w0067814
New Member
Hi Guys,
Firstly, I apologise for my first post being off-topic, but this forum seems to have a wealth of experience in fibreglassing over wood for wet environments and I was hoping to tap into this knowledge.
I have an Intex above ground kids swimming pool and with summer approaching my 6 year old son has asked whether we could have a water slide. Commercially available garden slides are not suitable for mechanical reasons, and they are all a bit on the small side too. We would like to make something a bit longer and tailored to suit our garden and pool setup. A plan is forming in my mind to make a slide from wood and to waterproof it with epoxy resin having read posts on here and watched videos on YouTube. I think making a wooden structure and waterproofing it would be easier than making a full fibreglass slide with moulds etc. I'm handy with wood but I have next to no experience in fibreglass. The last time I did any fibre work was in the mid-90s as a teenager in sixth form college, and that was using polyester resin and chopped strand mat.
So I have a bunch of questions and thoughts on how I should approach the project. Of course the key thing is that the slide surface is smooth and slippery when wet. The slide shall only be wet when in use as pumps shall be turned off otherwise so this may relax requirements compared to a boat situation where it will spend extended time in contact with water. I'm willing to cover the slide with a custom tarpaulin when not is use (much like the pool) which will keep the sun off it so could help with UV damage. The top-side surface area shall be approx 96 square feet (~9 square metres / 3 sheets of 8'x4'), and the bottom side (not in contact with pool water) of the same size. This is not a long term project. If we got 5 or 6 years out of it that would be great.
1. Given my use case and ability to compromise, what are the merits of epoxy vs polyester resin? I understand that polyester resin is considerably cheaper but would it withstand my use case or is it likely to fail?
2. Choice of glass materials? I am leaning towards a woven cloth rather than a chopped strand mat. I read that CSM does not work well with epoxy, but also I am concerned with stray fibres sticking up about the working surface given we shall be sliding over it. I think that woven cloth may give a smoother surface finish too.
3. Cloth weights and number of layers? I don't require the fibreglass to provide any strength to the wooden structure, except perhaps to where the plywood sheets abut to ensure a smooth transition. I shall of course look for wooden mechanical means to keep the joints flush (Pocket screws, biscuit joints, dowels etc).
My basic plan is to seal the wood with resin before filling any internal corners. After which I would reinforce corner joints, and then layer up. After the final layer I would sand the top surface to obtain a smooth surface before then building up resin thickness to allow sanding to final working surface. Does this sound sensible?
I would like to colour the resin either blue or perhaps white (to reflect heat from sun). Is colour best added throughout or only on top layers? Is this added to the resin directly?
Many thanks
-Tim
Firstly, I apologise for my first post being off-topic, but this forum seems to have a wealth of experience in fibreglassing over wood for wet environments and I was hoping to tap into this knowledge.
I have an Intex above ground kids swimming pool and with summer approaching my 6 year old son has asked whether we could have a water slide. Commercially available garden slides are not suitable for mechanical reasons, and they are all a bit on the small side too. We would like to make something a bit longer and tailored to suit our garden and pool setup. A plan is forming in my mind to make a slide from wood and to waterproof it with epoxy resin having read posts on here and watched videos on YouTube. I think making a wooden structure and waterproofing it would be easier than making a full fibreglass slide with moulds etc. I'm handy with wood but I have next to no experience in fibreglass. The last time I did any fibre work was in the mid-90s as a teenager in sixth form college, and that was using polyester resin and chopped strand mat.
So I have a bunch of questions and thoughts on how I should approach the project. Of course the key thing is that the slide surface is smooth and slippery when wet. The slide shall only be wet when in use as pumps shall be turned off otherwise so this may relax requirements compared to a boat situation where it will spend extended time in contact with water. I'm willing to cover the slide with a custom tarpaulin when not is use (much like the pool) which will keep the sun off it so could help with UV damage. The top-side surface area shall be approx 96 square feet (~9 square metres / 3 sheets of 8'x4'), and the bottom side (not in contact with pool water) of the same size. This is not a long term project. If we got 5 or 6 years out of it that would be great.
1. Given my use case and ability to compromise, what are the merits of epoxy vs polyester resin? I understand that polyester resin is considerably cheaper but would it withstand my use case or is it likely to fail?
2. Choice of glass materials? I am leaning towards a woven cloth rather than a chopped strand mat. I read that CSM does not work well with epoxy, but also I am concerned with stray fibres sticking up about the working surface given we shall be sliding over it. I think that woven cloth may give a smoother surface finish too.
3. Cloth weights and number of layers? I don't require the fibreglass to provide any strength to the wooden structure, except perhaps to where the plywood sheets abut to ensure a smooth transition. I shall of course look for wooden mechanical means to keep the joints flush (Pocket screws, biscuit joints, dowels etc).
My basic plan is to seal the wood with resin before filling any internal corners. After which I would reinforce corner joints, and then layer up. After the final layer I would sand the top surface to obtain a smooth surface before then building up resin thickness to allow sanding to final working surface. Does this sound sensible?
I would like to colour the resin either blue or perhaps white (to reflect heat from sun). Is colour best added throughout or only on top layers? Is this added to the resin directly?
Many thanks
-Tim
, then one layer of 200gm would do it. That will stabilize the outer laminate of the ply and with an extra coat or two of resin to smooth it.