Community Forums

Harley1994 · 08-16-2016, 05:23 PM

Good Evening, Ron, it's pretty amazing what people do and get away with, there are some frightful equipment out there. Gordon, Exactly

. Popeye, now there's some good tunes

. My philosophy has always been Turn the Page, (Silver bullet band) while I'm not a musician there's alot to be said for turning the page. Oh and there's another installment on the PU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbeZHP3-v9s

Franka548 · 08-16-2016, 08:02 PM

Terry,
Another fine video, didn't realize that the newer style doors came off that easy.
Frank

DoorBreaker · 08-16-2016, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritz

TERRY,
What happened. I tried another batch of fiber glassing and it hasn't dried and I applied it yesterday

After sanding I wiped it down with acetone.
Plus some of the last application I did just pealed off??? I thought I had it sanded enough?
I used a beer size plastic cup 3/4 resin and 10 drops of hardener
it was in the upper 80ties yesterday with low humidity, around mid 60ties last night.
This is what I did yesterday, resin, screen dabbed resin, fiberglass dabbed resign.

What grit paper did you use for sanding?
To get glass to stick to some plastics is a PIA. If it's peeling off you either didn't make the plastic rough enough OR the plastic has a lot of molding release in it.

Couple options. Peel anything "loose" off, sand with coarser paper and try again. OR you could cheat a bit. Get some aluminum window screen and the plastic welding kit that HF sells that looks like a soldering iron (item#60662). It comes with some mesh but it's far too fine for the next steps.
Cut a chunk of screen and shape it to the form of the hole and repair area. Not let the iron heat up and GENTLY use it to iron the screen into the surface of the plastic. You want it to get below the surface and see the plastic close over it. Do a small spot then skip to another and work your way around the patch. This is to avoid charring the surface and making it brittle. Once you get it all "ironed down" you can use it as a base for the rest of the repair.

Normally I'll wipe it down with wax/grease remover then go at it with 60 grit by hand on a block and try to make it random around the repair. Power sanding makes it too smooth. Then dust it off good with CLEAN air. Next mix a small batch of resin and brush the resin around the repair, apply a layer of cloth and push it into the resin with a brush dipped in resin. You are trying to glue it in place at first. Let that start to harden up and while it is sort of tacky mix another small batch and use the brush to saturate the cloth over the hole.
When that cures the first layer of cloth should be about level with the back of the original plastic. Let it cure and sand the edges down again. Then repeat but use matting to build up the patch.
Sand the surface between coats to allow the resin to bond to the cured area.
For the last layer use cloth again and make it as smooth as you can.
Let it cure and then sand it and apply a skim coat of filler. Sand and repeat until you have it shaped the way you want. Apply a guide coat (cheapest black spray you can find) VERY LIGHT COAT. Then sand, the guide coat will stay in holes/pits, valleys and low spots. Sand until it's gone, you may need to add filler and repeat until you get it the way you want it.

Then prime and paint.

Clear as mud ??

Harley1994 · 08-17-2016, 04:58 AM

Good morning, Frank, yup, pretty easy

. Steve, nice explanation, thanks for jumping in.

spritz · 08-17-2016, 07:27 AM

Yes thank you for the info, well another mishap yesterday I mixed a batch and it ate thru the bottom of cup and all over driveway.

I'm really thinking of just taking it in somewhere that repairs fiberglass.

The batch I did yesterday did harden up,

I did change to Matt instead of cloth. It seems to not be as messy. I have been using Fiberglass Screening as filler also.
I have been using 60 grit to sand the PO mess off, I even have used my angle grinder to get some of the really thick junk off, and a cutting wheel to remove the mess above taillight and cut some wood for a backer since there won't be any of the original fiberglass left. I like the idea about the paint, I saw that on a program once about them doing that to the whole MH to find high and low spots before a re-spray.
Terry,
Another great Video, and I don't want to take over your thread but it seems that you have a following in fiberglass repair.
Tim

Harley1994 · 08-17-2016, 08:35 AM

Tim, no worries about the thread, I'm all about getting info to those that need it, and the people here seem to have that,

IT'S GREAT as Tony the Tiger used to say, (does he still say that?)

