# Why is fleece used/fiberglassing.



## Jscoyne2 (Oct 29, 2014)

I see people use fleece all the time as a material to stretch and contour for soaking with polyester resin. I dont understand the logic behind it. I used fleece once and it absorbs so much resin its ridiculous. You gain structural strength from resin and fiberglass mat. Not the resin itself. I use the most thin stretchy material i can. glass that and then build layers with mat.


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

because its cheap, predictable, and readily available. you also dont need to use glass mat if its on smaller things like pillars


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

Something I do (because Bing does it) is fill in the resin'ed mould with glass filler/resin milkshake. That gives you a more desirable outer shape but with plenty of strength built on the inside.

Of course for bigger things (like sub enclosures) I put layers of fiberglass on the inside of the enclosure to ensure that my outer shape doesn't change much.

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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Because you can stretch a shape with material to create a surface for glassing on one side (inside) or other (outside). It's an easy way of forming a shape from something like sails for example. From the edges to a ring for a tweeter or mid, floating at some angle out from the original surface. My two and only projects I found some really nice and stretchy thin spandex that works lovely for this. 


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Babs said:


> Because you can stretch a shape with material to create a surface for glassing on one side (inside) or other (outside). It's an easy way of forming a shape from something like sails for example. From the edges to a ring for a tweeter or mid, floating at some angle out from the original surface. My two and only projects I found some really nice and stretchy thin spandex that works lovely for this.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


i think hes asking why not use thinner/stretchier material instead of fleece


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

Oh I get the "absorbs so much" now. Maybe it's a preconceived notion that thicker = stronger.

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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

SkizeR said:


> i think hes asking why not use thinner/stretchier material instead of fleece



Yep. I'm all for it. In fact I'd rather use a thin stretchy spandex. From my VERY limited experience with it. 

Examples:



























































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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Some day I hope to get good at it. LOL! I brag. Not really. Just a little. I'm so dang glad it's over and done. Hehehe


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

Thing is.. Fleece whether you use something thick or thin, neither has strength. You have to add to it. So IMHO use what's easy and stretchy that works for the particular job. Be it a little sail or pillar or huge sub box etc. Because all it provides is something to glass to. 


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

Babs said:


> Thing is.. Fleece whether you use something thick or thin, neither has strength. You have to add to it. So IMHO use what's easy and stretchy that works for the particular job. Be it a little sail or pillar or huge sub box etc. Because all it provides is something to glass to.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


That's what op is arguing for...very nice pillars btw

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## cms983 (Jul 11, 2015)

Babs said:


> Some day I hope to get good at it. LOL! I brag. Not really. Just a little. I'm so dang glad it's over and done. Hehehe
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


That car was just begging for some speakers right there. Is the gb25 in a sealed pod or IB? 

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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

i prefer thicker fleece unless its on something super tiny like sail panels. the thicker material you can stretch tight without ripping and doesnt have become as "soggy" as easy which is nice


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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Something I do (because Bing does it) is fill in the resin'ed mould with glass filler/resin milkshake. That gives you a more desirable outer shape but with plenty of strength built on the inside.
> 
> Of course for bigger things (like sub enclosures) I put layers of fiberglass on the inside of the enclosure to ensure that my outer shape doesn't change much.
> 
> Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using Tapatalk


What also works good with the milkshake is, after you pour it in a a-pillar for example, is to coat the inside walls and then lay down some popsicle/craft sticks in it. After it dries it will give the walls a lot more structural strength. Sorta like corrugated metal is stronger than a flat metal sheet. Or taking a sheet of plywood and attaching some 2x4's to it with liquid nails. It's way stronger than just the plywood.


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

gregerst22 said:


> What also works good with the milkshake is, after you pour it in a a-pillar for example, is to coat the inside walls and then lay down some popsicle/craft sticks in it. After it dries it will give the walls a lot more structural strength after it dries. Sorta like corrugated metal is stronger than a flat metal sheet. Or taking a sheet of plywood and attaching some 2x4's to it with liquid nails. It's way stronger than just the plywood.




Give it a rib cage


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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Give it a rib cage
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yep. milkshake/rib combo. need fries with that?


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

WhereAmEye? said:


> That's what op is arguing for...very nice pillars btw
> 
> Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using Tapatalk



Thank you Sir. Now I'm in "make em sound exceptional" mode. 


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Give it a rib cage
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Yep. Though having done it I'm a bit hesitant on the benefits of milkshake. The application dictates when I think. I suspect for a "fleece" with nothing behind it where you'd want air space but strength, a lay up of mat does well. But area you want to fill in between say a pillar and fleece such as a tweeter on a pillar, you can certainly add milkshake to fill that in for strength and structure. 



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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

Babs said:


> Some day I hope to get good at it. LOL! I brag. Not really. Just a little. I'm so dang glad it's over and done. Hehehe
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Pillars looking good. I am working on mine right now using same drivers. The frogs have been sitting in their boxes since last summer and I'm finally just getting around to doing the install. I used 4 way stretch spandex I think it was $4 a yard at walmart.


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## grinditout (Aug 2, 2008)

Just use the shirt off your back. 500.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

gregerst22 said:


> Pillars looking good. I am working on mine right now using same drivers. The frogs have been sitting in their boxes since last summer and I'm finally just getting around to doing the install. I used 4 way stretch spandex I think it was $4 a yard at walmart.



