Fiberglassing

[Soul]

Well, I am planning on filling in the taillight hole with fiber glass. I have never worked with it but my research says that fiberglass at first and bondo second is the way to repair and fill holes in plastics. So, I am planning on going out and getting a fiberglass repair kit that has everything I need for small projects.
Have any of you worked with fiberglass?? Any tips for me or any ideas??

[XS-Hawk]

Yes and no, haha

for patching up the tailight hole, you won't need a huge piece of fiberglass, a 1'x1' sheet should give you 2 layers and plenty of strength...
if you can make a mold to lay it into that'd be even easier... for smaller holes they have stuff that cures in sunlight quick! used mainly for surfboard ding/crack repair (clear UVsensitive resin with bits of fiberglass mixed in for strength) if I can remember the name I'll post it.. Sun-Cure or something like it.
awesome stuff though, you just squeeze some into the hole then cover with clear packing tape (I reversed a piece over the hole then another larger piece to hold it down so the surface came out smoooth) wait 5-15min and you're ready to go.

for larger holes (like the taillight) research fiberglassing techniques so you have a good idea how to layer, glass, and finish coat, to get a good product.

hope some of this helps.

Ian

[XS-Hawk]

Found it

the stuff I used to use for board repair is called SOLAREZ. for filling holes to be painted etc its great. lighter than Bondo... I think you glass guru's please correct me if I'm wrong.

Ian

[Makenzie71]

Soul, you'll need a small can of Bondo and a small fiberglass repair kit ($8 @ walmart). Other stuff you'll need are wax paper, a brush, cardboard and a mixing bowl and likely some other tuff I'll mention along the way.

~flat rasp file
~80 grit sand paper
~400 grit wet/dry sand paper
~putty knife

The best way to approach this is with the tail plastic removed (some people don't do this so it's a "must mention").

First step will be to thoroughly scuff up the area 1" surrounding the hole filling on BOTH sides. Then wash everything really will with hot water and Dawn dish-soap. Let dry inside your house or inside a paint booth to minimize surface contamination.

Use a tape to measure the size of teh hole you're filling and cut pieces 2" bigger (ex: hole is 3" X 5", patches need to be 5" X 7"). This is if you're using woven mesh (thin and random pattern). If you use a matting (heavy criss-cross weave like carbon fiber) then you'll only need one layer, but 2 is suggested for strength and longevity. I strongly suggest using the woven mesh.

Not cut a piece of cardboard to cover the hole. Cut it to where the height fits just inside the hole, but it's wide enough to tape to the sides. This will set the fiberglass form inside the tail a little way and allow for propper body filling. You'll tape the cardboard to the outside of the tail. The fiberglass will stick to the cardboard but you'll sand off the remnants off...you can apply a light coat of petroleum jelly to it, but be very carefull not to contaminate your surface.

You'll now need a 2" short bristle horse-hair paintbrush and a mixing bowl (l like those disposable bread-pans). Mix the resin according to the box's instructions, but hold back just a tiny bit on the called-for amount of hardener. This allows for an easier pace, which allows for less mistakes.

Now that the resin is mixed, use the brush to apply a thin layer to the inside surface surrounding the light's hole and the exposed cardboard. Now lay a piece of your matting on the wax side of a sheet of wax paper and use the brush to dab on just enough resin to get the material "damp". Dab the resin onto both sides and then use the brush to press it against the inside surface of the tail. Repeat the proceedure with all pieces then let it sit and cure for 24 hours.

Now, after the glass has set up, remove the cardboard. As said, likely parts of the cardboard have stuck to the matting. Use 80 grit sand paper to break the paper off and the rough-up the exterior side of teh patch. You want raw fiber to be present in the high parts. Then, as before, wash it thoroughly and let it dry.

Take your can of bondo and draw out a putty-knife full. Dig out less than you think you'll need...you just want enough to put an even surface on the patch before you start building it to match the tail's contour. Add a dab of hardener...just enough to give it a good orange tinting, and slather it on the exposed portion of the patch. Let it stand for 2 minutes and then use the 80 grit sand paper to scrape off the "film" it'll develope on top (bondo should be soft but not tacky).

After you've roughed that back up and brushed the shavigs off, dig out however much bondo you think is enough to fill the hole and mix it the same (just enough hardener to give it an orange tint). Pile the bondo up on the surface and try to get it a little higher than the tail's contour. Again, let it sit long enough that teh surface to lose it's tack, then use a flat rasp file to shave it down to "close" to matching the tail's surface. It may take you several further efforts with smaller amounts of filler to get it matched closely.

After you've got it matched pretty close, use 80 grit paper to smooth it over to so that everything looks flush. After it's all reletively smooth and flush, let it set and cure for an hour. Then come back with a pot of soapy clean water, a sanding block and some 400 grit and go to town. If you built the surface up propperly you'll be able to have a glassy-smooth physical and visual transition from the tail's plastic and your patch. If there are ruts and scratches too deep, clean everything off and apply a very thin layer of bondo or spot putty to fill them. Then start wet-sanding again.

After you're done wet sanding, wash the surface really well let the patch set for an hour or two to harden a bit more. Do NOT use lights and do NOT set it in the sun...lights will hardened it too quickly and sunlight will expose it to the elements. Then prime it. Do not let the bondo sit exposed more than a few hours...put a nice thick coat of primer on it and use something labelled as primer. Not "matte" or "flat" paints. I personally prefer Rust-O-Leum products...for everything.

Then finnishing up can be done at your liesure. Have fun.

[Soul]

Ahhh Makenzie you are awesome!
thanks for such a detailed write up. Well, I bought a fiberglassing kit today and I was also happy to see that my 100 5mm LED's have arrived for the brake light/tail light and blinkers for the tail. Perhaps this weekend I can get the tail and LED's completely finished.

I will try to get pictures of the tail build with the fiberglassing..Hopefully it goes well. Makenzie, you sound like you have done a little bit of fiberglass work..
I will also definately get pictures of the LED workings and how I do it.
Thanks for the info..I will be hitting you up if I get stuck..i hope thats ok. Thanks again!

[Makenzie71]

No problem man!

I've done a lot of glass-work and I've learned everything I know the hard way...lol...but it allows me to conjure up some fabulous results now. It's a small project so you shouldn't have that much difficulty...just be sure to take your time and handle everything with care and caution.

Hit us up if you need help or clarification!