Are total fiberglass gourds a reality???.................

[geneinmurphy]

I've always wondered why someone has come up with a total fiberglass gourd......it would be very lightweight and last a very long time. The biggest problem I could see with them is the smooth surface on the inside might cause traction problems for the PM, but you could always add some texture to the inside or drill drain hole would could double for traction....

[CUL Lou~Mich]

Gene. I'm NOT positive on this, but I believe Fiberglass is fairly labor intensive. If this is correct, it would make them cost prohibitive to produce. I think it's far quicker (thus cheaper) for the Mfrs to use Plastic blow molding. Hopefully someone who is more knowledgeable will step in and answer this for positive. CUL Lou

[Guest]

That's correct - the fiberglass would be more expensive to manufacture. I think it would also represent substantially more weight compared to the various plastic gourds on the market. In general, fiberglass production is a messy operation, and it is not very environmentally friendly, either.

While there appear to be continuing design improvements made to the commercial gourds, I don't think there is much that can be done to improve on the material itself.

Jeff Nelson

[Emil Pampell-Tx]

Compressed foam is probably what I like best for a gourd material, it has excellent insulation and durability qualities, but it is heavier than other gourds. The one I have is called the Purple Martin Hut...I really do like the material...it is NOT compressed styrofoam, but from the outside it looks a bit like it. If you have any questions, then do a google search for it