Hi Paul, mission accomplished. My wife went absolutely "acorn" nuts!! From one Canuck to another, thanks for the love and keep up the great videos. Colin

Your combination of machining, fabricating, art, camera work, editing, humor, and style make for unique and great videos. Thanks for the treat.

"He was in the fumes for a long time" Priceless Paul

Nice Job Paul. Your channel has a very comfortable feel to it. Thanks for taking the time!

Much love from morocco SIR!! Your work is like à gift from god.......thank you for sharing your art with us❤❤❤

Love the music. I wish I had seen this before I made my fiberglass pan.

Wire and tape. What a great way to make a complex shape. I think I'll try it

Discovered your feed today. Exactly what I have been looking for as I customize my 1989 FZR 600. Excellent stuff!

Thanks for the mid week episodes. The KZfaq channels I like to watch generally put out their shows on the weekends, so interesting content tends to peter out during the week. 🙂

Paul how couldn't l like your work once again awesome, and thank you .

I love the “orange Hammer approach” instead of actually determining the bending angle 😎

WAHOOOOOO......VERRY GOOD JOB PAUL

I love the smell of resin in the morning ... one thing I would like to add for when working with that fiber matt, keep ur skin covered!

Nice job Paul, a good instructional with great video - thanks Mitch.

You are not only creative you also have a ton of patience. 👍

I'm glad you added the step on the seat. Clearly you will need it when you open the throttle to that brutal 200cc motor.

Could watch you videos all day! True Craftsman!!! Love It Thanks Paul & Mitch

Ah , I love the smell of fiberglass in the morning .

The grease proof paper on the bench, gold, can’t believe I have never seen it before, thanks for sharing

Love the lamp made from an Excelsior head

Brilliant. That was just brilliant.

I knew this was you when I saw the title. Seems you mentioned you were going to do this. 😃

Hi Paul …this just reminded me of how John Britten made the fairing and tank shapes on his V1000 …I noticed you have a poster of that bike hanging on the wall of your shop ….just so look forward to your videos each week regards from Australia

I used to work in a sign and graphic shop for many years and we had two tricks for aligning complex vinyl decals. 1. We used what's called transfer film. Basically a mildly sticky and translucent material you stick on the top of the decal. It allows you to see through it to align it, and for cut out vinyl, it keeps the shapes all in perfect orientation off the plotter. 2. We also used an application fluid. Basically just water with a drop of soap. It lets the decal float on the surface and when you get it just right, you can squeegee the fluid out. Used the same process for applying window tint. Never tried Windex. It was banned in the shop because it's bad for window tint! Need tint safe window cleaner.

Absolutely fantastic!

knowing that you don't like dirty hands, it was kind of funny seeing you standing there, all fuzzy fingers at the end of the video, you could see the look in your eyes of wanting to rip the gloves off! lol great stuff, I know on doing wraps on dirt race cars its like one huge decal, we use soapy water under the wrap, to alllow us to adjust it a bit I have heard of using windex, but in my experience it affects the adhesion of the vinyl or decal, and causes air pockets so it's soapy water for us... love your pan pattern you made it's tough watching you, the perfectionist, use hot glue...lol but it works so go for it! awesome job!

Another much needed episode!!!! Timing is everything!! Thank you Paul!

Boy, that takes me back... Had a little glass fibre company for a few years back in the '80s. A brilliantly versatile material, but foul to work with. It was a day for celebration when cash flow difficulties put us out of business... Thanks, Paul.

Yup. Well said Colin (show this to your wife too! Lol!). I watched the decal video and saw your "one chance only" method and thought, nah, not for me! I have a bucket of tepid water with some dish soap in it. Dip the decal in, apply, squeegee any bubbles out of it, then slide it around until it's where it's meant to be. Don't like it? Move it up a bit to see if it's better... nope... slide it back down again, bingo - you're there! This is especially good on tank decals where a level decal isn't always the goal - you have to stand back and look at it first!

That's a really interesting method, thanks. Much more elegant than the common approach of covering the area with cling film / saran wrap, then slopping mat and resin on it.

