So I am using a hummie deck as my platform, but this can be done with any deck.
So to start off let me say that you will be working with resin and fiberglass, you should wear an actual respirator (not a cheap dust cover), silicone based gloves, and a long sleeve shirt (trust me, it helps) also, work in a well ventilated area as fumes are strong and can make others nearby nauseous, dizzy, or high… and as always, please use common sense and don’t do anything stupid.
No that the formalities are out of the way, you will need several things to begin with, and it helps if you have them all when u start so ur not having to stop in the middle and what have you, let’s begin:
- fiberglass mat/cloth. This is up to you, I use the strand fiberglass as I’ve always been told it was stronger, but u can use the woven kind too as this really isn’t super structural.
*Fiberglass Resin. This can be picked up at most big name hardware stores as well as auto body/auto parts store. I get mine from AutoZone personally because I get a discount, but the source really doesn’t matter.
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Bondo. Same as above, this is used as the last step before you paint to smooth out the glass, since you’re not using vacuum bagging you will most likely get air bubbles and need to level out ur case, however if u plan to use a flexi deck I would avoid this and take more time with the process early on.
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silicone based brushes, roller, and spreader. Silicone doesn’t mix with the urethane so when it dries u can just peel it off and reuse the same tools (learned this after countless melted and hardened paint brushes.)
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duct tape. No explanation here…
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Cellophane
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C clamps (see pics for explaination)
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flexible/hard strips for clamping (see pics with C clamps.) these are for forming the lips which will screw to the deck to hold the enclosure to the deck.
I believe that’s it but I will edit if I use more stuff.
So to begin you will need to figure out the tallest point your enclosure needs to cover. In my case it’s the double stacked batteries.
Now that we know the tallest point of the enclosure it’s time to form the foundation for our case…
So we start by arranging the batteries (or other wise tallest objects in the enclosure) to form and distribute the height evenly, like so…
Now we need to establish the base dimension for the enclosure… in my case I’m going for a tapered look to give the illusion of looking slimmer than it is so I will be using the same dimensions as the battery cutout…
So from here you will use duct tape to shape the enclosure so TAKE YOUR TIME… this is one of the most important parts lol any uneven, flat, or warped area will show in the finished peice…
From here, when you’re pleased with the shape of your enclosure you wrap it in several layers of overlapping cellophane, make sure there are no gaps and keep the cellophane as smooth as possible
Now when you’re sure there are no leaks (please ignore my sloppy wrapping haha I was in a hurry) u can begin the glassing process. To begin start by cutting ur fiberglass mat into small strips, then mix up some resin… make small batches as u can always mix more later… from there apply a thin coat of resin to the cellophane surface and start laying on the strips in an over-lapping fashion, ALWAYS overlap
Now keep doing this and be sure to leave some over hang so you can cut the enclosure to fit and account for any shrinkage…
Next comes those bars I was talking about. I just happened to have some 1/2" acrylic sheet laying around so I cut 2 strips off and that was that.
From here I apply a 2 more layers and let it dry over night.
I almost forgot now would be a good time to mention paints… if you want you can actually use pigments to dye the resin, or you can pick a rattle can of choice and paint as u would most anything else.
To be continued…