Stressin over stress cracks

[Fred]

While I wait for parts I thought I would do some more bodywork. Iwas wondering if there is a product out there you can just paint over stress cracks, I've done a couple spots by sanding all the way to bare glass but I'm a little afraid of an uneven finish later,I dont want to use 8 gallons of bondo. I heard there is something for boats out there that fixes cracks in gelcoat. Also there are many drill holes,What should I fill them with? [img][img]http://i621.photobucket.com/albums/tt300/fingham/DSCF1967.jpg[/img][/img]

[jspbtown]

The best answer is....it depends.

It depends on how deep your cracks are. Are they through the gelcoat and into the glass? Are they through the glass as well?

If they are just surface hairline cracks I would just spray a good two part high build primer, block sand, and finish with your choice of top coats. I personally like Evercoat G2.

If they are through the gelcoat but not through the glass I would router them out (I use a dremel tool) and then fill them with a high quality filler like Rage Gold. You could also use some reinforced filler like 3m High Strength Reinforced Filler (HSRF). Its pricey, but is is TOUGH stuff. Only use it in the cracks that contact the fiberglass and not on the gelcoat. I would only recommend this if you are a crazy fanatic that is looking for a show car.

If they extend through the gelcoat and the underlying glass is fractured I would grind them out, lay in some mat & resin, then finish with the Rage Gold.

For the screwholes I would enlarge them to about the size of a 1/2 dollar with a grinder. Taper them from shallow on the perimeter, then almost all the way through toward the center. Fill with matt and resin, sand with 80 grit to shape, and finish with Rage.

To prevent an uneven finish sand with a longboard in a diagonal pattern. Criss cross your sanding strokes. This, along with blocking your primer, will help achieve a flat finish.

After all body work I suggest the G2 as your primer.

[blackthree4me]

unfortunatly they need to come out
I told my body guy to take them out he said OK
lookd good for about a year then they showed back up

take your time do it right the first time

[Fred]

Thank you for your input and knowledge on this and the previous posts. I'm Really glad I found this club as this is my 1st (Obviously) buggy/ VW/fiberglass project and I can use all the help I can get. From the pictures I've seen on this site you guys set the bar pretty high! Once again thank you very much see y'all in Salado Fred.

[CoryN]

Don't stress out over it, just take your time and experiment, you'll quickly figure out what works and what doesn't. Mine was a complete basket case that most people would throw away. Other than being somewhat time consuming, it certainly wasn't difficult to bring it back, and I have never done any fiberglass work before.

I had stress cracks all over the place, in fact I ended up laying mat over the entire rear end just to be safe. After I layed down a coat of primer I have now discovered a few in the hood that I hadn't noticed earlier. I'll dremel them out and fill them back up with rage gold, and then evaluate whether that will suffice, or if I need to lay down a piece of mat over it and blend it in.

Main thing in my mind is to enjoy the project

[Don]

Cory, I'm thinking you should give a workshop on fiberglass repair at Buggy Blast. I have a body you can "demonstrate" on.

[CoryN]

I think you want to wait a few years to see if this things falls all to pieces somewhere down the road. before you take any of my advice.

[frootloops]

take a grinder or dremel and go down to the glass thru the gell coat if fiberglass is weak it must be reinforced and then a light coat of bondo to fill the grove you just made then prime i used to work in the pool and body kit industry... youll be ok but epoxy coat or high build primer will not fix this it will come back! oh and Cory u got it bro just go with what feels right! you wont fall apart and if it does you know how to fix it!!!hahaa

[Fred]

Thanks for all the help! I have learned many thing s about fiberglass lately.(1) I was fixing holes from the pretty side, grinding a dish out of the area and layering cloth until it was a high spot and then sanding it flat, A buddy came over to help one day- He is a former Corvette Body man-saw what I was doing and said try flipping the body over and doing the patches from the backside. DID I FEEL STUPID !! It is much easier to level the cosmetic side this way and you use lots less material,and the repair is 1/3 the size! (2) DONT brush leftover resin over Laquer check, it never sets up without glass and just makes a gummy mess, learned that one the hard way!!! Will send new pics soon. Fred