Fiberglass Matte Building Large Scale Model Car Bodies

[regular guy]

Is fiberglass matte used in this?

I would think fiberglass clothe would be thick enough for models.

Have not gotten 2 oz and 5 oz cloth is pretty thick.

I watched somebody build a fiberglass body.

5 oz cloth was about as thick as levi's material.

Matte he was using was about an 1/8" thick. Woven matte.

Edited September 29, 2017 by regular guy

[Ace-Garageguy]

There's a lot to it. I make REAL 1:1 parts and bodies from scratch, and model parts in just about every scale...from 1/87 (HO) to 1/8. I also design and fabricate real aviation parts, and develop repair procedures for products made of composite materials ("fiberglass"), including aircraft.

If you REALLY want to know, I'll be more than happy to explain the processes and materials.

In general, the fine plain-weave cloth available for RC model planes is what you want for large-scale car model bodies with FLAT or single-curve surfaces. Very fine, loosely-woven plain weave will follow tight compound surfaces well too.

For some applications, you may need a twill-weave, or a satin weave at some point. 

Mat is NOT woven. It's random shortish fibers stuck together with a "sizing" that dissolves in resin. It's generally too heavy for small model work, but can be useful in the larger scales. It's the choice of lower-to-medium quality parts and body manufacturers. Laminations made of it are lower strength than those made with oriented woven fabrics, and tend to be thicker and heavier for a given nominal strength. It IS useful for large-model mold-making.

Cloth is available commonly in weights from about .5 oz (1/2 ounce), which is extremely light.

"Boat cloth" is commonly used on ...wait for it...boats. It's usually a fairly open plain weave in the 3-7 oz. range. Also commonly used on medium quality automotive aftermarket parts.

If you want to understand what you're doing, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU READ AND STUDY THE MATERIAL PRESENTED AT THE LINK BELOW. Then, ask specific questions.

http://www.fibreglast.com/product/the-fundamentals-of-fiberglass/Learning_Center

 

 

 

 

[regular guy]

 

Thank you for looking that all up.

Mat is too thick for scale models or unnecessary.

We'll get 2 oz and 5 oz cloth.

Put a coat of glass on them and see what it's like.