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Originally Posted by Phi
1. Mixing resin and hardener - so I've been told that the rule of thumb for mixing hardner to resin is 0.02:1 (ie. 20ml of hardner to every litre of resin). How forgiving is this ratio if I goof up?
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generally i put in more, depends on the drying time that you desire and the temperature that you are working at. hotter the air temp, quicker the dry time. i usually add a bit more as i work a bit quicker. however when i first started out i mixed the right amount and just took my time. if you are a bit more cautious you can make little batches of resin and just glass a little bit at a time. this allows you to get used to the process and understand the characteristics of resin and fibreglass.
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Originally Posted by Phi
2. Clean up - is Acetone all I need to tidy up any mess a make?
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acetone should be fine to clean up however i rarely used it. What i did was lay down some newspapers around the area i was working in to catch any spills etc. then i wore two latex gloves on each hand. the reason why i used two was:
1. preventative measure in case the outside glove ripped.
2. once you start to glass then the fibres get stuck to the glove and can get messy.
so if u need that way once you're done just whip off the outside glove and you have
two clean gloves
if you wish u can put on another glove to continue. i usually use
the two and take the outer glove off when i'm finished glassing and clean up.
brush wise, i just bought a pack of shitty ones and threw them out once i had finished glassing. once the brush has hardened just discard.
any spills then use acetone. DONT MIX ACETONE AND HARDENER, as in the right amounts you'll get a fire going due to the exothermic reaction that occurs. you'll understand what i mean when you touch the glass as it dries.
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Originally Posted by Phi
3. Any other tips you can offer a newb is appreciated.
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wear a dust mask at least. i used a respirator with dual agricultural filters just to be safe but you should be fine with a simple thick dust mask. if you do use a respirator, remember people cant hear you when you talk through it
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Originally Posted by Phi
-add a few more layers to the back.
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test fit the mould that Luc has given you and make sure that its flush if its flush then dont add layers to the outside as this will increase the thickness of the box and then the fitting might not be as good. what layers are you going to add? i use chopped matt that i have pre cut or ripped(ripped is better to fuse pieces together) to a workable size. i rip my glass into certain shapes that basically form a layer that i'll add. this way i can go slowly and have a good layer when i'm done. if you are good then lay one huge sheet on, but i wouldnt advise that.
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Originally Posted by Phi
-mount a ring which I've already cut.
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use a heat glue gun and mount ur ring onto the dried FG box. if you have trouble with the glue holding you can use something like Liquid Nails.
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Originally Posted by Phi
-stretch cloth over ring and 'glass
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when stretching the fabric, you may encounter the problem whereby the cloth wont hold to the back of the box. what i did was hot glue what parts i could, then get some thread and a needle and just pulled the sections that werent tight back towards the centre of the box. that way i could adjust the cloth as i desired to get the fabric all taut. dont cut the fabric to size, just make sure there is enough to get it all pulled back to one point at the back of the box.
just glass over the whole fabric first paying attention to where its contact the sides of the box. once the cloth gets a little tacky then apply the first layer of glass. i'll add some more general tips at the end.
remember to get the fabric soaked really well, paying careful attention to where it contacts the side of the box and the mdf ring. this ensures that the fabric has bonded and wont cause any problems later on.
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Originally Posted by Phi
-trim excess cloth
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i didnt have a dremel so the method i use is a bit prehistoric. remove the thread from the fabric and lifted the fabric off any sections that were hot glued. i then took a screwdriver and scraped off the hot glue. after that i took a sharp razor and cut the fabric off, areas which were a tad thick i used a metal hacksaw. however as you have a dremel and will be adding layers of glass on top of the box, i'd reccomend using the cutting tool to carefully remove the excess. dont worry about getting to close to the edge as its better to cut a little less and grind the rest of flush then cut into the box
for the ring, i used my razor and hack saw again, but u can use your trusty dremel. as above take it slowly and if in doubt cut a little less and grind off to a flush finish after. (i think i should get a dremel
)
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Originally Posted by Phi
-apply thin coat of bondo and sand
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if you carpet then dont bother sanding. if you are going to vinyl or paint then you'll need to sand like there's no tomorrow, except there will be if you dont get it done
just mix the bondo and apply a nice smooth layer all over the box. not too thick, but enough to cover all the pits or imperfections. dont worry, if you dont add enough you can add more afterwards.
once the bondo has dried use 60 grade sandpaper to get the roughness out. then move up the scale to 120. if you need to add more bondo add it now. if not move up to 200 then 400 (wet and dry then 800 wet and dry) if you are going to paint it then stop at 200, spray a thick layer of primer and sand it back with 400 and 800 lightly. not too much that you hit the bondo, but enough to get that baby bottoms smoothness.
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Originally Posted by Phi
-paint or carpet. still undecided.
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paint will be a bitch, carpet is easy like mine
but i ran out of time
General Tips
-if you sand you'll need a mask, its the dust that gets all over you that will make you itch.
-wear old clothes as if they get dirty, you wont give two shits.
-fibreglass dust is really itchy. yes it does go away but it will be extremely annoying. i was itchy for a few days after i finished. the dust that gets embedded in your pores will just dissolve after awhile, but its the time they're in you that is bad. hot showers feel good to get rid of the itch. dont scratch or touch your skin while sanding as this just impregnates the glass into more pores. i'd reccommend long sleeve shirts but since you're doing it in summer like i did, you'll end up wearing a t-shirt.
-sand outside as the family doesnt appreciate getting itchy with you.
-when laying glass remember that its the glass that you want not resin. dont pour excess resin on the box as its pointless. what you can do is get a piece of cardboard and use that as a board to pre soak your glass before applying it to the box. i would also reccommend adding a thin layer of resin to the current box before you glass some more. actually if the current box feels a tad waxy inside, just give it a brief sand with some 80 to get it nice and rough for the new glass layers. make sure each piece of glass is thoroughly soaked with resin before placing it onto the box. when you place the wet glass on the box, use a dabbing motion to ensure it adheres totally to the box. you will not want any air bubbles.
-add layers up slowly if you are not working with a quick dry time. wet resin and glass can move a bit due to gravity. wait for each layer to get a little tacky before you add your next layer so that you dont end up with layers of moving glass and causing you to
-once all layers are dry trim with dremel
-if need be you can add a layer of glass to the inside edges where the fabric meets the back layers. this just ensures that the box is fully sturdy.
-as this will be a sub box, i would reccommend at least 5 layers of fibreglass.
-safety gear is advised, but its up to your own discretion. i'd reccomend a mask as minimum.
-cover that dome of yours with a hat as an itchy head may make others paranoid and think you have lice
well thats all that i can remember at the moment. if you have any questions just ask and i'll be glad to help.
Cheers
edit: hmm my reply was longer then i thought
"Skoolin' the unlearned!"
Why didn't you guys warn me about the fumes 
Good too see that its all working out for you 
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