Making fiberglass with your own hands: material for work and technology. Useful information for making fiberglass How to make a mold for fiberglass products

(Last Updated On: 10/27/2017)

Making fiberglass with your own hands is more of a hobby than something more serious. However, the process may be of interest to those who are used to making everything on their own and, in particular, tuning their own car.

Fiberglass at home: what you need to work

To produce at least one piece of fiberglass, you will need:

• select materials;
• cut fiberglass;
• create a matrix (separating and covering layers);
• prepare a polymer composition and apply it;
• dry the product, remove it from the mold and process, if necessary.

It is worth noting that making fiberglass with your own hands is not an easy process. Usually the first "pancake" is lumpy. You should not be upset, professionalism comes with experience.

Material selection

One of the crucial moments at the preparation stage is the choice of materials. You need to decide what the mold will be made of and what polymer resin will be used. Fiberglass is no less important: the thinner it is, the smoother the finished surface will be, the rougher, the stronger.

Resin quality

The strength of the future product, its color, light and moisture transmission, response to ambient temperature, as well as impact and bending strength depend on the quality of the polymer resin.

Cutting fiberglass

For error-free cutting of the material, you will need a cardboard pattern (pattern). If you plan to make several layers of fiberglass, then you will need several identical patterns of fiberglass.

Separating and top layers

A separating (aka external) layer is applied to the surface of the finished matrix. Do not forget to coat the mold (matrix) with auto wax or Teflon gel. Without this lubricant, the finished product will stick to the surface.

If you plan to make fiberglass thicker than one layer, then each individual layer is dried and stored under its serial number (the order in which the finished product is assembled).

Covering (top / protective) is a layer of polyester (or epoxy) resin. It hardens only when mixing the base composition and hardener. The thickness of this layer is not more than 4 mm.

Operating procedure

The cut fiberglass should be laid out in the form as evenly as possible, without wrinkles and folds. If necessary, small incisions can be made. The lower fiberglass is necessarily thin so that the surface of the product is as smooth as possible.

Then it is smeared with finished resin, rolled with a roller to level and distill air bubbles, more durable fiberglass is laid on top and the process is repeated.

As the top layer, thin fiberglass is necessarily used for the most even surface.

Products will gain strength after 72 hours. Then it is extracted from the matrix. Some ready-made forms can be connected with each other using polymer glue.

Now the part can be painted with polyurethane paint.

It is forbidden to work at air temperature below 20°. This will impair the curing process of the resin and may even disrupt it. As a result, you will get a sticky, overly flexible product, which is unlikely to be used.

The final stage is cutting the edges and fitting the part to size. The cut parts must be sanded with fine sandpaper.

It is necessary to work with gloves, in a well-ventilated area, away from sources of open flame. Smoking is prohibited during work.

Thus, making fiberglass with your own hands is a completely feasible task for a non-professional. It is important to use only clean tools, work on a clean surface, rinse brushes, roller and other parts with acetone after working with resin. If the resin hardens, they will only have to be thrown away. If it was not possible to remove all air bubbles with a roller, they must be cut very carefully with a blade.

Designed for the production of simple parts used for household needs, and elements of complex machines and mechanisms. In particular, the durable and lightweight material is used for the manufacture of yacht hulls, body kits for cars and motorcycles, and aircraft skins.

Fiberglass consists of a reinforcing element, fiberglass, and a filler, polymer resin. Fiberglass is a collection of fibers ordered in a special way, impregnated with epoxy resin. Depending on the thickness, the material may have a weight square meter from 300 to 900 grams.

Hand molding method

In modern industrial production, various fiberglass manufacturing technologies are used.

To create fiberglass parts with your own hands, the most suitable method is manual molding. The production technology does not provide for the use of complex equipment and expensive materials.

In order to make fiberglass with your own hands by hand molding, you must sequentially perform the following stages of work:

• choice of materials;
• cutting fiberglass;
• creation of a separating layer in the matrix;
• creation of a covering layer;
• laying fiberglass in the matrix;
• applying a polymer composition;
• repetition of the two previous steps required amount times (depending on the thickness of the product);
• drying of the product;
• removing the product from the mold;
• final processing (if necessary).

