In the past when working on large sections I would:

- wet sand, even with course paper it cuts faster
- a little ivory snow helps lube the paper, in the shop we would use a tarp and small pump to recycle the water. (fountain pump)
- I would take a 2 or 3' long 1x4 and glue another 1x4 to the center of the first one perpendicular -with holes cut as a handle. If you can true the wood ( before assembling & bonding with a table saw) the sanding is easier and flatter. It makes a flat board sander. I would use 3M contact spray #77 to put sand paper on to the wood.
- I also made full sandpaper sheet versions of the above
- taper the last 1/4 inch of the sanders to make it have less tendency to grab.


It looks really good and the end result will be fantastic...

 

Yes, I've had some problems with air pockets/layers not being bonded and I ground them out. That is the problem I was referring to with the Wests Systems epoxy resin. I have not had these air pockets/ unbonded layers with other kinds of resin. I did not buy a resin roller, I figured it would be too much of a hassle cleaning it and use a lot of pricey acetone.

I do know not to have resin over the paint. After I have all the laminating done I plan on going over all the painted surfaces with 120 grit and removing all the brown paint.

 

Depending on how warm you are allowing the West systems resin to get. because if it is cold it is much thicker...as I had previously mentioned to you in the past And if the ratios of resin to hardener are being strictly observed. I can not see how you are getting layers to not bond...unless the method you are using to apply the fiberglass mat is not correct...especially if these air pockets are at a 90 degree bend (such as at the top of your quarter.

I can not gasp your concern of the cost of acetone versus having tool that can easily aid in allowing you to laminate such large areas better if you are having a problem. Just boggles my mind.

TRUST ME...what you may feel it would be a 'hassle ' of cleaning the roller.... will greatly diminish when you use one and see what it can do for you.

But as always... so I do to get 'blasted' for commenting inappropriately..do as you want...and maybe when you get done you will prove to me that the loss of wasted materials and your time having to do it again and again will off set the cost of a roller and acetone needed to clean it. But I doubt it. That roller can actually aid you in saving your time an also materials....but don't listen to me. I am sure that will have to come from someone else who laminates more than I do.

DUB

 

 

Just a thought...

If you want to eliminate all air pockets you may want to think about vacuum bagging the work.

You can tape the release material over your work and bull a vacuum. This will eliminate all air voids.

If you don't have a vacuum pump, you can do what I did when mine died at home. I used a 350 cubic inch vacuum pump - the PCV line from my old Chevy. Just use a filter and shut off valve in the line.

I used 1/8 rubber hose and a 32 oz. jelly jar as the catch can for any debris. It worked perfectly....

I have used duct tape and lawn clear garbage bags - some stick to the glass some don't.

 

Boy I see you have a lot to add to this. No helpful advice for Priya...only some from of 'negative' comment...which I thought you were not on the forum due to ALL of the negativity...and here you are ..adding to what you dislike about the forum. Just par for the course with you...that is for sure.

I vacuum bag some repairs....but not all the time. So much of it can be taken care of by using the roller tools that can make her job much easier.

DUB

 

Dub, I felt your post #923 was a little harsh. My husband didn't think so, so take it as you will.

 

If you were teaching me to cook 'once over' eggs in a frying pan and I was using a butter knife to flip them and get them out of the pan and kept having problems breaking the yokes...and you suggested buying a spatula so the yokes would be less likely to break....and I did not buy I one...but I tell you that I am still having problems from time to time and you ask me if I took your advice and I said 'no'......what would you think? I am sure you would think I am making it so much harder on myself... Especially when you know a spatula would greatly reduce the problems I have in breaking the yokes.

I HATE that you struggle and have problems..I HONESTLY DO!

I am SORRY you felt that what I wrote was harsh. As you are realizing and learning as you go...there are numerous dynamics at play when doing project like this. And the hopes of staying in budget oftentimes never occurs. I know from experience what the roller tool would do for you while you feel it would not. As for the comments on the resin and what have you. It is hard to try to help a person if we do not know exactly what is being done...so...I can only assume and try to comment on it and maybe what I write does make sense and it possibly helps you on a dynamic that could be causing you a problem.

NOT referring to you Priya here in what I am about to write....but it is funny how so many people often times think that laminating is easy and it takes not talent or attention and just 'slap' the stuff on. There are tricks/procedures and techniques...depending on what you are dong.

You will not have to worry about me any more.

 

one thing you may want to consider since you are having some difficulty getting all the air out of your lay up , as far as i know there is no styrene in epoxy resin , the long strands of fiberglass that make up mat is bonded together when its made so it doesn't fall apart and turn in to a pile of long strands , the stuff that bonds it together is neutralized with styrene that is in polyester resin and turns it back in to individual strands that are as limp as a cooked noodle. since there is nothing in the epoxy to let the strands relax they are probably going to be a lot more difficult to make them do what you want them to do , for example working air bubbles and getting it to lay around tight corners.
you may want to look in to finding a mat that does not need the styrene to relax and unbond to it self , i avoid using epoxy resin for this and several other reasons. i'm not even sure if mat is available like that , if not you may want to "limber it up " before wetting it out.

 

Thanks dtamustang.

Dub, I always want to hear advice from people like you even if I don't decide to follow it everytime. My husband said sometimes he gets mad at me too because I ask for his advice and don't always follow it. He mentioned the time I asked him for help mating my 79 Chev Monza car seats to my 81 AMC eagle seat tracks. He mocked up a stand to support the eagle seat tracks and made adapters to go to the Monza seats. He says I told him it was fine but later on I was cutting apart the adapters he made and further modifying them. I don't know what to tell people like him, he certainly is a far more talented fabricator than me. The seats felt fine from a quick sit down after he did them but after hours of driving in the car I realized they were crooked and not to my liking so I evolved what he had done with the adapters , cut, shaped, and re-welded until I got them fitting in a way that better suited me. I don't think I could have figured it out from scratch like he did but once he had the general shape done for me I could see how to modify it a bit to get what I wanted.

 

I'm going to say at the rate I'm going about three years from now (don't tell my husband, he thinks it'll be done in less than two years).

 

LOL.......I think I have about 40 actual hands-on hours in my conversion.

It's the year of LIFE mixed in that is causing the slow-down!

I think a rookie like me could do the conversion (less painting) in about 60-70 total hours (provided there are no distractions).

 

We'll get there eventually Doorgunner

 

just a thought, something I learned a long time ago.

IT TAKES AN HOUR TO PUT THE ENGINE IN THE CAR AND 4 DAYS TO GET IT RUNNING. WHEN YOU PUT THE ENGINE IN IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT WAS DONE, THE REST LOOKS SO SIMPLE.

Enjoy the work, don't rush, step back often to enjoy and marvel over what you have accomplished.

The end result will be worth it...


GREAT JOB, looks great.

 

Thanks Blue1972

 

Your input is very valuable and I always enjoy reading your posts.

My dad made body work look easy and I was always impressed. I would stop by the shop and see cars cut in half...just amazing what he could do.

 

How is the conversion going??

vetfever

 

Slowly. Its been hard to get motivated due to all the itchiness and fiberglass dust in my eyes from working under the car in the gas tank area.

I went to lay some more mat and resin today but discovered I have very little resin left so it'll take a week or two to get more.

 

Thanks for the update. Good luck