That looks pretty damn good man.
Rust Issues
- Thread starter wengejor
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Southeast Overland
Get lost! Go explore!
Looks pretty good. I didn't see if you were planning on cutting the rockers out. Paint matches well. Please shoot something on the inside of the patches (inside doors, etc) like rust stop, ortho phos (if that is the correct name - its early and I'm w/o much coffee) or Rust Bullet etc.
I have to agree that it looks really good. I had to pause on the LC for a little bit to fix my DD and spend some time with the g/f before she killed me. But I'm back on it now and will post some pics of my fiberglass work. Mine is going to be a temporary fix until I can get a better work space then my front yard and then I'm going to cut it all out and weld in new sheet metal.
- Thread starter
- #85
Yeah Perks, let's see some pics of your fiberglass action!
It's been raining here all week and it just now stopped, so perhaps I'll go out and start working on the drivers side!
Man I need to get my hands on a mig welder. I was looking around on c-list, but not sure I can justify it. There is an inexpensive one but it doesn't have the gas hookup.
It's been raining here all week and it just now stopped, so perhaps I'll go out and start working on the drivers side!
Man I need to get my hands on a mig welder. I was looking around on c-list, but not sure I can justify it. There is an inexpensive one but it doesn't have the gas hookup.
I just came in from another layer of resin and am having issues with my memory card for my camera. Been having an issue with it since I started running the Beta of Windows 7.
Hopefully by later today I'll be doing some sanding and filling. It's not going to be perfect by any means but so far is looking a whole lot better then the the gaping holes that it had before. At least now I won't be embarassed to drive it around town.
Going to paint all the lower section with bed liner after all the body work is done, so that is going to help cover up some of the imperfections as well. Since I'm not after a show vehicle, just a desert truck, it should be fine for now.
Hopefully by later today I'll be doing some sanding and filling. It's not going to be perfect by any means but so far is looking a whole lot better then the the gaping holes that it had before. At least now I won't be embarassed to drive it around town.
Going to paint all the lower section with bed liner after all the body work is done, so that is going to help cover up some of the imperfections as well. Since I'm not after a show vehicle, just a desert truck, it should be fine for now.
I have the same issues to tend too. This has inspired me to start a daily driver face lift thread.
I would like to address the many body issues I have but it is my daily driver. Now that I am in between jobs and states, I think I can pull it off! I have about 2 weeks to do it..... Off to store for bondo, paint, pads, grinding wheel......ect! I'll start the thread soon.
Thanks for the inspiration.
I would like to address the many body issues I have but it is my daily driver. Now that I am in between jobs and states, I think I can pull it off! I have about 2 weeks to do it..... Off to store for bondo, paint, pads, grinding wheel......ect! I'll start the thread soon.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Don't forget the disposable gloves, dust masks and glasses/face shield. Working with the fiberglass can be quite a mess. Might be good to get a bit of extra hardener for the resin too, I found I ran out of hardener before I was through the can of resin.
- Thread starter
- #89
I'll second that...dust mask, face shield and extra hardener.
I found one quarter-size spot of rust on roof...got the fixed up tonight. Glad I don't have any rust on the gutters.
I found one quarter-size spot of rust on roof...got the fixed up tonight. Glad I don't have any rust on the gutters.
I am gunna go with the cut and weld with bondo. I have more experience with the welder than I do fiberglass. Will post my thread in a few days. Thanks for the reminders on masks.
I've been doing the same thing to patch up the rust holes in the Bantha's rear fenders. I only get a bit of time to work on it on the weekends, provided that the weather cooperates, so it's taken me almost two months at this point. But every new layer of mat makes it all look and feel more solid, and when I've ground the high spots out and put some cloth on, it actually looks pretty good. Tomorrow's supposed to be rainy, so I probably won't finish up this weekend, but I'm really hoping to be able to post up some pictures of the finished work soon. Unfortunately, I didn't take any "before" or "in progress" pictures to compare against, but they're basically like the ones that have been posted here. At any rate, it's good to see at least two other Mudders going the same route. I guess we'll have to compare notes in a year or two to see how these patches hold up.
Anyhow, a couple of hints that I've found:
- Get yourself a 100 count box of nitrile gloves. Each pair will only last for a single 15-minute application.
- Get a 15-pack of 2" chip brushes from Home Depot. You'll use one for each application.
- Get an extra bottle of hardener. The ones that come with the resin won't last for the entire can.
- Mat builds up faster and feels stronger when cured, but is way harder to work with than fabric. Depending on your application, it might be better to go with more layers of fabric than fewer layers of mat.
- Use just the tip of the brush when pressing out bubbles/smoothing the mat (or fabric). Especially with the mat, the sides of the brush will grab the fibers and make a total mess of your work.
- You might find it easier to mix the resin a little hot, and work in smaller batches, than risk a batch that doesn't cure, wasting time, resin, brushes, gloves, and mat in the process. (Ask me how I know.
)
Anyhow, a couple of hints that I've found:
- Get yourself a 100 count box of nitrile gloves. Each pair will only last for a single 15-minute application.