You're going to totally FUBAR up those rings but you're going to love them. The tweeter and mid steel rings are permanently part of the pillars. Would have to cut through glass to get them back out. But man it makes the install easy. 


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## gregerst22 (Dec 18, 2012)

Babs said:


> You're going to totally FUBAR up those rings but you're going to love them. The tweeter and mid steel rings are permanently part of the pillars. Would have to cut through glass to get them back out. But man it makes the install easy.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


The the mounting hardware that come with the speakers are great but I am actually not going to use any of it. My car doesn't have much room and I wanted to keep my install as small and unobtrusive as possible. So I am not using the rings, just the grills. Mids in a-pillars and tweets in sail panel pods.


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## bugsplat (Nov 7, 2014)

I've used an old pair of my daughters leggings once to cover pillars. Just slipped each pillar down a leg and brushed resin on. After the basic shape hardened I used thin wood bracing on the inside and proceeded to cover the inside with fiberglass. This left the outside smooth and exactly where I wanted it (minus a few place I used filler). 

I've also used fleece a lot but honestly, I don't think i'll go back after using the spandex/leggings fabric. Fleece does soak in a lot of resin and requires more sanding once dry AND you still need to put down a few layers of glass. It is cheap though at only $2 for a 4'x8' blanket at Walmart. I always find it funny when these big name youtuber guys build kickass stuff with Mickey Mouse blankets.


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## dallasneon (Nov 3, 2005)

WhereAmEye? said:


> Something I do (because Bing does it) is fill in the resin'ed mould with glass filler/resin milkshake. That gives you a more desirable outer shape but with plenty of strength built on the inside.
> 
> Of course for bigger things (like sub enclosures) I put layers of fiberglass on the inside of the enclosure to ensure that my outer shape doesn't change much.
> 
> Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using Tapatalk


How do you mix the glass filler/resin milkshake?


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## WhereAmEye? (Jun 17, 2013)

dallasneon said:


> How do you mix the glass filler/resin milkshake?


The amount of each component depends on how viscous I want the shake. I mix some resin with catalyst in a cup, mix the glass filler with the hardener on a piece of cardboard, put the mixed filler in the cup of resin and stir it well with a popsicle stick. Then just pour it in the shape and let gravity do most the work while it's hardening.

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## dallasneon (Nov 3, 2005)

WhereAmEye? said:


> The amount of each component depends on how viscous I want the shake. I mix some resin with catalyst in a cup, mix the glass filler with the hardener on a piece of cardboard, put the mixed filler in the cup of resin and stir it well with a popsicle stick. Then just pour it in the shape and let gravity do most the work while it's hardening.
> 
> Sent from my SHIELD Tablet K1 using Tapatalk


Thanks....so you do mix the filler and hardner also...I was told before to not put any hardener in with the filler and the resin catalyst would cure both...


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

dallasneon said:


> Thanks....so you do mix the filler and hardner also...I was told before to not put any hardener in with the filler and the resin catalyst would cure both...


From all I've seen, you use both hardners mixed in their respective items, then mix together. I noticed it makes a kind of waxy surface stuff. For filling in behind fleece in tight areas like between tweeter ring and a pillar, it's good stuff.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Nah, you don't need to use the paste hardener for body filler when making the "milkshake" mix. Just add a little extra mekp in with your resin, mix it up and add your body filler in until you get the thickness you want. The more body filler you add, the more mekp you'll need to add in.

You could also use thickening materials to do it as well.

-1/4" chopped fiberglass strands will thicken the mixture and provide a lot of strength when cured
-Aerosil/Cabosil thickens and adds strength
-Talc is a very effective thickener but doesn't add much strength.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Also- both the thin stretchy materials like spandex and grill cloth are great for setting up a thin layer to start the formation of a part, however like Nick said above it does tend to sag more when wet out because it is so thin. Also, it can be more challenging to staple/glue in place.

That said, here is a piece that I started out by using a wooden frame and stretched thin grill cloth to get my shape, securing in place with staples.














When you use something this thin, you have the be very careful that you give it an extremely thin, light coat of resin by itself first so that it can harden without deforming the shape. I ended up doing a couple coats allowing it to harden after each.

After that, I followed up by laying up a few layers of ounce and a half chopped mat on the backside to retain the smooth shape on the front, but add strength.


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## captainobvious (Mar 11, 2006)

Obviously, I then had to finish them out by using body filler over the edge contours and shaping a little further.


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## truckguy (Sep 2, 2013)

The dash pics are amazing capt. Did you have to cut any of the factory mount out underneath to get the angle you wanted or does it fit right in hole from the factory speaker?


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

That project was a huge WIN all around. Turned out world class.


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## Jscoyne2 (Oct 29, 2014)

captainobvious said:


> Also- both the thin stretchy materials like spandex and grill cloth are great for setting up a thin layer to start the formation of a part, however like Nick said above it does tend to sag more when wet out because it is so thin. Also, it can be more challenging to staple/glue in place.
> 
> That said, here is a piece that I started out by using a wooden frame and stretched thin grill cloth to get my shape, securing in place with staples.
> 
> ...


in pic 3,4,5, How do you make the baffle stay like that? I can see(i think) hot glue or something on the bottom attaching the baffle to the outer edges but i cant imagine that'd be enough to make it float in midair like that..


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## SkizeR (Apr 19, 2011)

Babs said:


> That project was a huge WIN all around. Turned out world class.


wait wait wait.. are you telling me that car is done?!


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