Franka548 · 08-17-2016, 10:34 AM

Tim,
Don't give up man, you will be good to go with just a little practice.
Steve,
Very good explanation, thanks for jumping in.
Frank

spritz · 08-17-2016, 08:39 PM

Well today went better with the repairs to the Rear End of the MH. The area above the taillight that I had to cut most of the PO repairs out left a 4 inch by 8 inch with nothing there so I cut a board and screwed it in place covering most of the hole. Then I screwed thru 3 places where there was still some original Fiberglass.
I also placed a board behind the taillight housing screw holes. The PO had it riveted in place. I placed it there so I can use regular stainless steel screws to screw in the housing and have something to get a hold.
I read about adding paint to the resin??? Is that Automotive paint, or fiberglass paint (if there is a special paint for fiberglass) Rustolium (sp) type.?
I'm asking because I used black Fiberglass screen as a filler in 2 places and being the final color is a Beige (original) I'm afraid it will show thru.
Thanks to all,
Tim

Franka548 · 08-18-2016, 07:03 AM

Tim,
I never tried the adding the paint to the resin, but I would imagine that you just add the color that you want the final to be. You might have to give a couple of extra coats to cover the dark, but you will just have to try it and see.
Frank

Harley1994 · 08-18-2016, 04:37 PM

Good Afternoon, Tim, I've never added to fiberglass ether, give it a try and let us know if it worked ! I'm getting closer to painting the cab, got the door jambs painted today.

DoorBreaker · 08-18-2016, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spritz

Well today went better with the repairs to the Rear End of the MH. The area above the taillight that I had to cut most of the PO repairs out left a 4 inch by 8 inch with nothing there so I cut a board and screwed it in place covering most of the hole. Then I screwed thru 3 places where there was still some original Fiberglass.
I also placed a board behind the taillight housing screw holes. The PO had it riveted in place. I placed it there so I can use regular stainless steel screws to screw in the housing and have something to get a hold.
I read about adding paint to the resin??? Is that Automotive paint, or fiberglass paint (if there is a special paint for fiberglass) Rustolium (sp) type.?
I'm asking because I used black Fiberglass screen as a filler in 2 places and being the final color is a Beige (original) I'm afraid it will show thru.
Thanks to all,
Tim

Tim,

You can color resin, Usually you use a powder or paste pigment that blends into the resin and gives you a colored very runny version of body filler. Same idea is used in boat hulls to give it the color through the layers under the final gel-coat.

Not sure I would bother though. Once you get the body repaired to your satisfaction just use a good 2 part primer to coat it. The primer will cover and prevent any bleed through. Once that cures just scuff and shoot the final color.

Unless you plan on shooting it with gel-coat. Then you do your repairs the way you are. Get it nice and smooth. Then apply a coat of vinylester primer/surfacer. Sand it smooth and add the color to the gel-coat and mix in the hardener and shoot that on.

Steve

Franka548 · 08-19-2016, 05:52 AM

Steve,
Thanks again for setting us straight with the correct information, it is always nice to have someone that knows the proper procedure. I don't do much body work, so I don't have a lot of experience to fall back on.
Terry,
Looks like you are getting closer. We haven't heard anything about taking off in the TH for a couple days. You really need to do that, summer is almost over, and Eleanor really needs the stress reliever that a weekend away will give.
Frank

DoorBreaker · 08-19-2016, 04:06 PM

Frank,
No problem. Spent a lot of time eating fumes and dust. Used to take a shower and have rainbow colored water... Was a toss up as to which would kill me first, eating paint fumes, working in a paint plant or eating smoke. Left the paint plant, semi retired from the shop and am retired from the FD due to burnout...

Steve

Harley1994 · 08-19-2016, 06:57 PM

Good Evening, Steve great advise as always,

. I know what you mean about all the dust and fumes, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and when I couldn't hold on a DA anymore I gave it up, that was 32 years ago, went to driving and later bought my second shop, only this time I had my son and employees to do the work, (I started a third shop and worked on motorcycles, building customs ect.) then one day decided I had enough, sold the shop to an employee and retired from driving, yup I had a full time driving job on top of the shops, kept me busy 7 days a week, and way too many hrs. a day. Welding in patches on the third door today and primed the cab.