DIY: Poor Man’s Fiberglass – Step-by-Step!



Fiberglass is a tough, durable, and weather-resistant product, but it can be expensive and messy to work with. A more affordable option is what’s called “poor man’s fiberglass” and in this video I take you step-by-step through the process of using it.

I’m making a tonneau cover for my pickup truck — a hard cover that covers the bed. It protects what you store under it from the elements and from thieves. While there are commercial tonneau covers on the market, they can run from the hundreds of dollars to the thousands. I’m building one from some materials I have around the homestead and using the “poor man’s fiberglass” to make it durable and waterproof.

To make poor man’s fiberglass you’ll need fabric, Titebond II glue, and exterior grade paint. That’s it!

Using a wood base (I’m using several folding tables I had laying around), you paint on a layer of glue and lay your fabric over the top, smoothing it out so it adheres to the glue and wood. You then coat the top of the fabric — I’m using a canvas drop cloth from Harbor Freight Tools — with another layer of glue.

Once that coat dries, you sand it lightly and then apply a second coat of glue over the top. When it dries, sand it again. Now you’re ready for the paint. Apply two coats of paint to the wood, sanding in between, and then finish with several coats of polyurethane.

You will have a waterproof surface that’s tough and impervious to the elements. Poor man’s fiberglass is as simple as that!

Mine is finished slightly differently because of the application I’m using it for. Instead of polyurethane I used truck bed liner “paint” to finish it off. But the concept is the same.

People use this technique for all types of projects, from building campers to boats. My tonneau cover ended up costing me about $75, but that’s because the bed truck liner paint alone runs $40. That’s a big savings to the $100s or $1000s of dollars a commercial grade one would cost. Maybe not as pretty as that, but it serves my needs perfectly!

Where can you use poor man’s fiberglass around your homestead?

Share this video!

Subscribe to my channel for more great homesteading ideas
http://www.youtube.com/user/ruggedhomestead?sub_confirmation=1

LET’S CONNECT!

Subscribe to my channel for more great homesteading ideas
http://www.youtube.com/user/ruggedhomestead?sub_confirmation=1

Like us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ruggedhomestead
Follow us on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/ruggedhomestead/

View original video here

Metmo Pocket Driver Portable Ratchet Screwdriver EDC Tool Review
No Preview
The Value of Prepping: Debunking the Myth of Wasting Time
No Preview
Unraveling the Question: Was President Trump Guilty from the Start?
As a Prepper, Amazon’s “Subscribe & Save” Has Been a
Non-Food Prepper Items Tour
Prepper tip, cheap way to purchase salt
Survival Tips: Steel Bottles #survival #prepper #hiking
Beginner food prepper pantry #prepperpantry #foodstorage #stockpile #foodpantry #shtf
Can I Survive the Night? – ️
Survival Skills: Simple mum with watermelon and eggs cooking skills
Harvest snails in the forest #survive #bushcraft #survival #food #camping
#eggs #freezedried #reconstitution #preparedness #prepping #prepper
How Fear Fuels Disease: A Historical and Scientific Perspective
Self-defense tips for clerks behind the register
Best Option for a Survival Air Rifle! The Umarex Emerge
At what point is self-defense considered justifiable? Attorney Ugo Lord reacts! 
Why Blue-Green Spirulina Is The Ultimate Off-Grid Survival Food
Extending Your Harvests with Cold-Season Winter Gardening Strategies
No Preview
A Christmas Reflection on John’s Gospel
Bridging Generations Together This Christmas With The Timeless Art Of
Non-Food Prepper Items Tour
Can I Survive the Night? – ️
Prepper tip, cheap way to purchase salt
Survival Skills: Simple mum with watermelon and eggs cooking skills