Subtleties of fiberglass repair

Do-it-yourself repair of damaged fiberglass products is not very difficult if you know the technology and methods of the process. It is equally important to have the right tools and materials on hand.

The initial stage of work is the need to examine the damaged surface in order to know what exactly will have to be faced during the repair. There are several possible types of damage:

• spalling of parts of damaged parts;
• scratches of varying depth;
• violation of integrity in the form of ruptures and breakouts;
• deep and not very dents.

To repair damage at home, you will need a set of mandatory tools included in the repair kit:

• compressor;
• construction hair dryer: this will allow you to warm up the work surface so that dents and protruding bumps can be leveled;
• grinder or grinder with a special disc to create a perfectly flat surface;
• spray gun: needed for the subsequent final painting.

In addition to a set of tools, materials will be needed for repairs:

• fiberglass repair kit, which includes fiberglass cloth and epoxy resins;
• several types of putties: automotive and fiberglass compound;
• acrylic solvent and resin remover;
• primer, varnish, small brushes 25-30 mm in size, silicone gloves, tape, respirator;
• it is desirable to have a special composition for removing paint from fiberglass coatings;
• a set of sandpaper with different types of grain;
• fine-mesh metal mesh for surface covering of seams;
• container for mixing epoxy resin, mixing tool, paper for covering non-working surfaces.

As an example of repairing a fiberglass product, we will give the restoration of a damaged car body or bumper. During work, it must be remembered that repair and haste in this case are inappropriate, since even the slightest flaws will be clearly visible at the end of the work. It is necessary to thoroughly clean the damaged area from rust, corrosion, paint residues.

If the bumper is to be repaired, then it is removed and installed on a horizontal surface. The edge of the break is scraped to remove the remnants of the fiberglass fibers. Then the surface is cleaned at a distance of 10-15 cm around the place of damage. Degrease the treated surface.

Fiberglass laid in several areas at once interferes with high-quality work and looks untidy, this will be especially noticeable at the end of the repair. The processing of one area after another is much more efficient and better.

There can be several damages, and the repair will depend on the degree of trouble.

Repair of fiberglass is not particularly difficult if the process technology is followed. After finishing the grinding of the edges, the part is placed on a flat surface, the edges are joined together to be able to obtain the exact size of the patch. Some craftsmen prefer to leave the edges of the edges untreated, believing that the patch will hold on tightly.

If you clean the surface in the direction of damage up to 5 cm, you can get a perfectly flat product. The crack and the adjacent area with a distance of about 10 cm must be repaired with polyester resin. Then the area covered with resin is covered with 300 grade fiberglass. Then wait until the resin is completely dry and apply a layer of putty. After the final drying of all layers, the final cleaning is carried out with an emery cloth or a grinder.

Reconstruction of the resulting hole will take longer than repairing cracks. In this case, a patch is applied, taking into account that it is necessary to immediately prepare more fiberglass and putty. The damaged surface is cleaned in the same way as in the case of a crack. After stripping, adhesive tape is glued to the wrong side, then resin is applied to it and at a distance of 20 cm around.

After complete drying, cleaning of the area begins. The protruding layer is removed with sandpaper or a resin roller, then this place is cleaned again. A primer is applied to a flat surface, after which puttying is carried out. A metal mesh is applied over the putty to avoid the appearance of microcracks. The resulting result can be dried with a construction hairdryer, then smoothed out with a grinder.

Dent repair depends on its condition. If the dent is large, then you need to glue it like a hole, that is, the fiberglass is cut out and glued. Small deformations are repaired by heating and leveling by hand. Sometimes the protruding part is cut and covered with resin, the depressions are also filled with resin and covered with putty.

In case of spalling, the lost part is restored with the help of fiberglass. The difficulty lies in the fact that it will be necessary to accurately repeat the shape of the spall. The spall edge is cleaned off. The patch is leveled with sandpaper. The joints are filled with resin and covered with fiberglass, reinforced from the inside with additional layers of fiberglass. The final procedures are polishing and painting.

The repair of fiberglass containers and products is carried out using the same technology as the repair of car bodies and bumpers.... If there is a need to make a fiberglass item, then you will definitely need a blank. The punch is made of various materials: wood, clay, plastic, sometimes plasticine. If the product is large, then the punch is recommended to be made of foam.

The impregnation of fiberglass with the prepared composition should be uniform, for this it is better to spread it on a glass horizontal surface. When the impregnated fiberglass is applied to the blank, care must be taken to ensure that no air bubbles remain. Layers are stacked alternately, while long breaks should not be allowed, otherwise the previous layer may dry out. It takes about 3-4 days to completely dry the product. The punch can then be carefully removed.

Carefully following a simple technology, you can repair and manufacture fiberglass items at home with your own hands.

How is the repair of fiberglass, see below.