# custom fiberglass coolers



## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

ive been dabbling with the thought of building some custom fiberglass coolers. i have a good amount of fiberglass experience and some good backing. i m thinking about making a mold for a cooler that comes out to about a 45ish quart cooler. im going to use fiberglass and foam and gelcoat and stainless hinges like a frigid rigid.i really started thinking about this just because i wanted a frigid rigid but dont wanna spend 500plus dollars for a 40qt cooler. im not trying to put frigid rigid out of buisness by any means, i just wanna make a few to pay for my own, and if it kicks off, then so be it... as for construction, it will probably have more insulation and look a little better than a frigid rigid,(all i got is time baby ;D), but what will really set me apart is say you have an ice blue or fighting lady yellow boat, and you want the cooler to match, well i can do that for you.. if you want nonskid on the top or a cushion, i can do that too.. oh and did i mention they would be about 100 bucks cheaper? what do you guys think? would anyone be interested in one?(hypothetically of course, im not asking anyone to buy something that doesnt yet exist)thanks


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

A few thoughts. First after my research for proper coatings for a glass cooler I've learned Gelcoat, not being waterproof, is probably the worst option and may only last a year or a few years before blistering. 
Second at $400 you are still more then $100 more then a 45qt Yeti, which is believed by some to be a better product. Either a product needs to be unique, or cheap to break into a saturated market or else it won't sell. Not trying to burst your bubble, but it's alot of work and a ton of time for something you most likely won't get a return on.
Ask me how I know ;D


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

i didnt know a yeti was that 'cheap'. i see where your coming from with the unique and saturated market area, but i dont see gelcoat being a problem. boats are gelcoated, minus a restored boat sporting an awlgrip job. but at any rate, like i said im definately not tryin to go big with this, its just gonna be a side thing kinda like what ANYTIDE is doin.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

http://www.yeticoolers.com/categories/Tundra-Series/

scroll down on the page for the price chart, They have come down quite a bit. Plus they are roto-molded and much more durable then a normal glassed cooler.



> i see where your coming from with the unique and saturated market area, but i dont see gelcoat being a problem.


Trust me when I say I've been having this discussion for months with people. Gelcoat is the cheapest, and typically the worst, way to cover molded glass and is technically not water-proof. Look into most better boats, or yatchs and you will see they are painted and not just gel. Yes most smaller cheaper boats are coated in it, but not boats that sit in water for more then a few days at a time, only trailered boats. If a boat is going to sit in the water then it gets bottom coated, if not the gelcoat can stain and blister in as little as within a few weeks. Because it will be used as obviously a cooler, it might have water and ice in it for a week or more on a big trip, plus fish blood...... Also consider that if you did use gelcoat it would need to be waxed type, which is not rated for food and could have some possible toxic effect on it, plus it would need to be waxed often and anything other then food grade wax would contaminate any exposed meat. Plus if you go with Gelcoat, being it's not really water proof then you will need to upgrade your resin to epoxy so when the gel fails it won't delaminate your cooler.

As far as Anytide geos he is a perfect example of what I mentioned before, his products are not only somewhat unique in the market, but they are cheap too! This is why he is doing well and found a little niche here.

I'm really not trying to be a downer, but I've been researching this for months, and the only reason I'm building a cooler for a friend is because Yeti doesn't make a 400+qt model, and if they did it would be over 1k. For a little 45qt cooler I'd save myself alot of trouble and just but a yeti, or igloo marine, cause it's hard to convince anyone to spend $400 on a product when they can get a proven one for $100-270 from a brand name. For that size you won't be able to come close to there price, warranty, and quality without a major setup and a ton of money up front for manufacturing costs, even then you most likely will still be at a loss because of there branding. Just my $0.02, sorry.


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

It is a big stretch to say it is not waterproof. However, a case could be made for blistering. On a molecular level polyester resin is not waterproof but on a practical level it is more than adequate for what you are attempting to do and with a good coat of paint becomes very waterproof. After a few trial and errors you may find yourself moving toward epoxy as it is more flexible and therefore would be more resiliant. 

I do agree with FC that it is hard to beat an Igloo or Coleman.



> As far as Anytide geos he is a perfect example of what I mentioned before, his products are not only somewhat unique in the market, but they are cheap too!


