Dash fabrication

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:00 pm

I may have posted this once before, but I've slept since then. The dash that came with my buggy is a real piece of junk. It was improperly bonded to the hood and overall just a basic mess. It's not going to work at all with my design. It could, however, provide the framework for a better design. I've read a lot on people using fleece material and fiberglass resin to create custom speaker enclosures, etc. Would it be feasible to cut my existing dash the way I want it and use it as a form? Then build on that design by layering fleece material over the old dash? Dimensionally, the thicker dash won't be a problem as the dash was a little too small to match the hood anyway. I think I removed several pounds of bondo from the previous owner's attempt to line things up. I don't want to make a mold as I don't feel I have the necessary experience/patience in dealing with that, but am I out of my mind trying to make something like this work?

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 7:19 pm

Bruce Meyers sells beautiful new textured surface dash panels, either plain or with a hinge down metal face. This guy also sells plain fiberglass ones. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=262570

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 8:11 pm

A stock one won't work as I'm doing some steering column modifications(the instrument cluster is too wide), otherwise it'd be a slam dunk.

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:36 pm

You don't actually have to make a new mold to modify an existing component with fiberglass. You can use resin and glass mat(fleece?) which is what I think you meant, to build something up however you like it. Bondo is the same polyester resin that your buggy is made of but it doesn't have fiberglass in it so it has no structural strength. There is also bondo you can buy that has chopped fiberglass in it. There are also fillers like microbubbles that are lighter if you are concerned with weight. After you have the shape you want, you'll have to finish off the surface and have it painted. There are lots of good books available on how to do custom fiberglass body work. A good place to visit if there is one near you is Tap Plastics. They have all the different materiels and lots of how to information. http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/category.php?bid=6&PHPSESSID=200601201220241030269221 http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/category.php?bid=28&

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:29 pm

Thanks, Cairo. The fleece I'm referring to is actual fabric fleece material like you'd buy at JoAnne's Fabrics, etc. The enclosure fabricators use various pieces of MDF to create their form and then stretch the fleece over the form. Saturate it with resin and then let it cure. When finished, apply layers of standard fiberglass mat and/or cloth to strengthen. It's pretty slick.

mel hubbard · Post by **mel hubbard** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 10:47 pm

[QUOTE="Jimmler"]Thanks, Cairo. The fleece I'm referring to is actual fabric fleece material like you'd buy at JoAnne's Farbics, etc. The enclosure fabricators use various pieces of MDF to create their form and then stretch the fleece over the form. Saturate it with resin and then let it cure. When finished, apply layers of standard fiberglass mat and/or cloth to strengthen. It's pretty slick.[/QUOTE] Thats what all the noyze boyze use to fabricate ICE systems in their vehicles. I have done some of this for customers,,,,we call it moulding cloth,, it works well n saves a lot of time. Ive also made plugs (bucks) with it too,,,to mould from,,, even been thinking of making a hard top from it ,,,go 4 it i say :rock: Any UK guys want this stuff??? ive got a supplier.

newmanx59 · Post by **newmanx59** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:02 pm

You can glue up blocks of pink styrofoam insulation board, tape it in place on the hood then hotwire, sand and carve it to the shape you want. Then you can use it as a plug for your dash mold. It works great for building cowls for my RC airplanes.

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 4:34 pm

Here is one article on the construction method you are talking about. Try searching for more custom speaker enclosures for more. Car Audio One more. This is the Alpine Mini. It is very exotic, but the construction techniques are similar and there are LOTS of pictures. Alpine Mini

shaihulud · Post by **shaihulud** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 5:02 pm

I have found that sheet lead like the kind used in roof flashing can be formed into complex shapes when fibreglassing.

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 6:00 pm

Lead??? Here in the United States???? Call out the hazmat team, quick!! Cripes, you can't even find lead based solder anymore for electronic work. I can't imagine how much fun the lawyers would have with letting have someone have a whole sheet of the stuff.

shaihulud · Post by **shaihulud** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 3:37 pm

Wow!!. I hadn't thought of that. Here we can still but sheet lead in the hardware stores. I recently flashed a leak in my roof with some. That's silly lead isn't that dangerous. You would have to eat it to get poisoned. I have had a piece of lead sheet about a foot square as part of my equipment for years. It's amazingly useful. I used it several times to form shapes for fixing the body of my SR.

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:38 pm

Its freely available here in the states also. They just don't use it in paint or the solder for water pipes anymore. http://rotometals.com/lead_sheet.htm

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 6:51 pm

Sheet lead is used often in commercial roofing work. You can get it at a commercial building supply store (real ones not home depot or lowes).