Fiberglass mats have a thousand different uses
The present invention relates to fiberglass mats which are usually provided in sheet form and may be marketed in a roll or formed into desired shapes. The fiberglass mats on the market today generally consist of a base of chopped glass fibers ranging in length from 1/4" to 11/4" and diameters ranging between 9 and 16 microns. The chopped glass fibers are usually bonded together by a suitable bonding agent, such as urea resins, phenolic resins, bone glue, polyvinyl alcohols, etc. Preferably, the bonding agent is water resistant. The glass fibers and the bonding agent are usually formed into a mat having a production width of approximately 36" to 48". The mat is passed through an oven in order to cure the bonding agent. There are two generally accepted methods today for making fiberglass mat: the dry method and the wet method.
In the dry method, elongated yarn strands, which are usually continuous, are often placed in the center area of the mat or sheet to provide tear resistance. Such an arrangement, however, has the disadvantage of causing layering, i.e., a separation of the mat into a plurality of laminae or sheets. This is caused by the central layer of yarns weakening the mat in mechanical strength and destroying its homogeneity, thus causing or allowing easy separation of the mat into two or more parts.
Fiberglass mats have a thousand different uses. From making speaker or amplifier boxes for the car or home, to patching holes in car bodies, and making hood or side scoops for your auto. Once hardened, it is easily sandable and shapeable into any form or size that is needed for any project.
The wet process has been developed over the past few years in order to be able to produce fiberglass mat at a far more rapid rate than is available using the dry process. Initially, the process was developed to produce a product having only chopped fibers and bonding agent. Consequently, there was no significant tear strength in any direction for any suitable product. In many areas of the world, such as Europe, such mat is quite satisfactory for being transformed into roofing. Since construction proceeeds at a more leisurely pace in those areas, the handling of roofing materials is far more gentle and not so much strength is needed in the product. In this country, however, roofing must be produced at about three times the rate as it is produced in Europe and the resulting products must be strong enough to withstand the rough handling required by speed in application.
Consequently, it has become very desirable to be able to produce a fiberglass mat by the wet process having strength which at least meets and preferably exceeds that available through the dry process, such as taught by Hogendobler, et al.
As a further problem discovered in the prior art products, it has been found that there are some instances in which it is highly undesirable to use reinforcing strands which are installed in a straight line along the length of the mat being produced. During the production of matting, the strands are drawn from the spools by some mechanism and applied to the location of initial mat formation. As these strands are drawn from the spools, there is a possibility that, occasionally, the strand will "hang-up" temporarily until it can be pulled free by continued application of a pulling force. Such a hang-up might be caused, for example, by a slight snag in the line which causes it to bind against an adjacent winding of the strand on the spool. When this occurs, tension can be imposed on the entire line up to the point at which curing has finally occurred in the oven.
This is closely analogous to what happens to a fishing line when a fisherman raises the tip of his rod to impose tension on the line. In the production of Fiberglass fabric , this imposition of tension on the longitudinal strand, even momentarily, usually causes a disruption and disorientation of the chopped fibers. Such disruption may occur in the fibers both above and below the strand. The result is a line of weakening extending along the entire mat from the point of finished curing to the initial mat formation location. It is very difficult to discern this line of weakening caused by such "fishlining".
to Lay Fiberglass Mat:
1.Use your power sander to sand around the hole on the car. It does not have to be perfect, but must be roughed up more than anything.
2.Mix up a batch of resin in a bowl, using the putty knife to stir with. The resin will be a 2-part mixture with a bonding agent and a hardener. Mix per instructions, but remember, this is a chemical reaction, so the warmer it is when this is applied, the quicker it will set up and harden.
3.Spread your mix in and around the hole that needs to be patched. Cover all the area that you have sanded.
4.Place your fiberglass matting over the resin. It will instantly stick to the area.
5.Place another coat of resin over the top of the fiberglass.
6.Let the fiberglass and resin dry. Give it a good hour to make sure that it is entirely set.
7.Use your power sander to smooth out the edges of the fiberglass matting. If you need to apply more matting to cover or even out the area around the hole, add another piece using more resin and fiberglass mat manufacturer .
8.Sand the patch smooth with your power sander. To get it glass smooth, you can use different grades of sand paper to smooth it out or shape it as necessary.
