# Fiberglassing a Pumpkin



## Spider Rider

This was my second project with fiberglass, my giant spider being the first.
What you end up with is a lightweight, realisticly shaped and weatherproof pumpkin prop.

It's much easier and probably cheaper to buy pumpkins from Michaels when they are on sale. I did this project to get ready to do a giant pumpkin that I hope to score from a local pumpkin festival.

The pumpkin you base it on is destroyed in the method I use so it's best done after Halloween. If you know fiberglass you could save the pumpkin using some kind of release agent but I wanted simple and the pumpkin already was already cracked open and also free.


















All work is done *outside* because fumes, dust, fiberglass resin and fiberglass strands are bad news for your lungs and skin.

I got all of my fiberglass materials from Home Depot.

Materials:
A big a** pumpkin
Fiberglass mat
Scissors that will get dull quickly so don't tell your spouse when you borrow 
them
Fiberglass resin and hardener
Cheap 2 inch paint brushes
Disposable container to mix the resin and hardener (paper cups)
Rubber gloves
Sanding disc powered by a drill
Breathing mask so as not to breathe fiberglass dust when sanding
Safety glasses
Some way to cut the fiberglass once it has hardenened around the pumpkin
I used a high speed cut off wheel but a hack saw should work.

OK, again do this all OUTSIDE because of fumes dust and fiberglass strands.
I pre-cut strips of fiberglass cloth around 4 inches wide by 8 inches long. If you are using fiberglass mat instead of fiberglass cloth you just tear shapes to the size you want. Too big of a piece and it is hard to fit it around the odd shape of the pumpkin.

Put on some latex gloves and mix some resin and hardener according to directions in a paper cup. Put a piece of cloth or mat on the pumpkin and using the cheap paint brush dip it in the resin and dab it into a piece of cloth. Don't use a painting motion but more of a straight stabbing motion pushing the resin soaked cloth into the nooks and crevices. When that piece is completely soaked and shaped to the pumpkin with no air bubbles, add and repeat 'till over half of the pumpkin has 2 layers of resin soaked cloth. Let that sit over night to harden. The next day you need to sand around the edge where you are going to continue adding cloth because a wax rises to the top during the hardening process and the new won't adhere well to the old. Flip over the pumpkin and finish adding cloth and resin like the first day until it is covered. Let harden again overnight. The next day cut around the pumpkin completely and then cut through the pumpkin in half. Cut and scoop out the guts. The stem on mine was stuck in there pretty good so I just left it in there. Rinse out the 2 half shells and then sand the cut edges a couple of inches wide so you can fiberglass the 2 back together. Repeat your techniques from the previous day to join the 2 halves. After hardening use the power sander(with mask and eye protection) to knock down any resin drips or sharp edges that might be sticking out. Rinse and your done with the fabrication part. Any painting or sticking lights inside is still to come.


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## Sickie Ickie

I'm curious about this because I may have to create a large Audrey II this year from Fiberglass. 

What dimensions were your pumpkin?

What was the resin/hardener costs, and fiberglass cloth cost involved?

How strong is this to withstand any force?


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## Undeadvoodoomonkey

Cool idea Spider rider, that pumpkin looks great! If you add a layer "veil" to your finishing layer you'll get no more poky bits that need sanding.

http://www.tapplastics.com/uploads/products/images/fullsize/standard/25-surfacingmat.jpg

http://www.tapplastics.com/shop/product.php?pid=90


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## Spider Rider

Here is a good website with a fiberglass learning center.

http://www.fibreglast.com/contentpages-Learning-Center-286.html

I used 2 packets of cloth from Home depot at 7 bucks each and a gallon of resin with hardener included is around 35 bucks. Way more than you need, in fact what I used is left over from last Halloween. At 2 layers it is pretty strong. The pumpkin is 19x19x15 and the spider body was almost 3 ft. in diameter. The spider body took at least 4 packets of cloth.

Thanks undeadvoodoomonkey I will try that on some fender flares for my autocross car.


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## Sickie Ickie

Thanks guys. I'm going to start a new thread so I don;t hijack this one.


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## BudMan

I'm not sure that I like the fact that the pumpkins are actually harmed using this process. Even though the pumpkin used was indeed cracked already and if we could all find previously cracked pumpkins to cut down on the actual damage to "good" pumpkins, this seems to be a long and torturous process instead of a humane and quick mercy killing. And who are any of us to decide what a "good pumpkin" is anyway?


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## Phil

I have to agree with BudMan. If the pumpkin must perish in this process, perhaps lethal injection prior to molding?


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## Spider Rider

Good News! If you first duct tape the whole surface of the pumpkin and then fiberglass it and then carefully cut it off, the pumpkin will be saved. I have heard some pumpkins even enjoy it, but then that could be a west coast thing.

The duct tape thing is not a joke, it works according to a car buddy of mine.


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## Sickie Ickie

Clear packing tape works, too I'm told.


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## BudMan

Spider Rider said:


> The duct tape thing is not a joke, it works according to a car buddy of mine.


I bet it does.....especially at stifling the objections of these poor souls. 
And as for some of them actually liking it.... well the only thing that I can say is that you sir are a disturbed individual!
"And I for one am not going to let you badmouth the United States of America...... Gentlemen," 
as they walk out, single file, humming the national anthem.


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## Lilly

this sounds interesting ...i will have to try something like this some day 
thanks spiderrider


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## beelce

that looks good SR


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## jpxfiles

*Towers*

I want to know how tall did you make your towers?


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## Spider Rider

My towers are 6 ft. tall not including the gargoyles. They were made originally for a school's haunted house indoor display.


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## Daphne

I am more disturbed that I know what movie Budman is referring to....

Thanks for explaining how to do the pumpkin and giving so many details, very cool. I've thought about trying fiberglass a few times but figured it would cost a fortune and be too complicated.

I had never seen your giant spider before. I love that thing!! SO incredibly cool!


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## tobmaster

*Duplicates*

I watched at Ironstock some years back, Mark cline from Enchanted Castle Studios do a demo on fiberglass. As I am a avid user, I paid attention and picked up some tips.

First, you can wrap your pumpkin (or other object, even a fiberglass pumpkin or other item) in aluminum foil, paying close attention to cover every inch, and to press for details. Then you can spray glue an area, and lay your fiberglass cloth on that area. Cover about 1/2 the object then mix enough resin to coat that area. You can dump then spread with a brush. Stick it in the sun and in about 15-30 minutes pull off that side. Re-wrap in foil, and cast the other side. Then just spray glue and glass the two halves together. You can mass produce copies from your first object pretty fast. Then, peal off the foil (if it didn't come off already) and your sample is un-touched.

With this method, I have copied many a non-halloween item, but also made halloween shoulders and light weight forms for my pneumatic props.

Also, you can buy a gallon of resin at Home Depot or any other home improvement center. MUCH cheaper than an auto-part store or hobby shop.


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## Spider Rider

Aluminum foil sounds great. Very cool, thanks. I haven't done a giant pumpkin yet...hopefully this year at the Fall Festival.


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## DeathTouch

Thanks for this thread. It helps alot on the fiberlgass resin making.


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## byteme

wouldn't Vaseline work too or spray with silicone and work your way around a section at a time?


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## MarxNutz

Last Halloween I made Marvin the Martian's head using a $2.50 play ball from Wally World, some vegetable oil and fiberglass cloth to start... I covered about 3/4 of the ball's surface with fiberglass, then deflated the ball to remove it. The oil worked great as a release agent in this case, leaving a very smooth interior surface. Just goes to show, there's more than one way to skin a cat...


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