The smallest tome in my library of books on fibreglass work is ‘The Glassfibre Handbook’
by R H Waring (ISBN: 978-085242-820-7
around £8 new, half that for a secondhand copy)
This is a comprehensive book, but it isn’t an in depth book. It’s great for an overview of the subject or as a reference book if you’ve done some GRP work before, but need a reminder. It gives a little bit of information about a wide range of GRP related issues, and so is great for giving you ideas of the types of things you can do and the ways they can be achieved, but if you’re really new to fibreglass work you might need another source of information to help you on your way.
Here's a photo of the contents page. As you can see, the chapters aren't very long, but it covers a wide range of GRP stuff. Don't get too excited about chapter 16 - Tanks in GRP. Sadly, it's not all about how to make motorcycle tanks in GRP, it's more big, square water tanks and the like.
This is a comprehensive book, but it isn’t an in depth book. It’s great for an overview of the subject or as a reference book if you’ve done some GRP work before, but need a reminder. It gives a little bit of information about a wide range of GRP related issues, and so is great for giving you ideas of the types of things you can do and the ways they can be achieved, but if you’re really new to fibreglass work you might need another source of information to help you on your way.
Here's a photo of the contents page. As you can see, the chapters aren't very long, but it covers a wide range of GRP stuff. Don't get too excited about chapter 16 - Tanks in GRP. Sadly, it's not all about how to make motorcycle tanks in GRP, it's more big, square water tanks and the like.
‘Competition Car Composites’ by Simon McBeath (ISBN: 9781859606247 around £8 secondhand for the old edition as pictured. The newer edition can be purchased for around £20)
Ignore the car reference in the title, much of the information contained is equally applicable to bike stuff. Simon writes from his own experience, working in a small shed, producing products for his own use - much like most of us. He has, however, thoroughly researched the subject and has been able to present it in such a way that as well as being an informative book, it is also a very readable book.
It assumes no prior knowledge of composite materials and leads you through all the steps needed for you to successfully produce your own mouldings. It also discusses the use of material upgrades, carbon fibre etc. It doesn’t, however, cover repair of existing GRP components, so you’d need to look elsewhere for that kind of information.
Here's a (slightly out of focus) photo of the contents page.
Ignore the car reference in the title, much of the information contained is equally applicable to bike stuff. Simon writes from his own experience, working in a small shed, producing products for his own use - much like most of us. He has, however, thoroughly researched the subject and has been able to present it in such a way that as well as being an informative book, it is also a very readable book.
It assumes no prior knowledge of composite materials and leads you through all the steps needed for you to successfully produce your own mouldings. It also discusses the use of material upgrades, carbon fibre etc. It doesn’t, however, cover repair of existing GRP components, so you’d need to look elsewhere for that kind of information.
Here's a (slightly out of focus) photo of the contents page.
Finally, on the book front I have ‘The Fibreglass Manual’ by Keith Noakes
(ISBN: 1-86126-575-1 around £5 secondhand) If I didn’t have this book, I wouldn’t miss it. Not because it is bad. It’s a reasonable book on the subject, but the previous two are much better.
You can see from the (fuzzy) picture of the contents page that only the first 5 or 6 chapters are really relevant for DIY work. It's really a book that gives an overview of different processes used on a more industrial scale, rather than a book that details how to actually make mouldings in your shed.
You can see from the (fuzzy) picture of the contents page that only the first 5 or 6 chapters are really relevant for DIY work. It's really a book that gives an overview of different processes used on a more industrial scale, rather than a book that details how to actually make mouldings in your shed.
For those of you that prefer watching to reading, there is a DVD available in the UK. It does, as its title suggests, cover the very basics of using fibreglass - mixing resins, making a flat panel, basic repairs etc. If you've never done any fibreglass work before, then it may be worth a watch. You can, however, find much the same information on youtube for free, the only difference being that some youtube stuff is better than others - you have to sift through the trash to find the gold. At least you can be certain with the DVD, produced by Kit Car Magazine and East Coast Fibreglass, that the information provided follows correct safety guidelines. There's nothing about making patterns, or any other kind of mouldings other than the very basic flat panel, and the presenter (although he knows his stuff) is not the most entertaining. I have to admit that when I watched this before writing the review, I actually fell asleep.
It's available from many places online, but cheapest is £12.95, including UK postage, from here:
http://www.basicfibreglasstechniques.co.uk/
There are also a couple of clips from the DVD on that website, so you can get a flavour of what the DVD is like.
It's available from many places online, but cheapest is £12.95, including UK postage, from here:
http://www.basicfibreglasstechniques.co.uk/
There are also a couple of clips from the DVD on that website, so you can get a flavour of what the DVD is like.
As already mentioned there are lots of videos covering GRP and fibreglass online. Some of the better ones are often found on suppliers' or manufacturers' websites. Here are a couple of links to start you off.