Post by Akµmi on Feb 12, 2007 23:31:01 GMT 7
First, see the picture below. These are the materials that you are going to need for the making of your own DIY Custome Fibreglass Eyelids. The white background is actually what we call the 'Fibre Clothes'. The alluminium can in front is the 'Fibreglass Resin', and the small pharmacy-medicinen sized bottle is the 'Resin Harderner'. This package will cost you just RM20 (hardware shop), comes in a package and you can get them from your local the car-paint supplier shops.
Aside from the firebglass materials, you will need the building materials as well. Here are some to list off, you will need a scissor, a roll of masking tape (or paper tape), aluminium foil (used for baking) a normal paint brush, a pencil, ruler and stuffs. Just get everything prepared so you wont end up rushing here and there finding the accesorries just to get back when everything has gone wrong.
The first thing to do when starting this project is to, remove your headlights. There is no better work at the end of the day if you remove your headlights. If you don't, it is fine, but expect to see unexpected and poor quality, for best results, just remove the headlights no matter how hard they can be.
Take your time, sit down in a comfortable position and place the headlights in a nice working position and start masking off the entire working surface. Just make sure you mask up every single surface that you are soon to work on, you don't want to end up having a melted headlights. You have been warned, fibreglass resin is acidic and is very hazardeous, they bite and melt on plastics. This will be the first layer, yes, more masking to come.
As I said more masking to come, yes, for the next layer, apply the aluminium foil over the first layer of masking tape, this is to ensure indefinite protection to your headlights cover/surface. My headlights are made of plastic, so I don't want to destroy them and end up having to buy another set of headlights. The reason why aluminium foil is used because, masking tape is made of paper base, and as you know, liquid and paper goes very well, so if you rely on the masking tape to protect the surface of your headlights, you are most probably going to end up with a wet masking surface and then you should expect something bad happened to the surface. So becareful.
Yes, more masking process. This is the final and last layer of masking process, with the aluminium foil properly placed all over the first layer, mask over them again with the masking tape for total protection. You will not regret for taking this action.
Here is a good example of a properly masked up headlights ready for the fibreglass application, which is, FUN TIME BABY!
WARNING: Before you start off with the next process, make sure your working environment is free from:
1. Any children walking or running around the area
2. Foods and drinks
3. Hanging-to-dry clothes
4. Plastic materials that you still want
Make sure you use hand gloves for first time user, and also wear long sleeves shirt to protect your arm from allergy (if you are!) but I am not allergic to these thing, so I am alright, that is why you can see that I am using my bare hand to work on them. DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE, CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU EXPERIENCED ANY SIDE EFFECT AFTER THE WORK.
Place the headlights on a place that you can work on without much trouble. Also, try to use a pencil to draw a line (or two) accross the headlights, to mark where exactly you want your eyelids to cover over the total surface of the headlights. Here, I just want to lid 1/4 of my total headlights, if you want to lid half of it, then just draw a marking line across half of the lights. You will know why I asked you to draw the marking line in the steps to come.
This is a cup, not just any ordinary cup, this is a cup that you can get from your nearest dump (rubbish) bin. Well, to be honest, any cup or bowls will do, so long as they don't melt easily.
Next, cut out the amount of fibreglass clothes required, how much will you need depends on the size of your eyelids, refer the next step to decide the amount that you will need.
Place the cut-out fibreglass clothes on top of the working area, the area where you want to mould the fibreglass onto as your eyelids. Always give about half to one inch extra on the sides. There is nothing wrong to go more, you can always cut and grind and trim them down, but you cannot trim them wider if you went less.
A close up picture of the Fibreglass Resin and the small bottle of hardener.
This next step is going to have to be done quick, as quick as possible, the next few steps is also going to have to be quick. If you are slow, you might failed in this project and going to have to start from the beginning.
Pour the Fibreglass Resin into the unused cup, just pour to the amount you estimate will be enough for the whole application. Then with the Harderner just pour a little into the cup containing the resin.
The amount of Harderner that you required really depends on your personal perferences. If you mix more portioin, your final work will be hard and strong but not flexible, which will results in easy cracking, and also, the amount of time needed for the whole mixture to hardern up and become a final fibreglass results is sooner and faster.
