IH2LOSE
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 24, 2001
- Messages
- 3,908
- Location
- We Will All Meet Again
- Corvette
- 1966,and a 1962 thats almost complete
So over the week end I did some fiber glass repairs and I would like to share what I learned.
First thing is cleaning out cracks.I used a router like bit in a dremel, the bit is like the bits a motor builder would use to port a set of heads.
What I found was some large cracks clean out quick.Then I would have these little tiny minute cracks that you think are no problem,But I would dig into them only to find a large repair needed to correct the crack.Its funny but you can feel and listen to the fiberglass to determin bad areas. I had an area on my trunk edge that was delamanating(meaning the top surface was seperated from the fiberglass)I guess the best way to describe what was happening was as if the top paint surface was disconected from the car but it was in a large sheet.as you tap on it it did not feel or sound correct but the delamanating was only a tiny tiny area,I put the grinder to it and the top surface (about 1/32 nd to 1/16th thick) was just breaking away.As I went down into the glass it was perfect it was just this top skin. to make a long story short I kept going further out until I hit a good section and I was able to grind the top surface and it did not flake off. The size of the cleaned up area ended up being about 9" X 18" this was all from tiny minute little 1/8th" delamination.Once I had the area cleaned up I brushed on some resin and then laid a peice of mat on top of it.It will finish up perfect.
But I do know that I allmost was going to paint some resin into the crack and squezze it closed witch would have been a problem in the future.So my advice is be brave and just dig into those cracks eventually you find good solid material to work with.And if you have to make some holes into the other side dont panic because had you not dug into do the repair it would not of held up anyways.
So what I used to work with ,I made up some metal drain pans with a ramp on them like the paint roller pans only steeper. (I am a tin knocker by trade) I would cut all my peice of matting to the size I wanted ,then I would stack them in the order I would use them in
I would them mix up my resin .
I filled a cooking measuring cup up with water I then poured the water into a paper cup and marked the cup for how many ounces of liquid it held .I then did the same thing with cough medicine measuring cups for the hardner (if you try and count the drips for the hardner you just cant be consistant) and filled it up to a level and marked it .I then had an exact mix every time .Once I had my resin mixed up in my pan I would then soak a peice of the matting in the resin pan. I would then slide it up onto the ramp and roll it with a mini paint roller you would use to paint trim in a house.I have read several times that the less resin you can use once the matting is soaked thru makes for a stonger repair.So I used the roller to remove the excess resin ( that was also the reason for making a steep ramp on my pan to allow the resin to a place to go). prior to apply my resin soaked matting I would use the same roller to pre wet the repair area.I would then apply the matting to the repair area daubing it into the repair area with an acid brush then again using my roller working from the center of the repair out to remove any air bubbles.from there I would repeat the above process to add adtional layers of matting.the last layer of matting I did not soak the matting in the resin I would just install it dry and then use my acid brush only to daub it into the resin and matting in the repair area,(the thought was to soak up any extra resin left in the repair area) you can see the matting change color while your daubing it in and you can tell when it is soaked thru with resin.
Now for my heater box repair area I was using long wide strips of matting that just would not make it from the pan to the repair area with out falling apart.(Kinda like soaking a long strip of wet toilet paper it would fall apart) So what I did was take a wood dowel and slide a portion of the matting up my ramp then I would put the matting on the dowel and just roll the matting up on the dowel as I was rolling it up on the dowel I was also removing the excess resin,then I would place it on the repair area and roll out the dowel.It worked perfect.
I also left rubber surgical gloves all over my work area.as soon as my hand got resin on them where it was effecting how I could work I would just take them off and put on a new set.
For sure the glass repair was much easeyer then I had exspected it to be.
as a matter of fact the repairs I did on my firewall only needed a skim coat of plastic to finish it off.
I just wanted to share my exspereance with all of you in case some one else like me is out there afraid to do this type of a repair.