The main feature of the manual molding method is a high degree of dependence of the quality of the finished part on the skill level of the performer. In order to get the most complete picture of DIY manufacturing, you need to consider each of the stages in detail.

Material selection

The type of matrix material is adopted depending on the number of mass-produced parts. For one-time molding, the matrix can be made of gypsum. If more than a thousand samples are required, a steel matrix is ​​ordered. At home, the matrix is ​​often a cast from the original model. It is most convenient to make an impression also from fiberglass using the technology described above.

The choice of fiberglass type depends on the requirements for the strength and aesthetic characteristics of the finished product. A fine-grained fabric will give the surface a smooth, glossy look, while the use of a coarse fiberglass fabric will provide high strength.

The composition of the polymer resin is also determined based on the purpose and operating conditions of the part. The polymer filler is responsible for such specifications fiberglass like:

• product color;
• degree of water resistance;
• Operating temperature range;
• susceptibility to the influence of chemical reagents and environments;
• susceptibility to ultraviolet radiation;
• the level of fragility, softness, impact resistance of the product.

Fiberglass preparation

Cutting of fiberglass is performed according to a template made of thick cardboard according to the size of the matrix. If the product has a complex shape, it is allowed, as an exception, to use a glass fabric cutting consisting of several individual elements.

Depending on the thickness of the part is prepared the required number of layers of material, which are stored in a convenient, easily accessible place, in the order they are formed in the matrix. If a break of several days is provided between the processes of cutting glass fabric and molding products, it is necessary to strictly observe the conditions for storing the material.

Separating layer

The separating layer applied to the surface of the matrix mold serves to ensure the safe removal of the finished product after it has gained strength. As the material from which the separating layer is made, gel or auto wax is often used.

Cover layer

Epoxy or polyester resin is used for laying the top and subsequent layers of fiberglass. The components are mixed and infused according to the technological regulations of the manufacturer. The prepared composition must be used within 15 minutes, and therefore, for each subsequent layer, the resin is prepared anew.

The top layer is the first layer placed in the matrix and, at the same time, the top, protective layer of the product. Its thickness should be no more than 0.4 mm in order to avoid cracking during the drying process. The drying process of the top layer lasts until it turns into a gelatinous sticky mass.

Fiberglass laying and resin impregnation

After reaching the required consistency of the top layer, the fiberglass cutting is laid in the form of a matrix. The first layer of fiberglass is the thinnest (300 g/m2), which ensures the smoothest surface of the product.

Fiberglass must exactly repeat all the bends in the shape of the matrix without delamination and the formation of air pockets.

After laying, a layer of polymer resin is applied to the fiberglass, and the resulting shape is rolled with a special roller in order to better impregnate and extrude air bubbles. The next layer of fiberglass is laid without waiting for the resin to dry. Then the process of preparing and applying the polymer composition is repeated.

Depending on the thickness and required strength of the product, a different number of layers of fiberglass and impregnation is molded. As the last layer, glass felt or a thin finishing glass cloth is used.

Demoulding and finishing

It is necessary to remove the product from the matrix after the material has gained strength in order to avoid its deformation and delamination. IN normal conditions the drying time of fiberglass is from 12 to 24 hours. This time can be reduced by heating the matrix with an infrared emitter, or by placing it in a drying chamber.

Finishing includes trimming and sanding the edges of the product.

If necessary, the product can be painted in desired color base paint. Finished materials can be glued together using polymer adhesives.

Work performance rules

For getting quality fiberglass products when performing work, the following must be taken into account:

• the surfaces of the matrix and containers for the preparation of polymer resin must be clean;
• air bubbles that could not be squeezed out with a roller must be removed with a cut with a blade;
• tools used (rollers, brushes), as well as containers for mixing components, should be washed with acetone immediately after use to remove resin residues;
• the temperature in the working room should not be lower than 20 degrees to maintain the correct technology for the resin polymerization process;
• polymer components may have toxic fumes, so work must be done in a well-ventilated area;
• gloves should be used to protect hands;
• It is forbidden to smoke and use indoors open sources flame.

It explains well how to make fiberglass with your own hands in the video below. As an example, the author of the video makes "cilia" for car headlights.

