Board logo

Fibreglassing. Worth a go myself?
dan8400 - 25/8/15 at 07:17 PM

Hi everyone.

I have picked up a GRP seat from eBay for £20. I wondered if I could use it as a buck, make a mould and then make my own seats.

I haven't done fibreglassing before but I would love to have a go.

Is there an idiots guide? Or shall I just google/YouTube it and have a bash. Any tips??

Thanks
Dan

40inches - 25/8/15 at 07:21 PM

These Videos may be worth a look.

dan8400 - 25/8/15 at 07:23 PM

Thanks 40inches

Matt21 - 25/8/15 at 07:24 PM

do a bit of reading on making moulds etc first

from the experience ive had, its pretty straight forward.

dan8400 - 25/8/15 at 07:26 PM

Excellent. Thanks. Always wanted to give it a bash


Thanks
Dan

ceebmoj - 25/8/15 at 07:28 PM

I have not found it hard, however it is very time consuming.

have a look at Bodywork for CANAMSA thread http://locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=43112 to see just how much time you can loose in this sort of project.

twybrow - 25/8/15 at 07:40 PM

Be mindful that most grp seats are made in two parts and then bonded together, so you would need to split the two parts and make two moulds.... It will be a lot of work, and this is from someone who works in the industry.

Slimy38 - 25/8/15 at 07:42 PM

It's also not that cheap (as a DIY solution), it's worth considering the price of materials compared to the equivalent ready made. I had a go and got some decent results, but I worked out the thickness of the material multiplied by the surface area and then figured the ready made stuff worked out pretty much the same!

I'm guessing it's economies of scale, manufacturers can simply buy bulk at far cheaper prices.

[Edited on 25/8/15 by Slimy38]

dan8400 - 25/8/15 at 07:43 PM

Ah right. Didn't realise that. That's why I thought I would ask before spending a lot of money.

The seat on eBay I kind of ended up with. But for £20 it wasn't a disaster

May need to look into this more before doing anything

Thanks
Dan

daniel mason - 25/8/15 at 07:56 PM

Make a bag seat! Much simpler,safer and more comfortable!
Half a day and you'll be sorted!

dan8400 - 25/8/15 at 08:02 PM

What is a bag seat?

daniel mason - 25/8/15 at 08:07 PM

2 part foam in a bag! They are superb and very light.

dan8400 - 25/8/15 at 08:10 PM

Sounds good. I am really after a higher back rest and a headrest. Neither of which I have at the moment.

I might have to give in and buy some proper GRP seats

Not ruling out the bag idea. Will look into it

Thanks
Dan

daniel mason - 25/8/15 at 08:19 PM

The bags are huge and will go as high as you want it to!
Air of the race lads use them. You cover them in black tank tape! I'll try find the thread I found on here

dan8400 - 25/8/15 at 08:22 PM

Thanks Daniel

daniel mason - 25/8/15 at 08:34 PM

http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=152517

[Edited on 25/8/15 by daniel mason]

Smoking Frog - 25/8/15 at 08:41 PM

As a beginner myself I do find it rewarding. But if you fancy a go start on something simpler and smaller first.