Gray
Part of things
Silence isnt golden!!!
Posts: 742
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Jun 15, 2011 19:33:44 GMT
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Whats the best method for atatching fibreglass arches onto bodywork? After searching about there seems to be a whole lot of conflicting info on this subject and the biggest problem seems to be cracking on the joint (the arches are to be blended into the body)
Any tips, advice or insider knowledge of the best way?
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Jun 15, 2011 20:07:07 GMT
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I think it's always going to be a bit of an issue because of the differing materials.
A couple of things might help though:
Key the curse word out of the metal, like, attack it with a grinding disc and score the hell out of it!
You can get additives to use with polyester resins that make them more flexible, you could use this in the fibreglass you're using to bridge the arches to the body, hopefully allowing it to flex with the bodywork a bit more, and take hits a bit better. I can't remember it's exact name, but 'gelling agent' rings a bell.
Or finally, you could use an epoxy resin, it sticks like hell, is more flexible, and stronger than polyester resins, so I'd have thought it should take a lot more of a beating before causing any issues, only issue being it's a fair bit pricier, and not very nice to work with.
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Jun 15, 2011 20:07:31 GMT
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Fibreglass will never fully adhere to steel. I would attach them with screws from the back that wont break through the surface.
If you do want to try and make it adhere cleanliness is the key. Make sure its spotless and well keyed before trying to apply the fibreglass resin
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Jun 15, 2011 20:49:38 GMT
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Not got any experience in this, but would a series of hole drilled into the body allow the resin you bond the arches on with to bleed through and form 'rivets'??
Lewis
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ChrisT
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,635
Club RR Member Number: 225
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Bonding fibreglass to steel?ChrisT
@christ
Club Retro Rides Member 225
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Jun 15, 2011 21:12:52 GMT
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^^^^^That's the theory I work on when using fibreglass - must help it bond better
that and countersunk rivets, which are much easier to hind than std ones.
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Gray
Part of things
Silence isnt golden!!!
Posts: 742
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Jun 15, 2011 22:27:40 GMT
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Some interesting stupp here, I'm going to have to look into gelling agent and the different resins and epoxys. Its all a bit of a mystery to me because I usually only work with steel but this is for my own CF so I best learn fast! ;D
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,829
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Bonding fibreglass to steel?stealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Jun 15, 2011 22:42:17 GMT
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It's impossible to make GRP stick to steel. The best way is to fasten it or glue it. What are you trying to achieve?
Matt
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Jun 15, 2011 22:49:53 GMT
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It's impossible to make GRP stick to steel. The best way is to fasten it or glue it. What are you trying to achieve? Matt Filler manages just fine, and most makes of that are polyester resin based. It's tricky, but it's possible. Epoxy resins will definitely stick, they're just a bit pricey and not very nice to work with. It would be advisable to fasten it as well though, in my first post I was more talking about if you want to blend the arch's smoothly into the bodywork than to hold them in place. |
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Last Edit: Jun 15, 2011 22:54:10 GMT by RobinJI
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,829
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Bonding fibreglass to steel?stealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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We talked at length about it on the fibreglass course at Area 52. It will seem to stick, but it will soon come unstuck. To get it to "stick" in the first place the metal needs to be bare, so you also end up with rot inside a fibreglass box section, which later bulges and cracks the fibreglass.
I've done a bodykit with arches before that haven't cracked and they've been on for 5 years at least. I stuck them on with Gripfill, then countersunk rivets, then the tiniest skim of filler to blend them.
Matt
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^ was going to say, rivet or screw, and Tiger Seal or similar polyurethane adhesive sealant. As used in kit cars and to nail on bodykits. A few fasteners will hold it in place while the glop sets up.
The glue is flexy but strong, and overpaintable (although the less you have to paint onto the better).
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'66 Amazon <-> '94 LS400 <-> '86 Suzuki 1135 EFE
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Jun 16, 2011 14:25:17 GMT
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We talked at length about it on the fibreglass course at Area 52. It will seem to stick, but it will soon come unstuck. To get it to "stick" in the first place the metal needs to be bare, so you also end up with rot inside a fibreglass box section, which later bulges and cracks the fibreglass. I've done a bodykit with arches before that haven't cracked and they've been on for 5 years at least. I stuck them on with Gripfill, then countersunk rivets, then the tiniest skim of filler to blend them. Matt Was at the same talk. Hence why I said it will never properly bond to steel. I know this first hand after a big patch of fibreglass (bodge) fell of my car revealing a massive hole in the wing. The magic sparky thing soon sorted it thoug  |
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Gray
Part of things
Silence isnt golden!!!
Posts: 742
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Jun 16, 2011 22:41:08 GMT
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It's impossible to make GRP stick to steel. The best way is to fasten it or glue it. What are you trying to achieve? Matt I have a set of CF350 arches in fibreglass that I want to blend into my CF. Cracking at the joints seems to be a particular problem though. Its even been suggested I recreate the arches in steel and weld them but its a very time consuming process and I had hoped there was a way to use these..... a foolproof way ;D |
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