nike13857
04-23-2008, 05:15 PM
Gauge Pod Cubby How-To
First you need to gather the material that you will be using in this project. Here is the list:
·(1) Plastic Drop Cloth for speedy clean up: $2.00
·(1) Mix and Measure bucket: $1.00
·(2) Disposable paint brushes: $.50 each
·(1) Disposable gloves: $1.00
·(1) Fiberglass Resin Kit (hardener included): $10.00
·(1) Yard of fleece material (color does not matter): $2.00
·(1) Hot Glue Gun: $2.00
·(1) Package of glue sticks: $2.00
·(1) 1 foot long PVC pipe with 2” ID (Home Depot): $2.00
·(1) Assortment pack of sandpaper: $5.00
·(1) Tube of Bondo Spot Putty: $2.00
·(1) Can of High Build Sandable Primer
·(1) Scissors
·(1) Plastic Mitre Box (used to make straight cuts in the PVC): $5.00
·(1) Fine toothed Hacksaw
·(1) Bottle of cleaner/degreaser
·(1) Roll of paper towels
Some extra tools that are good to have that will make the process faster and easier are:
·Dremel
·Cutoff wheels for Dremel
·Sanding drums for Dremel (60 grit #440 or #408 and 120 grit #444 or #432)
·High-Speed Cutters (#115 and #199)
·Razor Blade
·Old clothes
Pic of some of the materials you will need:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod1.jpg
Now that you have all your materials (including your cubby) its time to get started.
The first thing to do is cut the PVC to make the “pods”. I usually measure 2” and make a mark on the PVC. Or if you have a Mitre Box, it’s usually marked in inches. You then cut the PVC into how many pods you will need (1 – 3).
This pic shows 2 of them cut and ready for this cubby project.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod2.jpg
If you noticed, I placed red arrows to point which way the pods will face. I look at them and determine which end is the smoothest and flattest.
The next thing that you will want to do is grab your cubby and do some measuring. Take one of your freshly cut “pods” and place it on the front of your cubby to the far left and bottom of the pocket. Mark with a Sharpie (on the cubby) where it ends on the right and the top. Now slide it over to that mark and repeat the process. Do this again if you are making a 3-gauge cubby. This is the area that you will be cutting off. I personally recommend using a Dremel and High Speed Cutter attachment #199 or a cut off wheel. Once you are done cutting out this section it should look similar to this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod3.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod4.jpg
Now that you have that done, you are ready to glue the “pods” in. So plug your glue gun in and get ready. Take your first “pod” and place it in the cut out section. Play with the angle and depth (up, down, left, right, forwards, backwards) until you get it to where you like it. Then from the back, start gluing it in. Once you have it glued in, grab the other pod and do the same thing. Once done it should resemble this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod5.jpg
I then will go around the entire piece and add extra glue to all contact points. Front and back.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod6.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod7.jpg
Once that is done, you are set to start wrapping it in the fleece material. So grab the fleece and scissors. Also, leave the hot glue gun plugged in; you’re going to need it again here. Lay the fleece material over the cubby pod and cut piece that is 2” bigger all the way around. Once that is done you will start gluing it down. The first section you should do is the front lip or edge of the “pods”. Like this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod8.jpg
I always start with the right pod (personal choice) and work my way around. Once you have the front of the “pod” glued down, run a bead of glue around the edge and pull the fleece tightly and glue it down too. Only work in 2-4 inch increments at a time. Glue dries fast. Once you’re done with that 2-4” section, pull the fleece tight to the next section and see if you like it, meaning no creases or wrinkles. If you do, glue it.
Keep working your way around the edge like this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod9.jpg
In the above pic I was making a gauge pod that was keeping the cig. lighter. You do this by running a small bead of the hot glue around it, pull the fleece tight and press it down.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod10.jpg
Once you get it completely wrapped, you should end up with something similar to this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod11.jpg
Again, if you want to leave the lighter, you simply run a small bead of glue around the outside of it when you are working that side. Also, once you get to the top of the cubby, the glue will be ran on the back. Fold over the fleece to the back and glue it down.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod12.jpg
Now is the fun stuff – Fiberglass resin. Here you will need the resin and hardener, gloves, brushes, bucket and preferably old clothes.
Mix the resin and hardener as directed on the can. With this stuff you must remember that you have a limited time frame before it starts to harden. You will notice this because it will start to turn into a “jelly” like substance. Once it’s like that, its no good. So work quickly. Also, you won’t be using the entire can. Its only takes about a ¼ of the can to do one cubby. So you will also use a ¼ of the hardener. Once it’s mixed (properly) quickly grab your brush and cover the entire cubby. Some parts will appear to become see-through. That’s ok. The more coats of this – the better. Don’t forget the back.
Now you will leave that to dry for a good 24 hours.
This entire process up to this point should only have taken 1-2 hours. Not bad huh?
