Fiberglass

[brainbug007]

I was just wondering if anyone has attempted making their own bodywork? I'd love to give a go and learn how to work with fiberglass but I'm worried about the cost side of being a false economy in that by the time I've messed a few bits up it would have worked out much cheaper to just buy it? any able to give me an idea roughly what sort of quantities of materials you need to make say the scuttle, a wing, an nosecone? the book seems to indicate that the materials are cheap if bought in bulk?

[davedew]

It is not just a case of making a panel. You need to make a buck, then take a mould from the buck, to then make the panel you require from the mould.

After playing around with modifying my dash panel with fibreglass it is a very messy / smelly job, and I would not want to have a go at making panels

[brainbug007]

Ya I know it would take ages, it was more if i could save myself a few hundred quid it might be worth it as a set from saturn is nearly £600 delivered

[spud69]

Originally Posted by brainbug007

Ya I know it would take ages, it was more if i could save myself a few hundred quid it might be worth it as a set from saturn is nearly £600 delivered

Most of the cost is due to the cost of materials - going up all the time, even the coloured gel coat for a body set will cost about £120. And an awful lot of man hours.

At the end of the day its whatever is best for your own build, some people have made their own bucks and bodywork to good results.

AndyH

[brainbug007]

So time aside though, what would the cost of materials be roughly?

[spud69]

About a third of the cost - more with VAT added, if you where making bucks then quite a lot more.

Please dont think i'm trying to put you off though it's just the question was asked....

AndyH

[brainbug007]

So would it just be 450g chopped strand matting, a colored polyester resin, a catalyst that I would need ignoring anything for the buck? If so how many meter's of matting and liters of resin would you recommend for say a scuttle?

[spud69]

Originally Posted by brainbug007

So would it just be 450g chopped strand matting, a colored polyester resin, a catalyst that I would need ignoring anything for the buck? If so how many meter's of matting and liters of resin would you recommend for say a scuttle?

For a scuttle:

450g csm matt: 3m
Gel Coat: 1/2 litre
Resin: 2 litres
Catalyst: 60ml
plus ancilliaries.

AndyH

[brainbug007]

Thanks Andy this helps Is there a good way to work out how many meters of csm you need for a wing and the nosecone? And would you say the ratio's mentioned here are about right? http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/met...uantities.html

[spud69]

Originally Posted by brainbug007

Thanks Andy this helps Is there a good way to work out how many meters of csm you need for a wing and the nosecone? And would you say the ratio's mentioned here are about right? http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/acatalog/met...uantities.html

Looks about right.