Would someone please help steer me in the right direction to find the cheapest fiberglass cloth and resin. Before you cringe at the thought, please consider it's intended use. I'm making a floating dog blind out of a sheet of Dow styrofoam and only need it to stiffen it up so the platform is more durable. Once a proper shape of the base is achieved by trial and error on the water, My plan is to attach a piece of luan plywood for backbone and then glass it up for durability. This is a purely experimental project that calls for dirt cheap construction. Any suggestions for sources of fiberglass materials?
Help!!! Fiberglass Cloth & Resin
- Thread starter Rick H
- Start date
If the resin is going to go directly on the foam, if you don't already know this, you'll want to use an epoxy resin. Otherwise your foam may melt when the resin is applied. I used Raka epoxy and ordered glass through them. I don't know how they compare price wise but here's their website
http://www.raka.com/
http://www.raka.com/
Rick,
Dani is correct. Using RESIN on styrofoam will melt the foam. You need to use Epoxy . The best price I have found on epoxy is U.S. Composites . There was a thread on this a few weeks ago and I believe that was the consensus. As for glass, I buy it locally although you can sometimes find it very cheap on ebay. How much do you need ? I may have some light stuff around here that you can have for the cost of shipping.
Dave B
Dani is correct. Using RESIN on styrofoam will melt the foam. You need to use Epoxy . The best price I have found on epoxy is U.S. Composites . There was a thread on this a few weeks ago and I believe that was the consensus. As for glass, I buy it locally although you can sometimes find it very cheap on ebay. How much do you need ? I may have some light stuff around here that you can have for the cost of shipping.
Dave B
Good point Dani, I'll remember to use epoxy with the foam.
Dave, thanks for the tip on US Composites. Not sure exactly what I'll need for a floating platform, but this is a pretty elaborate contraption for shallow open water so I figure it will have to be enough to cover a 4' 8' sheet on both sides so that would mean with scrap and inevitable waste about eight yards of 50" cloth. That is a very generous offer, but that seems like quite lot of material. A key question is do you think the 3/4 oz cloth from US Composites is up to the task? If the 1" or 2" foam is stiffened with thin plywood and covered on both sides with fiberglass, I would think it would be fairly durable, wouldn't you agree? The nice thing about the light stuff is the application guide says it only requires half the resin of 1 1/2 oz cloth.
Just so you guys know more about what I have in mind, I'm trying to come up with a floating blind for a versatile hunting dog (GWP) adopted about a month ago. I've had quite a few dogs over the years, but after my last duck dog (lab) died of old age I said to myself that would be the last waterfowl dog because I hunt almost excursively in open water (shallow) and my primary retriever is my legs or a long handled fish net. Well, in a moment of weakness with an opportunity for a very fine one year old prospect, here I am again with another dog.
So, what I'm doing is creating a floating blind for my new partner out of one of Lou's giant goose blind shells. These goose shells designed to be field blinds for hunters are big and along with the 60 lb weight of a dog is going to take some back woods engineering to make stable enough to get in and out of by himself (might have to use outriggers made with super magnum decoys), but I think it can be done. This is really a poor time to be thinking about a project like this because duck season is already upon us, the water temperature is dropping like a rock and when not hunting at every opportunity I should be taking care of business. Oh well, necessity is the mother of invention.....
Dave, thanks for the tip on US Composites. Not sure exactly what I'll need for a floating platform, but this is a pretty elaborate contraption for shallow open water so I figure it will have to be enough to cover a 4' 8' sheet on both sides so that would mean with scrap and inevitable waste about eight yards of 50" cloth. That is a very generous offer, but that seems like quite lot of material. A key question is do you think the 3/4 oz cloth from US Composites is up to the task? If the 1" or 2" foam is stiffened with thin plywood and covered on both sides with fiberglass, I would think it would be fairly durable, wouldn't you agree? The nice thing about the light stuff is the application guide says it only requires half the resin of 1 1/2 oz cloth.