Once it is dry, its time to do some trimming and sanding. I start off by cutting out the center of the “pods”. You will need a Dremel or another similar cutting tool. Cut as close as you can to the inside edge with the high-speed cutter #199 or the cut off wheels. Then use the high-speed cutter #115 or the 60 grit sanding drums to clean it up. You then will take the #199 cutter or the cut off wheels and go around the lip of the cubby and remove all the excess material. Don’t go to deep or you will cut into the plastic. So be careful. Then again, take the 60 grit sanding drum and clean up the edges.
Once that’s good and cleaned up its time for the rest. I highly recommend using a Dremel for this part. Sanding by hand sucks and takes a lot longer. Start of with the 60 grit sanding drums and sand the entire cubby. The idea here is to start off working with the 60 grit course drums and finish with the finer 120 grit ones. You will want to use a slow speed and keep a very light pressure for a more effective sanding. For those doing it by hand, keep working your way down to the finer sandpaper.
If you notice, while you’re sanding, there are sanding lines or grooves in the fiberglass. Its ok. You don’t have to keep sanding until those are gone. Once you have it to a point where it’s somewhat smooth, use the cleaner/degreaser and clean it. It should look similar to this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod13.jpg
If you notice I have a gauge in it. I was testing the fit. Its good to have a gauge handy to do this. You will need to take the Dremel and the 60 grit drum and sand around the entire inside of the PVC until the gauge fits. You usually don’t have to remove much.
Now take the High Build spray primer and spray 2 coats onto it. Let it dry for about 30-45 minutes. Once that is done you will notice that the primer got rid of some of the light scratches. Now you will need the Bondo spot putty. Knead it as directed and apply it to the entire fiberglassed area. Applying slight pressure and a thin coat. You will need to let this dry for about an hour. I usually place it in the sun to speed up the process.
After the first spot putty layer is dry, take a 220 grit sand paper and begin to smooth it out. Don’t be afraid to use slight pressure. What the spot putty did was fill in any pinholes and deep scratches. Once you think that you have it smooth, clean it again using the cleaner/degreaser. Now spray another 2 coats of the High build primer. Once it is dry examine it for any other scratches, ridges, unsmoothed areas, pinholes, ect. If you find any, use the spot putty to fill the scratches and pinholes and a 400-grit sandpaper to smooth out the ridges and such. Repeat this process until completely smooth. It should look similar to this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod14.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod15.jpg
From here, I would go ahead and add 2-3 more coats of primer, let dry, and then sand with a 600-800 grit sandpaper. It should be ready for paint.
Here are pics of the different options that I have done with the cubby and fiberglass.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod16.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod17.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod18.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod19.jpg
First you need to gather the material that you will be using in this project. Here is the list:
·(1) Plastic Drop Cloth for speedy clean up: $2.00
·(1) Mix and Measure bucket: $1.00
·(2) Disposable paint brushes: $.50 each
·(1) Disposable gloves: $1.00
·(1) Fiberglass Resin Kit (hardener included): $10.00
·(1) Yard of fleece material (color does not matter): $2.00
·(1) Hot Glue Gun: $2.00
·(1) Package of glue sticks: $2.00
·(1) 1 foot long PVC pipe with 2” ID (Home Depot): $2.00
·(1) Assortment pack of sandpaper: $5.00
·(1) Tube of Bondo Spot Putty: $2.00
·(1) Can of High Build Sandable Primer
·(1) Scissors
·(1) Plastic Mitre Box (used to make straight cuts in the PVC): $5.00
·(1) Fine toothed Hacksaw
·(1) Bottle of cleaner/degreaser
·(1) Roll of paper towels
Some extra tools that are good to have that will make the process faster and easier are:
·Dremel
·Cutoff wheels for Dremel
·Sanding drums for Dremel (60 grit #440 or #408 and 120 grit #444 or #432)
·High-Speed Cutters (#115 and #199)
·Razor Blade
·Old clothes
Pic of some of the materials you will need:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod1.jpg
Now that you have all your materials (including your cubby) its time to get started.
The first thing to do is cut the PVC to make the “pods”. I usually measure 2” and make a mark on the PVC. Or if you have a Mitre Box, it’s usually marked in inches. You then cut the PVC into how many pods you will need (1 – 3).
This pic shows 2 of them cut and ready for this cubby project.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod2.jpg
If you noticed, I placed red arrows to point which way the pods will face. I look at them and determine which end is the smoothest and flattest.
