Fiberglassing (on a budget) 101

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Fiberglass enclosures can be beautiful works of art, and they can sound great too! Knowing how to fiberglass can generate large amounts of income for you, or just make you a better, more rounded mobile electronic installer/fabricator.

If you have any questions/comments about this tutorial, please feel free to email: contact@able-audio.com.

(Click to Enlarge)

Intro and Supplies
Design and Setting Up
Resin and Strength
Sanding and Finishing

Intro:

To explain fiberglass technique, we will be going through the process of fabricating a basic 10" enclosure. We are going to use 5/8" particleboard for the base of the box, and a 3/4" MDF speaker ring, which may be purchased from the Able Audio Store. If you have the extra cash laying around to purchase all of the expensive, non-needed tools, have at it, this tutorial will work great for you also. But for those out there who do not want to spend an extra $800 to complete one enclosure that will only save an hour or two anyway - this tutorial will helpfully give you more options and better ideas.

For those of you who do not know, fiberglassing can get very messy. Try to cover the area you are using in a plastic sheet, or do this somewhere that is not going to get messed up by resin.

Symbols:

	For those who wish to save some money on their fiberglassing, pay close attention when you see this symbol.
	For those of you who wish to save time on your projects, take note when you see this symbol.

Supply List:

We have tried to assemble a list of tools supplies that are necessary when fiberglassing, a picture and description so you have an example of what to look for when purchasing them, and we have tried to give a few brand names and where to purchase the items. The fiberglassing process can be confusing enough for the first-timer, we are trying to lay out everything you need so this goes as smoothly as possible for you.

Supplies
Supply	Picture (Click to Enlarge)	Description	Place to Purchase
Wood		MDF or particleboard can be used in the construction of fiberglass enclosures as a base or the box or speaker rings. Usually 5/8" or 3/4".	Buy at Home Improvement Stores
Speaker Ring(s)		Usually made of MDF from 1/2" to 3/4", these speaker rings are needed to secure the subwoofer or speaker in place. You can not screw the subwoofer directly into fiberglass and expect it to hold.	Able Audio Buy Here
Dowel Rods		Dowel rods are hot glued (or otherwise)  to secure the speaker rings in place until the fiberglass sets (hardens).	Buy at any Hardware Store
Polyester Fleece		Fleece is a soft, thick fabric used to stretch over your rings and soak with resin. It holds the rings in place while you take out the dowel rods and add layers of fiberglass mat or cloth to the enclosure for strength. White works great.	Buy at Fabric Supply Stores
Latex Gloves		These are a must when fiberglassing, double up if you are working around sharp objects or corners, try not to get resin on your skin - it is a pain to get off!	Medical Supply Stores
Resin		Polyester resin is a liquid that comes with a hardener and  when combined with fiberglass mat or cloth becomes very ridged. (Other types of resin include vinyl ester and epoxy, but are not needed in car audio applications)	Buy at Auto Parts Stores, Home Improvement Stores
Fiberglass Mat		This is the strength of fiberglass, this gets drenched in resin and when dry, is very ridged. Several layers are needed to get adequate strength for an enclosure.	Buy at Auto Parts Stores, Home Improvement Stores
Fiberglass Cloth		Cloth is stronger per ounce than fiberglass mat, but takes more layers to get the thickness needed for an enclosure.	Buy at Auto Parts Stores, Home Improvement Stores
Body Filler		After strengthening your enclosure with fiberglass, to smooth it out and make it look nice, use automotive body filler on the outside and sand it smooth.	Buy at Auto Parts Stores
Acetone		A chemical used to "thin" or remove fiberglass resin from tools and utensils after use and before the resin dries. Very affective in removing resin and body filler.	Buy at Auto Parts Stores, Home Improvement Stores

Instead of buying dowel rods, use 1/2" or larger strips of scrap wood (mdf works great). Use more fiberglass mat than cloth. It builds up quicker and therefore you do not need to purchase as many packages

Tools
Tool	Picture (Click to Enlarge)	Description	Brand Names/ Manufacturer/ Place to Purchase
Organic Respirator		Necessary for good health. This will keep the small fiberglass fibers and resin fumes from getting into your lungs.	Auto Parts Stores, Auto Paint Shops
Hot Glue Gun		Used to secure the dowel rods in place and the rings on top of them.	Craft Stores, Hardware Stores
Mixing Cup		Used to mix the resin and hardener in.	Auto Parts Stores
Plastic Squeegee		Used to mix and apply resin and/or body filler.	Auto Parts Stores
Stapler		Used to secure the fleece to the speaker ring and base of the enclosure (if used). Pneumatic staplers work best if available, but they require the speaker ring to be more secure.	Hardware stores
Sander		Used to sand the finished enclosure smooth. Electric or pneumatic sanders work great, orbital is a must, DA sanders work better.	Hardware Stores, Auto Parts Stores
Sandpaper (80 through 400 grit)		You'll need roughly: 80, 150, 180, 220, 320, and 400 grit to get the enclosure ready for primer and paint - Up to 2000 grit if you want to wet-sand the clearcoat.	Hardware Stores, Auto Parts Stores

Don't have a stapler? Use the hot glue gun to secure the fleece in place! Buy a disposable respirator! Doesn't sound like it will save you money? You can get a disposable for $15 every time, instead of buying a respirator you keep in the first place and purchasing the $30 charcoal filters. Respirators work for more than just one-time fiberglass work. Use them until you can no longer breath easily through the filters. (Read the proper instructions for use!)

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