If you mix a lesser portion of hardener, your final fibreglass material will not be as strong, but more flexible and less chances of cracking, but the amount of time needed for it to totally dried up and hardened is longer much longer.
If you are not sure about the amount your should pour in just pour more of them, don't pour less, you don't want to end up having to do the mixing again and there fore stuffing up your entire project.
Mix them with your paint brush evenly.
After mixing the mixture of fibreglass resin and hardener, apply them onto the surface evenly, as soon as you finish applying the first layer, with your quick hands, apply the cut-out pieces of fibreglass clothes onto it. This will ensure the fibreglass clothes stays in place and part of the strength of your fibreglass material also depends on the amount of clothes that you apply.
After applying the clothes, apply another layer of the fibreglass mixture on top and over the fibreglass clothes. There is a proper way of applying the mixture, it is called the 'poking' style (i created the name myself ). You poke the brush against the clothes working from one side to the other. The reason why you cannot apply them like you use to apply paint on your house wall is because it will not create a more even surface, and you are most likely going to move all the clothes away from the position.
If you apply the brush against the clothes hard (poking style), this will ensure that the fibreglass resin actually gets into the clothes and will remove any air bubbles in between.
Apply a few more layers of the resin, if you want, you can add another layer of the clothes and repeat the process of applying the resin. The more you apply, the thicker is the final product. I only apply a layer of fibreglass clothes and around 2 to 3 layers of resin after the clothes.
After finishing the process, let it to dry. Go for some drinks with your friends, have some smoke, chit chat (best done on weekends ). It may take from few hours to half a day for total dry-up. The longer you leave it the better it is, but I am an impatient guy, I want things to be done fast! So with my itchy hand (not due to fibreglass side effect), I remove them only after a few hours.
Removing it is as easy as peeling it off from the side. Slowly and carefully, disengaged it from the headlights and this will be what you will get.
Things may look disgusting and nasty, but this half way through the final stuff, so be patient to refer to the next post to see what is next in this project.
See properly the edges, and you can see the extra fibreglass work. This is extremely important so that you can trim them off according to the design of your eyelids. That is why I said, more you can trim off, but less, you can't.
Place them on your headlights and then you can start to see something. At least at this point, you are feeling good that your project is going well.
Aside from the firebglass materials, you will need the building materials as well. Here are some to list off, you will need a scissor, a roll of masking tape (or paper tape), aluminium foil (used for baking) a normal paint brush, a pencil, ruler and stuffs. Just get everything prepared so you wont end up rushing here and there finding the accesorries just to get back when everything has gone wrong.
The first thing to do when starting this project is to, remove your headlights. There is no better work at the end of the day if you remove your headlights. If you don't, it is fine, but expect to see unexpected and poor quality, for best results, just remove the headlights no matter how hard they can be.
Take your time, sit down in a comfortable position and place the headlights in a nice working position and start masking off the entire working surface. Just make sure you mask up every single surface that you are soon to work on, you don't want to end up having a melted headlights. You have been warned, fibreglass resin is acidic and is very hazardeous, they bite and melt on plastics. This will be the first layer, yes, more masking to come.
As I said more masking to come, yes, for the next layer, apply the aluminium foil over the first layer of masking tape, this is to ensure indefinite protection to your headlights cover/surface. My headlights are made of plastic, so I don't want to destroy them and end up having to buy another set of headlights. The reason why aluminium foil is used because, masking tape is made of paper base, and as you know, liquid and paper goes very well, so if you rely on the masking tape to protect the surface of your headlights, you are most probably going to end up with a wet masking surface and then you should expect something bad happened to the surface. So becareful.
Yes, more masking process. This is the final and last layer of masking process, with the aluminium foil properly placed all over the first layer, mask over them again with the masking tape for total protection. You will not regret for taking this action.
Here is a good example of a properly masked up headlights ready for the fibreglass application, which is, FUN TIME BABY!