Love to see the follow up steps after this to the finished job Paul if you’re looking for content. Thanks really learnt something.

My thumb up is highly deserved here. You are a master. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I’ve been trying to do this on one of my old bikes and tried everything from wood to coat hangers, I’m so glad I came across your video thank you, now I can do it the right easy way

You can use duckbill pliers and hold the top of the metal you want to bend so it doesn't vibrate in the vice. It also bends more easily.

Hello Paul, I worked at a coach painters and then paint shop far back in the seventies, I was aquatinted with a second generation sign writer of great skill. William Barnes. He demonstrated the trick of applying simply soapy water to the front of a truck which he then applied a very large sticker to. ( thirty six inches across) Once aligned, he used a soft spreader to remove the excess water and in turn removing any bubbles. Once dry the adhesive acts to fix the sticker . It seemed counter intuitive at the time, to me, but it worked perfectly. Thank you for the interesting videos. Regards Kevin.

Another option to make one-off fiberglass parts: Tape / seal off your protected parts on the frame. Then use water-based art clay -- the cheap stuff from the art store to sculpt your shape. Get the firmer of the clays. When you go home at night, just cover it with a damp towel (and plastic) so it doesn't dry out. Get it to a shape you like. Then use Ultracal60 (gypsum in a 50lb bag and cheap!) as it has a minimal shrinkage factor and mix up a batch to make a mold of the clay part. It will pull moisture from the clay but so be it. Sometimes because of drafts, you need to do a multi-part mold so plan accordingly. Use burlap (instead of fiberglass) as the gypsum absorbs into the weave easier. Add in wood or popsicle sticks for bridging material. Once the Ultracal kicks (it gets warm but not as hot as fiberglass) --- you can pull the part in a few hours. Let it air dry for a few days. Cleanup the mold (or multiple mold parts) and use rattle can paint to seal. Sand and polish as desired. Then do your wax, wax and more wax and release agent before you do your fiberglass part. I'd done dozens of one-off Ducati parts with this method as well as numerous vintage racecar panels for Pebble Beach, vintage racing, Bonneville and SEMA showcars. Usually I can get about 5-7 parts (like big Ducati side fairing panels) with this method before the gypsum mold needs to be repaired or retired. Your mileage may vary from mine. But it is a good and fast method if you are good at sculpting directly into a clay media. (I still like using plasticine for master modeling for larger volume production molds but it is insanely priced in comparison to art shop clay.) note: I don't like the oil-based art shop clays as they don't interact well at times with the Ultracal60 and the oil seeps into your gypsum mold and causes problems later with your resin systems.

That was so interesting to watch! Thanks so much for putting this into video Paul & Mitch!

I too think sharpie should sponsor you. Last summer after watching many of your videos I zoomed In to discover exactly the model you use and immediately bought a box. Love how much better it is to locate features with a fine tip red sharpie. Send this to sharpie and show them why they need to sponsor you….. 👍👍😎👍👍 Thanks for the fiberglass tips. I need to try it sometime.

Hi Paul . A big thank you.. I'm building a Trials Cub and your channel is an inspiration.. Your calm and thoughtful attention to detail is what makes every video great

Love your work and the channel. Great Job Paul & Mitch!

I love this method of creating a skeleton for the composite work. I've never seen it done this way. Very neat. Something I've done myself that I've also never seen done is to use a stretchy fabric like Lycra to stretch over form as the first layer. Coat it with resin and it provides a rock solid base for the mat. I don't think it would have worked for this shape though, that pinch where the flat seat bumps up to the tail would have been a show stopper. The masking tape is perfect.

Your videos are so therapeutic.

absolutly fascinating! I have been looking for a seat for my Rickman, but now you have given me an idea. Thanks, cant wait to see the rest of the videos!

And another one of you talents 👍👌

Very good tutorial there Paul and Mitch, thanks for sharing.

this was an excellent work, really detailed tutorial. Amazing, the best video on youtube on making fiberglass seat for motorcicle

Quite the Handyman :) Good work!!!

