Fiberglass for control panel???

[moloch]

So on that weird cabinet that I got:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=82968.0

The control panel is metal and it is really cut up. I was thinking of covering it in plastic (saran wrap) and doing a fiberglass version of it. That way it would have the same shape and I would not need to spend as much money on have a new one made in metal.

I figured that after the shape is there I would put a very thin sheet of wood behind the control surface for rigidity. I have not seen anyone do anything like this and want to know what anyone thinks of the idea.

Let me know if I am barking up the wrong tree or if this seems like a possible idea.

[scotthh]

Bondo adheres to metal (along with all sorts of other things). A lot of people here use it to fill holes in wood cabinets. It's original purpose is to fix metal things (cars). If you're capable of doing what you've described (it seems like a lot of work to me), I would think filling in the cuts and dings and sanding would be a piece of cake.

[moloch]

Bondo adheres to metal (along with all sorts of other things). A lot of people here use it to fill holes in wood cabinets. It's original purpose is to fix metal things (cars). If you're capable of doing what you've described (it seems like a lot of work to me), I would think filling in the cuts and dings and sanding would be a piece of cake.

I have thought about that and I have a lot of bondo, but I would like to have something from scratch, it is my OCD surfacing....

[shmokes]

I'm sure I've seen someone do control panels out of fiberglass before.  It's been years, but I'm pretty sure it's not a made-up memory.

edit: Here's the one I was thinking of.

[CheffoJeffo]

I would patch with metal and bondo, but I'm lazy ... and I would worry about the strength of a fibreglass panel.

[Jack Burton]

If memory serves me right you have a huge hole where that steering wheel is.  If you're gonna plug that up bondo ain't gonna do the job. 

I would do exactly what you have planned to do.  It should work, and I'm not even sure that you'll need the wood to reinforce if you do it right.