Fiberglass, or as it is also called fiberglass, has long been used only in the defense industry, shipbuilding, aircraft construction and other specific areas where strong, reliable and durable materials were needed. But not so long ago, fiberglass began to be used everywhere, and today its exceptional qualities are actively used in construction and the economy. What this material consists of and how to make fiberglass with your own hands - read in this article.

Fiberglass has unique performance characteristics, thanks to which this material is able to withstand strong pressure, be in an aggressive chemical environment and provide incredible strength to any structure. At first it was used to build boats, cars, airplanes, then buttons, household appliances, snow ploughs, and other useful things were made from fiberglass. Even today, most of us have preserved old Soviet units, the body of which is made of the strongest and almost eternal fiberglass.

In the 90s, it became fashionable in Russia to install fiberglass windows and doors, to which they still like to add the prefix "euro". The impeccable characteristics of fiberglass allowed it to remain the most popular material for use in almost all industries, from rubble to construction and military.

Today it is used as a structural and heat-insulating material in boat production, to strengthen the hulls of boats, rocket engines, ships, car bodies, etc. Helicopter blades, exhaust pipes, corrosion-resistant equipment, pipelines, swimming pools are made from it ... The list of products for which fiberglass is used is simply colossal, and if it disappeared from the planet even for a day, the world would plunge into chaos.

Compound

Fiberglass is a composite material that consists of a fiberglass filler and a binder. Fiberglass is represented by filamentous fibers, cloth or mat. The binder is different types of polyester resin. The filler gives the material strength and performs a reinforcing function, while the resin makes it monolithic and distributes the load evenly between the fibers. Also, it is the resin that protects fiberglass from destruction by aggressive chemicals.

The strongest glass-reinforced plastics are made up of oriented continuous fibers. They can be divided into unidirectional (fibers are parallel to each other) and crossed (fibers are located at a certain angle to each other). Changing the orientation of the fibers allows you to adjust the strength and adjust the main characteristics of the material.

Properties

The exceptional properties of fiberglass have already been mentioned above, now it is time to consider them in more detail. Why is this material so good, and why is it used in almost all areas of production?

Fiberglass properties:

Classification

Fiberglass can be classified depending on the form of release, for example, sheet and rolled fiberglass are distinguished. Also, the material is different colors, but the main classification occurs by application.

So, there are the following types of fiberglass:

1. Structural - used in the form of load-bearing elements to strengthen the rod structures of pumping rods, rubber-fabric caterpillars, belts or electric motor housings.
2. High-strength - reinforced fiberglass for the production of high-load multi-blade propellers that are installed in engines of wide-body aircraft. It reduces the mass of the blade several times compared to aluminum blades. At the same time, such fiberglass increases the efficiency of the engine, reduces fuel consumption, provides high engine performance during takeoff and increases the service life.
3. Chemically resistant - the characteristics of this type of fiberglass depend on the type of resin used to make it.
4. Heat-resistant - non-combustible fiberglass with increased strength for radio engineering or structural needs. The operating temperature can reach up to 350C. This type of material is mainly used for the manufacture of motorcycle engines, protective covers and screens in aircraft, hoods, etc. Heat-resistant fiberglass retains high stable strength characteristics even with prolonged exposure high temperature. It does not burn and provides high fire safety.
5. Electrical - fiberglass used in electric dryers, heaters and other similar equipment. The main purpose is thermal insulation.

Fiberglass manufacturing

To date, there are several methods for the production of fiberglass:

How to make fiberglass with your own hands

In the manufacture of fiberglass, by and large, there is nothing complicated. It's just a polyester resin that's been molded into a mold and reinforced with fiberglass.

Mostly home-made fiberglass is used for domestic automotive needs. This is the surest and easiest way to fix the hood, door or other broken part of the car. In specialized firms, the necessary forms and matrices for large parts are pre-prepared. If you want to do it yourself, it's best to start with small secondary parts of simple shapes that do not require high precision to install. In the learning process, it is impossible to avoid mistakes and inaccuracies, so it is better not to take risks once again.

