New Section

Awesome! Thanks, WM!

I'll expect to see some entries from DonnyRay and Choppinczech in this section.

 

OH! A NEW FAVORITE SECTION! Thanks Mrs. Webmistress.

 

This would be a good start . . .

Fiber Glassing Tips | T-Bucket Forums (tbucketeer.com)

 

Those are the guys whose posts I read and it helped me out quite a bit! Another might be the Bob Hamilton DVD. I used his ideas to widen and lengthen my body. Prior to that I'd Never worked with fiberglass before. (Hope it holds together!)

 

First i make templates (patterns) , second , i test fit the templates ,third i transfer the templates to fiberglass mat & fourth , i glass the mat to the object i'm working on. I mix 50 percent of the catalyst (hardener) to allow me more time to work. If the weather is a little on the cool side , i use a heat gun to help the catalyst do it's job. I just recently lengthened a 1932 ford fiberglass hood to fit my project car.

 

Hi CheapT thanks for the compliment . I learn from Choppinczech & you tube videos. RE : Lengthening body parts. Use EPOXY resin (it's stronger than polyester resin).

 

I also make my own flat fiberglass sheets. They are very flexible and easily cut with a pair of scissors. Once you have the sheet material attached , you can add another layer of fiberglass mat to the attached piece for more strength. I use a piece of 28" x 30" x 1/4" thick polypropolene ( non stick material) people use this material for cutting boards ( the polypropolene is very tough). You don't have to use any release agent ( mold release or wax etc).

 

I didn't know and better when I lenghtened my body so I used epoxy resin. Same goes for when I widened it. I later learned that it is a bit stronger than poly resin for what I did. My nephew has recently started working at a body shop and is learning fiberglass repair. He suggested that I cover the areas that I split with woven cloth over the existing mat to increase the strength. When I'm ready the underside of the floor will be covered with a layer of woven to tie into the sides. Hope I'm doing it right! What do you guys think?

 

You can also use CoreMat to strengthen the sides (interior sides). Woven roving (uses a lot of resin) sounds good for the floor's bottom. If you have 90 degree (inside) corners to patch ; radius the corners first with " kitty hair" ( Bondo with short fiberglass fibers). Use the end of a tongue depressor which is shaped like this ) to make your radiuses. Use a rag to remove the extra kitty hair after each pass with the tongue depressor. Tongue depressors resemble a widened ice cream stick. Arts @ crafts stores usually stock them (hobby lobby , joanns , michaels) . PS: Fiberglass mat CAN'T negotiate a 90 degree corner. It CAN negotiate a radiused corner.

 

Is core mat different from regular type mat? Or is it a brand name? I have a bunch of mat laying around that I can use.

 

CoreMat doesn't look like fiberglass mat or fiberglass cloth . This is CoreMat.

 

That's interesting! Almost like fiberglass but like carbon fiber shaped. So, are the honeycomb portions what soaks up the resin and the darker portions just hold the honey combs together? Is this stronger or just easier to form different shapes or both? I'll have to check the interweb and see if I can find any locally.

 

I bought mine from tap plastics. Spirit Cars uses it for strengthening interior parts of their fiberglass bodies . A website called Fiberglast sells it . You might also get it from e-bay. The honeycomb sections contain micro spheres that soak up the resin. You can shape the Coremat with a pair of scissors. The Coremat hold it's shape.

 

Thank you! I’ll look for fiberglast. I believe I’ve run across them during my searches.

 

How i repaired a plastic bumper cover on a Honda Acura (about 5 years ago) : Clean the area to be repaired with acetone. Sand the area to be repaired (i used 80 grit sandpaper). Spray on SEM plastic adhesion promoter on area to be repaired. Wait 10 minutes. Patch the area with fiberglass mat & polyester resin. I put the bumper back together by using thin strips of polypropylene plastic. The strips were screwed into place with 1/8" x 3/4" screws (self tapping screws). I screwed the strips on the front of the bumper. The fiberglass mat repair was done on the back side of the bumper.

 

I usually buy Coremat from my local Tap Plastics store.