Mold Making...Repairing Broken/Missing Fiberglass

[surfnc]

A good friend of mine, Roy has asked me to repair his original Manx body. It lost the battle with a pole and needs some repair. (before Roy bought it)

Roy has ordered another hood but it has damage in the main body under the hood. (chassis is mine and has different size tires on it causing the lean)

To repair this area I decided to make a mold of a good panel. I am using my yellow Manx for that. Roy did not get the missing piece of fiberglass from the seller, but if you can you want to get all the fiberglass pieces.

First I masked off a larger area than I will need, cleaned it up and sprayed it with PVA (mold release)

Mold release is water based and dries pretty quickly.

I sprayed it on using a cheap HF detail gun. You spray a mist coat wait 15 mins then spray on a heavier coat and wait for it to dry.

It leaves the surface shiny and with a slight green color. I also covered the holes with clear tape which will keep the resin out.

I then laid up 4-5 layers of 1 1/2oz mat. I put wax/surfacing agent in the resin to allow it to cure tack free. This also makes any drips on the body away from the mold area easy to sand off.

After it cured over night I flipped the body and cut off the excess mat with

a HF Mulitfunction Power Tool. I had seen a post from TJ Tom about using one to cut fiberglass. It works GREAT!! Thanks for the tip Tom.

I flipped it back over and "popped" the mold off the panel. The blue tape makes it easy to pull up the edge but you may need a wedge of wood to get it off completely.

Here is the finished mold under the area in need of repair. I am going to clean up the bad glass on Roy's Manx and bolt the mold to the body. (I will post pictures when I get there)

I used PVA instead of mold release wax on the yellow Manx because I am going to paint the body. PVA washes off with water and sanding can sometimes push the wax down into the surface making it difficult for paint to stick.

Vince
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[66 Shorty]

Awesome right-up Vince!

VERY easy to follow directions, Gotta love that!
_________________
~X-Man~

'60's Spatz Buggy body on '74 Chassis (Budget Build)
'69 Bug (Baja-to-be partial daily)
'10 Silverado (My daily)

[TC/TeamEvil]

Great results, I usually use the cheap and cheerful "tin foil mold" method. Same as what you did, but using tin foil rather than a release agent. Here are some pics of how my MGA fender turned out.

A friend, Jeff, came to my rescue and let me come by and splash a few quick fiberglass "molds" off of his lower fenders, here is the first (driver's side) fender pretty much done for now.

This picture shows the mold in place on the outer surface of the fender, once in position a few clamps and tape will hold it steady.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/f6.jpg

Here is the inside of the fender with the mold firmly attached to the outside, and a few layers of fiberglass mat built up in the mold. You can see where the red fender metal ends, and the fiberglass patch begins, pretty clearly.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/f4.jpg

A shot of the mold just pulled and the patch in place. Again, the division line between what metal remained and new fiberglass is clear.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/f5.jpg

Patch in place partially trimmed to correct proportions/shape.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/f1.jpg

Patch trimmed to fit with first coat of reinforced resin applied.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/f3.jpg

Fiberglass resin sanded, first coat of filler partially sanded as well.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/f2.jpg

Final polyester filler coat sanded and first primer filler coat applied.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/f7.jpg

A splash more primer filler and nearly done, the final body work comes after the fenders are fitted to the body.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v136/TeamEvil/f8.jpg



Thanks,

TC

[surfnc]

66 Shorty
Thanks for the kind words. I am working on giving a fiberglass class so I figured I would get some practice.

TC
Nice work on the fender!

I got some more work in on the repair.

I cut out the bad area.

Beveled/feathered the edges with 36 grit sanding disk.

Sprayed the mold with PVA. I also taped the edges so it would be less likely to stick to the mat.

Bolted the mold to the repair area.

Laid up a few layers of mat.

Before the resin set up I cut out the screw heads and cleaned the holes.

After it almost completely set I removed the screws. The lower layers of mat had cured so I did not have to worry about the mold falling off or the repair falling apart.

After it cured out I flipped the body and

Removed the mold. The film you see is the PVA. It will wash off with water. Also I needed to "help" the mold off with a wedge.

I flipped it over and ground down the screw/bolt holes and taped the other side to keep resin from seeping through.

I added another 4 layers of mat. I will let it cure out over night and start on the top part of the repair tomorrow.

Vince
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[MOON BUGGY]

wow I wish I had your talent.
you're like a fiberglass Jedi.

[Roys_Big_Toys]

Looking good, Vince. I guess I better get busy and put this chassis back together. so I will have something to put it on. Somewhere in here there is one, I promise.

