I have used metal screening material like radiator screen/grill
available in most home depot type stores and pop rivetted the screen in
place over the damaged area and coated it with resin and then added the
resin coated fiberglas cloth or mat. The screen gives form (and is
easilycut, shaped and bent) for the cloth to follow as well as having
holes that allow the resin to creep through and cling to the screen.
Additional resin and fiberglas material layers are then added to give
more substance and strength. It works VERY well and is also useful for
floor or trunk floor repairs (as long as the underside is also protected
with undercoating material).
I have also done this on the vertical sides of fenders. I used a flange
crimping vise grip tool to form an edge the is slightly lower than the
surface of the fender. Then I cut a piece of the screening/grill to fit
the flange area and pop rivet it in place to hold it. Then I proceed
with the fiberglas repair as told previously. To fill any small
imperfections in the glass work after sanding I use regular body putty
and complete with normal body work from there. If done correctly the
fiberglass repai bonds well to the patch and surrounding metal,and comes
out faily flush after sanding.
I'm not saying that this is the best way to restore a car but to those
of us on a budget, or with cars that do not warrant a full scale
restoration, or who just want an inexpensive way to fill those non
structural rust holes this is another alternative.
Lenny Seidman
and Malcolm Walker wrote:
>
> On Sun, 4 Apr 1999, Michael Graham wrote:
>
> > I want to repair the rusted metal under the battery in my TR6 with
> > Fiberglass. Fiberglass instruction say to remove paint before applying
> > fiberglass. Area was pretty badly rusted and I have wire-brushed and coated
> > affected area with an rust inhibitor. I would prefer not to remove this
> > coating before applying fiberglass and do not want to do too much
> > grinding/sanding 'cause the surrounding area is a little "thin". Will the
> > fiberglass stick to the painted surface and the rust "inhibited" area, or
> > do these really need to be ground down to bare metal? I not so much
> > interested in maximum strength, rather I hope to be able to stop further
> > rusting and fill the holes that have been eaten through the metal.
>
> I went through this battery box repair on my TR4, before I'd got all my
> welding gear together.
>
> -Fiberglass resin is like Bondo; it's sticky. Provided your surface is
> free from grease and oil- and that the rust inhibitor (what did you use?)
> sticks real well to the base metal, you won't have trouble.
>
> -Wear an organic vapor mask to protect your lungs and maintain your
> sanity. Polyester Resin vapors are bad for your head as well as your
> lungs.
>
> -Clean the base metal with acetone right before you put the resin on (wait
> a few minutes for it to flash off).
>
> -I ended up with about 4 layers (of just cloth- it's stronger than matt).
> I put bits of metal, re-bar style, into the still-soft second layer.
>
> -Fiberglass resin seems thick but it can seep through TINY holes. Make
> SURE that you've got a drop sheet below your work area- doubly so if your
> carpets are still in!
>
> -Resin does NOT stick (well) to polyethylene. (Plastic garbage / shopping
> bags). Use these for masking.
>
> -Resin eats most glues and plastics. Be careful what you get it on.
> Vinyl and some duct tapes won't hold up to it either. Neither will
> styrene.
>
> -Try to get any forming done (like the ridges under the battery) while the
> resin is still liquid. Don't mess with it too much. If you want to abort
> your attempt, remove it ALL, and don't put it back- it's wasted. Once the
> resin starts to set ("go off"), it's finished. It will be in a gelatinous
> state for a little while; depending on ambient temperature and amount of
> MEKP you put in, etc.
>
> -You can sand/machine the f/glass when it won't dent under fingernail
> pressure. (sometimes better to wait-a-little-longer in this case). Put
> your OV mask back on; I use dust pre-filters for sanding to keep the big
> chunks out of the carbon filters.
>
> -Malcolm
> * There is a FAQ for this list! Its temporary home is:
> http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/walker/triumph/trfaq.htm
--
Lenny Seidman
Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA
email: lseidman@erols.com
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