Dislike Windex as an application medium, recommend Johnsons baby shampoo in water for most vinyl glues... I applied vinyl for a job for a few years, that recommendation comes from the vinyl supplier ;-) Loving this series, Paul!

I recently stumbled upon your channel. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Great work Paul. I remember watching John Britten using this technique to develop the bodywork on his V1000.

Sharpie! I was in awe of your Moore&Wright square in the shot.

I learn a bunch of things every time I watch one of your videos. Can't really miss any. Never seen before a way like this to make a mould, it's very interesting. Cheers!

looks good well done

Super informative, thanks!

WOW! Just like magic, the steel reinforcing bar simply disappears. thanks for leaving us out of the loop paul.

Can't wait to see that seat finished 😀 Nice job 👍☺️

Such a cool chanel! I learned alot. Subscribed

Good job Paul 👍

Congratulations Colin, and yes, soapy water works to position stickers. Not decals or deckles. 😉

Great tutorial 👌 Thanks 👍

Aluminum welding rod and hot glue probably wouldn’t have been where I started out for this, but it sure did work well. Once again you have amazed me. 👍✌️

Nice work I c a lot of guys using some sort of foam to get the shape the late great John Britten ( Britten V twin ) used that wire method and glue to make the mould for that famous machine

Hi Paul, as an old body & fender guy, who has put on countless "wood-grain" decals , and other type's, on freshly painted automobile's. When putting on such decals, you can use Windex or some plain water (provided it's a solid color, and the sun can't get through the decal) with dish soap. Approx. two to three TABLE-Spoons per gal. How to tell if you have enough soap? Using a sponge, ringing wet, (or as you feel comfortable working with) coat the surface where you wish to apply the decal, if you can't tell that the water has soap in it, add a little more. Now to get very tribal on just how to spread-out the Decal, to remove air-pocket's. The Decal is generally made of a soft plastic / some a soft vinyl. (Get ready for the incoming arrows,) DO NOT USE A PLASTIC SQUEEGEE, they are too hard, and will scratch the Decal. Use a (softest you can find) rubber squeegee only. Hint a professional small (as in less than 6" in. wide) window washer squeegee will work just fine. Also see if an autobody supply store still carry the small (as in 2" in. wide x 3.5" in. long, X 1/8" in. thick approx.) rubber squeegee's. Don't use one that has been sitting around for like ten year's that will be too hard. If when putting on the decal, and you have a air-pocket you can't get out, use a sewing needle to put the smallest hole possible, to let the air out. This is another reason to use soapy water. It aids in letting the air-pocket lay-down nice and flat, FYI. FYI = For Your Information. Another TIP ref window glass tinting, don't use "city-water" (that has chlorine in it,) use "DISSTILLED WATER ONLY." You can add soap, no problem. The reason is, you don't always get out / remove all the water. You may have seen window tinting that has a lot of air-pockets / bubbles, or rings like under the tinting. That's the result of the water/chlorine evaporating, i.e., no place for the chlorine to go.

I swear you can read my mind. Everything in looking up, you are making. Thanks for advice I'll send coffie.

Good Day, Paul and Mitch. You are working on a British motorcycle......It is dekal, be sure :))

Please continue with this process of building a seat frame.

Thank u so much, i must repair or invent a seat for a '92 Yamaha Jog, and although i can find new seats, they have a ridiculous price where i live, only reasonable solution is this, i'm not gonna pay more than the bike itself for a seat

Fortuitous synchronicity! I've been thinking a lot about making a fibreglass seat add on to my son's trials bike the last couple of weeks to make it more like an mx bike because he's a bit intimidated by learning to ride it while standing.

Water with a drop of soap has been used for years to allow movement of transfers (decals)

Timely. I have a seat base to build. THANKS!

What a beautiful lamp at 1:35...

