BODY PANELS

Subject: Re: Fibreglass repairs
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 10:20:17 +1000
From: "neil morgan" <nmorgan@hotkey.net.au>

Part 1. For joining of two surfaces ( cracks, breaks and joining two larger bits)

1. Sand the two surfaces that run beside the cracks at a width of approx 2 inches, down the length of the crack.

2. Thin out ( taper) the surface towards the crack. Do this until the crack is approx 1/2 the thickness of the material.

3. With a very rough guage of sand paper, roughen the area with another 2 inches down the length on top of the two inches that has already been tapered.

4. Cut your pieces of fibreglass matting to fit in the tapered area about half the width of the taper. (2inches wide)

5. Mix your resin to the directions.

6. Slap some over the area that the matting is going on.

7. Lay down your matting and with the brush, wipe all bubbles out.

8. Wait until this hardens. This will depend on type of resin used but can be around 3 hours.

9. Repeat 5.6.7.8. this will probably happen 3 to four times. Each time go an inch wider till sanded area is covered.

10. Sand off lightly the dribbles that would of come out of the crack on the painting side till smooth.

11. Fill any bubble holes with resin that are on the painting side.

Part 2. When parts are missing or shattered.

Lets assume the bit missing is along side the crack and is 3 inches square.

Example- Grazed along the road and worn away.

1. Fix the crack exactly in the method above but covering the hole as well. Sand the crack but widening the sanded area to two inches around the crack as well.

Note- You only need one layer over the back of the hole that goes over the entire sanded area around the hole.

2. Cut and shape fibreglass matting to fit inside the hole. (for 5mm thick you will need three layers of mat)

3. One layer at a time, resin in matting. Wait till each layer is dry.

4. Once the layers go past the painted surface by at least 1mm, carefully sand back with fine sand paper till it is perfect with painted surface. You will need to sand the paint around the hole till it it is back to bare fibreglass.

Pointers-

Only mix just enough resin at any one time as it goes hard quick.

Be liberal when using resin.

Fibreglass is toxic so when sanding use a mask and do outside if possble, actually do as much outside as possible as the resin is strong smelling stuff.

You can use an electric orbital sander with a fine grade sand paper .The glass is quite hard and will sand well with a sander but go easy as it might sand real quick if you go hard and fast.

Subject: Re: Fibreglass repairs
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 17:51:56 +1000
From: "Roper" <jkn@dynamite.com.au>

Neils glasswork bit snipped;

Pointers-

Only mix just enough resin at any one time as it goes hard quick.

Be liberal when using resin.

Fibreglass is toxic so when sanding use a mask and do outside if possble, actually do as much outside as possible as the resin is strong smelling stuff.

I freely admit to knowing sweet FA about glass fibre apart from the fact it has much the same toxic effects as asbestos which is bad shit!!!!

You can use an electric orbital sander with a fine grade sand paper .The glass is quite hard and will sand well with a sander but go easy as it might sand real quick if you go hard and fast.

If you do this please think of the H&S aspect. Gloves, tight fitting clothes, a really good mask and goggles if a full facemask isn't available. I'd find out from the GF people what size the fragments go down to and use conservative filters, if they say 20 microns then I'd try and get a 10 micron filter.

And despite the fact it's anaethma to most of you rabble, a shower after you've finished wouldn't be a bad idea ;-)