Fiberglass help?
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Admitted 'rexaholic'
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,235
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From: Seymour, TN
Fiberglass help?
I am so pissed at myself....got the mariah mode 1 kit. Jack slipped=cracked fiberglass. A $200 repair at the body shop. Today I bumped the side of the garage..another crack with a chunk out as well. DAMMITDAMMITDAMMIT!!
Ok, seeing as I am going to do this on occasion, I want to learn to do this type of repair myself.
You body gurus out there got some tips, or perhaps a website/book you can suggest on step-by-step how to's?
Ok, seeing as I am going to do this on occasion, I want to learn to do this type of repair myself.
You body gurus out there got some tips, or perhaps a website/book you can suggest on step-by-step how to's?
Heck Yes!
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,075
Likes: 0
From: Chatham, Ontario, Canada
Grinder, acitone, fibergalss cloth, fibergalss particles, resin, gell coat and alot of patence.
I have never done body work on a car, but I used to repair sailboats for a summer job.
Do your selfe a favor and read as much as you can (sory I am no help with info)
then get some sort of scrap fiberglass body pannel from a junk yard and pratice doing repairs. It relly does take pratice and patence.
Its too bad about your car I took the drivers side mior off of my first 7 that relly sucked.
Just a bit of advice take it any way you like
good luck
a
I have never done body work on a car, but I used to repair sailboats for a summer job.
Do your selfe a favor and read as much as you can (sory I am no help with info)
then get some sort of scrap fiberglass body pannel from a junk yard and pratice doing repairs. It relly does take pratice and patence.
Its too bad about your car I took the drivers side mior off of my first 7 that relly sucked.
Just a bit of advice take it any way you like
good luck
a
Full Member
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
From: Sydney Australia
sorry i cant help you here either, i used to be a composite laminator specialist, repairing fibreglass, kevlar and carbon fibre, fortunatly all my work was on aircraft and the external appearence didnt matter, it was always repainted.
to keep it strength, the repair has to be at least the same thickness of fibreglass cloth as the original part. whereit is cracked, its better to V the crack out and fill the V with layers of repair plies but you have to sand the V out at least 1/2 inch either side of the crack. on the external surface, the best i can give you is bog (bondo or body filler) get it smooth and paint.
witht he missing piece, you can glue it back into place using fibreglass resin and fibreglass particals (Q-cell) and repair the cracks as mentioned above, and when done, cover the whole area with a few more layers to regain lost strength.
Use the materials mentioned above and you should be fine, but rember Practice makes perfect!!!!!
to keep it strength, the repair has to be at least the same thickness of fibreglass cloth as the original part. whereit is cracked, its better to V the crack out and fill the V with layers of repair plies but you have to sand the V out at least 1/2 inch either side of the crack. on the external surface, the best i can give you is bog (bondo or body filler) get it smooth and paint.
witht he missing piece, you can glue it back into place using fibreglass resin and fibreglass particals (Q-cell) and repair the cracks as mentioned above, and when done, cover the whole area with a few more layers to regain lost strength.
Use the materials mentioned above and you should be fine, but rember Practice makes perfect!!!!!
Tennis, anyone
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,803
Likes: 4
From: SoCal.
When repairing 'glass stuff, try to align the pieces as best you can, take a clamp, and clamp it together. make it as flush as you can on the (pretty)outside surface.
the underside or inside won't matter much. I like the liquid hardner vs the cream stuff, cut your seaglass into
squares larger then the areas to be repaired,mix up the resin, i use a dixie bowl. Whatever parts to be repaired should be laid flat and level. Lay the cloth down, masking tape works good to hold it. pour the resin over and on the cloth, i use those yellow 'paddles' to move the resin around, make sure the cloth is soaked and resin is even, let stand and see how it turns out,The (pretty) side, cut the cloth into strips and lay one strip @ a time, let stand,you don't need tons of resin, just make sure the resin's even accross, i use a dremmel with a cut off wheel for the 'high' areas then a sander,
the wet/dry sand paper at the last. if you screw up you can always re-'glass/sand/etc You just have to mess with the stuff untill you feel comfortable with your work. no hurrying, don't cut corners and keep at it .
the underside or inside won't matter much. I like the liquid hardner vs the cream stuff, cut your seaglass into
squares larger then the areas to be repaired,mix up the resin, i use a dixie bowl. Whatever parts to be repaired should be laid flat and level. Lay the cloth down, masking tape works good to hold it. pour the resin over and on the cloth, i use those yellow 'paddles' to move the resin around, make sure the cloth is soaked and resin is even, let stand and see how it turns out,The (pretty) side, cut the cloth into strips and lay one strip @ a time, let stand,you don't need tons of resin, just make sure the resin's even accross, i use a dremmel with a cut off wheel for the 'high' areas then a sander,
the wet/dry sand paper at the last. if you screw up you can always re-'glass/sand/etc You just have to mess with the stuff untill you feel comfortable with your work. no hurrying, don't cut corners and keep at it .
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