Homemade fiberglass can be made according to the following instructions:

The outer surface of the product turns out to be uneven and wrinkled, therefore, it requires additional machining– sanding, puttying and painting. Fiberglass can be easily leveled with sandpaper, drilled or cut with a knife.

You can buy fiberglass and materials for its manufacture at any construction market or supermarket. This strong and durable material will help you fix your car, make repairs and even create unusual artistic sculptures. For example, this video shows how you can make a stylish do-it-yourself sink using a foam mold and fiberglass:

The fiberglass boat has gained popularity for its durability and reliability. Fiberglass has a number of significant advantages over other materials. You can assemble the ship quickly and without much cost. A do-it-yourself fiberglass boat is a budget and worthy option for fishing trips.

The plastic small size vessel is intended mainly for fishing. It can also be used for water tourism, sports activities. Operating conditions of the boat on the water: wave no more than 60 cm high, wind force - up to 4 points on a ten-point scale. A fiberglass boat is a great alternative to inflatable boats.

In the first place among the pluses is strength, which exceeds this indicator. aluminum boat the same class. Such a vessel will last a long time, with proper care - up to 20 years.
The body made of fiberglass has excellent hydrodynamics and shape, has high physical and chemical properties. Repair is quite do-it-yourself. One of the most important benefits plastic boat is the possibility of its manufacture in accordance with their desires.

Fiberglass is the only material that allows you to create a shape of any complexity yourself. Independent design of the bottom makes it possible to equip it with redans of any configuration. You can achieve maximum efficiency of the ship's driving performance by placing the redans in the most suitable places. In addition, the design of a homemade boat will be a reflection of the character of its owner.

There is a manufacturing method homemade boat from plywood and fiberglass, when plastic is used only for the outer covering of the boat. But this technology does not justify itself. The layer of plywood lying under the plastic quickly gains moisture, which increases the weight of the vessel. There is a rapid destruction of plywood due to the action of microorganisms and the process of delamination, because in terms of strength, plywood is much inferior to plastic.

How to make a boat By carefully following all the rules, even a beginner will be able to complete this task. Technological process simple and budget. The hull of the vessel is created by means of a reinforcing filler impregnated with a polymer composition.

Materials and drawing

Raw materials used as a reinforcing filler in the manufacture of the frame:

• hull base, sides - roving fiberglass TP-07, TP-03, TP-056;
• local strengthening of individual sections - structural fiberglass T-11, T-13.

Fiberglass happens different types according to the type of weaving, the size of the threads. Basically choose "oblique" or satin weave. The threads must be twisted. The material is sold in the form of sheets, rolls, tapes.

Fiberglass is sold impregnated with a greasy composition. In order for the fabric to be better impregnated with a binder, the lubricant should be removed with gasoline, white spirit or acetone. The fat-free fabric is dried for about 2-4 hours in air.

Resin is needed to glue the reinforcing material. There are three types of resins used in the shipbuilding industry: epoxy, vinyl ester, and polyester. The most important characteristics of resins in the construction of a fiberglass boat from any type of fiber are adhesion and impregnation.

A cheap option is to use polyester resin, which allows you to create a solid fiberglass element in one operation. TM Ashland resin may be used. To create a decorative, with protective properties of the coating of the body, you will need a gelcoat. You will also need plywood with a thickness of at least 1.2 cm, which has moisture resistance.

Making a boat is impossible without a competent drawing. The design of the future watercraft can be carried out using the AutoCAD program. First, a 3D model is created, then frame diagrams, patterns. Ready drawings are taken on specialized sites, on the Internet. Now you can start making a fiberglass boat with your own hands.

Matrix

Directly manufacturing process making a fiberglass boat with your own hands begins with the construction of a matrix. First, a frame is made on which the frames are attached. Next, they should be upholstered with twelve-millimeter plywood, trying to achieve the most even surface possible. The edges of the boat are made more rigid, a double layer of plywood is used for the sides.

Now it is necessary to align the boards for a long time and carefully using polyester putty. It is necessary to eliminate all errors so that the design of the boat is stable. You can work with special spatulas-patterns.

At the stage of matrix alignment, it is possible to provide for such an important part of the boat as the keel. It ensures smooth movement of a rowing or motor boat, excluding agility. A homemade keel made of wood is poured with polyester resin.