WARNING: Before you start off with the next process, make sure your working environment is free from:
1. Any children walking or running around the area
2. Foods and drinks
3. Hanging-to-dry clothes
4. Plastic materials that you still want
Make sure you use hand gloves for first time user, and also wear long sleeves shirt to protect your arm from allergy (if you are!) but I am not allergic to these thing, so I am alright, that is why you can see that I am using my bare hand to work on them. DO NOT TRY THIS IF YOU ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE, CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR IF YOU EXPERIENCED ANY SIDE EFFECT AFTER THE WORK.
Place the headlights on a place that you can work on without much trouble. Also, try to use a pencil to draw a line (or two) accross the headlights, to mark where exactly you want your eyelids to cover over the total surface of the headlights. Here, I just want to lid 1/4 of my total headlights, if you want to lid half of it, then just draw a marking line across half of the lights. You will know why I asked you to draw the marking line in the steps to come.
This is a cup, not just any ordinary cup, this is a cup that you can get from your nearest dump (rubbish) bin. Well, to be honest, any cup or bowls will do, so long as they don't melt easily.
Next, cut out the amount of fibreglass clothes required, how much will you need depends on the size of your eyelids, refer the next step to decide the amount that you will need.
Place the cut-out fibreglass clothes on top of the working area, the area where you want to mould the fibreglass onto as your eyelids. Always give about half to one inch extra on the sides. There is nothing wrong to go more, you can always cut and grind and trim them down, but you cannot trim them wider if you went less.
A close up picture of the Fibreglass Resin and the small bottle of hardener.
This next step is going to have to be done quick, as quick as possible, the next few steps is also going to have to be quick. If you are slow, you might failed in this project and going to have to start from the beginning.
Pour the Fibreglass Resin into the unused cup, just pour to the amount you estimate will be enough for the whole application. Then with the Harderner just pour a little into the cup containing the resin.
The amount of Harderner that you required really depends on your personal perferences. If you mix more portioin, your final work will be hard and strong but not flexible, which will results in easy cracking, and also, the amount of time needed for the whole mixture to hardern up and become a final fibreglass results is sooner and faster.
If you mix a lesser portion of hardener, your final fibreglass material will not be as strong, but more flexible and less chances of cracking, but the amount of time needed for it to totally dried up and hardened is longer much longer.
If you are not sure about the amount your should pour in just pour more of them, don't pour less, you don't want to end up having to do the mixing again and there fore stuffing up your entire project.
Mix them with your paint brush evenly.
After mixing the mixture of fibreglass resin and hardener, apply them onto the surface evenly, as soon as you finish applying the first layer, with your quick hands, apply the cut-out pieces of fibreglass clothes onto it. This will ensure the fibreglass clothes stays in place and part of the strength of your fibreglass material also depends on the amount of clothes that you apply.
After applying the clothes, apply another layer of the fibreglass mixture on top and over the fibreglass clothes. There is a proper way of applying the mixture, it is called the 'poking' style (i created the name myself ). You poke the brush against the clothes working from one side to the other. The reason why you cannot apply them like you use to apply paint on your house wall is because it will not create a more even surface, and you are most likely going to move all the clothes away from the position.
If you apply the brush against the clothes hard (poking style), this will ensure that the fibreglass resin actually gets into the clothes and will remove any air bubbles in between.
Apply a few more layers of the resin, if you want, you can add another layer of the clothes and repeat the process of applying the resin. The more you apply, the thicker is the final product. I only apply a layer of fibreglass clothes and around 2 to 3 layers of resin after the clothes.
After finishing the process, let it to dry. Go for some drinks with your friends, have some smoke, chit chat (best done on weekends ). It may take from few hours to half a day for total dry-up. The longer you leave it the better it is, but I am an impatient guy, I want things to be done fast! So with my itchy hand (not due to fibreglass side effect), I remove them only after a few hours.
Removing it is as easy as peeling it off from the side. Slowly and carefully, disengaged it from the headlights and this will be what you will get.
Things may look disgusting and nasty, but this half way through the final stuff, so be patient to refer to the next post to see what is next in this project.
See properly the edges, and you can see the extra fibreglass work. This is extremely important so that you can trim them off according to the design of your eyelids. That is why I said, more you can trim off, but less, you can't.
Place them on your headlights and then you can start to see something. At least at this point, you are feeling good that your project is going well.