- Get a 15-pack of 2" chip brushes from Home Depot. You'll use one for each application.
- Get an extra bottle of hardener. The ones that come with the resin won't last for the entire can.
- Mat builds up faster and feels stronger when cured, but is way harder to work with than fabric. Depending on your application, it might be better to go with more layers of fabric than fewer layers of mat.
- Use just the tip of the brush when pressing out bubbles/smoothing the mat (or fabric). Especially with the mat, the sides of the brush will grab the fibers and make a total mess of your work.
- You might find it easier to mix the resin a little hot, and work in smaller batches, than risk a batch that doesn't cure, wasting time, resin, brushes, gloves, and mat in the process. (Ask me how I know.
)Also make sure you have more then enough supplies so you don't have to run out in the middle of working to get more. 
- Thread starter
- #93
Yeah, I'm mixing up just 2 or 3 plastic spoons worth of resin at a time in a dixie cup. That's usually more than what I need to apply a few layers. I actually used a small modeling paint brush and kept in in acetone after each application.
Perks, I had to go get some stuff as well:
I really like how easy it is to mold and shape the fiberglass with the sander. I'm pretty happy with they way my doors turned out...hopefully it'll stand up to the elements.
Perks, I had to go get some stuff as well:
I really like how easy it is to mold and shape the fiberglass with the sander. I'm pretty happy with they way my doors turned out...hopefully it'll stand up to the elements.
I've been doing the same thing to patch up the rust holes in the Bantha's rear fenders. I only get a bit of time to work on it on the weekends, provided that the weather cooperates, so it's taken me almost two months at this point. But every new layer of mat makes it all look and feel more solid, and when I've ground the high spots out and put some cloth on, it actually looks pretty good. Tomorrow's supposed to be rainy, so I probably won't finish up this weekend, but I'm really hoping to be able to post up some pictures of the finished work soon. Unfortunately, I didn't take any "before" or "in progress" pictures to compare against, but they're basically like the ones that have been posted here. At any rate, it's good to see at least two other Mudders going the same route. I guess we'll have to compare notes in a year or two to see how these patches hold up.
Anyhow, a couple of hints that I've found:
- Get yourself a 100 count box of nitrile gloves. Each pair will only last for a single 15-minute application.
- Get a 15-pack of 2" chip brushes from Home Depot. You'll use one for each application.
- Get an extra bottle of hardener. The ones that come with the resin won't last for the entire can.
- Mat builds up faster and feels stronger when cured, but is way harder to work with than fabric. Depending on your application, it might be better to go with more layers of fabric than fewer layers of mat.
- Use just the tip of the brush when pressing out bubbles/smoothing the mat (or fabric). Especially with the mat, the sides of the brush will grab the fibers and make a total mess of your work.
- You might find it easier to mix the resin a little hot, and work in smaller batches, than risk a batch that doesn't cure, wasting time, resin, brushes, gloves, and mat in the process. (Ask me how I know.
I've got some huge areas that I am doing so it takes me a little more to get it done. I've already been through two cans of resin and two 9sq ft pieces of mat. Got all that part done, then used some fiberglass filler to smooth it out a little better, and now have moved on to some bondo to get all the small imperfections out of it. Now I'm down to sanding it all out, but ran out of sandpaper this afternoon so I called it quits. I have the week off of work, and with the progress I've made so far, I'm hoping to wrap up most of it tomorrow. I'll try and get up some pics tomorrow if I can get my camera and computer to cooperate with each other.
Given your success, I am tempted to do my rear quarters in fiberflass. Has anyone tried to span a gap of about 4" with fiberglass or would I have to build some sort of structure to support it?
That is what I'm currently doing right now. If you look at post #45 on this thread it will show my rear quarter that I have been working on. I built a structure out of some wire mesh to lay the fiberglass on to try and keep the stock shape of the quarter after I cut all the rusted portions out. I forgot to take pictures of the mesh after I finished it, but what I did was shape it and use some heavy duty glue to hold it in place on the inside of the panel. I think it worked out really good.
With all the work I did, and how much I am going to explain it all, I'll probably start a new thread on it once I'm done so I don't completely jack this thread. Headed out right now to get the last bit of supplies I need to hopefully finish up today.
Southeast Overland
Get lost! Go explore!
4" span should be fine - use several layers of cloth maybe.
But please take care of the underside rust before you go slathering on fiberglass. That rust will come back - treat it before you glass.
But please take care of the underside rust before you go slathering on fiberglass. That rust will come back - treat it before you glass.
Oh believe me, I will. Just throwing ideas out there because it's a pain in the nuts to weld sheetmetal, especially upside down. My rig will be getting a diet session with the plasma cutter in a week or so I hope.
Southeast Overland
Get lost! Go explore!
Welding upside down isn't fun but I would rather weld than deal with resin and cloth.
16 ga sheet is fun to work with!
I know you've had a ton of experience working on the body for your pig, so maybe I'll just go that route. Do you use MIG for sheet usually?
I've gotta do that for my rockers too. Damn this is going to be a big project.
