Fiberglassing an s-10 dash

Edited: 9/20/2009 10:01:14 PM by white92

I'm just about to get started fiberglassing my dash in my 92 s-10 blazer. Got the fleece on it today,now all I need to know is do I need to apply a coat of resin on top of the fleece,followed by the fiberglass matt,then another coat of resin, or can I just apply the matt then a good thick coat of resin over the matt and be done? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanx!!!

sup, i had a dash fiberglassed for me. however the guy who did it obviously didnt have a clue what he was doing. so ill give you some advice from what ive seen. being your dash is plastic it might work better for you. if you plan to shave alot of stuff on the dash then use the fiberglass matt and toss multiple layers on it for strength.  when i say multiple the biggerand more open ( such as glove box hole) the area the more youd want to throw on there.  however if your just going for the painted smooth look. if theres damage to the plastic such as cracks then use 2 layers of matt maybe three over it and blend the panel area. then skim it with rage gold just for smoothing purposes.  other wise clean it with a degreaser and wax remover. soap and water. dry, high grade filler primer and prep like you were painting it. make it smooth as glass. no imperfections.

Cool thanx! I really appreiciate your input, however, it's a 92 s-10 blazer dash. Yeah the kind w/the soft foam pad on top. Any advice on those? Thanx again!

not a problem, im kinda suprised nobody else pitched in any tips or info.. as for the foam rip every last bit of it off so the fiberglass dosnt have soemthing thats flexible like that under it or else if you go to thin on the mat it will want to give way or crack. another thing dont try and force anything when u go to put it back in. make sure you get it in the dash hooks at the bottom of the dash and cab then mount it. oh yea use a sweater and gloves that mat shit is itchy as hell wen sanded. hell any fiberglass is. alot of people use fleece for design purposes on crazy center consoles and sub boxes put only as a deisgn base and then use the mat to strengthen the hell out of it. ive heard on some subwoofer boxes up to 15-20 coats of mat before body filler..

I peeled that foam off my mercedes dash before starting to fiberglass it.  And don't shave the glove box off if its a daily, I did that with my mazda dash, and hated that there was no storage at all in the cab.  You should also sand between coats of resin, there is a wax in it that helps the finish, but it also doesn't help the next layer stick as easy if its not the finish layer.

Thanx for the info guys,really appreciate it! One more thing,would you use long or short hair matt?

Edited: 9/21/2009 8:51:26 PM by crux131

The wax is just certain types of resin( not sure wich ones though...sorry ). I have heard that the bondo brand resin available at most hardware stores/wal mart/ auto parts stores is this type of resin.Just check the type of resin and do some research beforehand...hate for someone to sand multiple layers for no reason, but would also hate for someone not to sand and really need to. ---------------------------------------------Originally posted by notlowyetI peeled that foam off my mercedes dash before starting to fiberglass it.  And don't shave the glove box off if its a daily, I did that with my mazda dash, and hated that there was no storage at all in the cab.  You should also sand between coats of resin, there is a wax in it that helps the finish, but it also doesn't help the next layer stick as easy if its not the finish layer.---------------------------------------------

Alright man thanx! I'm planning on getting my resin and matt later this week,then going at it till I'm done! It'll either work out or fuck up!! Either way,it's worth a shot.Oh yeah,it is a donor dash,so I can spend as long as I need to on it. No rush,that's a plus!!

Edited: 9/21/2009 10:11:24 PM by notlowyet

Yes Bondo brand resin is a waxed resin. The way you can tell the difference is that, with a waxed resin, the wax rises to the top and hardens into a non-tacky layer. That's why ideally waxed resins are used as the final coat. Non-waxed or laminating resins don't have that hardened layer so when left to cure on their own, they will remain tacky even after hardened. This allows for the next layer to be applied with no prep work. As already stated, so a little looking before purchasing and you'll know whether you're getting a finishing or a laminating resin.If you're new to the fiberglassing world I suggest signing up over at http://www.fiberglassforums.com/. You have to sign up to view the content but the knowledge and skill on that site will teach you a lot and quickly. If you look over that site daily for a week or two, you'll get a real good feel for what you need to be doing to construct a proper fiberglass piece.

i filled all my open areas with mdf and then glassed it in, i did 3 good layers of glass and mat   been good for 4 years now