Molding/Forming Fiberglass?

CAnderson

CAnderson

Well-known member
Thinking about building solid fiberglass sides for my duck boat. Right now, I am finishing the cloth sides on a homemade flip-up style blind. Came to an idea about hard fiberglass sides like on a Roy Schellinger High side boat. Maybe will have to think about it for next year, but wasn't sure how to make the sides out of fiberglass and have them release from a mold.

Perhaps the sides should just be done out of luan and then treated with resin and a layer of fiberglass cloth? ANy ideas are appreciated?

The goal would be to have a short permanent side, with a flap on hinges that can flip up. If you can picture the sides of a schellinger high side boat, you can picture what I want to accomplish. Just looking to do it without tons of extra weight.

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Chris, look at McMaster-Carr

http://www.mcmaster.com/#fiberglass-sheets/=j58q8q

3/16" thick, 4ft x 8ft sheets are $288.

You could make your own too I am sure, I have never done it but in my mind....I would start with a flat bench, covered in plastic stretched tight. Mix up your epoxy, roll it on the plastic and then lay fiberglass cloth and wet it out. When it starts to tack, lay some roving, and wet that out, then when that takes top it with cloth again, wetted out. Another layer of plastic covered plywood and some weights while it cures....

The other option is ask Roy to make them.... might be cheaper in the long run!
 
I'm looking at making new flip boards out of FRP panels from Lowe's. This one in particular for the color and size 48" X 120" X 0.09". I suspect that I'll need to epoxy the boards back to back for a total 0.18" thickness.

Scott
 
Scott, let us know how it works out... I saw them too, they are certainly cheaper and would not have the shipping costs. I imagine you could roll out some epoxy on the smooth sides and bond them easy enough. Or use some thickened epoxy on the textured sides if you want them smooth out.
 
ITS NOT HARD AT ALL . START WITH THE SHAPE AND SIZE PANEL YOU WANT . YOU MAY HAVE TO MAKE A FEW PLYWOOD FRAMES TO HOLD THE SHAPE . I PLANK IT WITH FORMICA OVER CHEAP QUARTER INCH . A LIGHT COAT OF WAX AND TWO WET LALERS OF OUNCE AND A HALF SKIN COAT . AFTER IT SETS UP GOOD PULL THEM APART AND SAND WITH 80 GRIT AND PAINT . PLENTY STRONG ENOUGH AND LIGHT AS HELL .
 
Have you thought about making a lamination instead of solid glass? I would think that a piece of 1/4" birch ply or okoume with 2-3 layers of cloth on each side would work great, hold hinges, and be much lighter than solid glass. I used to make surfboard fins out of laminated glass, basically you start with a flat surface, 25-35 layers of cloth, and a pot of resin and go to town. Really durable but also heavy as hell, and then I went to making fins with a balsa core and 5 layers of glass on each side-lightweight and strong. Just a thought.
 
two once and a half skin coats and a two inch strip around the perimiter is all you need . no reason to core it with anything . cant get any lighter then that. i make gates for my pondboxs that way and it works . two hour job , light as hell and will last forever ..
 
Rick, I appreciate the help and advice. Thanks for the pic too.

I will have to work on a design and get it formed up. I will also have to check Us Composites for supplies.

Rick, do you happen to have a local source for glass and resin? I am only about 25 mins from you. Would be close if you did.
 
Cody, I was originally thinking of something like what you describe. Lightweight frame with 1/4" ply and then encapsulate it in a couple of layers of glass. Then, I also thought about just using 1/4" ply with a good soaking of resin and top coat of paint. It might not last forever, but I bet it would hold up for 5years or so. That would be long enough I think. Would likely be in a different boat by then.
 
John, I'm hoping the FRP are strong enough to hinge, as that's what I want to do with it. I have yet to buy the panels so I'm still in the hoping stage. these panels were suggested in an earlier post as working well. Hope their right.

Scott
 
I've worked with my share of FRP, and although it takes a lot to snap a piece it's pretty floppy. I don't know how well they would hold a hinge unless your backed them with some framing. FRP is great for making decoy templates though!
 
Your local hardware store may sell flat fiberglass panels. I think I seen them before when looking for something else.
 
Cody,

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate hearing from the guys with experience. To refine my plans, my flip boards are 16" wide by 72" long ( and I'm expecting to use full piano hinges and to double the panel to a .180" sandwich. May also run a .06" X 1" aluminum bar the length of the panel to reinforce the rivets or screws I use to attach the hinges.

What the original wood boards looked like:

View attachment starb four color.jpg

View attachment sternshot.jpg

The epoxy encapsulated boards on my first boat held up great but these only lasted a few years before starting to deteriorate. I believe that's because laying on tthe aluminum deck held moisture and never allowed them to dry out properly. FRP should hold up great!

Scott
 
Scott-

How did that blind setup work out for you? I assume pretty good since it sounds like you are interested in rebuilding it, just with better materials.

Did you use any vegetation over the boat and side boards?

Do you hunt divers with it and just keep still, or are you more of a puddleduck hunter?

Would appreciate the any feedback on your design. Thanks.

cja

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i deal with composite one in millville its 5 min from my house . i can get just about whatever i need there . im sure i could shop around and save a nickel if i wanted . id be more than willing to make what you need . im sure it would be cheaper than buying all the stuff and doing it yourself . i also know that the project part is why alot of us do the crazy things we do ! im always looking for a project ...
 
Scott nice looking rig . A flat panel will have to be alot thicker then a panel with some shape . If you incorporate some shape or a few lines built into the gates they will be alot lighter then the flat panels . Beef up the area your gonna put the hinges if you think its gonna take alot of abuse . I have even put aluminum blocks between the layers of fiberglass and drilled and taped into to hinge .
 
cja, The flip boars work well for me although I rarely hunt from the boat. When I need to they do work well. The vast majority of the time they simply lay on the deck totally out of the way. When deployed; being solid they don't blow in the wind, they block the wind, If your comfortable shooting sitting down, the boards flop down out of the way when it's time to shoot. The deck/boards minimize the opening when viewed from above and serve to keep the hunters close to the center line of the boat for reduced rocking when coming up to shoot. I elected to leave the bench seats in and keep two boards tucked under them that bridge between the bench seats. When gunning you sit on the boards and lean back against the coaming for a very comfortable seat.

Camo - lots of options. I have created two 12' long fastgrass panels by attaching 3 normal 4X4 panels to a 12' long piece of fencing. Those panels can attach to either side of the blind if hunting a grassy area. Old boat w/ wood deck but same concept and grass panels. Pictures are from the old DHBP Reader's Rigs:
farris6.jpg


I also have GI netting that fits over the boat with the boards up. Getting them to drop quickly is a bit tougher.

farris5.jpg


In rocky coastal areas I rarely bother beyond the paint. Here's the Starcraft w/ aluminum deck on her maiden hunt, fresh brown camo against a Sept green bank in bright sun. In these conditions it gets draped with camo burlap.

View attachment riverboardsupR.jpg

Since there are virtually no draw backs to having them on my rig, it's all positive! Last season Wendel & I hunted out of her (boards only while Dave M. hunted out of his Devlin with a canvas blind. Hopefully one or both will give you an unbiased view.

Scott
 
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