How To Do Fiberglass Repair On Corvette

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Fiberglass is a strong and versatile material that can be used to make a multifariousness of things, including bumpers, showers, and boats. While it is a useful and lightweight material, it can be damaged relatively hands. To fix fiberglass that has croaky, you must kickoff appraise the extent of the damage and and so fix the surface. Past removing all of the damaged material and exposing solid fiberglass yous will be able to effectively add epoxy resin and sheets of additional fiberglass to repair the expanse.

1
Assess whether your hole or crack is ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) bore or less. This includes damage like punctures or screw holes. If the impairment is this pocket-sized, you can keep with a simple repair with epoxy and no additional fiberglass sheeting.^[1]
- Push button around the damaged expanse to experience for weakness in the fiberglass. A small spot of damage on the surface can actually exist larger underneath. If the area that feels weak is larger than ¹⁄_ii inch (ane.3 cm), it's amend to do a more intensive repair.
2

Put on personal protective equipment. This includes gloves, heart protection, and a dust mask or respirator. Information technology is well-nigh important to keep fiberglass dust out of your lungs and eyes. You lot also want to keep it off of your skin if possible, equally it tin cause irritation.^[2]

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three
Drill out the damaged fiberglass. In order for the epoxy repair material to adhere to the fiberglass and textile underneath information technology, you need to drill out the damaged material. Use a ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) drill bit and make a series of holes along the fissure. This will open upwardly the damaged area so that your epoxy tin get inside and bond.^[3]
- For example, if you lot have a tiny ^ane⁄₂ inch (one.three cm) hairline crack, drill several ^one⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) holes forth it with the drill bit.
4
Wipe washed the surface area with acetone. Cover a rag with acetone and wipe downwards the surface and the within of the holes. Acetone is the cleaner of choice when dealing with fiberglass. Information technology gets rid of all dirt and grime, too as fiberglass dust, without leaving a residue.
- When using acetone, remember that it is highly flammable and needs to exist used away from an open flame. The rag yous utilise should exist disposed of in a double purse in your garbage can.^[4]
- Acetone is available at most hardware and home improvement stores. You can also become it at pharmacies and big box stores in their nail care department, as information technology'southward most common apply is as nail polish remover.
5
Embrace the back of the hole with masking record, if necessary. If you are repairing an area that you lot can go to the back of, block it off with tape then that the epoxy doesn't run right through it. Use any blazon of masking tape that you have on hand, as it just needs to hold for a minor amount of time.
- In some situations, such as when you are repairing a bathtub, you won't be able to get to the back and that is fine. The epoxy volition go down into the damaged expanse and you volition need to use more than to fill up upwardly the void only information technology volition house upwardly quickly plenty to fill the hole.^[5]
6
Mix epoxy resin, hardener, and filler together. In order to fill a pocket-size hole, you need a mixture of these three components. Consult the instructions that came with your epoxy resin to make up one's mind how much of each fabric you need. Information technology is very important to become your proportions right, so follow the directions closely.^[six]
- Mix the epoxy in a disposable container with a disposable stirrer. Once the epoxy sets, the container and the stirrer will be coated with it permanently.
- The epoxy is the bulk of the material, the hardener causes the epoxy resin to business firm upwardly, and the filler makes the mixture thicker so that information technology doesn't baste right out of the repair area.
- These products are bachelor from online retailers, marine supply companies, and some specialty hardware stores.
Endeavour to make about equally much mixture as you think you will need to fill up the hole while still keeping the proportions right. There is no need to make a ton of mixture when fixing a tiny pigsty.
7
Cascade the mixed epoxy into the pigsty until it is filled. How much epoxy you have to cascade in depends on the hole and what is below it. If you lot accept a solid surface underneath, it won't take much epoxy. Nevertheless, if yous have a hollow surface area, information technology may take quite a bit of epoxy. Endeavour to keep the stream of epoxy small-scale and slow and then that you lot don't create a mess.^[7]
- If yous run out of premixed epoxy before the pigsty is filled, don't worry. Yous can mix more and add onto the top as long as the previous batch is still tacky.
- If you overfill the hole or spill some epoxy outside of the hole, wipe it up with a rag correct abroad. Then smooth out the surface.
- Wait 5 minutes and brand sure the tiptop of the epoxy stays level and doesn't slump. If it does slump, simply add together more than epoxy mix.
8
Sand the surface smoothen once the epoxy has cured. Consult the curing directions on the epoxy packaging. One time the designated amount of time has passed, beginning smoothing out the patch area. Start with lxxx grit sandpaper to get big areas of excess epoxy off. Then switch to 240 grit sandpaper to polish out the surface.^[8]
- Y'all can sand by hand or use an electric orbital sander, whichever you similar.
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1
Put on personal protective equipment. This should include gloves, center protection, and a dust mask or respirator. When repairing a large scissure or hole you will be creating fiberglass dust, which shouldn't get into your lungs or optics. Y'all should also try to keep information technology off your skin as much every bit possible, as information technology tin can be irritating.^[9]
- Additionally, if you tin exercise these repairs in a well-ventilated expanse, that is all-time.
2
