Building a fiberglass center console....any advice?

[Craig]

restored at 100 k?

Hey. I have an old sub kicking around (ADS RS10) back from the days when I was into car audio. I've wanted to put into my jeep for a while now but don't want to sacrafice any room at all. I really don't care much for the stereo and don't plan on putting in a high end stereo, I just figured since I have it, I'll use it. My plan is to build a whole new center console that is extended back to the step on the floor before the rear seats. It'll hold a 10" sub facing back. I've never worked with fiberglass before so I'm looking for any suggestions or help. I was planning on making the frame for the console out of metal brackets used in home building...angle brackets used for wooden studs ect. Once I have the outside frame built, I'm gonna wrap the whole thing in a fine metal mesh that I can bend and form to the shape I want. Once that's done, I was going to fiberglass the whole thing. Who knows, mabye I'm going about this all wrong. Mabye I should make the frame out of wood, then fiberglass it since I have access to almost any kind of woodworking machine you can think of. I don't want to make the whole thing out of wood, I want to fiberglass it since it's something I've never done before and want to try. I still haven't figured out how I'm going to make the lid or seal it down to make it air tight. Any suggestions?

 

[jeepless20]

RE: restored at 100 k?

the metal frame idea aught to work. go to you local car audio shop and ask if thay have any of the fabric thay use for "glassing" you can streach it out over the frame and slather the poo out of it with fiberglass resin, then reinforce with the fiberglass shards stuff and alot more resin. and wile your at it you may as well get leagaly high lol just kiddn. have you ever worked with fiberglass before. its real easy youll see.

 

[88Wrangles]

ya, it is quite easy really. The metal that you're using will work well. After that, you put the cloth over all that and then slap on the resin and let 'er dry

 

[Snitty]

Re: RE: $1400 3" Body Lift

You can get fibermesh at autozone or walmart

 

[mud4feet]

My advice................don't eat the resin!!!! :lol: :lol: Sorry, couldn't resist......not much help - never worked with fiberglass. But, of course, you will be posting pics when you're done, right?

 

[Snitty]

RE: It

I've worked with it one time when I was working on a bathroom floor in a basement one time. I misjudged where the plastic septic holding tank was for the pump up system and I cut through it. A trip to autozone and $10 later, I had it repaired. It is good stuff, but you don't have much of a working window with it. When it sets, it gives no warning. It just sets

 

[jeepless20]

RE: Re: RE: Re: toyota 4 banger

ive worked with it when i was helping on a little car audio prject called the "speed of sound" corvette. a little hint, always ware gloves. you dont want that fiberglass to get into your skin. you will itch to no end, plus you may develop an alergic(sp) reaction and swell up and have to head over to the ER. that doesnt sound too fun to me. and if you get some of the reson on you have fun getting it off. man that stuff smells good.... did you hear that. aaaaa there after me, save me from the purple elephunts. hehe

 

[Craig]

Ok, here's another question since I haven't started building it yet...still gathering all the supplies. I know absolutely nothing about fiberglassing so I'm gonna get as much info as I can off the internet before I start. Which part has the actual glass in it? Is it in the resin or in the material you spread the resin on? I've seen a couple of different materials used to spread the resin on, which is best?...I've seen a kind of cheese cloth (almost looked like women's fishnet stockings), strips of what looked like gauze bandages and I've also seen a thicker, cloth type. I've also heard of people using a gel coat. Is this necessary? I was also looking at the resin and noticed it comes with hardner. Will it still cure properly if I use less hardner which will allow me more working time?

 

[jeepless20]

the fiberglass is a fiberous stringy matterial. the way you explain it, it should be the kinda cheese cloth looking stuff. you can tear it apart real easy and like i sayd its real stringy. the cloth that you put over you frame is what is going to form you product. then reinforce with the fiberglass shards, with more resin.

ive never seen the gel coat stuff so i have no idea what that might be for.

have you ever worked with JB weld. you must have the proper mix of resin and catalist (hardener) otherwise you will not get the "glass" to set properly. im not sure what will happen as ive never tryed it.

i hope ive shed some light on some things. hopfuly someone can chime in and fill in what i have forgoten. it has been a couple years since i have worked with this stuff.