Heres the story, a buddy of mine has a speed sport glass body. I guess it would be based off of a Model T touring? I want to make a copy of the body would it be possible to use his body a a mold and lay new glass and resin right over it? I have never used fiberglass before and have a lot to learn. Mabey some of you guys could give me some pointers. -Chris
Your mold has to be made over that body then you make a body in your mold.. outside to inside inside to outside .. get it ? Dave
you might consider getting a body from where your buddy got his from. Cuz you run the risk of of just wasting your Monet and his body if you don't do things right especially if you just want one body. Fiberglass gets kinda tricky at times, first you should try making a mold outta something else for practice, then if confident you should go for it.
you might consider getting a body from where your buddy got his from. Cuz you run the risk of of just wasting your Monet and his body if you don't do things right especially if you just want one body. Fiberglass gets kinda tricky at times, first you should try making a mold outta something else for practice, then if confident you should go for it.
I agree. My limited experience tells me that many cool things are possible with 'glass but damn, the whole process can be really frustrating and MESSY! Do yourself and your buddie's T body a favor, and practice a LOT first!!
fiberglass is fun to work with.. but it can be a bitch if you dont know what your doing... i say start with a mold... maybe of wood... i think it would be easier to make a body like that out of metal... but that is just me...
Most molds of that size and shape will require a split mold of two or three pieces , otherwise you won't be able to remove the original body . Laying all that up isn't easy . That's a fairly easy shape . You could make bucks based on the cross section of the original body and use Airex foam or it's equivalent to make a one-off male piece that you then covered with FG . you could then make any alterations you wanted
Done it with bike body work , you need to make a plaster mold and spray a reliece agent on the body you are working from. A body that big you might need to do in sections then re-assemble after by reinforcing from under the body with more glass and maybe some chicken wire. thats a big body I don't know how you could keep a plaster mold together in one shot.
Hi - Maybe this FC body story build will help you: http://ww2racing.com/smith-sattelite.html Enjoy! Al in CT
Chris, it is actually possible to pull your body right off the existing body. A couple of GRP books talk about this method as a fairly crude option - but in reality you would need to take a lot of care to get it smooth and even thickness (cloth would work better than chopped mat). Your body would be the laminate's thickness bigger than the original, still need a lot of prep work and sanding to get it smooth (ask anyone who ever built a surfboard) - but at least you'd have a beautiful finish on the inside!! You'd also need to know a bit about where to part (split ) the body, as well as release agents - you might want to go a little more high tech than petroleum jelly... If you have no experience with either, why not rather learn some metalshaping skills - that would be a relatively easy body to shape. And the skills you'd be gaining would be more useful to this hobby.... Barry
It is not rocket science to do it.... But you need to do some homework and preparation. 1. learn about mold release agents. You will apply them to the existing body before you apply fiberglass to it to make a mold. You will also use MRA to get the new body out of the mold. 2. You have to carefully plan how you are going to get the mold off the original body...without damaging the body. It can be difficult to break the vacuum and get the part out off the mold or mold off the original. 3. When you make the mold you have to re-enforce it with wood or metal to keep its original shape. This all need to be done ahead of time so that you can glass it into the part. 4. Laying up your new body in the mold can be tricky for a first timer. Getting the air out. Getting a uniform thickness etc. You can do it just practice first. 5. Gel Coat...Thats the key to a great looking smooth part 6. MOST IMPORTANT. Add it all up materials, supplies, etc. Is it worth it? Also find a local fiberglass shop...how much will they charge you to do it. FWIW you could also do a composite layup. Room Temperature cure or low temp cure (if you have an oven big enough). Easier to work with, but more expensive, and you'd need a vacuum pump, bagging film etc.
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