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Fiberglass Posted by Ernesto [Email]  (#96) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ernesto) on Thu, 26 Jul 2001 16:16:46
In Reply to: Thanks Seth!, Scott Paterson   [Profile/Gallery]
, Wed, 25 Jul 2001 22:36:22
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Greetings,
There are many tricks of the trade for fiberglass.
First of all, there are the materials:
Resin - Polyester (very smelly and toxic)
Epoxy (less smell and toxic but more stength and $$)
Resin is mixed with a hardener and will harden depending on temperature.
At 70F, you have about a 10-15 min working time. At 50F its more like 30
mins.
(Note: You MUST used gloves(latex)and other protective gear while using
these products. You can get very allergic and sick to extended exposure on
the skin. Also you MUST use safety glasses. The hardener is very toxic
and WILL blind you if it gets into your eyes)
I highly recommend using epoxy as it is safer and easier to work with.
Fillers -
There are many fillers to thicken up resin for filling
The most common are:
Flax (cotton fibers I think)
MicroBallons ( small spheres made of fiberglass)
Flax mixed with resin will provide a bit of shear strength
Microballons are very easy to sand and mix well(very little air bubbles)
Mat-
Fiberglass
Sold in various configurations:
Different weaves
Different weights (ounces/yard). the heavier the thicker.
Repair
Any repair needs to be cleaned up by sanding it. Resin always
sticks better to sanded(and clean areas) areas. Most major repairs need
resin and fiberglass mat.
If you are filling a hole or scuff, you can use resin mixed with flax or microballoons until it has the consistency of puddy or oatmeal. Then it fill just like bondo(any requires just as much or more skill as bondo).
Larger repairs (cracks and holes) requires fiberglass mat applied with resin behind the repair area for strength. For a sonett body since it is not intended to support a lot of weight, use lighter fiberglass. If you need more strenght use multiple layers. To do this, on a piece of wax paper place your mat (already cut to size) and apply enough resin with a squegee(as used in bondo repair). After the mat seems to have absorbed the resin, squegee off the excess (you should be able to see the fibers but they should look like they have resin between the fibers). Then put some resin on the area of repair and place the resin filled mat over the area. Use the squegee to adher the mat and get the air bubbles out. After it has cured, you can fill the other side (as above). Then the area has to be sanded and feather just like on metal cars. I have also seen bondo with fiberglass fibers used instead of resin&flax.
After everything has cured, sand and feather. If there are air bubbles,
fill them and sand again (like using bondo)
After, the area will need gelcoat and paint to match.
To make more complicated objects, you need molds..etc...very complicated
and you should not attempt unless you have a lot of experience.
Email me if you have more questions. Also, try a corvette shop if you
don't want to do it yourself.
, Wed, 25 Jul 2001 12:00:52, Wed, 25 Jul 2001 22:36:22, Thu, 26 Jul 2001 16:16:46 <-- Viewing This Message
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