[bomo]

I HAVE A GLASS 1936 3 WINDOW COUPE BODY AND WOULD LIKE TO FRENCH IN THE REAR PLATE. WE HAVE KICKED AROUND 5-6 IDEAS OF WHAT TO MAKE IT OUT OF AND HOW TO DO IT SO IT LOOKS RIGHT.

I KNOW WE NEED A BOX FIRST BUT SHOULD IT BE GLSS, AND IF SO HOW DO WE MAKE A MOLD, SHOULD IT BE METAL REINFORCED? SHOULD IT BE ALL METAL? HOW WILL WE HOLD IT TO THE CAR? HOW WILL WE BE ABLE TO FINISH THE EDGE AT THE TRUNK AREA SO IT WON'T CRACK? SHOUL BONDO OR FIBERGLASS BE USED TO FINISH IT OFF?

I KNOW THIS IS A LOT TO CONSIDER BUT I'D LIKE YOUR IMPUT PLEASE!

BOMO

 

[Halloweenking]

Heres a quick easy way to do it. Get some aluminum flashing make the box as deep as you want it, get some fiberglass cloth, or some fiberglass matt(easier) soak the matt in fiberglass resin and build up the box, sand it smooth, then mold it into the car with fiberglass cloth and resin, sand it smooth, prime and paint.

The good thing about aluminum flashing is you don't need a releasing agent because its so smooth you can just peel it right off/out, or leave it on, it doesn't really matter. After you peel off the flashing you can cut it down to size and mold it in.

Ask Shawn Asseln on this board hes the top 'glass guy, he does it for a living so he should know.

HK

 

[bomo]

THANKS HK I WILL ASK SHAWN.

BOMO

PS YOUR IDEA SOUNDS GREAT

 

[Stinkin_V8]

Yeah, HK has a great plan. You won't need as much finish bodywork on the inside of the box. It'll be tough to get into the inside corners. Even better, see if you can find a plastic storage container that's the right size that already has radiused corners. Lay the cloth on the outside of the box and you'll have a lot less work to do on your finished face (which will be against the ouside of the box). The more creative you are with your mold, the less body work you should have to do. Make sure you use a roller on the fiberglass cloth so you minimize any little bubbles on your finished surface. 3-4 layers of fiberglass mat should be fine - don't use the woven stuff, get the pressed stuff with fibers in random directions.

If the surface of the rear plate is flat (or even pretty close to flat), I would also build a lip on the box you build. That way you could fiberglass the lip on to the back side of the plate from behind where it won't show. Roughen the back side of the plate about 2" wider than the lip of the box and also roughen both sides of the lip. Completely glass over the rough part from behind and even sandwich some glass in between the lip and the plate. A couple of layers should be fine.

You'll need to glass the joint between the lip and plate from the outside as well, just to finish the seam, keep it from cracking and make it look nice from the outside. A little sanding, filler, more sanding and you're done.

Cut all your cloth and have it nearby before you mix the resin. Mom doesn't like resin on her good scissors! Wear rubber gloves and make sure you have some airflow where you're working.

 

[bomo]

thanks v8 i like your thinking. i have worked with glass before so i know what you mean about the resin on the shears lol, what a mess and i always wear nitrite gloves to protect my fingers, i hate trying to get that resin off, to say nothing about what it can do to the skin.

my deck lid is like any 36 ford so i'm trying to figure how it make the bottom of the box level if i use a plastic box for a mold, maybe i'm not understanding you. if the box were fitted into the body as is water would collect in where the plats sits, no?

 

[Shawn Asseln]

Everyones idea is a good one below as most any household object can be used as a female mold provided the glass does not etch into it. IOi would give anything a good couple coats of a good carnauba wax or any that has silicone in it.
I would lay the total laminate thichness at no more than 3/16 as you will also be laminating it to the body. Make sure you grind of your facing panels that are getting adhered together very thourogh with a rough cut such as 24 thru 36 grit. As Stinkin says get the mat and not woven glass as it has its own uses.
On my ataching points I like to go at least a foot back so I can drape my sheets of laminate as one were feathering in a paint job and build it up very slowly. Let the first harden before applying the next as to minimize the distortion of the glass.
Another thing is on mixing the resin and catalyst is a proper ratio. It is very important on the life of the glass. Catalyst levels should be between 1% to 3% by weight not volume. So a scale is very helpful but not necasary if you are familar with working with such. Just think one gallon of catalyst will treat 50 gallons of resin at 2%. Never mix it as heavy as you do bondo.
After Your box is atached you should have miminal filler work that could be filled with plastic such as common body filler or better yet a duramud.

 

[Stinkin_V8]

Bomo - Sorry, I'm not familiar with the '36 Fords. From what you're saying, it sounds like the face you want to mount the licence plate box isn't vertical? You could measure the angle from vertical and build the lip on your mold (plastic box) to match that angle.. Since the lip won't need to be finished (if you mount it from the inside) it doesn't need to be great, as long as it will match up to the car.

You could cut a hole in a chunk of cardboard (make it look like a square donut) so the cardboard will fit around the plastic box, but a little wide on one side so it slides down just the right amount and then you've got your angle. replicate the cardoard in a piece of wood once you get it fitting right if you think you'll want more strength while you're laying the glass down. Cover it in wax paper before you glass over it and voila.

 

[bomo]

i made a box out of cardboard then fiberglassed it together to use as a mockup and then i cut the body to fit the mockup. when i liked how it fit i then took 18 ga metal and weled it up just like the cardboard that i used as my paterm. i welded and cooled welded and cooled till it was perfect. i welded to wide ears on the back and slid it into the opening then glassed the ears with holes it them to the inside of the body. i also glassed in the top and bottom. after a day of drying i used cloth not matting to glass the mrtal to the fiberglass decklid all around the edges, i then let it dry and came back in with a col of skim coats on body filler. i hit it with some black primer and it really looks quite good if i do say so myself. but i want to give you guys all the credit for your help. thanks a lot.

bomo

 

[Halloweenking]

Thats why we are here, to help. Bomo, we just guided you, your the one that actually did it!

HK