ok so i know alot of you think its hideouse and hate it but honestly i dont care i love the kammback hatch and realy want one for my bird has anyone hand made one or know anyone that has or can make one for me? no haters please thank you

 

Well the factory made a few of these.
And there are some people here that can make one.
But to make one for you would not be cheep by any means.
This has also bean talked about in other threads.

 

ok so how hard would it be for me to make it out of fiberglass

 

It really depends on what your fabrication skill level is with fiberglass. And what route you would take to make it. Just thinking about doing a project like this and all the different routes I could do to make it, You could make a frame out of wood and stretch ponte (a thin smooth fabric) tightly, This fabric is much better and takes little to sand. Not like fleece. Then lay up your fiberglass on top of that And use a roller to lay up your fiberglass and spread your resin. You only want to wet your glass with resin not soak it, To much resin will make your finished product weak and brittle.

 

The best way imo is to form a shape out of foam and then either fiberglass that or make a mold from the outside surface. If you use foam that's thin enough you'll be able to use that as part of the structure (Ie. composite). On the other hand, thicker foam will be easier to shape. The more compound curves you have the stronger it will be and you can also add ridges and or additional layers of fiberglass to strengthen areas that need it. Best to start out with small stuff and work your way up imo.

Some foams can be hazardous to breath so be careful cutting and forming it. Same goes for resin/epoxy where reactions can result after long exposures. Grinding fiberglass is also a respiratory hazard. On a project this big you should really take these things into consideration.

A couple of websites for info and ideas. (Didn't know the12volt covered fiberglass.)
http://www.fiberglassforums.com/
http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...ics.asp?FID=16

 

Scorpner: Using Foam is a good way to go, Pending on what kind of foam you are using. If you are using the tight celled sheets of styrofoam like they use for insulation and sell at lows then You would need to use masking tape or something to protect it from melting from the resin. If you use expanding foam you will want to use the 2 part urethane foam as it will not melt when using resin. I would also like to mention here that with this method you will want to use a mold release. I use both the wax and spray mold release on my fiberglass projects.
As for Fiberglassforums.com It's an OK site. it does have some good threads and a lot of good information. But so many of the threads are filled with incomplete builds and people doing it the wrong way. Also that site you can visit and read but its a pita if your not a member of it already. and right now you can not join the site. There registration has bean down for a few years, It's like no one is taking care of the site. What you have to do is register and then log off, then you can view the site for a while until it says you can't anymore then log on and back off and keep viewing it.
If you're looking for a good place to buy your fiberglass and material at a good price I suggest .
http://www.uscomposites.com

 

If you have to ask how hard it would be, that means that you don't already have the fabrication skills required for that specific task, and therefore you can assume the answer is, "hard".

 

the reason i ask how hard jim is i have a neighbor that does fiberglass work on big rigs to fix acdent damage i wont be doing it hed be doing it for me and i wanted to know before i asked him how hard it be so please keep the smart *** coments to your self im just 19 and new to this stuff

 

Well Jim85IROC is correct here. Also repairing fiberglass and making fiberglass parts is not really the same thing, It's much easier to repair fiberglass than to fabricate something out of it. And lastly and most important watch what you may say to a moderator on this site, They are here to keep this a good family style site And they are not payed for it, Now this may not be Jim85IROC area to moderate but still the respect should be there.

 

My reply was not a "smart ***" comment. It was truthful, albeit blunt. Custom fabrication with fiberglass requires a very specific skill set as well as some unique tools, and if you don't already have that skill set & tools, your chances for success are pretty close to zero. Anybody who expects success in this type of fabrication, already has the tools, and already has the basic skills associated with this type of work. And once you have that equipment and knowledge, you'll already know the answer to your own question. Even when you DO have the skills and the necessary tools, this type of project will be extensive.

 

T/Aperformance, yes thanks for adding that. He might have been in for one big surprise. lol
I was thinking that the forum is good a good place to see how it's done (in general) and get some ideas from. I haven't seen anything similar.
I passed on that link to a friend that was looking for a source as well. -thanks!

Mikey, I have to agree that it is really easy to get over your head with this kind of a thing even with help. IMO, planning/designing is a big part of it, getting through a lay up is another. There are a lot of possibilities of warpage/shrinkage etc. and then you'll also need to reinforce near the hinge and latch as well. I was trying to give you a general idea of what's involved. Even if you're getting help, I would try some small projects so you can get a feel for it. It is fun when everything goes well, but I think we all have experienced or watched disasters as well and I think that Jim was helping you avoid that.

 

sorry for snapping i was just asking it was just an idea

 

As with anything... some people have talent and make amazing pieces, and some people wish they had... I've seen fiberglass pieces from people that have been doing it for 30 years and the quality is horrible... and I've seen a young guy that's been doing it for a few years do amazing work... The biggest compliment I've heard is that the fiberglass piece looks factory.... As noted above, a huge undertaking... whether you're going to learn and do it your self, or pay a lot of $$$ to someone with the skills...

Rafael