Fabricating a snorkel out of fiberglass (1 Viewer)

[slickrock]

[SIZE=3]
There has been lots of talk about fabricating snorkels with black sewage pipe or exhaust tubing. What about using fiberglass? All it would take is some cardboard tubing in the size that is desirable for each person’s application. It can be cut and bent to almost any angle (water would help it bend). Once the cardboard template is made, lay fiberglass over it and a glass top vent could even be made to look like the ARB caps.

Any comments or thoughts about this? It might be a totally stupid idea and since I have no experience with fiberglass, maybe it can’t be done. But if it could, this might be a good learning project to try to tackle and it seems it would be a very low buck modification since fiberglass is so cheap.[/SIZE]

 

[FR3533]

I have been wandering the same thing, do it.

 

[slickrock]

AS I said, I have never used fiberglass. I don't even know where to get it. But is was on Extreme 4x4 last weekend and they were using glass. It got me thinking.

 

[Plowboy]

In my younger days when fiberglass vw/buggies were first coming out, I built parts using 1/4 inch welded wire to form parts. snip and bend to any position and it adds a bit of strength to the part. IF your patient you can do curves. Last build project was a 12ft canoe. 30 yrs later it still floats.

 

[Theycallmenica]

You can find the stuff at home depot, the resin also as well as the acetone you need.

 

[slickrock]

After googling fiberglass how to, it seems like the concept is easy enough. I would just have to find the mold that would work. I was thinking cardboard tub and make an intake out of the same thing.

Maybe Lowes or Home Depot will have the resin and hardener to give this a try.

 

[slickrock]

You can find the stuff at home depot, the resin also as well as the acetone you need.

Can I use old cotton work and wrenchign shirts for the fabric or should I only get feece from Wally World or a fabric store.

 

[fueg0]

You might try your local boat store (think West Marine or the like). They'll have the fiberglass as well as the resin & hardener. I used the West system with good results.

no affiliation with either company.

good luck,
--jeff

 

[Roryfj4062]

buy a cartridge style respirator and work in a well ventilated area. this may seem a lot like common sense, but it took me a couple borderline lung infections before i figured this out. good luck!

 

[Volcano cruiser]

Not to be the wet blanket on this one, Lord knows I'm a tight wad, or as it has been said in polite company "he knows how to watch a dollar..." but is SS tube that expensive in the states these days? Again I had the exhaust shop bend me up a Zekster special in an hour out of a meter of 3" SS pipe. Had some bracket welded to it so it would bolt on nice to the rig, rattle can, snorkle head and presto.
Thinking it through in reverse order you may want to think about bracketing i.e., 40's shake rattle and roll alot and the snorkle gets smacked alot by trees etc around here so having it bolted down tight to the rig is a must. Next I don't give a second thought to the SS getting hit by anything, the other thing will get damaged before the snorkle will. How thick are you going to have to make the fiber snorkle to be able to handle such punishment. Getting the head to fit onto the SS was not a plug and play thing and it helped that I could muscle a few of the pieces into place, you're gonna have to think that through on your fiber tube.
At the end It seems to me that making the snorkle head out of fiber would work better. Especially as the OEM ones are getting really scarce. Just a couple of thoughts for your project. Good luck.
John

 

[fj404life]

google "plug and mold making"...also google "lost foam"

 

[Mach Schnell]

Me and my dad redid the inner braces and floor of a 24' Freedom craft. If you get the glass mat stuff from the local marine store and use the resin on that I wouldnt even think twice about hitting it against stuff. You have to figure that some of these fiberglass boats encounter tremendous pressure out in the ocean without cracking (edit usually ) The one thing you will find out though is that using the actual glass mat it will be a bit on the heavy side for something its size. And someone already mentioned it but when using the resin be careful and do it in an open air enviornment, my mom had to come and get me and my dad out of the boat cause we werent responding. Both of us were just sitting there staring (pretty strong stuff if you arent careful). Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[BrianSanDiego]

Great idea,
But how about glassing straight over some of that flexible aluminum dryer duct. It would add to the strength of the snorkel, be very easy to form, and be waterproof!

edit:
Thought about it and I think 4" would be too big. Did a search and it looks like you can get 3" like this
http://www.deflecto.com/OMS/tier2_template_air.aspx?ProductID=959

Or 2" heat rise duct from Autozone or similar.


B.

 

[slickrock]

Great idea. 3" would be perfect!

 

[Bret]

After making a couple out of 3.5" exhaust tubing I would consider making a form out of foam block (like mentioned above) then glass over the top of it. this would allow you to have the cross sectional area you want without sticking out as far as round tubing would. Then use whatever round thing you wanted for the end to form around where your prefilter would go.

You would also be able to use larger pieces of mat to make finishing a little easier. If you were feeling froggy you could glass the fasteners in at the same time.

 

[Zekester]

I looked into doing one in glass (like the rest of my truck), and the only advantage in using glass is making any wierd shapes or compound curves. If you are using duct work or a tube as a mold...why bother? you'll get a replica of a round tube, at 10% of the strength...

 

[RockDoc]

A thread from the 80s section on home-built snorkels.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/246954-homemade-snorkels-anybody.html

 

[joeyg1973]

If you were going to use cardboard you would need to get the resin on the inside to make the cardboard waterproof. If you use foam or cardboard that you just take out after, you will need a release agent applied to the form before hand. Oh and if made right, fiberglass can be VERY strong.

 

[slickrock]

Looks like I will try to do a form and practice with. But, will get some 3" muffler tubing to hold me over until I get it jsut right,

I looked into doing one in glass (like the rest of my truck), and the only advantage in using glass is making any wierd shapes or compound curves. If you are using duct work or a tube as a mold...why bother? you'll get a replica of a round tube, at 10% of the strength...

 

[amaurer]

there is a hilarious thread in diesel tech where someone had this idea and someone allegedly from ARB posted up and said the shape of their snorkel is copyrighted, and that a mere ocean wouldn't stop their laywers.

made me want to make one right then and there...