Re: What is this Hood
<font color="blue">Whitetop</font color> ,the tubs & shower stalls are not a good reference for comparison of the finish on old hoods. Most of the time these companies do not take time to smooth the glass out as it will never be seen. Chopped glass lays down just as well as fiberglass mat if it is air rolled properly. About the only difference between the two is the texture. Fiberglass mat is a rolled & pressed product which gives a better finish and is less likely to "print" (show through the gelcoat) once the part is removed from the mold. Also gelcoat thickness has a lot to do with "print". On chopped glass the strands will differ in length compared to fiberglass mat. Another advantage mat has over chopped glass is that you can get a more consistent build-up of fiberglass in the part you are building as it comes in different thickness'.
It starts out at a 1/2 ounce (very thin and easily seen through)and goes up to usually 2 ounce mat (very thick and cannot be seen through). Normally 1/2 ounce mat is used as the "skin coat" or first layer after the gelcoat is sprayed. This thickness is easy to "mold" once the strands are wet with resin and it helps to prevent air bubbles between the gelcoat and resin. Then there is usually a build up of another layer of this same mat once the first layer has "kicked". Then the actual build-up of the part can start with heavier layers of mat, starting with either 1 ounce or 1-1/2 ounce mat, until the desired thickness is achieved.
As far as strength goes, both offer the same support when applied properly and in the same mils. Both can be reinforced with either fiberglass cloth or woven-roven mat, woven carbon fiber, or even woven Kevlar. The finish that is usually seen on most of those original hoods was a fiberglass cloth placed over the "chopped" or mat fiberglass. This gave the product a more consistent finish on the bottom along with adding strength. No matter which type of system was used, air rolling is part of the procedure and it will smooth the surface if the correct amount of resin is used.
Most hoods made today are a "press molded" design, such as the new Camaro SS and Trans Am WS6 hoods made by SLP. These cost a lot to make and are usually only used for high production items that need to be finished on both sides.
<font color="red">Djunod</font color> , if you have not had any fiberglass mold making experience I suggest that you consult an outside source for making what you are looking for. The costs will be about the same as if you did it yourself and you do not have to hassle with the EPA. There is a company that is fixing to come out with the "stinger" hood with a functional "air box" and it looks great. They have yet to test fit it but that is in the works..............RatPack.................. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
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