Thread: Fibreglass?

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I've made a contact through work whereby I can obtain fibreglass matting and resin at a good discounted price.

Naturally, I've already started to weigh up the possibility of putting it to use in prop making.

I was wondering if anyone here had any experience in using fibreglass for prop making, if so what were/are the pro's and con's?

I've used it a bit, but never for props (although that's a good idea...). It's messy, sticky, smelly, and itchy. Wear rubber gloves, and work in a well ventilated area! It's also light, strong, and very versatile. You can mix the resin and hardener at different ratios to slow down / speed up setup time. Generally, the faster it dries, the more brittle it is. From my (admittedly limited) experience, you're better off working slow and giving yourself plenty of time - just like anything else, I guess.

Something I've learned is: once it begins to solidify, the whole batch goes REAL quick.
You'll add the catalyst hardener to the resin, and it will remain fairly liquid for some time...that is your opportunity to work with it.
Get it spread in worked into the material right away! (and onto a mold, if that's what you're using)

...because, once that hardener starts to work, that stuff goes from runny to "approaching solid" in less than a minute.
(I've had to throw out at least one aggravatingly large batch due to this...and a couple small ones)

You may want to start with some smaller pieces, to get a feel for it.

HauntProject.com - Your visual source for Haunting How-To's

From HauntProject...this person made a pumpkin. Make sure to doc your progress as I've always wanted to try fiberglass...best of luck!!!

Thanks guys.
I'm planning on ordering a smallish amount next week, just to give it a go.
I'm not sure at this stage quite how I'm going to use it..but it appeals due to it's high strength/low weight qualities.
And yeah...I'll post some pics, Should be good for a laugh if nothing else..

Here's some cool fiberglass stuff I saw - http://notlmpresed.angelfire.com/int_fib_co.jpg

BTW...When it comes to fiberglass, Bill Tracy is my personal hero - Bill Tracy

Originally Posted by ZombieRaider

BTW...When it comes to fiberglass, Bill Tracy is my personal hero - Bill Tracy

Wow, thanks for that link. I used to love riding the wacky shack at Joy Land - too bad it's closed.

Fiberglass may be overkill, depending on what you want to actually build. It will hold up in all types of weather all year long. But do you really need that? It is difficult to work with (relatively speaking) and you may want to stick with something simpler. What's the weather like in your area, and is there any point in leaving just a few props out in a rainy October if you have to take the rest inside?

Just some questions to ask yourself.

Yeah, alot of his creations are long gone now...My favorite of his was the haunted house at OC boardwalk...The big bat is fiberglass along with quite a few other things....I thought about trying fiberglass over a paper machie project once to make it weather proof....Not sure I could stand the itchiness though....ZR