Seems I'm digging up an old one, but figure that's better than starting over...
I'm about to try my hand at fiberglassing, and have found this forum (and John's videos) very helpful, but what I am missing is a list of what's required before you begin. John, is that on your site somewhere, and I'm overlooking it?
I get the basics, gloves, resin, fiberglass cloth, but there are some specialty items in there I'm curious about. For example:
What cloth weight? I get that it will depend on the purpose- how much strength is needed, if it's a veil coat, and that the lighter weight cloths conform easier, but are harder to work with. What's the best weight to start with, for a beginner, and that gives the best strength to weight balanced against ease of application (6oz?)? I can determine how much cloth I'll need for a given build, but what is the general rule of thumb for ordering? I'd hate to order what I need, as I need it...plus I'll need some for practice and messing up, so what's the best for someone just starting out with glassing (am attempting my L1 on a non-reinforced bird in a month). 10 yards? 20 (In event of Apocalypse and no more is available!) and what width? I was hard pressed to find a tube commercially available over 48" (BlueTube2.0 comes in 72", but...), so is 50" the best width?
Is there a reason most of the videos and articles I've read recommend epoxy as the medium, instead of polyester resins? Obviously the latter is much more challenging to work with (fumes, flammability, less viscous) but are there other reasons?
John- the paper you used looked to me like plastic-lined butcher paper, but I can't find it in 48"+ widths (seems to max out at 24, for wrapping meat). Is it something else? Can you share your source?
Same for the mylar- I've heard folks say heavy LDPE drop cloths work well too, but I haven't tested it.
Even little tips, like the fact that John had a masking tape dispenser handy, that was helpful! What sort of solvents are helpful (any generic ones besides those recommended by the manufacturer of the resin?)? Anyone have any killer rigs they'd like to share that make layup a breeze (although I'm smitten by John's tip-to-tip rig, and his wrap-layup technique requires no support).
I know my first efforts are going to be rough, and while I'm eager to learn, I'm not keen on reinventing the wheel (I would rather be on the shoulders of giants, as they say!).
Lots of questions, I know, so thanks in advance for ANY help or pointers thrown my way!