Fiberglassing and Metal question - Have you ever...

[jk13]

If you're going with the expanded metal idea, I assume you mean the 3D type that you would use for something like a catwalk. Not the flat type you'd use for a grill. The first is obviously much stronger than the second when laid flat.

Lots of the heavy hitter dB guys (170+) simply mix fine sand into resin to create something of a "concrete" for filling gaps in between metal pieces. Roof to cage, dash, filling doors, areas between steel cage structures, etc. Gets heavy quick though.

I remember a Cougar or something back in the early 90s that had 1" of concrete on all sides of his box. Made a wood box and poured each flat side, rotating after curing so it took five days (backside was plexi). Not that it applies to your situation, just reminded me of that.

Edit: here it is:

http://www.caraudiojunkies.com/showthread.php?1272-Bud-Wentz-1986-quot-Concrete-quot-Cougar-1994-CA-amp-E

[scooter99]

I was talking about whatever it is they sell at home depot. But I think at this point I'm going to combine the steel frame with a birch wood skin on the top, front and sides, and then the bottom/floor and the back wall will be fiberglass and rope. That should do it. If not, I'll figure something else out to strengthen it.

That's a bad ass build. Love old school stuff. Thanks for sharing it.

[yurvalentine]

You can certainly get the strength from glass, best way is to use a tight weave cloth and to rotate the ply orientation 45 degrees with each layer. So you would have 0 45 90 -45 0 and repeat maybe once more for stiffness. You can get crazy strong parts if you are careful with your ply orientation. Laying that up will be a bitch though because ideally you would lay them all up at once so you don't have any delamination down the road...plus you would want them all to be one solid piece of cloth so you have the longest twines possible. IMO use wood, or pony up for aramid.

[scooter99]

Aramid huh? What is tha...................................OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah that would do the trick huh!!

Yeah I think at this point it'll be wood on the outside of the enclosure.

[yurvalentine]

Yeah some Kevlar would be killer for that purpose, but hot damn the $$$

[scooter99]

I don't see that happening! Not when I can buy a sheet of birch for the same price as 36" x 50" of fabric! Sounds cool though. Maybe I could make a cover for the subs out of it. LOL

[MotorCityFats13]

the editors let them publish "cement" in place for "concrete" this really is an old school build!