I completely disagree with this statement in part. Anytide has found a niche because of his love for the his chosen hobby and therefore used his imagination to come up with a better mousetrap. This is where I disagree- his products are not cheap! He make some very viable products at a reasonable price. I can tell you first hand that I find his products as high quality and inexpensive as to what is commercially avaiable. But they are definately not cheap crap from Wal-Mart.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I never said Tide's products were crap or EVER equated them to junk you get at walmart and I'm a bit vexed as to how you got that from my praise of his business. In fact if you check back in the threads you'll see I was the one who piloted his anchor pin bracket! Cheap is a fiscal term, that means reletively low in cost, and only refers to quality when quoted as such! 

PS. You can't completely disagree with a statement in part, that's a contradiction .


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Well im gonna build them anyways, if anything out of boredom, oh and they Will cool waaaay better than an igloo, i have a 45 quart igloo and hate it, it wont hold a bag of ice for longer than 5 hours in the summer, a frigid rigid will blow that out of the water, and i plan on using more insulation than them.. Between me and my friend we have over 40 yrs experience with polyester, vinylester, epoxy, kevlar, carbon fiber, etc.. I have no doubts that there will b a lack in quality


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Typo, not b a lack of quality lol


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Well heck if you have that many resources why not focus elsewhere? Perhaps a cool new microskiff?

What kind of igloo are you comparing it too? I've got one thats rated for 5 daysand it will keep ice for an honest 3. Apples to apples and all....

I think you will have one more issue with a glass cooler, durability. A 45qt cooler is made to be portable and moved often. One drop to the ground and you will have chips and cracks no matter how thick it is, a roto-molded cooler (like a yeti) won't have this problem as they are made to take a beating. The one I'm making will weigh 700+lbs when full so it's not moving.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

I have an igloo 45 quart marine cooler, it sucks lol the wall are maybe an inch thick tops... I understand if someone drops it that it Will chip but, hey if you hit a sign with your car it will dent, if you run your boat on an oyster bed its gonna scratch. And i understand how durable a yeti is because its plastic/polymer but a shiny fiberglass cooler that matches your boat just looks good and thats what some people want, i have nothin against yeti minus it looks like a giant melted down milk bottle, but they are strong


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Lol and im not "bored" enough to wanna tackle building a skiff mold from scratch lol


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Nuthin' sez ya' can't drop a removable liner in the'r
that'll protect ye'r interior gelcoat from water and dings.
Sure would make clean up right simple, eh?


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

thats a good idea brett


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## valdes2000 (Jun 21, 2010)

I think you have a good idea there. With a good non-skid pattern on the lid,(and matching hull colors) I could see a market niche for sport fishers looking for a cockpit step/cooler combo. Some good non-marking /non-slip feet added....maybe even matching boat name graphics.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

im also going to do a seat cushion. im a boat mechanic down here in west palm beach and work closely with alot of big dealerships and high up people,i got a good tapping on my shoulder saying i could move a few coolers, oh and in case anybody was wondering im going to my microskiff.com buddies a good discount


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

Hey cut runner, have you made any yet? take photos.

Mudd Minnow


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

im gonna try to get some of the plugs for the molds built this weekend if i can get the woman off my back lol, ill post pictures as i go so people can see the quality of cooler they are getting. i would imagine it will take about a month till the first cooler is made because i really wanna strive to get a nice mold. its gonna be square like a frigid rigid but im gonna round the edges and corners a bit more for a more ergonomic and chip resistant and stubbed toe friendly design. the first one is gonna be ice blue and mine for extensive beating and testing. i plan on using more insulation foam than the "2inch" standard set by the other coolers. im honestly just tired of buying ice.......... ;D


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

I don't blame ya. That's cool. I read about the cooler and think it is great. I wonder if you could make it portable so it could be useful for other things like camping. Somebody asked if you could put a removeable inserts inable to was out. Thought I would give you more options to think about. Oh no...I think I have another pm.

I might be moving to south fla soon. Job prospect. Hows the fishing down near Miramar Fla?
Mudd Minnow


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

i havent fished the miramar area.. thats a good question, lol it cant be too bad if its in florida ;D


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## mudd_minnow (Oct 13, 2010)

I just found a boat I've been looking for. It's a Skeeter boat. My grandfather had one and he gave it to my dad so we fished out of it for years. He sold it and I just found one today in very bad shape buy repairable. It was made in the 50 or 60 and I think would be the best flats boat because it floats in 3 inches of water. We had one with a 50 on the back and the water barly came over the back of the hull. Here is the shape. This is called a super skeeter.
















Here is what I would do. Much cheaper than my Mitchell right now








Mudd Minnow


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