Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators

What the job really is

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

At a glance

• Sector: Production
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-2051
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Mix catalysts into resins, and saturate cloth and mats with mixtures, using brushes.
• 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.
• 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.
• Select precut fiberglass mats, cloth, and wood-bracing materials as required by projects being assembled.
• Bond wood reinforcing strips to decks and cabin structures of watercraft, using resin-saturated fiberglass.
• Trim excess materials from molds, using hand shears or trimming knives.
• Apply layers of plastic resin to mold surfaces prior to placement of fiberglass mats, repeating layers until products have the desired thicknesses and plastics have jelled.
• Inspect, clean, and assemble molds before beginning work.
• Cure materials by letting them set at room temperature, placing them under heat lamps, or baking them in ovens.
• Apply lacquers and waxes to mold surfaces to facilitate assembly and removal of laminated parts.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Chopper guns, Curing ovens, Cutoff saws, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Fiber reinforced polymer FRP rollers, Hand shears, Heat lamps, High-volume low-pressure HVLP spray guns, Ladders, Micrometers

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
• Foundry Mold and Coremakers
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
• Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
• Tire Builders
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Furniture Finishers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.