Determine how much of the area is damaged. When an area that is larger than a ⁱ⁄_ii inch (one.3 cm) is visibly damaged, you need to outset your repair by assessing the truthful extent of the damage. Tap a money around the area that is visibly damaged. You should be able to hear a difference in the sound made in areas that are damaged and areas that are not.^[10]
- Make pencil marks around the area that you remember is damaged. This will help you lot go along track of what needs to be fixed.
3
Clean out whatever damaged fabric. Open the area that is damaged in order to understand the extent of the cracking and to ready the area for repair. Remove loose areas with your fingers and option off broken chunks with a utility pocketknife or another pointed tool.^[11]
- Use a small ^ane⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) drill bit to open up areas that are croaky through. This will let the epoxy to go into the cleft and adhere to it.
Although you lot do need to open up upward the damaged area a bit, yous don't want to increase the size of the damage during this process. With this in heed, be relatively gentle while all the same getting rid of broken pieces of fiberglass.
4
Sand down the expanse around the damage. Clean off any surface treatment on the damaged area and out across it at least 2 inches (5.i cm) on every side. Utilize sandpaper or a sanding bit to accept off the surface. This will ensure that all damaged material is removed and that in that location is plenty of surface area for your patch to adhere to.^[12]
- Y'all can use a hand sander but an orbital sander or a sanding bit will be quicker for the corporeality of sanding that needs to be washed on a larger fissure.
- When sanding, you want to sand to the bottom of the damaged area and and then taper upwardly your sanding less and less as y'all motion abroad from it. If you lot angle your sanding down towards the cracks, it will brand your repair stronger and volition let yous to brand a smoother patch.
five
Make clean the surface with acetone. After the surface is sanded down, you need to become everything off the surface so that the epoxy and fiberglass patch will stick. Employ a rag or paper towel soaked in acetone to wipe downwardly the entire area, including all of the internal edges of the fiberglass that you opened up.
- Make clean 1 to ii inches (2.v to 5.1 cm) out by the area that you sanded so that all dust and droppings are removed.
- Exist careful when using acetone. Information technology is highly flammable, so don't use it around an open up flame.^[thirteen]
- Acetone is a common product that is available at nearly hardware and home improvement stores. It can also be purchased at pharmacies and big box stores in the smash care section, as information technology's commonly used for removing nail smooth.
6
Fill any holes with resin combined with filler. In order to create a base for your sheets of fiberglass to sit down on, yous demand to fill whatsoever large holes or cracks with a base of operations of epoxy.Mix your epoxy resin, hardener, and filler at the ratio suggested on the packaging. For filling gaps, the mix will have enough filler to create a product that is the consistency of peanut butter.^[14]
- The epoxy should exist mixed in a dispensable container with a dispensable stirrer.
- How much epoxy you mix depends on the size of the crack you are filling. It's fine to make a guess and and so if you don't mix enough, you can ever make more while the outset batch is setting.
- These supplies are typically available from online retailers, marine supply stores, and specialty hardware stores.
7
Tear out several pieces of fiberglass sheeting. Rip out the pieces of fiberglass sheeting in the shape of the surface area you are covering. Don't cut the pieces out with scissors. Ripping them volition brand a more subtle edge on the patch, which will make information technology easier to create a smooth transition.^[15]
- Be sure to article of clothing your gloves and dust mask or respirator while ripping the fiberglass. Ripping it can create drinking glass dust that could be inhaled if you don't have on personal protective equipment.
- Fiberglass sheeting is available from online suppliers and at many large habitation comeback stores.
8
Use epoxy to adhere the sheets of fiberglass. Mix a batch of epoxy and hardener. Brush on a layer over the entire area that needs to be repaired and then identify ane slice of fiberglass on top of it. Gently brush on another layer of epoxy and then gear up another piece of fiberglass on acme of it. Layer the epoxy and fiberglass one more time, catastrophe on a layer of epoxy.^[xvi]
- Afterward you lay each layer of fiberglass down, use the tip of your brush to gently push it down into the surface. This will help eliminate air bubbling that might be stuck between layers.
- Smoothen the surface as much every bit possible while it is moisture. Look for imperfections and bubbling, which will evidence upwards in the finished product. Use the tip of your castor to pop any bubbles you encounter and to fill whatever voids.
nine
Sand after the resin is fully cured. Follow the directions on the epoxy resin you used to determine how long the epoxy needs to set. In most cases, this volition be almost 24 hours. Once it is ready, you can sand it smooth. Start with a rough sandpaper, such as 80 dust, to get large chunks of the resin off. And so use fine dust sandpaper, such equally 240 dust, to make the surface totally smooth.^[17]
- It's important to permit the resin cure long enough earlier sanding it so that it gets as strong and solid every bit possible.
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Things You lot'll Need

Gloves
Dust mask or respirator
Drill
¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) drill chip
Form sandpaper or modest sanding bit
Acetone
Rag
Resin epoxy
Hardener
Filler
Disposable container for mixing epoxy
Dispensable stirrer for epoxy
Sandpaper

Gloves
Dust mask or respirator
Drill
^ane⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) drill chip
Utility pocketknife
Course sandpaper or small sanding scrap
Acetone
Rag
Resin epoxy
Hardener
Filler
Disposable container for mixing epoxy
Disposable stirrer for epoxy
Disposable paint brush
Fiberglass sheets
Sandpaper

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