_________________
I'd rather be an hour early than 5 minutes late. (Mine)
"It's not a hobby, it's an addiction" (My wife)
"Socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it." -Ronald Reagan
Original Meyers Manx
Berrien LKD Warrior Ecotec 2.2 w/ Bus 091 Trans
Original 2 sided Meyers Manx Dealership sign
Meyers Manx Surf Board #1 0f #100
Custom Meyers Manx Cornhole game

[66 Shorty]

Vince Nice Lay-up!!! No Bubbles at all! You must use a roller, right? I've found rollers make for a great lay-up. I'd like to have your skills as well! I have lots of repairs to do to my Buggy, Tc's doing a great job on his Fiat & MGA, so, I'm going to have to have him help me out, so, I can get the body in some decent shape for primer this summer. I don't see me gettin my buggy done yet again for this season...
_________________
~X-Man~

'60's Spatz Buggy body on '74 Chassis (Budget Build)
'69 Bug (Baja-to-be partial daily)
'10 Silverado (My daily)

[surfnc]

Moon Buggy
Thanks for the kind words.

I don't know about Jedi but I do have Captain Rex to drive around with.

My son has Star Wars Clone armor and rides with me in the Duck NC 4th of July parade.

Where are you in NC?


Roy
I see it but it is hiding pretty well.

66 Shorty
I do use a roller but have found that you can get very good results with a 2" chip (throw away) brush and some patience.

Update 2/24

I may lose my Jedi status.

I went out today to check the fit of an intact hood that I have. I found that it would not go on.

The fenders needed to be 1/4" farther apart. I had taken measurements in the gas tank well and matched them to the Manx I took the mold off of. This was correct after the first repair. Unfortunately, being fiberglass, all bodies are not cut the same so I had small problem.

I did not get a chance to take pictures but what I did was to cut the section in front of the tank well and spread it 1/4". I used Vice Grips to hold it and test fitted the hood. It was good. I then ground the edges and filled the 1/4" gap and bonded the 2 pieces back together.

Here is what it looks like with the hood on after the resin cured.

Yeah

This is the good thing about fiberglass, you can go back and fix it with out too much trouble.

Vince
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LOOKING FOR VINTAGE MEYERS MANX STUFF!!!
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[MOON BUGGY]

Now there's something you don't see every day!
Capt. Rex driving a Dune Buggy! very cool!
from looking at the before and after pictures
I would say you're far from losing your Jedi status.
I live over here in Concord North Carolina.
I've actually met you at the first Manx on the Banx event.
me and Tonya both had a great time and are looking forward
to this year's event.
last year we were passengers but
this year I'll have my Manx

[glassbuggy]

I've been watching this thread in earnest as I need to graft some different lights into a New Beetle fiberglass body kit that was less than professional. I will be taking a mold from a bumper cover and using the backup lights from it. I also want to eliminate the licence plate recess which involves fixing a large section and I'm not sure on how to go about it.

Anyway I was hoping to see you finish this repair on the outside of the body. Do you grind and lay up some glass or use horsehair. Perhaps you just use filler putty at this point? You are making me bite my nails for the rest of the story!!!
Bart

[surfnc]

Moon Buggy
Do you have a build thread going? Any pictures of your Manx? Looking forward to seeing you all in Oct.

Bart
It has been rainy here and have not had the chance to finish repair. You can see that the front/outside part of the repair is fairly clean.

I will grind out the area at the joint and lay up some glass to bond it so it will not crack later. I will then fill any "dips" with thickened resin. I will post pictures in the next day or so.

Vince
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[bajamike560]

Good to read info here, I have an older book on glass work I loaned out to a friend that is building a buggy so I am getting into the build myself and learning a bunch more.

Mike
_________________
Jackpot motorsports

[didget69]

There are many good Web-based resources as well covering fiberglass repairs...

http://www.fibreglast.com/product/LC_007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsoKAHU5xUw

...etc...
_________________
I never found the need to impress people with any mechanic certifications, trophies or track wins... unless it was for Mom to post on the refrigerator door.

[MOON BUGGY]

Vince
No build thread as of yet,
but I do have some pictures I can show you.

this first picture is pulling it out of storage.
(almost 20 years in various locations)
years ago someone used some white house paint to put a s on it.
there was also house paint on the rear of the car.
It was difficult to get off without harming the gelcoat.
The White stripes around the edge of the car have probably been there since it was new. The stripes were dried and hard.
very chalky gelcoat.

These next pictures are after I have wet sanded and polished the body.
it has a little coat of dust on it from sitting in the shed but still looks good enough for a picture.

