where do you get the fiberglass that is being used for exterior doors these days and how do they get to these finished products. can the be manufactured in a smaller custom shop[?
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Fiberglass materials, glass, resin, and gel coat are widely available--look at marina's and other outlets that cater to boaters. One on-line source would be http://www.defender.com
Without a fair bit of experience working with glass and resin it would be a serious challenge. Guys who repair boats do somewhat similar things fairly regularly, but you could buy a lot of doors for what they charge. That's an indication of the kind of time and knowledge required.
And, to really replicate the commercial doors looks like it would require molds, and a vacuum system, as well as a lot of technical expertise. That's the rub. Making the mold calls for a lot of precision so they would be expensive. To recover the expense, a lot of items would need to be made from a mold, which is not the business model of small custom shops.
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