Fiberglassing and Metal question - Have you ever...

[scooter99]

I'm wondering if anyone has ever used expanded metal and basically submerged it in fiberglass and resin?

I'm trying to design a rear seat enclosure, I've posted questions about it here and there of different parts. I'm really close on the air space I was looking for. I'm actually about .10 cu ft per sub less. But in my design I'm not able to put the wood I wanted to in it.

I'm designing a metal frame with 1.5" steel square tubing. I was going to put 3/4" birch in to each frame opening, and then fiberglass on top and bottom of each to enclose it and seal off the enclosure. If you don't understand, think about a square steel frame. Then put a piece of wood in the opening of the middle of the frame. That's it.

With already being short on air space, my thought was to weld steel mesh on the outside of the frame all the way around it. Then fiberglass over it and then under it to encase it in fiberglass. Not sure if this would provide enough strength or not. Looking at 4 10's ported on 2 AA 3800's.

Trying to figure stuff out, thought I'd pose the question.

[Clownrock95]

might have to steel (pun intended) that idea if someone can comfirm its feasibility seems like it would work my only worry would be haveing a large area (say 2ft x 3ft flat side) flexing but i wouldnt know

[dolarbilz]

From what I heard fiberglass/resin real strentgh comes from curves and bends.if its a big flat areaa would need to be super thick or it could flex

[scooter99]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking also. But I'm wondering, if the spaces that are exposed are only like 12 x 12, would that be strong enough over a space that was say 24 x 60?

I'm going to for sure go and get some and see what happens.

I may be forced to try it and see how it works out.

[dolarbilz]

Sometimes trying is your best answer..

[Wicks]

Why steel tubing?

Why not just a wood enclosure?

If you really want the steel, then why not encase the tubing in all wood. Wood bonds to wood on the outside. Rather then trying to bond metal-wood-metal...

I think all those transitions will be your weak point and take away anything the steel adds.

[scooter99]

Why steel tubing?

Why not just a wood enclosure?

If you really want the steel, then why not encase the tubing in all wood. Wood bonds to wood on the outside. Rather then trying to bond metal-wood-metal...

I think all those transitions will be your weak point and take away anything the steel adds.

That's a great question, and certainly I thought of doing an all wood enclosure. But here's my issue. I want this safe as well as fun. I have two daughters that I still drive around, and while I do drive the automotive equivalent of a tank, and I don't plan on getting in any accidents, I want to make sure that this is well overbuilt so that if I was ever in that position, I don't have to worry about if my daughters are safe or not. So to me, by welding a steel frame together, I'm essentially duplicating the seat itself. But severely overbuilding it. I mean really in thinking, if I just duplicated the seat frame itself, and then built a wood shell around it, it'd be about the same. I am planning to bolt it in using the stock seat bolt holes.

I'm open to ideas, and I'm not beyond using wood to build this thing. Lord knows my welding skills are not there yet, I have to learn, but my wood working skills are far superior of metal skills.

That's where I was at. I was only going to use wood on the frame to simply fill the gaps between the frame braces. Remember I do still have to lift the bitch up into the truck. LOL. It can't weigh 800lbs or I'll never get it in there. The truck will carry it, but it still has to be installed. LOL

[Wicks]

Why steel tubing?

Why not just a wood enclosure?

If you really want the steel, then why not encase the tubing in all wood. Wood bonds to wood on the outside. Rather then trying to bond metal-wood-metal...

I think all those transitions will be your weak point and take away anything the steel adds.

That's a great question, and certainly I thought of doing an all wood enclosure. But here's my issue. I want this safe as well as fun. I have two daughters that I still drive around, and while I do drive the automotive equivalent of a tank, and I don't plan on getting in any accidents, I want to make sure that this is well overbuilt so that if I was ever in that position, I don't have to worry about if my daughters are safe or not. So to me, by welding a steel frame together, I'm essentially duplicating the seat itself. But severely overbuilding it. I mean really in thinking, if I just duplicated the seat frame itself, and then built a wood shell around it, it'd be about the same. I am planning to bolt it in using the stock seat bolt holes.

I'm open to ideas, and I'm not beyond using wood to build this thing. Lord knows my welding skills are not there yet, I have to learn, but my wood working skills are far superior of metal skills.

That's where I was at. I was only going to use wood on the frame to simply fill the gaps between the frame braces. Remember I do still have to lift the bitch up into the truck. LOL. It can't weigh 800lbs or I'll never get it in there. The truck will carry it, but it still has to be installed. LOL

Ahh, I got ya. Safety first. Nothing wrong with overbuilding.

Then I'd say go with the tubing and don't put wood panels in the holes.

Wrap the wood all around the structure, wood glue the ends and bolt the wood to the tubing as well.

Then there is a consistent wooded enclosure around the steel structure.

No transitions to worry about.

[_paralyzed_]

I'd just do the steel frame and fiberglass. You can lay pieces of rope on large flat pieces so the fiberglass becomes wavy instead of large and flat. Stretch one layer of fiberglass over the frame, resin it, resin in a bunch of pieces of rope and add a couple more layers.

[scooter99]

Why steel tubing?

Why not just a wood enclosure?

If you really want the steel, then why not encase the tubing in all wood. Wood bonds to wood on the outside. Rather then trying to bond metal-wood-metal...

I think all those transitions will be your weak point and take away anything the steel adds.

That's a great question, and certainly I thought of doing an all wood enclosure. But here's my issue. I want this safe as well as fun. I have two daughters that I still drive around, and while I do drive the automotive equivalent of a tank, and I don't plan on getting in any accidents, I want to make sure that this is well overbuilt so that if I was ever in that position, I don't have to worry about if my daughters are safe or not. So to me, by welding a steel frame together, I'm essentially duplicating the seat itself. But severely overbuilding it. I mean really in thinking, if I just duplicated the seat frame itself, and then built a wood shell around it, it'd be about the same. I am planning to bolt it in using the stock seat bolt holes.

I'm open to ideas, and I'm not beyond using wood to build this thing. Lord knows my welding skills are not there yet, I have to learn, but my wood working skills are far superior of metal skills.

That's where I was at. I was only going to use wood on the frame to simply fill the gaps between the frame braces. Remember I do still have to lift the bitch up into the truck. LOL. It can't weigh 800lbs or I'll never get it in there. The truck will carry it, but it still has to be installed. LOL

Ahh, I got ya. Safety first. Nothing wrong with overbuilding.

Then I'd say go with the tubing and don't put wood panels in the holes.

Wrap the wood all around the structure, wood glue the ends and bolt the wood to the tubing as well.

Then there is a consistent wooded enclosure around the steel structure.

No transitions to worry about.

I think that's probably the best way to go. I guess when I'm already going to move the seat this much, another 3/4" isn't much more than the 4 I'm already going up.

I'd just do the steel frame and fiberglass. You can lay pieces of rope on large flat pieces so the fiberglass becomes wavy instead of large and flat. Stretch one layer of fiberglass over the frame, resin it, resin in a bunch of pieces of rope and add a couple more layers.

I will fiberglass the bottom and back though, that will save me some good space. Do the ropes in the glass like you suggest. That will give me a mix and will save me some strength.

I think also, with the wood, I'll add some PL Glue to the metal frame before I screw or bolt it down. No doubt, this is going to be a ton of work. But, hey why not right! LOL Everyone has a blow through. I want something different!