Just so you guys know more about what I have in mind, I'm trying to come up with a floating blind for a versatile hunting dog (GWP) adopted about a month ago. I've had quite a few dogs over the years, but after my last duck dog (lab) died of old age I said to myself that would be the last waterfowl dog because I hunt almost excursively in open water (shallow) and my primary retriever is my legs or a long handled fish net. Well, in a moment of weakness with an opportunity for a very fine one year old prospect, here I am again with another dog.
So, what I'm doing is creating a floating blind for my new partner out of one of Lou's giant goose blind shells. These goose shells designed to be field blinds for hunters are big and along with the 60 lb weight of a dog is going to take some back woods engineering to make stable enough to get in and out of by himself (might have to use outriggers made with super magnum decoys), but I think it can be done. This is really a poor time to be thinking about a project like this because duck season is already upon us, the water temperature is dropping like a rock and when not hunting at every opportunity I should be taking care of business. Oh well, necessity is the mother of invention.....
Is this the blind you are trying to "adapt" ? I assume you are trying to put a foam/luann/glass "floor into it ? If not, please explain a bit more.
Another option that I have seen is a minaturized eerie style layout boat with a step cut in the front for the dog. You could do the same thing by making a dog sized version of the hybrid or foamer boats that are out there. Basically a surfboard with a cockpit on it.
Let me check on the cloth. PM me your phone number in case I find it.
Dave aka baumy
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Is this the blind you are trying to "adapt" ? I assume you are trying to put a foam/luann/glass "floor into it ? If not, please explain a bit more.
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Yes, that's it Dave. The idea is to use a foam board, stiffened with plywood and fiberglass that has enough buoyancy and stability to allow the entrance and exit of a dog by himself in water three feet or less. In this case the swing open cover will be removed in favor of a shaped canvas cover (representing the back of a goose) with a slit in it for entrance/exit as well as sticking his head out to see. There is no way to know how something like this will float without getting in the water and experimenting. Once the ideal shape is developed though trial and error the idea is to laminate it with plywood and fiberglass for enough durability to survive waterfowling conditions. Also, thought has to be given to a very simple underwater ladder that will allow him to step up enough to climb in. Perhaps I'm dreaming, but I really think this idea is doable.
The possibility of modifying an old one man layout boat to this concept is GREAT idea for the future! Of course right now with prime time upon us it's the worst time to try to obtain one, but this winter after duck season is over finding a cheap used one to cobble up wouldn't be too difficult.
For now I was just thinking of a way to come up with a cheap, quick, floating board to mount one of Lou's shells on in order to make due in the short term. Keep in mind this dog is 100% green, 12 month old pup and about as steady in a retrieving situation as a drunk on a slime covered floating log, so there is a LOT of training that will have to go along with making this concept work. I've already figured on installing a reinforced eye bolt on the floor to strap him inside until he learns to be steady with guns roaring and birds dropping with me well out of arms reach in a layout boat.
Number on it's way.....
Brad Taylor (NC)
Well-known member
Rick,
I've got a ton of 3oz glass (want to say its 48" wide but I need to check it), if you're interested you can have some at $3 per yard. As for cheapest epoxy, US Composites gets my vote.
Brad
I've got a ton of 3oz glass (want to say its 48" wide but I need to check it), if you're interested you can have some at $3 per yard. As for cheapest epoxy, US Composites gets my vote.
Brad
Brad Taylor (NC)
Well-known member
Greatly appreciated Rick, yes I'm NCSUDucker on the various other boards out ther. I checked on the LED replacement bulbs. He doesn't manufacture a replacement bulb but said he can get them for me, however, I'm not sure if it would be feasible on my end to carry them. I did find this site when I was searching for replacements, just a matter of finding what bulb you have in the current lamp and replacing it http://www.superbrightleds.com/...rake-turn.html#BA15s
Brad
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