Hey guys,

i know there are some people out there who do their own fiberglassing and i was looking for some info. I'd really like to start a career in fiberglassing and custom fabrication, i just don't really know how to go about it. I've found a major forum about fiberglassing (www.fiberglassingforums.com), and there's some helpful people on it, but mostly it's just people bashing each other on how they "should" have done it, etc..

So far there's been no helpful hits coming up on google either, i can't find if there are any classes involved that i can take, if there is any certification for it, or where'd i'd even start. Also, there's no businesses around that have anything to do with fiberglassing in my area (i'm like an hour north of Toronto in a small town called Uxbridge) so i can't find any help there either.

I've graduated high school and i'm taking a year off right now just to save money and figure things out. My fall-back plan is to start an apprenticeship for a mechanic - i'll be one of the few honest ones LOL Whatever my career, making loads of cash isn't my goal-getting by is all i care about. I don't want to be doing something for the rest of my life that i hate, but get paid decent money-it just doesn't add up for me.

Anyways, enough rambeling! if there's anyone out there that can give me any advice or helpful stuff at all, i'd really appreciate it! I'm just in a crunch right now because my parents want my plan for spring or i have to find my own place to stay Thanks again in advance guys, i know you'll help me out!

mobile dynamics, look em up! They teach everything! And you get to keep everything you make/do.

Originally Posted by AdamCL

mobile dynamics, look em up! They teach everything! And you get to keep everything you make/do.

i did look into these guys and they do mostly sound systems, the actual audio dynamics. I'm mostly looking for building what that stuff would go into, custom consoles, dashes, boxes, even body kits and bumpers... sound systems is not really what i'm looking for, but also another interest.

Thanks for the quick reply!!

I recently reformatted my PC, and I had a ton of links of fiberglassing FAQs and tips. So MP3Car is all I remember (Im surprised more people here dont put pc's in their cars...).

Mp3 Car

Go into the forums, they have a Fiberglassing Forum there, hit up the threads, some good info there.

hmm i dont even think theres any sort of fibreglass schools, do u jsut want to do this on the side like in ur hosue garage or you want to start up a little shop somewhere?

Go get a book from crappy tire or the library, fiberglassing isn't terribly difficult but it takes time and technique which you learn from practice, start small and work up to larger objects. My dad showed me in our garage when I was young, I havent done it in years but I am sure I could still do it its not rocket science lol

to lay glass is ez.. the problem comes with finishing it .. priming it and painting it.. its like a good body shop compared to a shitty body shop.. its all in the finish!!!

What exactly do you want to make? bodykits etc?

Originally Posted by msequence

to lay glass is ez.. the problem comes with finishing it .. priming it and painting it.. its like a good body shop compared to a shitty body shop.. its all in the finish!!!

Well said!!!, I say just learn by trial and error, Everyone learn differently! I learned some in school, and I learned more from a boat builder when I lived back home!! Its not terribly hard to do, just perfecting it takes alot of time and patience which I know I lack alot of!!lol.. I am going to say try it yourself on stuff that are spare parts(ie junkyard trip). and then from there you will become more and more comfortable with what you can and cannot do!! Good luck with this, we need more people in this industry for sure!!!!

Thanks for all the replies! Sorry i haven't been on in awhile, holiday stuff, etc.
I'm currently checking out admissions for mobile dynamics, as it seems like it's a pretty good place. I'm also going to be talking to the owner of Unique Visions-within 30 minutes of my place-to see what he has to say, since they do a lot of that (not sure what location tho?). Anyways, awesome replies and i'll keep you updated if i come across anything groundbreaking.

Thanks again! Keep 'em coming!

Here is a simple article I found on my hard drive, you can make these things for less than $10, then sell them on ebay for $60+ usd also if you can do fiberglass you can do Carbon Fiber!

^^^very cool!

Yikes, working with fiberglass all day? I could never do that to my health.

