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i use some 12oz cans of soda (or beer) w/ the tops cut off for mixing cups for the resin/hardener (make sure to rinse them out first, lol). if im doing a big project, ill use a 3 liter plastic bottle w/ the top chopped off and line it with a couple plastic grocery bags, that way when im dont i can just pull the bags out and toss them. if you use a dash of spray adhesive on the bottom, theyll stick to the form better, but still be removable.
as some have mentioned, the hardener/resin combo is nearly impossible to get right. as a general rule, the hotter/drier your weather is the less hardener you will want to use. if you end up with a piece that will not dry, put some hardener in a spritz bottle and spray it on the entire piece, or rub it on with your hands (gloved, of course, lol ).
another point mentioned earlier: your brushes MAY survive if you soak them in acetone, but dont count on it, plus its a lot of work to get them totally clean. just buy 10 or so of the 80 cent brushes at the hardware store.
when laying fiberglass, do it like this: brush a little resin on the area before applying the strips. the resin will act as a glue to hold the strips in place so they dont slide around everywhere. then dab more resin on the areas that have not soaked through. if the piece is not going to be too thick (less than 4 layers or so), you can immediatly add more layers over wet ones. if its meant to be structural (like in a sub box) or is going to be thick, lay up a few layers and then let it dry a bit before applying more. because the resin/hardener will produce a signifigant anount of heat while curing, a huge buildup of layers can case cracks and warping.
if you are going to be doing several layers and mixing up several batches of resin, add a couple drops of unique food coloring to each mixture. this will help you locate the areas that have not been covered on multiple layers.
for a beginner progect, mat fiberglass is much easier to work with than cloth, plus it builds up faster. its easier to press out the bubbles w/ he mat as well, leaving a more rigid product.
to remove fiberglass from your hands/arms: fast orange (or any petrolium based cleaner) works well, expecially on dry hands. if you have some sand laying around, that works well to get the majority off.
dont ever mix or lay resin on any pourous surface (like cardboard), as the hardener will soak in at a different rate than the hardener, messing up the concentration. the same goes for bondo.
if you can tell that the resin is starting to get "jellified" on you, hit the weakest surfaces with it first. anything that will be vertical or subject to stress should recieve the most attention. because the resin will run before curing, you shouldnt have a problem with vallys and the like.
the most important part of glassing is the SANDING, TRIMMING, and final prep. when you lay down those first few layers of fiberglass youll probably think to yourself "oh shit, this looks terrible!", but dont worry, just make sure you have the area adiquitly covered so that you can trim and sand it later. if you plan on carpeting the piece, you dont have to be very meticulous, but if you want to vinyl or paint it, make sure EVERY bump and dip is taken care of. you can get away witha bit more if you vinyl it, particularly if you plan to back it with some sort of matting material.
well, thats all i can think of for now. best of luck to you.  :shhh: i do cocaine :/shhh:
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