how do you make your own fiberglass body

[huntermike32]

i need to know how someone could make their own fiberglass body. i want to build a bass boat. how would i put it all together

[Bergalia]

With a mould.
Easier to build a ply-chine boat and coat it with fibreglass. Plenty of good designs on the website.

[lakerunner]

Check out GlenL.com
they offer a GOOD bass boat , just what you might want to do . It is fiberglass with plywood core...Strong boat. And has plenty of options for good power This boat is a good looking boat and in range for a first time builder. if you have good carpenter skills and can read, have some money to blow and will have the stamina to FINISH , you will have a bass boat for about half the cost of newand the satisfaction that goes with building yourself. Suggestion..... . Plywood has skyrocketted through the roof it should drop abit later in the spring. Get the prints and study for awhile, get set up for the project, tell your wife that you really do love her more than your fishing ( tell her everyday ) and good luck .....

[huntermike32]

Thanks. actually dont have a wife i am still in high school. I am very interested in personal boatbuilding though. i am in many carpentry classes at school right now. thanks agian. what thickness of ply and what type of wood. thanks

[Bergalia]

No wife, Huntermike32 ? Listen I've got a couple of teenage daughters hanging around the house... Both pretty adept at boatbuilding...Send details of your bank statement and I'll arrange for shipping tomorrow....

[huntermike32]

thanks. that would make my life alot easier

[lakerunner]

the web site I gave you has a printable material list on the web page for this particular boat so you can do a good price estimate at your local DIY store and on line sights for all other material. And Bergalia made you an offer ?
that would make my life alot easier ? He he he he

[marshmat]

Go for it, huntermike!

Glen-L's 15'5" bassboat http://glen-l.com/designs/outboard/bassboat.html is probably right up your alley- if not, they certainly have plenty more on the site. It's no small project, but it looks like a fairly straightforward hull and Glen-L's plans are generally easy to read.

I'd start by assessing the budget. Figure out how much you can afford. Look around at similar boats to see what kind of power, gear, etc. you want. When it comes time to assess the building costs, be overly conservative on everything, then add at least a 40% fudge factor to the top of the sum. Boats always, always run over budget.

I'd figure on spending about a year on building a hull and deck. Building over winter gives you something to look forward to next summer. And homebuilt boats are ongoing projects; there's always something to upgrade/add/fix. I did Sunset Chaser (15' LOA) in grade 8-9.... was an incredibly fun project, and far more worthwhile than MATH 1P4 could ever be.

Keep a wary eye out for Bergalia's offer there.... he himself claims "Interests: Scaring the crap out of my teenage daughters' prospective boyfriends." (Sorry B... 'twas on your profile and I just couldn't resist )

[huntermike32]

i was actually looking at the ski-bass 18' i like that one because i want a larger deck so i can store more gear fish and people.

[Bergalia]

Originally Posted by marshmat

Go for it, huntermike!....

.......Keep a wary eye out for Bergalia's offer there.... he himself claims "Interests: Scaring the crap out of my teenage daughters' prospective boyfriends." (Sorry B... 'twas on your profile and I just couldn't resist )

And that, Matt, to use an old Royal Navy quote, sees me: 'Hoist by my own pettard...."

[marshmat]

Originally Posted by Bergalia

And that, Matt, to use an old Royal Navy quote, sees me: 'Hoist by my own pettard...."

LOL!

Originally Posted by huntermike32

i was actually looking at the ski-bass 18' i like that one because i want a larger deck so i can store more gear fish and people.

That's a substantially larger boat than the 15.... figure on twice the motor and twice the budget of the smaller one. It's still within the abilities of a keen first-timer.

[cyclops]

If you go with a plywood core, 1/8" thickness is plenty. You are going to cover it in and out with epoxy. Remember, The shape of the finished glass boat will be exactly the same as the 1/8" plywood form. Lumpy wood form = a lumpy glass boat. No way around that. Pick a deeper type of boat. Your first boat WILL be on the heavy side. Always is.

[jimslade]

I've built a glen L.[renegade] Find a bass boat that needs work. You will be boating before you retire. The world is littered with glen L s that have never been finished.