JBL Specialty

I have been using tooling resin for my molds and parts for the last 30 years and have never had a problem. Tooling resin is a high heat distortion resin which doesn't warp like general purpose resin once a part has been pulled from the mold. Yes it is thinner than GP resin but it wets the mat faster. Fiberglass suppliers sell resin by the pound and it is only about .30 cents a pound more. Also because its un-waxed you can laminate more layers the next day without having to worry about grinding the cured surface.

Dave Frazer

Thanks to both JBL and DUB for the help during this process.
If I have learned anything along the way it is that there are many ways to skin this cat and more than one way will work.

Everyone seems to have found a procedure/process that works for them with certain products that perform in a predictable way for their process.

I now understand why it is possible to overthink this while looking for the correct way to accomplish a good end result with lasting quality.

In the morning when it is light out I will take some pictures and up load them. Until then, I sand.......

Dave Frazer

Notice the discoloration (brown spots), spider cracks all over.
Black area in this one.




Hood sanded close to glass surface.

Hoping these will give you a perspective on the entire piece.

Dave Frazer

The dark brown areas are someone else's attempt at repairs. This will be ground out and repaired with glass and resin.

My current thinking is to do my repairs first and then sand the entire thing with 40 grit and lower it a little to accept a new skin and resin using a very light weight layer of glass.

JBL Specialty

It looks like you still have some primer left on the hood. I think I would use a da sander with 80 grit paper and sand it flat until you are sure its smooth and then laminate the 3/4 mat over the whole hood. When it dries you can skim it with body plastic or apply gel coat and pva. You want the gel coat to be about .025 thick. Then block it flat with 120 sandpaper. You may need to do twice get it nice and flat.If you get some dry powder guide coat it helps to locate low spots.

Dave Frazer

I took the photos before I was done sanding. All primer is removed now. Tomorrow I begin the repairs.

porchdog

i would do a layer of veil cloth after taking it down good. most parts made in molds with gelcoat eventually shatter like that . many of the early kit car bodies did this.

Dave Frazer

Would you use polyester or vinylester resin?

porchdog

i would use epoxy resin.

DUB

YES...I do know the benefits for tooling resin when making your molds. I do the same thing... but I choose to not use it to make parts. I guess it works for you.

I also agree that I would take it down and laminate in some mat. It will depend if you want to use an epoxy resin or polyester resin.

With the area you are going to do I would get some fiberglass laminating rollers to help you out in this adn make it go much better unless you plan on vacuum bagging it.




DUB

csherman

I agree with DUB
I will put down a fresh layer of mat over the entire surface
I had a pair of 53 doors that looks just like that
I put a fresh layer of cloth over the entire surface

DUB

??? CONFUSED???

Chris..so you are saying you used cloth instead of mat?

If you did use cloth...how did you keep the print of the cloth form showing up later??

I am ASSUMING that you are using ounce and a half cloth instead of some of the really really fine light weight cloth that I have used. But I generally do not use it on the exterior unless I cover it with some mat to hide the print.

DUB

csherman

Yes sir - on the 53's and early 54's I want the cloth to print :-) I know sounds nutty but the early cars the cloth will print thru and I do it so repairs look original -

DUB

I understand. and that makes sense.

DUB

Dave Frazer

Update on my progress:
-Chemically stripped and then sanded hood and trunk lid with 80 grit.
-Repaired damaged areas with matt and unwaxed resin.
-3/4 oz veil matt and unwaxed resin applied on entire surface area.
-Polyester filler skim coated and sanded with 180 grit over entire surface area.

-Next????

DUB

Now it is up to what you want to shoot on this panel and begin it so it can be sanded and get it ready for paint.

I know you wrote you applied a polyester filler...but I prefer to use ONLY Vette Panel Adhesive. And I am NOT saying that using any other is a bad thing. Only that I like what VPA provides that other fillers do not do.

Some will say to use gelcoat..while others will tell you to use an epoxy primer and then a polyester primer...and others may say to spray it with the polyester primer and some will say to apply an epoxy primer and then a 2K primer like K36 from PPG. So...it all depends on what you want to do due to so many ways that it can be done.

In have my methods and they may not be the same as others who have found alternate methods that can provide them the same level of success that my method provides for me.

If that panel were in my shop it would get gelcoated and then polyester primed. Sanded down...then sealed and painted.

DUB

Joe C

personally I would not gel-coat. the only time I've seen it done was at a body shop, and as I recall, it was a total disaster. I don't have a lot of experience with this, but after a chemical strip to bare "glass" on my 69, I applied a single coat of a 2-part epoxy primer. with todays finishes, I would still go with an epoxy primer followed by a high build polyester, and a urethane primer-sealer. as far as I know, original panels were not gel'd. seems to me, all this gel stuff on OE panels was started by eckler about 30 years ago - ??? gel-coat is perfectly fine for fabricating new panel assemblies, but as a repair/refinish process - I don't think it's necessary. like I said, not a lot of experience - just my 2-cents. (OP) whatever your decision, good luck -

DUB

Clearly expressing views without having any real world experience to back it up..(as has been clearly mentioned) often amazes me when comments are made on products or procedures that someone did not employ hands on that come across as unfavorable.

'Those' people who have disastrous results when they use gelcoat ( OR any product that they know nothing about). I would about 100% GUARANTEE...they never tested it and just went and shot it on something thinking that it can't be that hard to do and failed miserably due to not knowing what they are doing.

That is like me watching people drive a car on TV ( and never had driven a car) and jump behind the wheel and THINK I can drive the car like I see them do. OR...someone who expressed their opinion that using chemical stripper is the WORST thing ever to use on a Corvette due to they have seen disastrous results but yet people do it all the time with great results. It reminds me of an episode o American Chopper when Paul Jr was making a seat bottom base out of fiberglas resin and stuff and had disastrous results and had to tear it all apart. When I saw that I knew he just jumped in and did it without testing it and try to understand how ti works and got what he got. Yet..a guy like myself could have made that segment of the show much better and show that if you know what you are doing you can have stellar results.

Whether you believe that gelcoat is an appropriate material to apply on a panel or not is up to you. I personally have my views and know what I am looking for when I work on these cars and I KNOW what gelcoat provides for me. I feel it is a product that delivers me what I know I need to achieve that not only allows me to have great success in my work when completed...BUT...in the future the car still looks good and is holding up.

I know there is more than one way to skin a cat. BUT..I prefer to use what I know and can provide my customers with the optimum series of products and procedures to give them a job that can be better than others due to these choices. And YES..I am a great fan of polyester primer also. So... there are so many variables and scenarios that it takes a LONG TIME of doing this to find what can work and what can fail. What will last and what will also last but take the job to a higher level due to products used are the next level up. I feel that these cars require a level of attention to detail that I just have to try to achieve. And I can only do the best I can in what I do with them and not applying what I know is a disservice to my customer. How I did Corvettes 30+ years ago is not how I do them now. I am my own worst critic. 'Raising the bar' all the time because I am only as good as the last job I did.

So whatever a person chooses to use on their car.... I would advise that if this is your first rodeo on this is to spend some time and money and test it first.

DUB

porchdog

i tried to post but it keeps going to other threads. this is getting old .

Joe C

ouch! didn't know opinions were not welcome. only experience. sorry....