs. Too dense and they don't adhere as well. Pine soaks up some of the resin and it helps bond it to the mat. Some difference in the coefficient factor too, but mainly pine just works better.

I like to use "select pine" for the wooding process, it has less knots and faults than regular pine and is straighter. For the floor I just use exterior grade plywood about 5/8 thick, and mat rather than cloth.

Don

 

[jbisme]

Putz, the link you sent me to talks about ABS being used on the inside. It looks like some sort of black sheeting.

I've got plenty of pine and CDX consturction grade plywood, it seems the consensus is to use that kind of material and use liquid nails to hold it together.

 

[jbisme]

Donsrods,
I agree, the cloth seems to pull away too easy, the mat with fibers running in multiple directions lock together from one sheet to the next.

 

[putz]

What they are using is like the foam you find in flower arrangments to fill in between the wood supports,which makes a flat surface for that final smooth look.Like in this pic.

 

[LumenAl]

It's imperative you use the foam for DRY arrangements that does not absorb water (OASIS SAHARA II Green). The foam for live cuttings absorb water... the foam for dry arrangements don't! Then you glass (I did three layers), finish and shoot... ends up something like this...

The ABS panels are want I made for the interior panels out of once the body was all glassed...

and then the ABS panels completed...

 

[jbisme]

Exactly! So what is an ABS panel?

 

[Youngster]

it's a type of poly resin (plastic) that you can buy in sheets

Ron