By marking, all the errors of the constructed matrix are revealed. Sandpaper align and clean the edges, giving the future vessel symmetry. The finished form cleaned of dirt is degreased, an anti-adhesive composition is applied to it in 4 layers. It is needed as a separator to prevent the resin from sticking to the mold surface.

Gelcoat coating

After the wax layer dries, a gelcoat is applied, which is the outer surface of the boat. This is a crucial moment, on which depends appearance vessel. Gelcoat provides protection against scratches, UV, scuffs. You need to apply it, achieving a uniform coating, avoiding bubbles and streaks. Now you can start laying the cut parts on a completely dry layer of gelcoat.

Case manufacturing

The cutting of the fabric is carried out by cutting the cloths corresponding to the length of the body. Cloths for laying along the waterline and keel should not have joints. If an impact occurs on an obstacle, then the material in this place is able to lift up and then peel off. Allowances should be left when cutting along the edges for laying overlay. To sew pieces of fiberglass to obtain the required length, you can use glass threads pulled out of the edge of the material, or linen soaked in drying oil.

The glass fiber layer is evenly coated with a binder polymer resin. For this, it is recommended to use a rolling roller. Air bubbles must be avoided, as voids remaining in some places weaken the structure. Next, the next layer of fiberglass is laid in a similar pattern. Up to five layers of fiberglass can be applied. To obtain a more beautiful top layer, it is recommended to use a special "top" fiberglass.

Power frame and floor

To reinforce the body, it is necessary to lay three wooden bars along the mold, which are then covered with two layers of fiberglass. The frames are mounted every 30 cm, also applying fiberglass to them.

It is necessary to create a double sealed bottom, making the boat unsinkable even in case of capsizing. The floor is sheathed with plywood sheets with moisture resistant properties. The finished floor is covered with a couple of layers of reinforcing fabric, with mandatory impregnation with polymer resin. The composition is allowed to dry completely.

Final stage

It remains to remove the finished boat from the mold, cut off the allowances, sand the surface, mount the roof and timber to protect the sides. You can also make additional elements: seats, oar mounts, drawers. Using fiberglass, you can make any necessary accessories for the ship with your own hands. After that, start painting.

By a similar method, do-it-yourself fiberglass boats are made. Of course, the drawing and construction of a boat is more complicated than boats, and more effort will be required. But the cost of homemade will cost half as much as the same finished vessel.

Repair

It is required to repair a fiberglass boat or a boat in the event of typical damage:

• decorative layer defects;
• cracks in the body;
• holes and half-holes;
• divergence of angles;
• shells.

Basic materials for repair: fiberglass, epoxy resins. When starting repairs, it is recommended to place the damaged area closer to the horizontal level. Surface must be clean, dry and free of grease. A hair dryer, technical or household, may be required. Before starting to repair defects, the fiberglass must be degreased by rinsing in a solvent and dried well.

For emergency repairs, do not dry it over a fire, as soot will form. Before laying on damage, fiberglass is impregnated in a diluted compound (polyester or epoxy resin), after which it is squeezed out by pulling between two sticks. The repair site must be cleaned with a large sandpaper to the fiberglass layer, making it slightly terry.

Troubleshooting

Minor damage in the form of scratches are sealed with epoxy without filler or primer. A through-type scratch is removed by puttying with a filler compound, after which the treated area remains to be sanded and painted over.

It is enough to cover small cracks with epoxy resin. If the body is cracked, then a decorative layer is removed from both sides of the damage to the fiberglass. After drying, it is filled with epoxy resin. To do this, press on each side of the crack, allowing it to open, and coat it. After that, the edges are combined, fixed. From above, on both sides, a strip of fiberglass impregnated with a compound is applied. After hardening, the repair site is sanded, covered with a layer of resin, sanded again and painted.

A half-hole is characterized by a break with a remaining piece of plastic. If the break is small, then you need to set the protruding piece. To do this, it is necessary to process all surfaces with a compound. With the help of a stop and a mallet, the piece is put in place, while a bulge forms on one side, and a dent on the other. Fiberglass with impregnation is laid on a convex place, fixed with a load. After polymerization, the half-hole is puttied with resin with filler. Further actions, grinding - laying the impregnated sheet, are repeated twice. Then sanding and painting is carried out.