Also as you all know I am always looking to gain knowledge in how to repair these fiberglass cars so if you see something I did incorrect please feel free to correct me I am never embarresed by being corrected on something.
Thanks
Larry
First thing is cleaning out cracks.I used a router like bit in a dremel, the bit is like the bits a motor builder would use to port a set of heads.
What I found was some large cracks clean out quick.Then I would have these little tiny minute cracks that you think are no problem,But I would dig into them only to find a large repair needed to correct the crack.Its funny but you can feel and listen to the fiberglass to determin bad areas. I had an area on my trunk edge that was delamanating(meaning the top surface was seperated from the fiberglass)I guess the best way to describe what was happening was as if the top paint surface was disconected from the car but it was in a large sheet.as you tap on it it did not feel or sound correct but the delamanating was only a tiny tiny area,I put the grinder to it and the top surface (about 1/32 nd to 1/16th thick) was just breaking away.As I went down into the glass it was perfect it was just this top skin. to make a long story short I kept going further out until I hit a good section and I was able to grind the top surface and it did not flake off. The size of the cleaned up area ended up being about 9" X 18" this was all from tiny minute little 1/8th" delamination.Once I had the area cleaned up I brushed on some resin and then laid a peice of mat on top of it.It will finish up perfect.
But I do know that I allmost was going to paint some resin into the crack and squezze it closed witch would have been a problem in the future.So my advice is be brave and just dig into those cracks eventually you find good solid material to work with.And if you have to make some holes into the other side dont panic because had you not dug into do the repair it would not of held up anyways.
So what I used to work with ,I made up some metal drain pans with a ramp on them like the paint roller pans only steeper. (I am a tin knocker by trade) I would cut all my peice of matting to the size I wanted ,then I would stack them in the order I would use them in
I would them mix up my resin .
I filled a cooking measuring cup up with water I then poured the water into a paper cup and marked the cup for how many ounces of liquid it held .I then did the same thing with cough medicine measuring cups for the hardner (if you try and count the drips for the hardner you just cant be consistant) and filled it up to a level and marked it .I then had an exact mix every time .Once I had my resin mixed up in my pan I would then soak a peice of the matting in the resin pan. I would then slide it up onto the ramp and roll it with a mini paint roller you would use to paint trim in a house.I have read several times that the less resin you can use once the matting is soaked thru makes for a stonger repair.So I used the roller to remove the excess resin ( that was also the reason for making a steep ramp on my pan to allow the resin to a place to go). prior to apply my resin soaked matting I would use the same roller to pre wet the repair area.I would then apply the matting to the repair area daubing it into the repair area with an acid brush then again using my roller working from the center of the repair out to remove any air bubbles.from there I would repeat the above process to add adtional layers of matting.the last layer of matting I did not soak the matting in the resin I would just install it dry and then use my acid brush only to daub it into the resin and matting in the repair area,(the thought was to soak up any extra resin left in the repair area) you can see the matting change color while your daubing it in and you can tell when it is soaked thru with resin.
Now for my heater box repair area I was using long wide strips of matting that just would not make it from the pan to the repair area with out falling apart.(Kinda like soaking a long strip of wet toilet paper it would fall apart) So what I did was take a wood dowel and slide a portion of the matting up my ramp then I would put the matting on the dowel and just roll the matting up on the dowel as I was rolling it up on the dowel I was also removing the excess resin,then I would place it on the repair area and roll out the dowel.It worked perfect.
I also left rubber surgical gloves all over my work area.as soon as my hand got resin on them where it was effecting how I could work I would just take them off and put on a new set.
For sure the glass repair was much easeyer then I had exspected it to be.
as a matter of fact the repairs I did on my firewall only needed a skim coat of plastic to finish it off.
I just wanted to share my exspereance with all of you in case some one else like me is out there afraid to do this type of a repair.
Also as you all know I am always looking to gain knowledge in how to repair these fiberglass cars so if you see something I did incorrect please feel free to correct me I am never embarresed by being corrected on something.
Thanks
Larry