MADAZ: also if you can do fiberglass you can do Carbon Fiber!

this is not true at all. fiberglass and carbon fiber have the same idea. but to make something from carbon fiber takes extreme skill, lots of practice, and money. fiberglass donst need a perfect weave because it is sanded and made smooth. unlike carbon fiber u only have one chance at it. fiberglass peices for example will be made with numerouse layers of small chopped up fiberglass coated with resin, then sanded, a little bit of bondo to make it perfect. then it is primed wetsanded and eventaly painted. now with carbon fiber from my understanding is that the carbon fiber sheet is layed and coated with resin or is put in a press where the resin is injected into it to make the perfect shape because u want an equal amount of resin on each part of the carbon fiber becuase if not u will be able to see where there is +/-. which also makes weak spots in the peice you are making. carbon fiber is eventually wetsanded and sprayed with a special clear coat. i dont remember what the clear coat is called. i have done fiberglass work and it takes lots of time and hard work. its a messy job and it is extremely hard to get it all straight , sanded and finished. i am pretty sure that mobile dynamics offers a course called phase x which is all about custom fiberglass fabrication but you need 2 years of experience in this feild to get in. but this is only my 2 cents

im into fibreglassing and i work at a marine body shop so i do it also for a living. Im 90% done a SIR trunk enclosure and it is from the moulding inward, And let me tell you that the initial stage is the easy stage. The finish work is very tedious and time consuming. The enclosure is mostly inside corners and they are hard to sand and to make look symetrical. This isnt a negative post though....i love making custom enclosures and you should definetely get into it

Originally Posted by msequence

to lay glass is ez.. the problem comes with finishing it .. priming it and painting it.. its like a good body shop compared to a shitty body shop.. its all in the finish!!!

thats incorrect.... nothing is easy until you have been doing it for 20 , 30 , 40 +++ then its easy. EVERY single step has 2 be done right, and has to be perfected, even laying fibre glass and thats the difference between a good body shop and a shitty one.

Originally Posted by Polska_01

thats incorrect.... nothing is easy until you have been doing it for 20 , 30 , 40 +++ then its easy. EVERY single step has 2 be done right, and has to be perfected, even laying fibre glass and thats the difference between a good body shop and a shitty one.

have you ever worked with fiberglass before? what he said is 100% true (i used to make custom audio enclosures with FG)

Since i dont know you or any of your abilities im not gonna say anything in regards to that...but to say that our shop is a shitty body shop based on a few lines is rediculous. I work at one of the best known marine body shops around and ppl bring us boats from all over canada and the US. Jeff from H2O motorsports is a friend of our shop and fequently brings us boats, and so do many other shops. trust me when i say i know abit. What do you think i meant?, that i was sitting there sanding bare glass until my hands bleed? All i meant was that some stages ARE EASIER than others. Our shop has virtually a 0% bring back and i think that implies knowing abit about all stages of the job. Not a day goes by that i dont use fibreglass at work. Please dont be so fast to cut ppl up...no ones doing that here...we are just trying to give this girl some encouragement

*sigh*

guys, quit arguing over a forum... it's kind of sad... i know both of you are trying to defend yourselves, but i started this thread so i could get some help, not for you to bicker...

So, with that said, is there anything productive anyone would like to say to help me out

its a great career, you should go for it

Hey Kate i have alot to say on this subject

There really aren't to many companys that make custom dashes,bodykits etc all day long in ont.Your best bet would be to go and work for a boat place and learn it all

As to Mobile Dyanamics

Its a school for newbes,everything they show you,you could learn from reading up on sites like 12volt.com or working at a shop.If you can use a DMM and solder wires and and understand the jiff of a RS and alarm and what gauge power wire you need you pretty much did the course.I've told people to just get the bronze MECP book read that and then take the test.If they really want to be a installer

the projects are building a box,makeing kick panels,raised lettering etc


Not worth the $6k plus for 8 weeks

plus in the end they don't help you get a job,they tell you whos looking and you do all the leg work.


if you haven't gone yet please tell me what your sorts of Richard were