The hole is sealed with a foam punch, preferably along the outer contours. Several patches are made from thick fiberglass with tolerances from 3 to 5 mm, so that the thickness of the package matches the thickness of the hull. After installing the punch, patches are glued. The algorithm of further actions is the same as in the previous cases.

The divergence of the corners is eliminated in the same way as the sealing of cracks, but fiberglass is taken in the form of a tape. The sink is the most unpleasant type of damage. Sometimes it's a manufacturing defect. It can form between the layers due to the ingress of water, which bursts the layers into winter time. To repair, you will need to open the sink by drilling a hole until it enters the cavity.

Then a wide incision (up to 5 mm) is made in the place of its largest size. The opened cavity is dried with a hair dryer, filled with a compound using a syringe. The processed shell is clamped into the press. Then the usual algorithm of puttying, grinding and painting is performed.

Fiberglass is an excellent material for the manufacture of boats and boats, available in use. Do-it-yourself fiberglass boats are durable and strong, easy to repair. It should be borne in mind that the components of the materials used in the work are not safe for health. It is necessary to work in rubber gloves, protective masks, goggles, in a well-ventilated place.

Fiberglass is a composite material designed for the manufacture of both simple items used in everyday life, and more complex products that are part of some complex structure. Today, there are different technologies for the manufacture of fiberglass, all of them are quite complex and require specialized equipment.

If we consider the issue of making fiberglass with our own hands, then of all the existing technologies, it is better to give preference to the so-called manual formation method. How to make fiberglass at home and what materials will be needed in the first place will be described below.

Fiberglass is one of the varieties of composite materials that are widely used today both in industry and in everyday life. The main elements of fiberglass are: polymer resin, special filler, and reinforcing elements.

Fiberglass has a relatively low weight, about 300-900 grams per 1 m², although this indicator largely depends on the thickness of the product. As mentioned above, for the manufacture of fiberglass with your own hands, it is preferable to use the method of manual formation, without the use of expensive equipment for these purposes.

The process of making fiberglass, thus, looks like this:

1. First, a selection and cutting of fiberglass is made;
2. Then a separating layer is made in the matrix;
3. A cover layer is created and the material is laid in a matrix prepared for this purpose;
4. The polymer composition is applied;
5. The material is dried.

The final stage in the manufacture of fiberglass at home is the processing of the product after it has dried.

So, let's consider the first stage of fiberglass manufacturing, which begins with the choice of materials for the matrix. In a one-time production of a fiberglass product, the matrix for these purposes can be poured, for example, from a gypsum mortar. If you need to make a large number of fiberglass parts, then it is best to use a steel matrix for this.

Now with regard to the polymer resin, since its composition can also be different. Here, everything largely depends on such characteristics of the resulting product as its:

1. Color;
2. Waterproof;
3. Operating temperature and UV resistance;
4. The level of softness, fragility and impact resistance;
5. Exposure to chemicals.

Fiberglass is laid in the matrix after its preliminary cutting. If the matrix has a complex shape, then it is allowed to use individual elements of fiberglass to uniformly form a layer in the matrix.

Next, the forming layer is applied to the surface of the matrix, for the convenience of removing the dried product from it. The material for the separating layer can be, for example, car wax or Teflon gel.

After preparing the matrix in the manner described above, the first layer (cover) of fiberglass is poured into it. The cover layer consists of a composition of polyester or epoxy resin. You should not hesitate to use it, since you need to apply the resin within 15 minutes.

So, after the cover layer is laid, and its thickness should vary within 0.4 mm, you can start laying the fiberglass in the matrix. First of all, the thinnest layer of fiberglass is laid, no more than 300 g / m². In this case, it is necessary to ensure that voids and air bubbles do not form in the matrix.

The quantity and thickness of fiberglass glued into the matrix depends primarily on what strength the fiberglass product should have. The last layer to be laid in the matrix consists of either finishing glass cloth or glass felt.

When the filled composition gains its strength, which is about 12-24 hours, ready fiberglass product removed from the form. Followed by The final stage processing, during which grinding and polishing work is carried out.