Fiberglassing
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==General information== | ==General information== | ||
| + | Fiberglass, fiberglas, 'glas are all terms used to describe a composite bulding material that contains a fiborous material that is saturated with an eventually hardened resin of some sort. The fiber component (usually finely stranded common glass, others discussed below) give the composite amazing tensile strength but, being a cloth, has no ability to hold a form. Thus the need for the resin which when saturated into the cloth is hardened with a chemical reaction giving the system strenth against bending and shear forces. Not only does the resin give the composite form, it also is used to provide a surface for the disired finish of the product. Each component contributes a unique quality to the final composite and the whole is better than the parts. | ||
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| + | The following sections discuss some items that should be helpful to getting started in using fiberglass on your projects. Once you start using it and get comfortable with it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it. It is FUN!!!! | ||
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===How much mat to use=== | ===How much mat to use=== | ||
You may wonder how many layers of mat to use; what kind of mat or cloth to use, etc. There isn't a single answer for all parts. The shroud shown in [[Make a fiberglass fan shroud]] is mainly for form and has little strength requirements, so it can be laid up with just the chopped strand mat. However, if it were a body part or some other part that would see some stress, the design should include one or more layers of woven cloth which is many times stronger than the mat. | You may wonder how many layers of mat to use; what kind of mat or cloth to use, etc. There isn't a single answer for all parts. The shroud shown in [[Make a fiberglass fan shroud]] is mainly for form and has little strength requirements, so it can be laid up with just the chopped strand mat. However, if it were a body part or some other part that would see some stress, the design should include one or more layers of woven cloth which is many times stronger than the mat. | ||
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