Fiber Glass / Molding Center Dash
**NOTE: this entire process is VERY messy. Take proper precautions
to keep you and your surroundings clean and protected. Eye protection and
proper ventilation are a a must.
ITEMS NEEDED
1/4 &/or 3/8 inch square dowels
Dremel Tool (or cutting tool)
Hot glue gun
Fiberglass Resin
FIberglass Cloth
Body filler (Bondo)
Mixing cups (throw away kind)
Mixing stick
Paint brush (sponge type preferred.)
sand paper (very rough to very fine 60-800 grit)
STEP 1:
Using ¼in to 3/8in square dowel rods, frame the screen. I used a Dremel tool
with a cutoff wheel to cut the dowels to the proper length. In my case, I am
using a double-din size head unit with an integrated screen. The screen needs
to open for access to the DVD slot, so I left a small gap all the way around.
(~1/8in) To measure this I used some carboard to shim the dowels away from the
head unit. Using a hot glue gun, glue the trimmed dowel rods into place on the
console from the back side. Since the dash console has a gradual curve to it, I
sanded the corners of the wooden dowel rod frame to blend into the console's
curvature. This will eventually give us the “molded in look” as we build up the
fiberglass, bondo, primer and finally paint.
STEP 2:
Cut up some small strips of fiberglass cloth (~2"X4"). Mix fiberglass
resin into a cheap disposable container. (plastic or paper mixing cups) You do
not need much resin for this job. 1/2 cup is about all you will need to mix.
(1% mixture of hardener to resin) Apply a coat of mixed resin onto the console
and dowel rods where you need to bond them together and across any gaps using a
paint brush or sponge brush. Lay a few strips of the woven fiberglass strips
that you previously cut onto the resin. Reapply the resin and cloth for a
second layer (while the previous layer is still wet!) Paint on more resin
making sure to soak the fiberglass cloth completely. Since this is not a
speaker box or anything that needs a lot of strength, two layers of cloth with
suffice. Allow the resin to harden. (Dry time depends on amount of hardener
used. Two much hardener will make the resin harden instantly. Not enough and
the resin may never dry.)
STEP 3:
Use a Dremel to cut down and sand away any fiberglass cloth left hanging over
the edges. Some low grit sandpaper will help here to smooth things out and even
the edges. The fiberglass is pretty tough to get through but just a general
roughening will be ok here. We will smooth it out in the following steps) The
fiberglass creates the strength of the mold. Your design should be taking some
shape now!
STEP 4:
Mix up some Bondo body filler in a disposable mixing cup. Again, about 1/2-3/4
cups is all you will need (follow directions on filler for hardener
percentage). This stuff is really thick and pasty. Apply very generously and
spread evenly over area to be worked and shaped. Depending on your design, you
will want to build this up thick enough to be even with your screen and smoot
it into the console surrounding the opening. Put it on very thick because any
excess will be easy to remove with some sanding. (Dry time ~1/2 to 1 hour)
STEP 5:
After the body filler has set, get some rough grit sandpaper (60 -100 grit) and
start shaping. Try to blend in all the creases and swirls left by the filler.
Try to get rid of any sharp angles and to get a natural curved look. The most
difficult part here is getting the shape even and symmetric. Fill in any pits
or holes with more bondo. It may take a few tried to get it right but if you
mess up just add more bondo and try again. Once the general shape is created,
use some medium grit paper to smooth it out even more. (600 – 800 grit). Wet
sanding will help achieve maximum smoothness.
STEP 6:
After the sanding is finished, wash and dry the console. thoroughly. Now you
can spray some sandable primer on and wet sand everything smooth again(800-1000
grit). This will show any blemishes that you may have missed in the sanding
process. Depending on how bad these are you may need to go back over with body
filler and or primer. The console shaping is done at this point. Now time to
send to the body shop for paint! (you may decide to paint this yourself, but I
am getting a spoiler painted, so I will just through this in as well and match
the car.) You can also choose other finishing methods such as vinyl or leather.
Just be creative!
Here is the finished console back from the body shop and installed:
