How to Do Fiberglass Lay Ups
Fiberglass is also known as glass-reinforced plastic or glass fiber-reinforced plastic. This material is not only extremely strong, but also incredibly lightweight. For this reason, fiberglass has become a common material used in manufacturing items that need to be durable as well as lightweight, including automobiles, roofing materials, and bath tubs. Fiberglass can be applied with either a spray gun or by using a hand lay up process. A hand lay up process is often used when making a repair to an existing fiberglass structure.
Things You'll Need
- Tack cloth
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic sheeting, 4 millimeter
- Electric scissors
- Sharpie marker
- Fiberglass matte
- Fiberglass resin
- Resin hardener
- Disposable mixing container
- Disposable paint brush
- Fiberglass roller
- Sandpaper or orbital sander
- Peel-ply
- Rubber gloves
- Eye protection
- Face mask
Instructions
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Prepare the surface that will have fiberglass applied to it. Using sandpaper or an orbital sander, rough up all surfaces where the fiberglass is to be applied. This gives the surface some tooth for the new fiberglass to stick to. Do not over-sand the area down to the glass fibers, as this will reduce the structural integrity of the area. Use the tack cloth to clean the area of dust from the sanding.
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Make the fiberglass piece. Lay out aluminum foil on work table and with the Sharpie draw out the size and shape of the fiberglass lay up piece you want to create. Cut pieces of fiberglass matte to extend beyond the pattern lines. The number of pieces of matte you will cut depends on how many plies you'd like your finished piece to be. Mix resin and hardener per the manufacturer's directions, in the disposable container, and spread the mixed resin, with the paintbrush, on to the plies of fiberglass matte. Place the plastic sheeting over the fiberglass and use the roller to spread the resin and remove all bubbles.
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Cut the fiberglass piece to size. Use the electric scissors to cut the fiberglass piece to the pattern size. You will be able to see the Sharpie lines on the aluminum foil once the resin is applied. Cut through both the plastic sheeting and the aluminum foil before the resin has had a chance to harden.
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Apply piece to fiberglass structure. Using the paintbrush, apply resin with hardener to the final fiberglass structure. Remove the plastic sheeting from the still-wet fiberglass laid up piece and apply to the structure, aluminum foil side up. Use the roller to press the piece into place and remove air bubbles. Remove the aluminum foil and add a piece of peel-ply cut larger than the fiberglass lay up piece. Use the roller to further squeegee out any air bubbles and ensure a smooth transition to the original fiberglass structure. Allow to cure and then remove the peel-ply.
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Tips & Warnings
* If you haven't done a lot of lay up work with fiberglass, use a slow curing epoxy to give you more time to work with your piece.
* Shower in cold water after working with fiberglass, as the cold water will close up pores and most effectively wash away the glass fibers.
* Wash clothes you wear working with fiberglass separately from other clothing to minimize fiberglass contamination.
* Always wear gloves, eye protection and a face mask when working with fiberglass.
* Keep fiberglass supplies and tools out of children's reach.
* Work in a properly ventilated area when working with fiberglass.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Ablestock.com/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
