SpudFiles

do you have to use resin and hardener with the cloth?
does it matter what kind of resin I use?

yes and yes, i'll allow others to ellaborate since i dont have time

your better off buying the kit. but if u have part of it then u need the catalyst to mix in with the resin. this stuff gets hot and "kicks up" fast, u gotta mix it in the proper proportions for sure. too much catalyst and she will kick up before u can snap your fingers.
also there are 2 kinds of material, woven and mat, they are normally layered for thick parts but u can get away with just mat.

Yes you have to use both the hardener and catalyst. You only need about 1 drop of catalyst to 100ml of hardener. It's a very small ratio. It should have the proper mix on the side of the bottle.

You can normally get about 20 min working time with a good resin. you could also use a good Epoxy resin like Araldite for smaller parts but the working time may be less depending on what sort of Epoxy it is (5 min or super strength etc).

So first make your mix, then use a brush to apply it to the cloth.

Some tips for Fiberglassing...

* Wear gloves, mask, eye protection.
* If you have to use an Accelerator in the resin mix, NEVER mix the accelerator with the catalyst first. Always mix it with the hardener first then add the catalyst. Other wise you'll be seeing the emergency ward.
* Most Catalyst are made with Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP). This stuff is extremely harmful. If any gets in your eye you'll be blind in 3-5 seconds.
* Don't try and rush it, you'll ruin your job.
* Fiberglass can give you a nice skin rash.

As Spuddin said, get a fiberglass kit from your local hardware store. It should have every thing you need plus instructions

Yes you have to use both the hardener and catalyst. You only need about 1 drop of catalyst to 100ml of hardener. It's a very small ratio. It should have the proper mix on the side of the bottle.

Don't you mean 1 drop of hardener to 100ml of catalyst or resin? That's what I read on one of those bondo packs. And with fibre glass you can use any type of epoxy fiber glass is like a aggregate you can put one type of sand in many types of cement if the mix calls for it right? You can even mix sand into epoxy there shouldn't be any reason why you have to use one specific epoxy with fibre glass. Basicly fibre glass strenthens the epoxy.

Fibreglass and epoxy resins have comparatively little tensile strength.

Glass fibres have a higher tensile strength than steel.

The resin is used to hold the glass fibres in place. The glass fibres actually carry the compression and tension loads.

You can mix "filler" (talcum powder, micro balloons, etc.) into resin to form a thin bondo like substance.

This filler can be used to fill pores in urethane foam. Urethane foam would normally wick up a lot of resin. Increasing weight without substantially increasing strength.

The filler can also be used to fill the "weave" on the surface prior to sanding and priming.

Sticky_Tape wrote:

Yes you have to use both the hardener and catalyst. You only need about 1 drop of catalyst to 100ml of hardener. It's a very small ratio. It should have the proper mix on the side of the bottle.

Don't you mean 1 drop of hardener to 100ml of catalyst or resin?

Nah it's usually like 1 or 2 ml to 100 grams of hardener. The ratio changes with different resins and brands.

Iv got a few meters of 6k twill Carbon fiber and 8k twill Kevlar 49 that i plan to use on my next cannon. Araldite epoxy is great for Composites as long as you don't put it under to much load. But its a bit difficult to use on larger objects. I'd use a proper resin if it were a larger or structural component.