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Okay before I begin I must say I just got my civic and just found this site and it is AWSOME,tons of free info and good pics to help too.

Now on to business, I have looked for 2 days before posting questions so here goes.

I have really been inspired to try my hand at fabricating a fiberglass box for 2 12'' subs. I have looked at alot of builds and I want to do my own thing. I do not want to carpet, cloth, or paint my enclosure. I want mine to look like a carbon fiber hood when I am done. Here is what I was planning on using carbon kevlar cloth
I was thinking of doing the top with fiberglass and finishing up with the blue kevlar cloth (i have a blue civic), I just want to know

1. Is this possible?

2. Is this a good idea?

3. Can I sand it smooth when I am done, while staying clear?

4. Should I know anything more than is listed in DIY?

Thanks for taking the time to help me on my first post. All I have to offer for your help is some SWEET pics ( I hope) when I'm finished.

 
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Yeah, it'll stay clear, assuming you use clear resin. www.selectproducts.com has surfboard resin that's clear. Essentially, you're wanting to overlay the finished product. Not a hard thing to do. Been done before. kazell overlayed his entire dash, looked awesome. To keep it clear, finish sand it, then hit it with a final coat of clear spray then use a rubbing compound to rub it out and finally a finishing compound to smooth it like glass.

 
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ohhh interesting!

 
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tell u what why dont you buy my enclosure...full carbon fiber dish amps and subs, every thing you see in my pics..go to my gal

 
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better yet here...every thing you see in this pic for 950.00 EVERTHING!



the dish is CF and so is the display window that say AS Kustomz is CF as well

 
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WOW!, That's really a sweet setup and I am very flattered you would sell it to me to begin with however I must sadlly decline. Not because of your system but because I really want to try my hand at fiberglass, and I have already began purchasing stuff. Another resason is (and quite frankley kinda foolish) I want to have the ability to put the stock carpet back on top to hide it then when people ask what kind of system I have I can pop the trunk and say "none just those 6x9's; that will really confuse the hell out of them . Besides It gives me a chance to work with my dad and little bro's. Thanks again for the tip on the surfboard resin. I really hope to begin on this project this month depending on work.

 
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no problem, hit me back if you change your mind

 
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You're welcome for teh recommendation of surf board resin.

 
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you can doublecheck agasint kazell, but polyester resin isnt a really great idea for carbon or kevlar. the gaps are too small between the fibers for capilary action to overcome surface tension of the resin, and wetting will always be poor, even through use of a squeegee.

the recommended resin for carbon or kevlar fibers is an epoxy resin. you can get a marine grade epoxy from www.tapplastics.com that is clear (medium cure is clear, slow and fast are yellow.).

now, technically, using a polyester will work, but I can't in good conscience recommend using it as an appropriate alternative.

 
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Thanks WhiteRabbit, I appreciate the info and will ask before purchaseing the resin. Thanks again everyone for the information, it really helps, I only want to do this once.

 
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I use b or c lam resin for most of my CF projects, all though epoxy is just as great but tends to take to long between cure times, epoxy is much more expensive then resin as well. now they do sell a resin with wax in it...you dont want this...so do not go to home depot and buy there cheep resin that will turn brown on you after it cures..

sorry this was a dble post

 
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Really what i would use is a good c or b lam resin, you can adjust the cure time to your needs and since your a newbe to this your going to want to have some time to play with the cure ratio when laying down your weave...with this heat wave were having at the moment the resin will cure in a matter of hrs..

Epoxy on the other hand doesnt cure as fast a will tend to need a good day or two to fully cure, one thing i have noticed with epoxy is its not always certain when it will cure a few times i had it cure in a matter of hrs and other times the sh^t never cured...wheather is a big factor when messing with this stuff..not mention the cost for epoxy is alot more expensive...

 
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yeah, about $80 for a gallon and a half versus what, $30 for a gallon of surf? If youve had luck with polyester, then I can't see any reason it wont work for this guy. I would still ask about it when going to buy my resin though, should be able to get much more detailed information.

 
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Whoa LOTS of new info to consider; but once again I really appreciate all the feedback! One more quetion should I be concerned whith the "weight" of fabric? I have seen stuff like 0.45 lbs/ft, and suff like tolerence. What does all this mean? Is there a "perfect" lbs/ft for enclosures? As always thanks again.

 
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the weight is the thickness of the threads/fineness of the weave or matting or roving.

thus, your 2 ounce glass will looks and feel like a fine fine silk, and your 18 ounce roving will seem more like a burlap sack.

the thicker fibers will also drink more resin. But it also has to do with the form, as well. For example, your 8 ounce woven cloth will take more resin per square foot than your 2 ounce glass. a TON more. but your 2 ounce matting will take nearly the same as the 8 ounce glass. and roving just absolutely drinks resin. but in the same category, the lighter weights will always take less resin.

same with carbon or kevlar. carbon weave will wet differently than glass weave, glass matting, or glass roving.

edit: carbon will also wet with epoxy WAY differently than with polyester. think water rather than playdough.
the perfect weight for enclosures? I dont think you will find one. I personally use a mix of weights and fabrics for each job. for a base sealing layer, I use whatever weave I can find, usually a 6 or 8 ounce glass. then I bulk up with roving as a cheap source of lots of glass fiber. the top I can layer more woven cloth, or usually I just start with the bondo. smaller enclosures I will do the same way, using matting instead of roving.

I usually use heavier cloth so I have to do less layering. but in reality, I go for whatever is cheapest (assuming its not 2 ounce weave), so I get the most material for my dollar.

edit: but really the number number number number one thing that is going to affect your enclosure is going ot be processing, rather than material. by a very wide margin.