Fiberglass/Styrofoam

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 4:51 pm

Probably been posted before, but I searched around and found very little.

Just wondering if this idea would work for case molding:

1) Carve a mold out of stryofoam.
2) "Paint" the mold with fiberglass/epoxy
3) Peel out the fiberglass, wash the stryofoam off with some acetone or other non-polar substance
4) Sand it down, paint it, and USE IT!!! hurrah!

demonofaj · Post by **demonofaj** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 4:53 pm

As long as it can secure the thing, and doesn't conduct electricity, you're good to go

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 4:56 pm

Hurrah!

Has anybody done this before?
And how well did it turn out?
And how easy was it from 1 to 10, 10 being ub3r 3asy.

I think a few features on my GIGANTIC (using a '95 original) SNESp will be completely original.

- Fiberglass body
- Redone, smaller game cases

Well, 2 features.

Well... one...maybe...

legoboy · Post by **legoboy** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:11 pm

Sounds like that would work really well... however, you said fiberglass. Unless you want splinters coat it with some sort of good silicon paint or something. And make sure you wear a mask while sanding. Inhaling can sure ruin your week.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:28 pm

that would work really well... however, you said fiberglass

Did you have something better in mind?

Do share!

legoboy · Post by **legoboy** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 7:12 pm

No, I don't know something better (that's within a reasonable budget). Fiberglass would work quite well. It'd be strong and inexpensive. I'm just saying you'd want to coat the outside with something so you don't get fiberglass splinters, those things hurt.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 7:35 pm

Yeah. Splinters (Especially hard to see, deep ones) are ery annoying

I think when I do it, I might wear some gloves.

superdeformed · Post by **superdeformed** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 7:41 pm

legoboy wrote:No, I don't know something better (that's within a reasonable budget). Fiberglass would work quite well. It'd be strong and inexpensive. I'm just saying you'd want to coat the outside with something so you don't get fiberglass splinters, those things hurt.

Fiberglass is generally fine after it's been coated and dried, but it's a pain to work with. Also, overall it would be extremely expensive and time consuming to do this. Epoxy resin, in amounts large enough for fiberglassing, is ridiculously expensive. We're talking $30+ for a container the same size as the $10 bondo fiberglass resin kits, plus another $20 atleast for hardener. If you are using styrofoam as the mold then you have to use epoxy, as normal fiberglass resin (polyester resin) will melt the foam. You would also need a fairly high-density styrofoam, and to thoroughly coat it with a release agent, otherwise the epoxy will just stick to it.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 7:47 pm

...

Can you say pessimist?
I can but I can't spell it.

Money and time aren't a problem.
And as to getting it off the styrofoam, any non-polar liquid (like acetone, or gasoline) will dissolve it.

As just about every chemistry teacher says: "Like dissolves like"

superdeformed · Post by **superdeformed** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 7:57 pm

Kurt_ wrote:...

Can you say pessimist?
I can but I can't spell it.

Money and time aren't a problem.
And as to getting it off the styrofoam, any non-polar liquid (like acetone, or gasoline) will dissolve it.

As just about every chemistry teacher says: "Like dissolves like"

If you aren't worried about money and time, then go for it! You can probably get the epoxy resin at a marine store if you haven't found it already, and layered extruding foam (big pink or blue sheets used for insulating walls) can be sanded/shaped fairly easily. I misinterprated your post and was thinking that you wanted to save the mold; you won't need something too dense, so this should work. As for dissolving the styrofoam, just watch out for nasty chemicals being released when you do it

.

Kurt_ · Post by **Kurt_** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 10:18 am

Yay thanks for the help

demonofaj · Post by **demonofaj** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:28 pm

G'luck.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:39 pm

if kurt is indeed the same kurt that is my brother, then why dont you just ask me to help you?

at solarcar, we make the molds out of that pink insulation foam (not the fiberglass. the foam) and just cover them in some sort of plasticy tape. apparently the epoxy dosent stick to that. as for splinters, we take care of that by sandwhiching the fiberglass between layers of kevlar. kevlar dosent make splinters, and adds strength. the entire thing is incredibly strong, and about 1/8 inch thick. sand. paint.

im going to try this method, but with carbon fiber. carbon fiber, as you might assume, conducts electricity. i figure ill give it 4 or 5 coats of paint (only on the inside) and then possibly duct tape.

demonofaj · Post by **demonofaj** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 12:44 pm

Wait, this is the internet, there are a million Kurts. How could our Kurt be your Kurt

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 2:19 pm

because he joined two days ago, aroudn the same time my kurt bought a SNES. then he started asking questions about SNES, then he posted a picture of his SNES which had the same "heatsink" that i put on my brothers SNES the day i wanted to play starfox.