I have worked with fiberglass quite a bit through the years. I made a complete set of molds for my 87 Rz350, plus the parts. Everything, from the main panels, to the mud guards, chainguard, and even the airbox. You could also use pour in place foam to make a block of the approximate dimensions, and then carve it to shape, then cover it to make your plug.

I do hope you do the follow ups on this to the finished seat

What a great way of fabricating a mock up.....

Ahah grande Paul ottimo lavoro! 😊♥️✌️

Gracias paul

I've done a bit of this work, The "Male Mold" as you called it, is also sometimes known as THE PLUG.......

You have to open a child-proof product, you have to push the top down with your left hand while standing on your right foot and with your left leg crossed over your knee! Works for me every time!

17:47 - No, it isn't crude compared w/ some of the KZfaq how-to videos I've seen... This is a lost art and needs to be preserved. Beautiful work as always..... Keep up the great work guys, awesome video. Thank you... 😁

Nice one Paul & Mitch. Fibreglassing is something I've never done. Brother-in-law is an expert though. He repairs gliders and has made Kayaks in the past.

Hello Paul, Mitch. As always, thank you. RE Decals - in my grasp of US English, and based on a childhood of plastic modeling, if you have to peel it, and the thing is self-adhesive, then it's a sticker or peel & stick. If it has water-activated adhesive, then it is a decal, as in "water slide decal" and, decal is actually a shortening of "decalcomania" which is an English adoption of a french word, which I will avoid trying to spell, lest I offend your Eastern neighbors. Regarding 'glass technique... a good friend of mine just bought 50 lbs. of Chavant clay, which I understand is very good for pulling molds from. Perhaps some day, I'll have to borrow some from him.

I feel itchy just watching. 😎

Hi Paul & Mitch, Great work, you two! Your demo will make it much easier if I have to do some fiberglass work. Tried it about 60 years ago, and really botched it. Looking forward to the next steps! (as always)

The uv light tip makes a lot of sense. I’ve been restoring a 1963 Vespa in india and the body filler (bondo) was starting to cure in under a minute. I didn’t click that the Indian sun was likely the cause of the accelerated reaction.

You could try Alusol aluminium solder to fix the welding rod into a matrix for the base.

Thought I was watching John Britten there for a minute Paul. He loved a hot glue gun & rod.

Thanks. I need to build a seat for my mini bike

Good stuff

Verry good

I recognize the Collector plate on that bike 😉. You wouldn’t happen to know a fellow named Tom Mellor now would ya?

Guess that's where computer graphics 'wire frame' models came from? That came out real nice shape. Interesting about UV and resins, I didn't know that even though I worked with fibreglass for a few years. (or if I did ever know I've forgotten it)

Thanks for a partial tutorial and no links to the next step.

I also have a red sharpie in my shirt pocket at all times. Paul have you ever marked a finger and then use a saw or grinder and done a double take thinking you have cut yourself? I use a fine aluminium mesh over the frame work and bondo directly onto that. Being soft aluminium it's easy to cut and forms 3d shapes too.

Hi Paul, Henry here from the UK! Thanks for all your videos, I have really been enjoying watching them. I’ve been in the process of building a trials cub since I was 14 years old, ten years from starting I’m finally in the process of putting my engine back together. I’m intrigued on how you have managed to get your crankcases so nice. Could you give some more detail on finishing the cases/outer covers and how you have managed to blend all the edges? I would love to do the same with my cases. Thanks very much, Henry

Fantastic as always...could you do a vid on drill sharpening please, as your a great instructor..many thanks

I found the best way to drive my wife nuts is to buy a $1000 worth of jeep parts without telling her and use the "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is permission" method. She does the budget and this makes it interesting for her but you definitely need to make sure she ❤ you first. Very nice method of mold making. I've seen plastic shrink wrap instead of masking tape. Always look forward to your videos, nice quality craftsmanship ship.

The late great John Britten used this same process to make his tank and fairing

👍👍

Interesting, I use solid copper wire, from house wiring - we call twin and earth in the UK, and soft solder it.

I used 2mm copper wires and a soldering iron... Soldering works well too. And makes a stiffer frame.