I'm making a tail section

[billyp]

Any recommendations on an easily sand able final coating that I can apply after the final layer of glass and before the first layer of filler? Specifically, is there something I can easily add to the epoxy that will thicken it up so I can apply it fairly thick, not have it run, and be able to sand pretty easily? I've seen some people use talcum powder. I'm mainly looking to fill any weave, voids or low spots on the final shape.

 

[J-Rod10]

Don't put it on so thick it runs. Simple fix on that one.

Finishing putty would work fine. But use a two part with hardener. Cover the entire seat with a thin coat, sand it, knock your high spots down, and fill the low spots.

I like this stuff quite a lot. I use it on plugs for molds. Good stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00FPE4PUW/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/188-3474930-9973751?fp=1&pc_redir=1427327897

 

[hdscarbro]

I use West System 410 Filler. It's a powder that you mix in your epoxy to make a peanut butter thick compound. Sands nicely and sticks well. I've used it as the only filler when time is not an issue. The epoxy I use typically takes overnight to set up enough to sand.

Another trick I've learned to help get the initial fiberglass smooth is to cover the final layups with release fabric. Here are some photos of a fender made using release fabric.

Any recommendations on an easily sand able final coating that I can apply after the final layer of glass and before the first layer of filler? Specifically, is there something I can easily add to the epoxy that will thicken it up so I can apply it fairly thick, not have it run, and be able to sand pretty easily? I've seen some people use talcum powder. I'm mainly looking to fill any weave, voids or low spots on the final shape.

 

[billyp]

I've heard of using release fabric or peel ply, a lot of rc plane builders use it to get a smooth final layer without the use of filler which would add weight. I also learned a trick from them to use 100% polyester fabric for like dress linings that you can get a lot cheaper then specialty release fabric.

 

[hdscarbro]

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to give the 100% polyester fabric a try. Don't do a lot of fiberglassing, but I really do like using release fabric.

I've heard of using release fabric or peel ply, a lot of rc plane builders use it to get a smooth final layer without the use of filler which would add weight. I also learned a trick from them to use 100% polyester fabric for like dress linings that you can get a lot cheaper then specialty release fabric.

 

[billyp]

So I got the last layer of glass on last night, when I get home from work I'll start breaking the foam out and try and get some pics up. Being a newbie at fiberglass I thought I would share some things I found out while I was doing this that might help another new guy.

First and foremost, make sure whatever your covering, a form that you made or an area on the bike you taped off or whatever, make sure it's as smooth as possible. Unless you want to do hours of body work after laying the glass, make sure you're laying it on a smooth, wrinkle, dent, wave free surface. The front of my tail had a couple undulations in the foam that I didn't really pay attention to and it became very noticeable the more layers I put on. It was mostly a feel issue, but with paint on it, it would definitely be wavy. A little more time with the sanding block and 120 grit would have solved that. Also make sure it's symmetrical, mine was fairly close on both sides, but I could definitely see how an unsymmetrical form would just get magnified with each layer you add.

Second, laying glass on the outside of a form like mine with a lot of shape is challenging. If I were to do something with a lot of shape again I would definitely make a mold up and lay the glass on the inside. The biggest problem was getting the glass to stay in the under cut or rounded areas. The problems came when you would get one area set and smooth then you move to another area to smooth that out, the fabric would pull out of the recessed area or a bubble would pop up on a corner. It was DEFINITELY easier to lay it up in strips, I cut several 3-4 inch wide strips, lay the top and sides across the mold and the front and back around the mold. J-Rod was a big help with this, I tried to lay up one layer in one piece and though I was able to do it with some relief cuts, it was definitely a pain is the ass compared to using strips. It also took about twice as long.

If you take the time to prep everything right and use the proper technique, I think anyone can do this. I 100% learned more by doing it then reading about it or watching videos about it. I'm not an expert by far, but I learned a ton and feel a lot more confident about doing more work like this in the future.

Thanks to everyone that had input and helped me along the way.

 

[xb33bsa]

laminating resin is so much easier to work with :-\
i know you dint want the stink of polyester resin
and yeah it is just silly to do it the way you did anyway,make a mold so you can gelcoat a part..
outside layups have a narrow range of viability

 

[J-Rod10]

Poly is by far the easiest resin to work with, followed by vinyl ester.

 

[Tune-A-Fish]

I can definitely see this taking a lot of trial and error to get good at.

This thread got me thinking after first planning to use sheet metal and now am just finishing up a very complex seat pan also (first attempt) with many angles corners and elevation changes and on top of all that, i used the wrong and a very stiff random strand fiber on my first layer... needless to say I struggled with keeping things in place while the epoxy cured, luckily the second layer has gone smoothly and with a bit of luck my pan will work well for my project, all will be covered with foam and seat cover so a few lumps and bumps wont be a bother.

Learning something new is half the fun... I guess!

 

[billyp]

laminating resin is so much easier to work with :-\
i know you dint want the stink of polyester resin
and yeah it is just silly to do it the way you did anyway,make a mold so you can gelcoat a part..
outside layups have a narrow range of viability

Like I said...I learned a lot

 

[billyp]

I can definitely see this taking a lot of trial and error to get good at.

This thread got me thinking after first planning to use sheet metal and now am just finishing up a very complex seat pan also (first attempt) with many angles corners and elevation changes and on top of all that, i used the wrong and a very stiff random strand fiber on my first layer... needless to say I struggled with keeping things in place while the epoxy cured, luckily the second layer has gone smoothly and with a bit of luck my pan will work well for my project, all will be covered with foam and seat cover so a few lumps and bumps wont be a bother.

Learning something new is half the fun... I guess!

I've been following your thread too, looking forward to seeing the final product. I think your 2 piece seat idea is great