The next thing that you will want to do is grab your cubby and do some measuring. Take one of your freshly cut “pods” and place it on the front of your cubby to the far left and bottom of the pocket. Mark with a Sharpie (on the cubby) where it ends on the right and the top. Now slide it over to that mark and repeat the process. Do this again if you are making a 3-gauge cubby. This is the area that you will be cutting off. I personally recommend using a Dremel and High Speed Cutter attachment #199 or a cut off wheel. Once you are done cutting out this section it should look similar to this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod3.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod4.jpg
Now that you have that done, you are ready to glue the “pods” in. So plug your glue gun in and get ready. Take your first “pod” and place it in the cut out section. Play with the angle and depth (up, down, left, right, forwards, backwards) until you get it to where you like it. Then from the back, start gluing it in. Once you have it glued in, grab the other pod and do the same thing. Once done it should resemble this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod5.jpg
I then will go around the entire piece and add extra glue to all contact points. Front and back.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod6.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod7.jpg
Once that is done, you are set to start wrapping it in the fleece material. So grab the fleece and scissors. Also, leave the hot glue gun plugged in; you’re going to need it again here. Lay the fleece material over the cubby pod and cut piece that is 2” bigger all the way around. Once that is done you will start gluing it down. The first section you should do is the front lip or edge of the “pods”. Like this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod8.jpg
I always start with the right pod (personal choice) and work my way around. Once you have the front of the “pod” glued down, run a bead of glue around the edge and pull the fleece tightly and glue it down too. Only work in 2-4 inch increments at a time. Glue dries fast. Once you’re done with that 2-4” section, pull the fleece tight to the next section and see if you like it, meaning no creases or wrinkles. If you do, glue it.
Keep working your way around the edge like this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod9.jpg
In the above pic I was making a gauge pod that was keeping the cig. lighter. You do this by running a small bead of the hot glue around it, pull the fleece tight and press it down.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod10.jpg
Once you get it completely wrapped, you should end up with something similar to this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod11.jpg
Again, if you want to leave the lighter, you simply run a small bead of glue around the outside of it when you are working that side. Also, once you get to the top of the cubby, the glue will be ran on the back. Fold over the fleece to the back and glue it down.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod12.jpg
Now is the fun stuff – Fiberglass resin. Here you will need the resin and hardener, gloves, brushes, bucket and preferably old clothes.
Mix the resin and hardener as directed on the can. With this stuff you must remember that you have a limited time frame before it starts to harden. You will notice this because it will start to turn into a “jelly” like substance. Once it’s like that, its no good. So work quickly. Also, you won’t be using the entire can. Its only takes about a ¼ of the can to do one cubby. So you will also use a ¼ of the hardener. Once it’s mixed (properly) quickly grab your brush and cover the entire cubby. Some parts will appear to become see-through. That’s ok. The more coats of this – the better. Don’t forget the back.
Now you will leave that to dry for a good 24 hours.
This entire process up to this point should only have taken 1-2 hours. Not bad huh?
Once it is dry, its time to do some trimming and sanding. I start off by cutting out the center of the “pods”. You will need a Dremel or another similar cutting tool. Cut as close as you can to the inside edge with the high-speed cutter #199 or the cut off wheels. Then use the high-speed cutter #115 or the 60 grit sanding drums to clean it up. You then will take the #199 cutter or the cut off wheels and go around the lip of the cubby and remove all the excess material. Don’t go to deep or you will cut into the plastic. So be careful. Then again, take the 60 grit sanding drum and clean up the edges.
Once that’s good and cleaned up its time for the rest. I highly recommend using a Dremel for this part. Sanding by hand sucks and takes a lot longer. Start of with the 60 grit sanding drums and sand the entire cubby. The idea here is to start off working with the 60 grit course drums and finish with the finer 120 grit ones. You will want to use a slow speed and keep a very light pressure for a more effective sanding. For those doing it by hand, keep working your way down to the finer sandpaper.
If you notice, while you’re sanding, there are sanding lines or grooves in the fiberglass. Its ok. You don’t have to keep sanding until those are gone. Once you have it to a point where it’s somewhat smooth, use the cleaner/degreaser and clean it. It should look similar to this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod13.jpg
If you notice I have a gauge in it. I was testing the fit. Its good to have a gauge handy to do this. You will need to take the Dremel and the 60 grit drum and sand around the entire inside of the PVC until the gauge fits. You usually don’t have to remove much.
Now take the High Build spray primer and spray 2 coats onto it. Let it dry for about 30-45 minutes. Once that is done you will notice that the primer got rid of some of the light scratches. Now you will need the Bondo spot putty. Knead it as directed and apply it to the entire fiberglassed area. Applying slight pressure and a thin coat. You will need to let this dry for about an hour. I usually place it in the sun to speed up the process.
After the first spot putty layer is dry, take a 220 grit sand paper and begin to smooth it out. Don’t be afraid to use slight pressure. What the spot putty did was fill in any pinholes and deep scratches. Once you think that you have it smooth, clean it again using the cleaner/degreaser. Now spray another 2 coats of the High build primer. Once it is dry examine it for any other scratches, ridges, unsmoothed areas, pinholes, ect. If you find any, use the spot putty to fill the scratches and pinholes and a 400-grit sandpaper to smooth out the ridges and such. Repeat this process until completely smooth. It should look similar to this:
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod14.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod15.jpg
From here, I would go ahead and add 2-3 more coats of primer, let dry, and then sand with a 600-800 grit sandpaper. It should be ready for paint.
Here are pics of the different options that I have done with the cubby and fiberglass.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod16.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod17.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod18.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n172/nike13857/teamzx2%20how%20to%20pics/pod19.jpg