Fiberglassing Pod

[ssh 924]

Let me start by showing what I've done and what I'm trying to finish with...

I'm planning on hot gluing wooden dowels to the fiberglass panel up to a wood speaker ring. Then wrap a big piece of cloth around the speaker ring to the back of the fiberglass panel, then stable the cloth around the ring, and glass the cloth, etc.

Only problem I'm running into is, when I wrap the cloth around the ring and fiberglass, how do I staple down the cloth, since there won't be any wood to staple into on the back of the fiberglass panel. Could I glue small strips of cardboard to the back of the fiberglass and staple into that?

Sorry if I'm confusing.

[emh9009 199]

A lot of people use CA glue, or just hot glue instead of staples.

[sefugi 166]

A lot of people use CA glue, or just hot glue instead of staples.

^this and spray adhesive like used for attaching carpet to an enclosure ( is that CA glue)

[ssh 924]

A lot of people use CA glue, or just hot glue instead of staples.

Here I mention hot glue for the dowels and don't even think about using it for the cloth... Thanks

A lot of people use CA glue, or just hot glue instead of staples.

^this and spray adhesive like used for attaching carpet to an enclosure ( is that CA glue)

I got a bunch of foam and fabric spray adhesive for the vinyl, I'll try that too

[sefugi 166]

A lot of people use CA glue, or just hot glue instead of staples.

Here I mention hot glue for the dowels and don't even think about using it for the cloth... Thanks

A lot of people use CA glue, or just hot glue instead of staples.

^this and spray adhesive like used for attaching carpet to an enclosure ( is that CA glue)

I got a bunch of foam and fabric spray adhesive for the vinyl, I'll try that too

Between the 2 you should be ready to go!

[ssh 924]

A lot of people use CA glue, or just hot glue instead of staples.

Here I mention hot glue for the dowels and don't even think about using it for the cloth... Thanks

A lot of people use CA glue, or just hot glue instead of staples.

^this and spray adhesive like used for attaching carpet to an enclosure ( is that CA glue)

I got a bunch of foam and fabric spray adhesive for the vinyl, I'll try that too

Between the 2 you should be ready to go!

Yep! Just gotta make some speaker rings, get a hot glue gun, and order some speakers <-- dreading the speaker part, broke... hehe

[sefugi 166]

Wouldn't you need speakers before you make the rings?

[emh9009 199]

Wouldn't you need speakers before you make the rings?

Not if they give detailed measurements in the product description.

[sefugi 166]

Wouldn't you need speakers before you make the rings?

Not if they give detailed measurements in the product description.

[Adrian_D 520]

Only problem I'm running into is, when I wrap the cloth around the ring and fiberglass, how do I staple down the cloth, since there won't be any wood to staple into on the back of the fiberglass panel. Could I glue small strips of cardboard to the back of the fiberglass and staple into that?

Sorry if I'm confusing.

I use cheap superglue to attach the cloth. Works perfect and seems to get a decent bond to fiberglass.

[Randal Johnson 544]

Looks Awesome Bro ... But I would really like to have the drivers on hand for the pannel construction ...

just my suggestion ...

[hondakilla98 29]

Looking good. I like how your still going to have access to the door pocket. And it looks more integrated now. Your giving me hope that when I try my hand at fiberglass it might turn out ok.

[ssh 924]

Looks Awesome Bro ... But I would really like to have the drivers on hand for the pannel construction ...just my suggestion ...

I have the overall diameter, cutout diameter, and overall depth of the drivers. I also have drivers with the same cutout but bigger depth, so I can use them.

Looking good. I like how your still going to have access to the door pocket. And it looks more integrated now. Your giving me hope that when I try my hand at fiberglass it might turn out ok.

Thanks man, my first runs turned out okay, but after doing it a few times I'm starting to get the hang of it.

[Sir-Lancelot 216]

I use hot glue on the back of the base, you can trim off the excess with a grinder or dremel later.

[j-roadtatts 1,129]

The last pods i built like this, I used really old shirts that where thin. I left the shirt whole and placed the pod inside the shirt and pulled all the fabric tight from the back. I used wire to "hog pin" the shirt snug until after the first resin dried. I didn't want anything built up on the back of the pod for fit reasons. I hope this makes sence, its early for me.lol.

Wish I had a pic of the back at this phase, to show how I used the wire to hold the fabric in place temporarly until after the resin dried.

Hope this helps and good luck the second time around. It will get easier.

[ssh 924]

The last pods i built like this, I used really old shirts that where thin. I left the shirt whole and placed the pod inside the shirt and pulled all the fabric tight from the back. I used wire to "hog pin" the shirt snug until after the first resin dried. I didn't want anything built up on the back of the pod for fit reasons. I hope this makes sence, its early for me.lol.

Wish I had a pic of the back at this phase, to show how I used the wire to hold the fabric in place temporarly until after the resin dried.

Hope this helps and good luck the second time around. It will get easier.

I think I get it, the wire is just woven like stitching it together, so it's pulling.

Hot gluing / CA glue sounds easy enough

Everytime I go again, it comes out a little better, and easier. Worst part was being hunched over for hours sanding everything. Yesterday I laid back in a camping chair with my legs up on a bench, and used a box on my chest to catch all the sanded shit, next morning my back didn't ache like a bitch, and I'm only 18

[j-roadtatts 1,129]

Oddly I came up with this way after testing the shirt fabric on the pod and was holding the shirt tight by hand. Fiberglass and pod building definetly get easier with experience.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

google Bryan Schmitt he has a few online tutorials on the correct way to lay glass. He learned his basic techniques from a master boat builder. I learned all my custom install stuff from him and Fukuda back in 20001-2004 when they were with Rockford

[ssh 924]

google Bryan Schmitt he has a few online tutorials on the correct way to lay glass. He learned his basic techniques from a master boat builder. I learned all my custom install stuff from him and Fukuda back in 20001-2004 when they were with Rockford

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

here's a panel after a little scuffing to remove the layer of surface waxx off the resin. As you can see the mat is all one piece. Never use multiple smaller pieces unless you absolutely have to.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

next step I spead a thin layer of resin mixed with cab-o-sil. It looks like bondo because I used bondo hardener in it. This is what it looks like before sanding

[ssh 924]

Yeah I soaked the cloth in resin, then cut strips of fiberglass mat and placed them everywhere, then dabbed them with a brush til they soaked the resin, then waited about 15 minutes and did another layer of mat and resin.

I figured it would be easier to sand down in the end, guess not. Yours looks so much smoother.

Is cab-o-sil better then bondo, or depends on application?

Your craftsmanship is awesome.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

then a little light sanding. You can see the "bondo" at the bottom. That was the only bodyfiller that was applied to the whole panel because it had a little dip where the fleece had dipped a little.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

after about 15 mins of sanding I sprayed it down with epoxy primer. then about 30 mins of final sanding to prep for paint. I absolutely hate sanding and bodyfiller will crack, so I take a few extra steps to make my life easier. And it's not about craftmanship. A trained monkey can do it. it is all about the proper tools and the proper knowlede.

[Quentin Jarrell 671]

cab-o-sil is a silica based thickener akind to the texture of dry mashed potatoe flakes that come in a box. It shrinks a lot so I only use it to thicken my resin to a gelcoat like consistancy so it can lay itself flat, to keep sanding down. Any small drips I cut with a rasor blade before it fully cures. Then most of the time only a little sanding is needed. I use rage gold body filler when needed, but always the samllest amount possible. The fiberglass should be used to create the shape you desire, not by applying gobs of filler. As it's name implies it is only used to fill small imperfections.