Fiberglass Basics - Easier Than You Think!

Does the word fiberglass intimidate you? When you think of fiberglass maybe you are thinking you need a whole new set of skills. If you have ever used, or should I say mixed bondo, you are halve way there. Working with fiberglass can be very sufficient and very simple. The key to a solid fiberglass mend is to plan ahead of time. Make sure you have the allowable equipment. You will need:

* Fiberglass mesh, or preferably a fiberglass kit. It includes sufficient material to fix a rather large area
* Get yourself a decent pair of rubber gloves
* Depending on the size of the mend you'll need a piece of cardboard, for mixing the resin/hardener
* other piece of cardboard and some duct tape, (read below)
* A good industrial or at least a sharp scissors
* A old small paint brush, or some cheap acid brushes for applying the resin

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When establishment to mend fiberglass, and you have your supplies as far as fiberglass necessities, of policy you'll want to analyze the damage very good. This gets overlooked very easily. When fiberglass is damaged in an crisis it commonly cracks, even if they are hair line cracks. They may not seem like much, but when it comes time to paint and genuinely over time they will show up. You cannot build a bridge over cracked fiberglass with primers nor does bondo (body filler) hold forever. You will need to grind down all the damaged areas!

To Start wipe the area off where you are now going to grind. You'll want to grind the area and all the puny cracks down, at least a 1/16 of an inch. If you can grind further go ahead. If you can get behind the damage like say on a hood of a semi, then you can grind the inside as well. This is the allowable way to do it, but I have had great success whether way.

Take a tape quantum and quantum the area you have ground. If it's ten inches then you will need 30 inches of fiberglass matting. When repairing fiberglass it is important to lay down 3 layers of mesh intertwined together to get the allowable power to hold the mend together, forever. You do not want vibrations or minor bumps to crack your mend again. Of policy you cut it wide sufficient to fill the hole. Most fiberglass repairs will need some sort of backing plate behind the huge hole. This is where the other peice of cardboard comes in. Cut the piece an inch or so larger than the damaged area all the way around. Now the duct tape. Tape it in there real good for now. You are gonna have to find a way to get behind it. Use what works. I have had it where I can't get behind So I tenderly have had to nurse it from the front side, retention it tight in place until it is set up, wear your gloves, you'll be in good shape..

Now for the mixing of the fiberglass with the resin. Resin is the bonding agent, mixed with the hardener so it sets up. It is somewhat like mixing body fillers. It basically uses the same hardener, same principle in mixing. There are a few different ways to do the next few steps:

* Pour out sufficient resin to be sure to coat all the pieces of mesh completely. You'll commonly need a 1/2 cup or more for most repairs. Don't be skimpy here, you want to have sufficient to coat the glass. If you pour it in a container try to keep an idea how much is in there. Apply a few inches of hardener in the container and get mixing. If it's hot you have about 10 minutes to to work so again have your fiberglass mesh ready to go. Take your mixture of resin over to the vehicle you are working on and brush liberally around the damaged are with the resin, put it as thick as will hold, but try not to let it go running onto the floor or the tires:)

* other more messy technique I've seen is to pour out the resin on the cardboard and mix it there. Take your mesh and dredge it in it till it is coated... Like chicken. Caution though, this is very messy, I shake my head when I see this, but it will coat the mesh and probably the work bench and you genuinely well. Use the first formula and paint it on.

* Take the cut mesh and press it around the covering where you put the resin, you want it to soak in there together. Apply one piece of mesh at a time, this will allow you to soak each piece real good for a strong fix. If you have your cardboard backer it's probably gonna be a permanent part of the repair. If you want it off you have to work at it considered before the resin is set, but avoid allowing the fiber glass to fall in the hole, so let it set up a puny and work quickly. Once you have the first piece on apply resin over the entire mesh, do these steps with all 3 pieces. Don't worry if the fiberglass matting seems to be falling apart, it's a good thing. The more intertwined the pieces are the stronger the repair.

* Let the mend set till it is hard as a rock. You want to grind on it or use a sander with 36 grit sandpaper to begin to flatten and form it out. Do Not sand through the fiberglass around the edges of the repair, that's why we ground it down other 1/16". It should hold and be able to sit there without any problems, you'll be grinding and finishing off with a incorporate coats of bondo.

* With the mend set up and ground down it may not hurt to test the power of the repair. It should not give in, you should be able to push on it and see the rest of the panel bright in and out with you. If not repeat the fiberglass steps again, add a few more pieces and bond it to the strongest areas.

* If you feel the mend is strong enough, blow it off good and begin with the bondo. If you haven't read Bondo Basics - The Art Of Bondo, now would be a good time, you'll want to read that before you begin with fiberglass.

Those are the basics for you, you can mend roughly anyone with fiberglass. Done properly you'll patch boats, be able to put a front end on a Corvette, fix or replace a headlight bucket on your favorite Semi, I've even fixed bumper covers with it, to hell with the bumper mend kits!

Fiberglass Basics - Easier Than You Think!

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