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Where can I buy fibreglass
corrado vr6 - 20/3/13 at 01:37 PM

Hi there I'm going to be cutting and extending my jago body and ill need to build it back up with fibreglass, can anyone recommend a good supplier for me to order from, also do I need anything specific for strength ie a certain hardner or glass weave?
Thanks in advance
Greg


rdodger - 20/3/13 at 01:59 PM

Try here


tegwin - 20/3/13 at 02:26 PM

I have always used these guys...

http://www.cfsnet.co.uk/

What you need in terms of weave etc will depend on exactly what you are doing...


Smoking Frog - 20/3/13 at 03:08 PM

As above East Coast Fibreglass Supplies.

Resin- includes catalyst
http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/p-1531-lloyds-approved-polyester-resin-including-catalyst.aspx

Matting - suggest 600g
http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/c-921-chopped-strand-matting-ppg.aspx

But bare in mind I'm no expert and have only done small amounts.

Eddie


Slimy38 - 20/3/13 at 03:11 PM

I got mine from East Coast as well.

For the fibreglass experts out there, I heard a rumour that mixing polyester and epoxy resins isn't a good thing. To that end, is it worth finding out what the body is made of first before ordering the resin? Considering the extra cost of epoxy I would suspect they use polyester, but I wasn't sure whether it was worth checking.

Or is it safe to just go for polyester?


CNHSS1 - 20/3/13 at 03:19 PM

+1 East Coast guys, right price and great with advice too


Charlie_Zetec - 20/3/13 at 03:26 PM

I would suggest your current bodywork is made using a polyester resin, mainly as you said, due to cost.

However, I would advise against using polyester resin on any infill panels or similar - "new" polyester (ie. fresh resin) really doesn't bond well to "old" polyester. As such, you're better off using epoxy as adhesion will be better.

In terms of matting, I'd say a CSM (chopped strand matt) will suffice in this application. You may want to consider buying a small amount of woven material to reinforce the jointed areas in strips, but only if you really want to. The advantage of the woven is the tensile strength and impact resistance, but you'll get a better overall finish with CSM.

Don't forget to also buy some surface tissue - this will give you a better finish (which will still need sanding back and painting etc.), but less course and generally smoother final layer than matting.

When you get round to actually bonding new material on, ensure that the surfaces are as clean and dust-free as possible, and all keyed up ready to go. Give it a final wipe down with some acetone as well.

I know this stuff as I work in the fibreglass industry, but on a much larger scale. My final piece of advice to you is speak whoever you end up buying from material from and see what they say as well - but use information here as a guideline. Hopefully the two will (vaguely) match!


twybrow - 20/3/13 at 05:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I got mine from East Coast as well.

For the fibreglass experts out there, I heard a rumour that mixing polyester and epoxy resins isn't a good thing. To that end, is it worth finding out what the body is made of first before ordering the resin? Considering the extra cost of epoxy I would suspect they use polyester, but I wasn't sure whether it was worth checking.

Or is it safe to just go for polyester?


Polyester will not stick to cured epoxy, but epoxy will stick to cured polyester. If you are sure the old bodywork is polyester (which if it is chopped strand matt it almost certainly will be), then you can reactivate it by abrading and wiping with acetone before you layup new materials on top.


b14wrc - 20/3/13 at 09:03 PM

It's already been said, but I use and rate East coast composites. Their range is always increasing too.

Rob


nickfrom - 20/8/13 at 02:31 PM

Hi, I'm Nick from East Coast Fibreglass, just wanted to say thanks for the recommendations, and to let you know that we offer free advice on all aspects of fibreglassing! Don't want to be spammy so I won't post the phone number or web address, but we're easy enough to find, so give us a shout. Cheers.