National

Laminate layers of fiberglass on molds to form boat decks and hulls, bodies for golf carts, automobiles, or other products.

Sample of reported job titles: Laminator, Fiberglass Laminator, Chopper Gun Operator, Roller, Boat Builder, Boat Carpenter, Gel-Coater, Fiberglasser, Fiberglass Finisher, Hull Line Crew Member

Tasks

• Release air bubbles and smooth seams, using rollers.
• Spray chopped fiberglass, resins, and catalysts onto prepared molds or dies using pneumatic spray guns with chopper attachments.
• Select precut fiberglass mats, cloth, and woodbracing materials as required by projects being assembled.
• Pat or press layers of saturated mat or cloth into place on molds, using brushes or hands, and smooth out wrinkles and air bubbles with hands or squeegees.
• Mix catalysts into resins, and saturate cloth and mats with mixtures, using brushes.
• Bond wood reinforcing strips to decks and cabin structures of watercraft, using resin-saturated fiberglass.
• Check completed products for conformance to specifications and for defects by measuring with rulers or micrometers, by checking them visually, or by tapping them to detect bubbles or dead spots.
• Trim excess materials from molds, using hand shears or trimming knives.
• Repair or modify damaged or defective glass-fiber parts, checking thicknesses, densities, and contours to ensure a close fit after repair.
• Cure materials by letting them set at room temperature, placing them under heat lamps, or baking them in ovens.

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Tools & Technology

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Technology used in this occupation: