RevMarx
New Member
The 2-liter bottle I fiberglassed seems to be holding up fine. Nice and firm. I wouldn't sit on it or anything. But I can squeeze on it a little with no fear. It has two layers of cheesecloth and that's probably all it is going to get, except for some bondo body filler to smooth it out.
I started cutting out the portholes today on the dive helmet. Now that I am working with it, I am noticing a little brittleness. I got a couple of cracks while cutting. Of course I was cutting a circle, and using scissors, so that probably put some stress on it. And the whole thing is only just over a millimeter thick, paper-mâché and all. Still holding its shape nicely with two large holes in it (neck and front porthole). It is easy to cut, so I'm kind of glad I did it this way, but I am thinking that after I add the rims for the portholes and the neck flange, I will apply another layer, and this time I will go with the glass fiber mat. I have some old rolls of it, so it won't cost me anything, and the added strength will ensure that it makes it to the show unharmed.
I think I am done with this thread, as the fiberglass and cheese cloth experiment is basically over, but I will post anything unexpected that may still come up while working with the material. My thanks to everyone who commented. This being only the second time I have ever used fiberglass, your tips are appreciated. I'm hoping that future fiberglass projects will go smoother, as I gain experience. I will also post about the dive helmet project as a whole (in another thread) when the project gets a little farther along.
-Rev. Marx
I started cutting out the portholes today on the dive helmet. Now that I am working with it, I am noticing a little brittleness. I got a couple of cracks while cutting. Of course I was cutting a circle, and using scissors, so that probably put some stress on it. And the whole thing is only just over a millimeter thick, paper-mâché and all. Still holding its shape nicely with two large holes in it (neck and front porthole). It is easy to cut, so I'm kind of glad I did it this way, but I am thinking that after I add the rims for the portholes and the neck flange, I will apply another layer, and this time I will go with the glass fiber mat. I have some old rolls of it, so it won't cost me anything, and the added strength will ensure that it makes it to the show unharmed.
I think I am done with this thread, as the fiberglass and cheese cloth experiment is basically over, but I will post anything unexpected that may still come up while working with the material. My thanks to everyone who commented. This being only the second time I have ever used fiberglass, your tips are appreciated. I'm hoping that future fiberglass projects will go smoother, as I gain experience. I will also post about the dive helmet project as a whole (in another thread) when the project gets a little farther along.
-Rev. Marx