I do have the rest of the parts( rollbar windshield manx logo etc.)
the body isn't perfect, but what 40-year-old body is.
I like it the way it is, it's a survivor!

I'm not planning on keeping the seats.
I have some fiberglass low backs in another buggy
that I would like to use, I just need to get them recoverd 60s style.

nothings bolted down yet, it's just sitting on the frame waiting for some attention.

Craig

[surfnc]

Craig,
Nice looking Manx, love the rims!!

On a somewhat unrelated topic, you can get the house paint off by using 2000 grit sandpaper and wet sanding the area. This will also help to remove the chalked gelcoat. Have a bucket of water with a little dish soap in it to keep the paper wet. The soap helps keep the paper from clogging.

Then use 3M Perfect-It Machine Polish (2) polish as directed with a foam pad. Then go to 3M Perfect-It Ultrafine Machine Polish (3) polish as directed with a dedicated foam pad.

Here is the hood of an original gelcoat Manx that belongs to my good friend Paul.

I used the 2000 grit to remove the paint from the hood. The sandpaper and the polish do not take off hardly any gelcoat so it should not burn through. Always good to test an area, like under the back seat, before doing the hood.

Bart
Here is what you have been waiting for.

I ground/sanded the area where the new glass and old gelcoat/glass meet.

This allows you to fill it with mat/cloth to bind the area together.

Add some mat. don't worry about putting resin on all the mat. You will sand off all the mat outside the "beveled" area.

Sand the area fair, and it is ready for a skim coat of filler to cover the weave.

Vince
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[CBDZ_CBDZ]

I am looking for information on building up the proper thickness.

Can you give some specifics regarding the weight of the mat or cloth that you have used, how many layers were used, and what that combination yielded for a finished thickness.

I am on the home stretch of making the mold to re-construct the rear portion of my buggy, and will need to be ordering materials soon.

Thank you.
_________________
Tube Bender Rental in So. Cal.

http://www.rentabender.com

[surfnc]

CBDZ_CBDZ

I used 2.5oz mat and laid down 10+ layers. The end thickness was a little over 1/4 inches.

With that said the thickness really depends on how much resin you add and how many layers you put on at one time. The more resin you add tends to "float" the mat or cloth and makes it thicker but not stronger. Your goal is to lay up 4 or more layers at a time and have all the resin get absorbed by the mat. In practice this is almost impossible without vacuum bagging it. But if you use a stiff brush, roller or even your gloved hand you can laminate the layers and have the mat "wet out" well.

Put a better way, put your first layer down brush or pour on the resin. Then add dry layers of glass/mat and press them into the resin until it absorbs as much as it can. You may find that you need to add more resin if there are dry areas, or that you need to add more mat if it is still wet. In the end you want to end up being able to still see the "weave" in the glass. If it is smooth (glassy) you have too much resin and should add another layer if you have time. Remember you can always sand it down if it is too thick.

This will make more sense when you do it and it will take some practice to be able to do this and not have it cure before you are done.

Vince
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[jspbtown]

I was (and still am actually) a big fan of the disposable brushes. However, I can't recommend strongly enough the use of a fiberglass roller.

The roller has made my work need so much less finishing. It greatly reduces air pockets and smooths the matt out really well. They are cheap to. Just soak them in acetone after you work with them and they will be good to go for the next project.

Other than that bit of info follow Vince's suggestions to the letter. He is the fiberglass guru...the rest of us are just pretenders!

[mark tucker]

Ive made lots of molds & stuff like that, it's nice when you have a good one to pop a mold off of. I like making it longer so as to be sure it is lined up as close to perfect as possiable. and befor screwing it tto the body grind back about an inch or so and lay some glass in there so the orignal body is sandwitched good use screws and always pva coat the screws, and use air pressure to knock the mold off,you can drill a small hole in the center and use a thin peice of masking tape over it on the inside, then when ready just use a blow gun and it will releace nice&easy with out possiabilty of any crack or oops. for real big stuff I use water hose, as a big peice will sometimes let the air escape to fast for a clean release. you did a great job,I like seeing this stuff as we can all learn something new from somebody elses stuff & way they do it.

doing big stuff like the hood you need to make the mold thick so it dont deform when screwing to the part to be repaired it as the new part will be deformed too. when I first got my drag street roadster body from harwood I poped off many countours&parts as I could, just incase something got mushed & needed repair.



if you dont have the peices to do it you can build them out of plaster&screen , or body filler or many other things. get it like you want it then pop a mold off of that and then you have a good part to repair corectly. there are many ways to skin a cat ,some will get you scratched and some arested it's your chioce.

[GetPsycho]

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread, but any
idea who the manufacturer of this body was?